He is used to be free range most of the time, if there’s a gate/fence on his way, he just gets really annoyed. But I don’t think the problem is space per se, as before we had to leave him for a night at the clinic, there was no issue whatsoever. he knew in the evening that it’s time to get in, have snack and got to sleep. I suspect he got scared alone in a cage that wasn’t his at the clinic and maybe being enclosed now reminds him of that. Just not quite sure how to help him. Not even certain if it’s the cage itself, or some kind of separation anxiety.

That’s a great idea, thanks! He usually goes to a specific spot in the room to listen (for the best acoustic I guess) when we play music he likes, but I somehow haven’t thought of trying to play him some relaxing music in the evening.

He’s been like this for over a week.

There’s always a towel covering part of his cage at this time of the year because the nights are very light and short in summer here.

Regarding the calming herbs, we’ve been trying lavender from our garden in the past 2 days, as we have this Pet Remedy calming spray, but they use it at the clinic and the whole place smelled like this, so I think that instead of calming him down as it should (and did in the past), it just reminds him of the clinic…

The main issue is in the evening when we go to sleep, so reopening the cage after giving him food can’t really be done. That’s also why, somehow, I’m not sure if it’s the closed cage itself or some kind of separation anxiety. There’s almost always someone home, so it was a first for him to find himself without familiar faces in a strange place at the clinic. I’m convinced with time it will get better, but trying right now to find ways to help him get back to normal.

We tried to give him activities he usually enjoys outside his cage during the day, like apple sticks, hay rolls/cookie but that doesn’t help. Basically, he has no problem getting into the cage on his own when it’s bedtime, as per usual, and start checking his food bowl or hay stack, but the second we close the door behind him, he freezes, jump on the elevated level of his house and look at us with big eyes (he has his typical anxious face and posture). And then he tries to push the top of cage open with his head, which he has never done before, and keeps going up and down his house. We pet him for a while, he calms down, and as soon as we leave the room, we hear him getting agitated again.

The vet confirmed his behavior is clearly related to the night he spent at the clinic and it should pass and get back to normal soon once he realises that everything’s fine and there’s no reason to get anxious, but it’s still heartbreaking to see him like this every evening. It has been less bad in the past two nights, still clearly a bit anxious but not as agitated. So I’m mostly here to see if someone had that kind of experience as well and found a way to help the bunny relax in the meantime.

Sounds like a good idea, I’ll give it a go tonight. Thanks