Help needed with bed time

[dusky2012]

So, we’ve had our beautiful mini lop baby for around 4 weeks now. Up until a couple of days ago he was really good when it came to bed time, we were leading him into his house with food, usually parsley. However, he seems to have realised what we are doing so now just looks at us and then runs off! He’s just starting to get to know us and is jumping on us got cuddles etc do we don’t want to have to pick him up to put him back in.

Getting a bit stuck as to what to do next!

[RabbitPam]

Bunnies are creatures of habit, which helps, but young ones are also playful and frisky like kids, so that can make them less than cooperative.
You can take him out earlier for evening play time so he gets more exercise and is more ready at bedtime. Putting the parsley piece under his nose then putting it into the habitat so he gets it after his goes back is the way to get him to learn to expect his bedtime treat. Parsley is an excellent, healthy choice for that. (I use a small Veggie Treat, and rattle the jar with is a sound signal for our bedtime.) Ignore him once you say it’s bedtime, so chasing him around to catch him doesn’t become a fun game. But putting him in, giving him the parsley, saying Good Bunny, or Bedtime will give him verbal and behavioral cues that the way to parsley treat at night is the word and the place to be. He’ll go there himself readily soon.

[dusky2012]

Thanks for the advice. He does seem a lot more playful recently so you’re probably right in saying that he thinks it’s a game. I’ll keep trying with the parsley and see how it goes!

[JustineT]

My rabbit always thinks going into her cage at bedtime is a game. My husband walks behind her and tries to lead her in a certain direction but she’ll stop, look both ways, and shoot off down the hall or double back with my husband chasing after her. You’d like she’d be scared by him chasing her, but her ears are always happily forward and she always stops to see if he’s following her. I’ve even seen her practice her “escaping bedtime” routine during the day! Luckily Willow does think of it as a game and will eventually get in her cage no matter what. Rabbits love anything that feels like a game to them!

[Author]

Messages