wanting to go from part-time to full-time free range

[Aeyja]

At the moment Harvey lives in an X pen from about midnight to 6 PM, then has about 6 hours where he has run of the lounge where he spends most of his time stretched out under the couch or hooning around at top speed. I’m thinking about leaving him out overnight as we are sleeping in the lounge ATM (it’s Winter and that’s where the fire is ) and he enjoys being out so much. Would it be OK to leave him out overnight and just have him in the X pen while we are out during the day?

[Sarita]

I think it would be if you are there and he is trustworthy – you won’t know how he does until you try.

[Aeyja]

It’s 2:50 am here and we just woke to the sound of Harvey using his hidey box as a launch pad to jump the playpen. Only had him a week, I honestly thought we would have more time before he figured out how to escape LOL. Maybe that’s his way of telling us he is ready :p

[Mocha]

I agree with Sarita. You can, but I would fully bunny proof your lounge because you wouldn’t be watching him. I would block under the couch. My bunnies are really hard to “catch” and I would hate moving the couch and possibly squash them.
Harvey sounds naughty so I wouldn’t let him yet.

[Sarita]

LOL, he does sound naughty. I agree with Mocha, it may be too soon if he is trying to escape – who knows how much havoc he could wreak. Definitely need to bunnyproof if you haven’t.

My free roamer is about 5 years old and about 1.5 pounds and has no bottom left molars so he doesn’t wreak much havoc.

[Aeyja]

The lounge is pretty thoroughly bunny proofed. So after he escaped last night we did some renovations and lowered his box so he would be less tempted to use it to jump out of the pen, just as we thought we had sorted it we watched him morph into a monkey-bunny and climb over the top. He then proceeded to do bunny 500s, all at 3am. Whoever told me bunnies were active at dawn and dusk was lying :p we gave up and let him stay out and I don’t think (touch wood) he has destroyed anything. My new problem however is that for now, I do not want him out while we are out during the day. It is definitely too soon for that. Given that he now knows how to escape his pen, what can I do while we are at work?

[Sarita]

Try clipping a sheet over the top – sometimes that helps. Just take some clothespins (if you can find some – LOL, not sure if they even make these anymore) or anything else suitable and pull a sheet taunt over the pen and clip in place.

[calipa_st]

I had to stop putting Lucky in his pen at night because he just chewed and made so much noise trying to escape.. so he’s free range 24/7… we took the desktop out of the bedroom so nothing really for him to get into.
During the day, you could do the sheet clothespin thing, I do that so Lucky can’t jump into the pen of the other rabbits when I let him downstairs. He and my other dutch can jump the 4ft xpens

[Usagi1618]

My holland lops are free range because both tantrum and will rattle their x pen for hours. I am lucky though because they do not like the feeling of hardwood floors, so if I just put down a rug or blankie for them they just stay in that area lol. But I feel your bunny is naughtier than mine are lol!

[Mocha]

Part of my rabbits x-pen is short, so I use office clips and clip towels across the cage. They haven’t escaped this way yet and they like hiding in the shadows of the towels

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