rabbit won’t leave cage anymore

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This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 5 months ago by BinkyBunny.

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- 06/10/2018 at 3:36 PM
  lexi
  Participant
  2 posts
  hi everyone, so I’ve had my rabbit for over two years, she has always been the adventurous type, with a friendly nature. She is used to having the entire garden to herself, she has a large run but prefers to have the whole space to herself, and a lot of the time she’d rather not go back in her hutch to bed aha (the garden is fenced off all around). Every day I allow her to run around, checking in on her throughout the day. However, as of recent she experienced a cat for the first time, it gave her quite a scare as she was running laps of the place but I managed to somewhat calm her and herd her back into her hutch, and secure it.
  It has been a couple of weeks since this has happened and she still isn’t keen on leaving her cage, with encouragement she will however she tends to sit in the same spots for hours on end. Because she is a very social bunny she is a lot more relaxed when I am out there or when a few people are in the garden, as she sprints around, comes up to us for fuss and binkies to her heart’s content; her usual behaviour. But of course there can’t be someone out there all day, is there anything I can do to help her from feeling more comfortable in the garden while I am not around?
  ps. she is able to use her hutch and run for shelter, often where I find her hiding so she does have somewhere to go if she does feel threatened or scared.
- 06/10/2018 at 5:30 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  First, it’s important to assess her change in behavior outside what may be the “obvious” answer, just to make sure all bases are covered. Sometimes things happen to happen at the same time, so if we associate it with one reason, the actual reason can remain and make things worse. Are there any signs of ill health, such as different poops, less energy or appetite, or being more aggressive/defensive?
  
  If not and she seems definitely affected primarily by the cat spook, I’d recommend doing as you are, which is spending time with her outside. Maybe do it systematically where you lessen the time you’re out and increase the distance between you and her so she can get more comfortable with you not being there.
  
  Do you know how the cat got in and what measures have you made to make sure similar scenarios won’t happen again? If there’s a visual space where the cat may have gotten in, maybe making it a solid wall there instead of a fence, so your rabbit feels safe in not seeing that opening, which is now associated with danger?
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 06/11/2018 at 4:12 PM
  lexi
  Participant
  2 posts
  generally health-wise she seems fine, no change in diet or other behaviour, and after I had made sure the cat had left I checked her for any injuries and there were none to be found, it hadn’t touched her and she was still happy to be stroked and handled, and still is. the fencing surrounding our house is taller than I am and I’d say roughly around two metres in height, I believe the cat had just decided to venture into our garden by climbing over the top of it (something that has never happened since we moved here), it hasn’t paid any visits since then, maybe because I myself chased it out of the garden which possibly scared it. I’ve had suggestions such as spraying the fencing with vinegar, as cats allegedly do not like it’s scent which I may soon try.
  I was thinking of reintroducing her to staying in her run, since I have school in the morning till early afternoon, so she has somewhere secure and not possible to be broken in or out of to be in while no one is home to check on her, however since being heavy duty I don’t always have the time in the morning to get her out of her hutch and into it, hense letting her out to run around after school instead. Though, something I’ve noticed very recently is that she seems to be a little more confident, perhaps because a few family members have been out in the garden for a few of hours today playing with my younger sibling, moving some of her toys outside that sparked curiosity in my bun so when I came back from being out she was investigating them and likely giving a closer look while no one was out there, aha.
  another thing I was thinking of doing was purchasing some toys for her to hide in and play with while I’m out, as after I take her out of her hutch, or she leaves it herself she sticks in the same places all day, which I’m aware she has always done but I think perhaps entertainment could encourage comfort, also having other more accessible places to hide; she is able to be outside alone without feeling like she has to hide for very long periods of time out of fear, but only after she has hidden for a while and knows that it is fine to run around (which she has been doing less as time passes to be fair). but thank you for your response, are there any other ideas that you could suggest from this?
  – again, many thanks, L
- 06/11/2018 at 4:33 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  It’s great to hear she’s showing good health behaviors. It’s also good that you were able to check her for injuries.
  
  It’s always a possibility that it will come back, or another stray cat as well. Some house owners install a large tarp across some of their fencing to promote shade. I’m unsure how big the fenced area is, but is this something to potentially consider? A cat will be able to sense a tarp is insecure flooring, so it should avoid getting on it. Something else could be lining the bottom of the fence, up to half-way perhaps, so cats and other climbers cannot readily see a rabbit and be tempted to climb over? Maybe you and your family can brain storm together, since it’s noticeable that your rabbit was affected by this, and it seems you all really love spending time with her when she is confident and running around.
  
  Making the “sheltered” area of her outdoor experience would be good, so if she finds herself in there out of fear, she can occupy herself with something to feel better. With Wick, I find he is very bad at keeping one train of thought, so he may dash under the bed after a loud sound, but then realize it’s comfy and cool, so he’ll immediately lounge and relax, as if the loud noise never happened, haha.
  
  Additional shelters for her to go to aside from a hutch would be good. These can be something as simple as a wooden box turned over with a hole cut out, or even a cardboard box. You just need to make sure it stays clean and you take it in when it rains.
  
  As general advice, if you get more toys, it’d be best to stray from ones that are brightly colored. Predators have good vision, and bright colors would attract attention from up above very easily (for birds). The more your rabbit and her toys can blend in the better. Thankfully, a lot of rabbit toys are made of hay… which is green!
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 06/11/2018 at 11:34 PM
  BinkyBunny
  Moderator
  8776 posts
  Wick – I never even thought about the brightly colored toys being something that birds of prey would spot and therefor draw attention to a bunny. Good thinking!
  
  Lexi – I am not sure where you are located, but I know in the U.S along with neighborhood cats, we have to concern ourselves with raccoons, (they are clever), and of course hawks, so we have a gallery with some “outdoor” run set-ups that help protect. They are pretty elaborate, but may be worth the time to ensure the safety of your bunny’s outdoor play time.
  
  Check it out — https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/GreatHabitats/tabid/229/Default.aspx
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