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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BEHAVIOR Cage shaking

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    • Jonhjon
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        i’m a new rabbit owner and i have two rabbits one of them Bugs is doing something and i have not idea why. So first i plan to have my buns free range and they are out most of the day i put them in a carrier that can fit both of them comfortably at night but Bugs will bite the cage door and shake it violently but he’s not unhappy he binkys all the time eats well and doesn’t hide and seems happy. any ideas?


      • Jonhjon
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          *Note* He only really does this at night and he stops when i check on him and starts again when i leave


        • Wick & Fable
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            Firstly, based on your profile picture, it seems your rabbits are young? If they are not BOTH fixed, they need to be separated before hormones kick in and they try to kill each other. This may happen regardless if they’ve been friendly and loving together since birth or if they’re siblings. Also a good chance they are opposite sexes and a pregnancy can occur because sexing rabbits (identifying male vs. female) is quite difficult to do accurately. There is a proper, very long bonding process ess which must occur after they are fixed which takes months, so read up on the bunny info tab of this website now. If you find you cannot do this, you’ll need to discuss the future of one or both of your rabbits. (I.e. rehoming one or both).

            For the cage shaking, you’ll want to think of this in the view point of your rabbit. Firstly, a lot rabbits like being active during some night hours, so being in a confined space during that time is frustrating. As a rabbit, he sees it as you putting him in jail, limiting his space for a time span he doesn’t know (will this be forever?). Imagine someone let you live your life, but randomly puts you in a small jail cell occasionally. Even though you’re out 90% of the time, when you get put into the jail cell, you’re going to be frustrated because you don’t know when you’ll be let out and quite simply, you don’t want to be there. You’re getting blocked out of your territory, and that’s upsetting.

            Now you describe this as a carrier. How big is it? A place to keep two buns at night time (who are bonded. If not bonded, they need separate cages) should be quite large so they have room to run around, like a large x pen.

            The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.


          • sarahthegemini
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              Hold up, they’re stuck in a carrier at night? A carrier?


            • Jonhjon
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                yeah yeah a carrier its not for ever just for now, and i do know that they don’t bond when they are younger i do plan to separate them. i have also given them more time out and seemed to help before i gave them around 3 hours and yesterday i gave them 12+ hours out until they got tired. they are both male btw. and i don’t leave them in there for all night i put them in there at around 10:00 pm and let them out at 6:30 am…


              • Jonhjon
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                  but thank you anyway i do appreciate your help.


                • Deleted User
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                    10:00pm -6:30am is an awfully long time to be trapped in a carrier and without sounding rude this sounds very concerning. Rabbits can be active at varying times so just because you are ready to sleep/wake doesn’t mean they are. They are not like children that you can just put to bed. Also putting them in such a confined space is likely to cause more problems than just shaking at the carrier, I’m surprised this hasn’t resulted in your bunnies fighting because they are in such a small space together(unless I’m reading your post wrong and they are in their own carrier). I just can’t quite see any logic in putting a rabbit in that situation wether temporary or not. Especially seen as you say they are free roam in the day, no amount of free roam can justify that amount of time locked up. I don’t want to seem like I’m being judgemental but surely there are other ways around this


                  • Jonhjon
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                      i don’t put them in and out at that time anymore that is also when the didn’t have as much time out as they do now they are out much much longer and he has since stopped shaking the cage. i DO however plan to have them separated very soon. i have am trying to put them to bed when they seem tired. and don’t worry i am use to constructive criticism. we plan to build a bigger cage very soon…


                    • sarahthegemini
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                        Yeah sorry being out for plus 12 hours doesn’t make the carrier situation better. Why haven’t you got a cage or pen? You don’t seem to be taking it seriously but essentially, what you’re doing is abuse.


                      • Jonhjon
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                          okay okay okay i AM TRYING to get a cage i have said that before….


                        • sarahthegemini
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                            You should have got a cage or pen before you got the rabbits. First you said you are planning to build a cage ‘very soon’ and now you’re saying you’re ‘trying to get a cage’ Which is it? Being stuck in a carrier for any length of time is neglect and you should not be subjecting them to that. 


                          • Jonhjon
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                              they have also been sleeping out of there carrier….. i’m planning to built a cage if i had to go into all the detail it would way to long of a story its not like they are just shoved in there cage i will open it and over time they will go in there and lay down…


                            • Jonhjon
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                                its also not like they hate being in the carrier just now they walk in a went to sleep with out me doing anything all with the door open so i’m not forcing them in there…


                              • sarahthegemini
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                                  They’re going in there of their own free will when its open, sure, but you said you keep them in their carrier at night, thus confining them during the night?

                                  Bottom line is: A carrier is for transporting rabbit from A to B. It is not meant to be used as a cage alternative until you get one sorted.


                                • Jonhjon
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                                    i do keep them in there at night but when they don’t sleep i will let them out for a while until they are tired enough to go to sleep


                                  • sarahthegemini
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                                      Please just make the cage a priority, your bunnies will be so much happier Even a cheap dog pen each would be better and not too expensive if you look on second hand websites?


                                    • Fluffykins
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                                        It’s a positive thing you understand how serious not having the right accomdation for your rabbits, is.

                                        Normally, rabbits are neglected or harmed by being housed in tiny shop brought cages; you’re currently housing them (for a portion of the night) in a carrier.

                                        What’s wrong with tiny pet shop cages? The problems are multiple but the main thing is a lack of space to *run* and jump and play, causes physical deformities as well as mental illness.

                                        A bunny can and will get depressed from having no space to *run* and play. Now please put this in the context of a carrier and forget using the word run, the rabbits will barely be able to *move* or simply *take one proper hop*.

