Cageless Bunnies?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 7sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 8 months ago by Baxter n Boos Mom.

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- 07/07/2013 at 1:31 AM
  bpash89
  Participant
  307 posts
  So my bunny has free run of my apartment (the only place she isn’t allowed when I’m not home is upstairs and I have the stairway blocked off). She’s been like this almost as long as I’ve had her (as soon as she was really litterbox trained); I still have her x-pen type cage set up but it’s always open. Is it necessary for her to have her cage if it’s never used? I don’t mind leaving her litter box and toys in that same area but do I need to leave the actual cage part up or can I take it all down without having a bunny freak out?
  
  I know some bunnies love having ‘their space’ but she’s never been a fan of her cage, really only going in there to use her little box or get some water. She likes to hang out under the couch more often than not and i’m pretty sure in her mind the whole apartment is ‘her space’.
  
  I’d really like to take the gaudy pink exercise pen out of my living room but I don’t want this to trigger some bad bahaviors or something. Is there anything wrong with going completely cageless? Does anyone else not use a cage at all?
- 07/07/2013 at 2:28 AM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  I don’t use a cage at all, mine have a closet as their space. But, any change is likely to cause behavior issues since buns hate their space messed with. It could be something as simple as some thumping, or as annoying as forgotten litter habits. Even cleaning my buns closet can cause them to get upset (don’t even talk about when I have to launder their blankies). So, I would just not mess with a good thing, personally.
- 07/07/2013 at 2:34 AM
  bpash89
  Participant
  307 posts
  well she doesn’t get upset if I go into ‘her space’ at all really. I go in every day to clean her litter box, fill up her water ect and she usually follows me but doesn’t thump or act annoyed that I’m there. It’s usually more of a “you’re cleaning the litter box now!? But I want to use it RIGHT NOW” but behavior-wise she doesn’t really care if I go into her cage area. I still plan to leave it as her corner with all her stuff just as it is now… I just want the cage part gone…
- 07/07/2013 at 7:52 AM
  CheriB603
  Participant
  422 posts
  Give it a try… As long her things stay where they are she may be fine. Can you fold up the pen and maybe lean it against a wall near the same spot and kind of gradually ease it out of the room? Worst case she has a hissy fit and you put it back. My 2 cents.
- 07/07/2013 at 8:20 AM
  bpash89
  Participant
  307 posts
  mine is like interlocking panels so I’m thinking I will only take away one or two panels at a time and make sure she’s okay with it before I pack it all away and stuff. My apartment is really small so I don’t like using up all that space for a bunny ‘room’ that she doesn’t use ever.
- 07/07/2013 at 8:32 AM
  CheriB603
  Participant
  422 posts
  I bet she’ll do fine!
- 07/07/2013 at 10:16 PM
  peppypoo
  Participant
  1945 posts
  As long as she has her corner where her food, litter, etc are, it should be fine to take down the pen if it’s open all the time anyways. Just make sure that the danger areas are blocked off and your apartment is otherwise bunny-proofed. Welcome to the wonderful world of free-range bunny ownership!
- 07/07/2013 at 11:16 PM
  Baxter n Boos Mom
  Participant
  394 posts
  We always marvel that our buns take at most 2 days to get used to change. After finishing their condo – we added it to the room – gave them a couple days, and removed the cage. They never missed the cage…but like your little one – the only went in there to use the litter box.
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