Why are they so lazy?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 12sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 6 months ago by Elrohwen.

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- 09/07/2011 at 11:50 AM
  avarismom1
  Participant
  110 posts
  My 2 mini-lops are the laziest bunnies ever! They are not overweight, they are not old, they are no longer (outwardly) fearfull. But they do not know how to play. They don’t play with eachother. They don’t binkie, they don’t do zoomies.
  
  Today dragonfly decided to hop up the stairs and check out the upstairs for the first time – and my firsthtought was thank goodness he is getting some exersize going up the stairs!
  
  Hoppers-hoppers on the other hand sat on the couch next to Penelope’s stuffed sheep and stared at. I put him on the floor to show him where the out of cage litter box was and he walked calmly back to the couch, hopped up and laid down,
  
  So what can I do to entice them to be more active to learn to play?
- 09/07/2011 at 12:04 PM
  TriBun
  Participant
  314 posts
  I’m still learning myself, but I know what you mean. My lop spends ALL afternoon sleeping under my bed. He eats in the morning and evening and then again before bed, but that’s all I ever see him do. My little dwarf-mix is all over the place. I hate to say it’s a breed thing because I’ll get yelled at for generalizing , but I wonder…
- 09/07/2011 at 9:08 PM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  Sounds very BUNNY LIKE indeed.
  
  How old are your buns? Are they free range?
  
  In my experience, rabbits are most laziest during the day. Flopping is also a sign of relaxation and since they are in such a vulnerable position it means that they are totally happy with their life.
  
  Also, free range rabbits are less inclined to binky but it does not mean that they are not happy. They are content.
  
  My Chacha is fully free range in the apartment and I haven’t seen her binky in a while, but she is a big flopper
- 09/07/2011 at 9:29 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Rabbits are usually very curious so just plonking something new in the space they’re in (i.e. a tunnel or cardboard box) has them investigating and moving about more.
  
  I believe even rabbits in the wild spend a lot of time sleeping. Their active at times mostly out of necessity, so when they go out to eat or in the breeding season. I sort of think as a prey animal being more nervy and faster heart rate, they burn energy just from that.
- 09/07/2011 at 9:32 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  A lot of the crazy CUTE bunny antics are mostly done while young. Remember play is often something done by young animals and not done by adults. They still will-a little. Try to think of what your bunny does like-digging, scratching, ripping, etc. Or try different activiites. Some bunnies are climbers-so try a Maze Haven-they love those. A towel or diggy box for a digger. A brown bag stuffed with hay and treats for a ripper…etc.
  
  Also guaranteed to work:
  1) Rearrange their living area or play area-move the couch move the food bowl whatever, etc. They will spend time navigating the routes around and over to learn
  2) Put a toy (like a willow ball) under their chin and hold on-this is guaranteed to get my bunnies off their butts trying to rip it away from me, chewing it and boxing it. Once they get started they’ll continue destroying it on their own
- 09/07/2011 at 11:13 PM
  Zombie-Sue
  Participant
  875 posts
  xDDDD Why are they so lazy xDDDD
  
  My rabbits are 5, and they are similar. Lots of sitting around. Maybe that’s all it is.
  
  On the bright side, they’re more content to be petted and held I think than some younger rabbits.
- 09/08/2011 at 5:23 AM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  I have 3 buns and my lop (who is 4) is the laziest of them all. When I let him out, he plays for a few minutes, then lays down and rests, repeat. My bunny Stormy is 7 and much more active.
  
  Maybe lops are just lazy!
- 09/08/2011 at 10:40 AM
  avarismom1
  Participant
  110 posts
  they are about 1 1/2 and 2 years old. This makes me feel better.
  They are not free range because we have 2 Shiba Inu’s as well. But The buns go from the NIC cage to free run of the house for a couple hours each morning when the dogs are out. Then in the afternoon I give the dogs a bone in our bedroom and let the rabbits out again. And then they usually come in for another hour in the evening when my husband is home and the dogs are out/being walked.
  
  Because they are not always out and do not have full run of the house all the time I thought they would be more playful and silly when they did come out.
  
  I had a Netherland dwarf and a Himalayan growing up and I remember them playing and zooming around with the cats and bouncing of chairs. Maybe I have slightly lazier rabbits. I am fine with that. I jsut want them to be happy and having a good time.
  
  Oh and dragonfly he is the king of the flop. I think he is dead sometimes he sleeps so soundly and so flopped over half hanging off the back of the couch! He is also the more active and sillier of the 2.
  
  Oh and rearranging stuff makes Dragonfly soooo mad. He starts nosing everything around and grunting at it and glaring at me and head butting whatever is in the “wrong” place. Too funny!
- 09/08/2011 at 10:53 AM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  They grew up in a hutch if I remember your introduction correctly, so they never had the opportunity to play. Powder has taken about 6 months to build up enough muscle to really enjoy playing without tiring out too much after being confined to a small cage too long, they may get a bit more active. Or they may just be into chilling and relaxing. Rabbits can be very cat like in their enjoyment of just a good place to lay down and nap.
- 09/08/2011 at 11:11 AM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  avarismom – my bunny got lazy after she turned 1. She is a Netherland Dwarf. She used to be so full of energy but now she is incredibly lazy not all breeds live up to their expectations hahaha
- 09/09/2011 at 11:52 AM
  avarismom1
  Participant
  110 posts
  stickerbunny – interesting! I didn’t think about actual muscle tone – I was thinking more on the lines of them never learning what play was a t young age.
  
  Love chacha my Netherland Dwarf used to run down the hardwood hallway and crash into my cat- it was dubbed bunny bowling pretty quickly
- 09/09/2011 at 12:22 PM
  LoveChaCha
  Participant
  6634 posts
  HAHAHA OMG! that is hilarous I laughed out loud when I read that. Crazy bunny
  
  When I took my bunny in for her yearly exam, she checked Chacha’s muscle tone and says that she has really good muscle tone. I joked and said that Chacha really enjoys being lazy She just gets to hop around the apartment on her own free will hahaha
- 09/12/2011 at 1:25 PM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  I’ve worked with Otto to teach him tricks – he’s food motivated and it’s the only thing that seems to get him up and moving around. Otherwise he sits around like a lump on a log 😉
  
  I have my hands full with Hannah though, so now I just appreciate Otto’s laziness.
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