I really feel for you in this situation because you are obviously torn between carrying out the wishes of your friend and providing the best care for the bunny. In my opinion the logical thing for anyone to think of when looking after a rabbit would be to let it out for exercise and more stimulation outside of its cage, so to be honest I think it’s really great that even though you aren’t an experienced bunny owner yourself that you have been kind and smart enough to know this is what the bunny needs. If you are worried about what your friend might think maybe you could say you wanted to know more about bunny care so you came to this site for more information so you were more confident. You can then maybe direct your friend here so they can be more informed. This may help him change his ways and start letting his bunny out more. I hope your friend isn’t upset with you by any behaviour changes in his rabbit because I believe you’ve done the right thing and is great you offered to care for this bunny because that is very hard to find sometimes.

Your friend probably never experienced the bun acting aggressive because it was depressed. Now bun has had a shot at some freedom. I really don’t know what to suggest, but you cannot keep the poor thing cooped up. If your friend plans to continue keeping the poor bunny locked up, report him because it’s animal abuse. Plain and simple.

Sorry to hear that your friend doesn’t give his bun the necessary care, and I’m happy that you are treating the bun better. I’m sure it’s not malice, but being misinformed about the potential and the needs of rabbits. Many people see rabbits as overgrown hamsters, while their needs and their potential as a pet are more comparable to cats and dogs. Please read this together with your friend when he comes back.

In the short run, here’s some advice for you:
I agree with what’s been said: this bun finally has some taste of freedom, and doesn’t know what to do with it yet. Here are some tips to help curb the behaviour:
If you’re looking for boredom busters, here are some great tips: https://minilopbunnies.wordpress.com/bunny-care/bunny-toys-boredom-busters/
Trying to interact with the rabbit and petting it (is it a he or a she?) will also calm him/her down if done properly. https://www.wikihow.com/Calm-a-Rabbit

This is for your friend:

You are missing out on a wonderful pet if you keep your rabbit cooped up. There’s so much more that he or she could be for you, rabbits have the potential to be as much a house pet as cats or dogs. I hope I can help both you and your rabbit to get a better life together, you can form an amazing bond with them if they’re allowed more freedom. Would you like to watch your rabbit cheer you up when you’re down? Would you like him/her to join you for a long cuddle session on the couch? Would you like to see him/her run around and binky in sheer delight? There are ways to make this possible without having your house utterly destroyed. With just a bit of effort this is what you can get:

My first advice would be about health: out-of-cage exercise is vital to a rabbit, they need to develop their muscles and bones properly. Not only is it important for physical health, but also for mental health. Rabbits are intelligent and social animals who live in groups, much like dogs. They need playtime, boredom busters and hours of interaction. Not having that will lead to depression and will literally cut their life expectancy in half. The problem is not only that the rabbit is miserable, but also that you’re both missing out on “true rabbit behaviour”. Simply put: the rabbit isn’t allowed to show that he/she can be an awesome pet.

A rabbit who’s allowed to join you in the living room will seek you out for interaction and cuddles. In this they’re much like dogs: my rabbit Breintje even comforts me when I’m really sick. You wouldn’t buy a dog to put it in a kennel in the backyard all day, because they’ll never be able to reach their full potential as a pet. The purpose of an intelligent pet is a companion, not just a decoration. Cooping up a rabbit isn’t only cruel, but also an immense waste of a wonderful bond you could have. Rabbits can be wonderful cleanly, affectionate and funny pets if you allow them to be themselves.

I understand that you may be hesitant to let your bun out of the cage because you fear for your furniture. It’s true that rabbits can be destructive, but the irony is that they’ll be more destructive if they’re cooped up all the time. They’re energetic pets who need to vent that energy (again, much like dogs). A dog who is bored may tear up your couch, and it’s the same for a rabbit. This doesn’t mean that you should open the cage and let the rabbit have the free run of the house, here are some safer ideas which will offer both a better life:

– Open cage + secured pen when you’re home, cage at night. This is a good first step on the road to getting a proper houserabbit. This way the rabbit can run and play during the time that you’re home, and have some exercise under strict supervision.
– Open cage + secured pen.
– Open cage + free-roaming in 1 bunny-proofed room, cage at night. This is the way we keep our bun, and he seems very content. I have a small apartment with an open kitchen, and it’s too unsafe to give him free roam. He’s free in the sitting area of the living room, where he has several toys, a napping spot underneath the coffee table and his cage which he can access freely. He often joins me on the couch for cuddles and it’s really fun to have him around. When I’m away or sleeping he’ll go into his cage.

There are several ways to make a rabbit a better roommate:

Litter training: they’re easily litter trained because they like to go in the same spot. A litter box in the cage and maybe a spare one somewhere else will do the trick. Rabbits have a tendency to drop territorial poops in the beginning. If you scoop these into the litter box continuously rabbits will often get the hint within days.
Spay/neuter for better behaviour and better health: it’s important that the rabbit is spayed/neutered for proper litter training, because hormones can cause unwanted habits like peeing. A spay/neuter also prevents many behaviour problems and severe health issues like cancers.
Curb destructive behaviours by bunny-proofing and toys: most people hesitate to let their rabbits run free because they’re afraid that they’ll chew up the place. It’s true that rabbits need to chew to keep their teeth healthy, but there are ways to redirect that behaviour towards toys. Bunny-proofing also helps to protect valuable items and cables. There are many cheap ways to bunny-proof a room.
Train your rabbit to go back in his/her cage. Yes, you read that right: rabbits are trainable. They can learn certain voice commands. I’ve trained our rabbit Breintje to go into his cage on command so I can close it for the night. He gets a treat afterwards, everyone’s happy, minimal fuss. It only took me 3 days to set the routine, and it continues to work every day. This way I don’t have to chase him and pick him up, which is stressfull for both.

I really hope that this helps, and this forum is full of tips for sharing your life with these amazing pets.

Amazing pictures Ellie!

Thank you I hope to share how amazing rabbits can be as a pet.

Our bun isn’t totally free-roaming as well, but still we have a lot of interaction. Even a small change in free space gives you so much possibilities to interact with your pet.