Scratching

[Mandi]

I have four bunnies, two boys and two girls they’re all under a year old. The boys are in one cage (a hutch thats up about 2 feet off the floor) and the girls in the other.

I don’t have any trouble with getting the girls in and out of their cage but I DO have trouble getting the boys back IN their cage(No problem with getting them out since they love playtime) . Thumper (the bigger boy) doesn’t mind being picked up for a short period of time so putting him back in is no trouble at all, but his brother TZ hates being picked up even for a moment and he will NOT go back into the cage by himself. We have a homemade ramp and stairs for them but they rarely use them to go back in the cage (they can easily get back in for food or water they just dont want to since its playtime!).

Anyways the point is TZ is getting bigger and when we try and pick him to put him back his kicks are getting stronger day by day. When we first got him I was hoping he would calm down and get used to it but he hasn’t. The scratches used to be just light lil marks on my hands and arms and now they almost always bleed. He kicked me in the face the other day and I have three gashes down my chin. I know I’m not holding him wrong and I know I’m not hurting him. I don’t know what to do to get him to calm down. He’s a good bunny until we its time for him to go back in so I don’t know what to do. Please help

[RabbitPam]

You can try luring him with treats. You need to use very small treats, like one raisin or a broken piece of the healthy treats you can buy on line, but if you make a noise that can only be associated with a treat, like rattling a jar, then say treat, then let him smell or nibble it, then let him see it in his cage, he will learn to associate going back with getting a treat. It has worked with my bunny who won’t let me pick her up either. It takes time, but the point is having a positive association with the cage.

Small treat is because anything routinely large will make him fat in no time. You might need to train the other one this way as well, and they can follow each other’s example. Just be sure one doesn’t eat the other’s treat.

If you can make the entry to the cage easier for him, try that too. A sloping ramp can be good.

[Mandi]

Thank you so much  It sounds like a great idea and I’m going to start doing that with them when ever playtime is over. You sure I wont be over treating them? They go out to play 3 to 4 times a day. and I don’t think he has a problem getting in and out. He just doesn’t want too

[Adalaide]

I’m not sure if it’s over treating or not but it’s how I get Freya back in her room. She knows what the bag of raisens sounds and looks like. She’ll look at me if she hears it and when she sees it she’ll follow me anywhere. It’s the only time she’s my slave haha.

[Mandi]

I tried it today. It got TZ into the cage, it took a while though cause the minute the treat was farther than an inch from his face he totally lost interest the lil butt >< But it did work up until he figured out what we were doing and then he didn't want the treat anymore he just wanted out. I’m hoping he’ll get used to it. Thank you all again!

[KatnipCrzy]

If you refill the pellet bowl twice a day- feed after they get into their cages.  Many bunnies are motivated by food- so feeding the in the cage can make a difference and offering treeats will help also.

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