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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum BEHAVIOR Not As Social Outside X-Pen

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    • sac14196
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        Hi All!  I’m fostering my first rabbit and I’m making every effort that I can to make him adoptable.  He used to be pretty aggressive, but I’ve corrected his fear-biting since then.  Now I have a type of behavoir that I can’t seem to figure out or fix.  My foster rabbit loved social interactions in his X-Pen, but could care less outside of it.  For adoptable reasons, that does not work well in his favor.  I also don’t want him to be adopted into a family that will prefer to cage him up for these reasons, espcially since he does so well in rabbit proof rooms.

        He’s a neutered 2 y.o. male, was surrendered to the shelter 6 months ago, and has been in foster care for five weeks now.  When he first came, I kept him inside the family room in his 3′ x 8′ X-Pen during the day and let him out for for playtime and socialization (“outside time”) in the evening for several hours.  During the day, he would hop up to the front of the X-Pen and love being pet, I’m assuming it’s because he likes the interaction while being by himself inside the X-Pen for some time.

        I’ve come to trust him to a point where I leave his X-Pen open and he can roam around the rabbit-proof rooms freely (family room, kitchen, and hallway).  However, he no longer follows me around like he used to during his “outside time”, he could care less about being pet (I can pet him if I want, but he hops away after a few pats), and he seems to like being more independent than social in comparison to being in his X-Pen for hours. 

        He was a marshmellow in his X-Pen, but he now prefers to keep to himself with his new freedom.  The only time he’ll nudge me (even nip me… that’s another issue) is if he wants treats.  (He goes away when I yell “NO!” to stop him from nipping and I’ll give a treat after several minutes if I know he’s got the point, but I’m not sure if yelling at him pushes him into further isolation.)  I don’t have the heart to set up the X-Pen and leave him in there during the day again, but if that’s going to reverse his “outside independence”, I guess I would do it… but I’m not sure if that would even work.  Ideas or experiences?  Anything helps!  Thanks!


      • CheriB603
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          What is he doing wrong? Sounds to me like he’s a typical, independent bunny! You’re right that yelling at him will make him more skittish of you. Rabbits are not like dogs, they really don’t get “No!” Most bunnies nudge, scratch or even give a little nip when the want treats. I would just ignore when he “asks” inappropriately – just gently shoo him away… He’ll figure out nipping gets him nothing. Other than that, he seems fine. Most bunnies don’t sit still for pets much, especially when they would rather be exploring, so getting some petting time while he’s in his pen is a bonus! Once the yelling stops and he feels he can trust you OUTSIDE of his pen, he’ll be more likely to relax and enjoy being petted more. Good Luck!


        • Sarita
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            I agree with Cherie – this sounds like typical rabbit behavior and what I would expect from a rabbit. There is not a thing wrong with a rabbit being independent and allowing his personality to shine through. He is probably happy exploring and hopping around.


          • sac14196
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              Thanks for the advice!

              In case anyone wanted an update, I learned that he just needed to adjust to his new surroundings (it took ~8weeks) and he became friendly and social again. However, when I introduce him to a new space, he acts “non-social” again (timid, does not want to be pet, etc). Sometimes he will run back to the “familiar rooms” to feel comfortable again. But, it’s as simple as him being hesitant in a new room, and after time he gets over it – then he’s right back to normal.

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          Forum BEHAVIOR Not As Social Outside X-Pen