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FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Help! Advice needed on rabbits new home.

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    • Twirlyd
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        Max is less than a year old and is a neutered male, he’s definitely got some Netherland dwarf in him and some lop. He’s incredibly timid and shy. When we first got him, he had a bedroom to himself. We needed this bedroom back and I didn’t want to put him outside.

        We have put him into an under the stairs cupboard in our kitchen- the cupboard is opposite a window, the door is wedged permanently open so he is never in darkness or not ventilated. It’s still a big area for a rabbit and we open the door to his pen as soon as we get in from work. He hates the stone flooring more than any rabbit I’ve ever met before so we’ve given him a path of mats from his pen to our lounge or the garden and we’ve carpeted his enclosure.

        My question is: he has been in his new enclosure for 2 weeks. When he was in the bedroom he would do zoomies every other day, he’d be more receptive of us and let us pet him more, he’d get excited when we put food out for him. In the cupboard he hides most of the time we are in the kitchen, only very occasionally comes out into the lounge and hasn’t done zoomies or binkies at all (except once when I picked him up and put him outside). He still eats and drinks- but he used to scoff his food quickly and now he eats a bit, stops, eats a bit, stops.

        I know 2 weeks isn’t that long, but he doesn’t seem to be moving forward. I would like advice on how to make my bunny happy again. I will attach pictures of his setup. His hidey hole is at the back, with his litter tray and hay, his food bowl is at the front and he’s got toys scattered. I never let it get more messy than this so this is it at its worst.

        What am I doing wrong ?


      • Twirlyd
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          \

          Any thoughts on his set-up or if it could be improved? Want him to be as happy as poss.


        • Bunny House
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            Well it seems like he doesn’t like the space. He felt safe in the bedroom and now he doesn’t feel safe because of the flooring and/or the new room he is in. Is it possible you just make him a free roam bunny so he can be the happiest and choose which spots make him feel the safest?


          • MountainBuns
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              His setup does look pretty good, I’d ditto to Bunny House and possibly make him free room do he could be more comfortable


            • Sirius&Luna
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                My bunnies HATE cooking smells, so it could be that being close to the kitchen and cooking is distressing him.

                The set up looks great though.

                It could also be that he’s getting less human interaction than he was in the bedroom, making him shyer.


              • sarahthegemini
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                  He’s adorable I also wonder if it’s the cooking scents that might be bothering him. My Peanut hated the smell of garlic (lol) and I’ve read that the smell of meat can make bunnies a little edgy. It could also be the noises of the kitchen. Peanut hated the sound of the hob so cooking potatoes and pasta for example displeased him!

                  Could you make his home base in your living room?


                • joea64
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                    Panda and Fernando don’t enjoy cooking smells too much either. There’s not a lot to be done about it under current circumstances, since my place is so small, but if and when I can move to a bigger apartment I’ll arrange their living space so it’s further away from the kitchen/cooking area.


                  • Twirlyd
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                      Thanks for the advice. I had wondered whether smells had been an issue for him as he tends to hide at meal times.

                      We can’t make him a free roam bunny as much as we’d love to, he’s already dug up 5 carpets in our brand new house…. That was one of the reasons we had to bring him downstairs.

                      He is still making baby steps forward and coming out more and more every few days. It might just be taking some time?

                      As long as there’s nothing glaring obvious that I’ve done wrong I will persist with him here for a while longer and try to ensure I minimise any smells from cooking. Our house is too small to put him anywhere else.

                      He did a little zoomie and Binky this morning…. Progress…


                    • MountainBuns
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                        He could just be taking his time, I’d give him a week or so, that way you can see if he’ll open up to his new surroundings.

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                    FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Help! Advice needed on rabbits new home.