                                        I always find this following fact fascinating; what major thing differentiates psychopaths from normal functioning members of humanity? Empathy. Psychopaths have a distinct physical inability (literally that part of the brain is underdeveloped) to empathise.

                                        Clearly you understand your rabbits need an actual proper home, otherwise you wouldn’t be working on a bigger cage as well as giving time lots of play time during the day.

                                        However, I will say, please just empathesise with your rabbits that one step furthur; imagine being confined to a space you couldn’t actually take a step in, *with someone else*, a space so tiny you couldn’t take one step. Can you imagine how much your body would ache after one night? How many nights has it been for the rabbits.

                                        Can you imagine how much your mind would stress out, with such lack of space?

                                        Your rabbits are living breathing creatures; they are alive the exact same way you are. Try to imagine their current life right now and then find a solution right now; something needs to happen right now.

                                        If you’ve bunny proofed enough to let them out during the day then leave them out at night. Leave the carrier door open so they can go in *and out* of it as they please (as you seemed to insinuate they’d choose to voluntarily stay in there), if that’s true you have nothing to worry about by leaving the door open.

                                        Just dig that bit deeper and empathesise that one step furthur with your rabbits; their little hearts beat as much as yours as mine.


                                      • Deleted User
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                                          Hi there,

                                          I want to start by saying that I don’t think anyone here is trying to be mean or rude. We care very much for the bunnies so it’s just heartbreaking to hear that they are being kept in a carrier for 6-8 hours.

                                          Unfortunately, housing the rabbits in a carrier at night is unacceptable. Rabbits sleep a lot during the day, and are actually more active at night and in the early morning. So, the reason that he is shaking the carrier door is because he wants to get out and play around. It really is much too long to keep them both confined to such a small space.

                                          Until you get a cage, is there a room that you can allow them in at night? Somewhere such as a bathroom (without any loose wires or chemicals around of course). I see in your picture that they are using a litter box, so you should be able to just place the litter tray in the bathroom and let them in there for the night. At least they will have more space than the carrier.

                                          Also, they will need to be kept separately soon. If you don’t have the money for two separate cages, I would advise you to invest in some NIC storage grids or x-pens. These can be rearranged into one larger area once the two are bonded, but you will need to keep them completely separate while you undergo the bonding process. It is best to separate them BFORE they have had any fights, as that could hinder their relationship and make bonding harder in the future. Better safe than sorry, right?

                                          I understand that it’s a lot to take in. Rabbits are very high maintenance pets. It’s great that you want to have them free range eventually, but right now their situation in the carrier is much less than ideal. If you can’t provide them a room, could you possibly purchase an inexpensive pop up mesh puppy pen until you get a cage sorted out? It still won’t be big enough for the long term, but it will be better than a carrier for the short term until you’ve worked out all the details.

                                          https://www.amazon.com/OxGord-Exercise-Approved-Portable-Designed/dp/B00IV4AZ5C/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1513609478&sr=8-6&keywords=pop+up+puppy+pen

                                          This pen is quite inexpensive. It’s not large enough for even short term, but if that’s the best that you can do right now it will at least give them more space than they get in the carrier. If I were you, I’d purchase two of these, so in the event that you still don’t have cages figured out by the time they get hormonal, you can keep them separated and avoid fights.


                                        • Deleted User
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                                            I have one of these pop up things for when I take my bunny outside. I live in the city, so I don’t have a fenced in yard or anything and I don’t want her chewing at the grass because I don’t know what kind of garbage goes onto it. You can store these pens during the day while they are roaming about because they fold up flat and come with a case to zip it up in.

                                            I really think that it’s very important that they get more room ASAP. They will start to get testy when hormones hit and you don’t want a bunny brawl breaking out in that tiny carrier, they could injure or kill each other.

                                            Preferably a bunny proofed room would do best for at night, but I did provide a link to a cheap alternative that would at least increase their space so that they have room to move around a little. It’s bad for their health to sit still in a carrier for hours at a time.

                                            I know you’re trying, I don’t mean to chastise you. But I think they really deserve better than being in a carrier at nighttime.


                                          • jerseygirl
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                                              This thread is temporarily locked.

                                              Unlocking this thread now. (Dec 20)

                                              Thanks for advice given so far. 

                                              The carrier issue has been brought up enough times, I would say.  Jonhjon has already acknowledged that it is less then ideal and is working on changing that. They are learning their way. 

                                              Jonhjon, I noticed in one of your other topics that you said (almost apologetically) you’d been asking a lot of questions. That’s what these forums are for so ask away!!  Asking questions is the best way to learn and look at options that will work best for you for your situation. 

                                              As already mentioned, a exercise pen (puppy play pen) might be a good solution for your rabbit. Either to contain them OR use to section of areas of a room and they be left free range in the rest of the space.  If they are young rabbits, containing them is more ideal. They can get really messy when they reach puberty. This is often when they need to be separated also.  

                                              Exercise pens are pretty affordable and even 2nd hand ones can work as they’re easy enough to clean up and sanitise the panels.

                                              I personally am not a fan of cages. They’re expensive, the animals grow out of them quickly and they’re kinda a pain to clean. Most of my set ups have been vinyl flooring or tile (or loose laying a large piece of vinyl) then a pen on that. So I can just sweep with a broom and mop. 

                                              Some buns will just obsessively chew at barrier and cage bar or pen bars. Even if it’s really large. If a rabbit won’t give up on chewing bars, I normally suggest putting something over to top that they can safely chew on, like hay or sea grass mats. Or some board, perspex or something, then give them some other things to chew on inside the pen/hutch/cage.

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                                          Forum BEHAVIOR Cage shaking