Lazy bunnies or just old age?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 7sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 5 months ago by Zombie-Sue.

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- 11/14/2013 at 6:01 PM
  bunnluff
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  206 posts
  My girls are roughly 7 years old going on 8 and are separated by maybe 6 or so months. They still seem pretty lively and spunky for the most part but I notice when I bring them into the living room to play, they usually just lay down and nap. They don’t run around much or binky all that often. When I lived with my folks and the rabbits had an outdoor playpen, they would run circles in that thing. My living room is pretty spacious yet I hardly ever see them run and jump around. Are they just entering old age or are they just spending their free out-of-cage-time relaxing? Neither of them are overweight either so that’s not it. I do provide newspaper for them to shred and they have their cottontail cottage but mostly they like to lay by the window together and sleep, like cats.
- 11/14/2013 at 6:59 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  When I took my Henry (8/9 months old, so still a baby) to the vet and only really being a dog owner – he described having a rabbit was very much like owning a cat! I was horrified, not overly fussed on cats, ha ha ha…. (I don’t dislike cats, just didn’t want one for a pet) and be dammed, my Henry is the pet cat my hubby always wanted?!?!?! Gee, that back fired! So yer, maybe you scored a couple of puddy cats???? lol….
- 11/15/2013 at 2:02 AM
  MoveDiagonally
  Participant
  2361 posts
  Rabbits do tend to play less and enjoy just hanging out and relaxing more as they get older. Lower activity can also be due to slippery flooring or time of day. Rabbits like traction and are naturally more exuberant in the morning or evenings.
- 11/15/2013 at 6:30 AM
  CheriB603
  Participant
  422 posts
  My bun is 3 months (today!) and aside from his morning and evening crazy zoomies he prefers to lounge in the sunshine in front of the slider and snooze for a big chunk of the day. Of course he’s a flemmie and I find them to be more like dogs than buns, but I think the fact that at 8 yrs old your buns are just now slowing down is perfectly normal. Sounds like they are just comfy and enjoying retirement!
- 11/15/2013 at 10:37 AM
  buddyboy
  Participant
  50 posts
  My bunnies about 2yrs old and is free running.he pretty much does the same thing as yours.just lounges around, moving to different napping areas.he gets these spirts of energy and investigates everything, hopping on everything he can get up on,we play the chase games a little, then he naps.so most of the days he’s just kicking back.then 8-9pm he goes into hyper mode and runs and binkys and jumps on everything all night long.i think your rabbits are just so comfortable with you and their seroundings that they feel safe enough to close their eyes and rest more, and adding the age thing, they will sleep a little more.my guess is that you’ve also gotten comfortable having then around, and maybe backed off some of the attention you use to give them…not a bad thing,but if you want them to be a little more lively,i think it goes both ways, bring on the attention, play with them and talk to them more, and make them interested in what your doing.i basically narrate everything IM doing, making my Bunny part of everything I’m doing, so he is always following me around watching what I’m doing cuz he feels like he’s part of it.
- 11/15/2013 at 4:08 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  I have a senior (about 12 years old) and have had many older rabbits – they do slow down.
  
  Many rabbits develop arthritis too and that slows them down. It is not usually very obvious to an owner either when a rabbit has arthritis – they can develop arthritis as early as 4 years old.
- 11/16/2013 at 2:49 PM
  bunnluff
  Participant
  206 posts
  These responses are funny. I guess I didn’t think I’d be getting two cats when I got rabbits. As I speak, they are sun bathing in the window. Well I guess it’s good to know they aren’t just inactive rabbits. They do get their spurts of energy where they’ll go to the top of the cottontail cottage or jump onto the couch or just dart around randomly. I just wish they did it more often because it always cracks me up. Plus I want to know they are getting the exercise they need being mostly cage bunnies. They did have more energy when they were younger but I guess I knew they’d slow down someday.
- 11/16/2013 at 6:52 PM
  Zombie-Sue
  Participant
  875 posts
  My old man (like 7) doesn’t run around or binky much or play much. He chews on boxes, lays down, chews on the box some more, lays down. Letting him out, he kind of explores for twenty minutes and goes back to his cage. He’s a happy rabbit. He is just content to relax.
  
  Old or lazy, as long as they’re happy… x)
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