Bunny Explore Time?

[Manda]

I have an 8 week old holland lop named Petunia- she’s an active little lady. I am excited to let her start exploring- I have had her for about 5 days and she seems quite comfortable in her new bunny headquarters(which is half an entire bedroom). I have tried to do everything by the books- gave her two days to settle in, sat quietly with her in her “sectioned off part of the room” I do not cage so she has a spare bedroom that is currently being shared with a Mr Buns with two fence dividers. I have recently started to handle her(I did not pick her up for the first 4 days of coming home as I wanted her to trust my hand) sure enough she does not seem to mind being picked up so I brought her downstairs on the couch with me to investigate as she cannot have the whole room yet to run and live with Mr Buns until she is spayed. How long should I allow her to explore for in a new area of the house? She actually flopped out on the couch after about 20 minutes of exploring and an accidental tinkle(don’t tell my hubby!) but she seems to be a rather brave and outgoing buns. She doesn’teven mind Charles my sweet doodle who LOVES animals. I can tell her wants to love her and nurture her and give her bunny kisses(he does this with Mr Buns- he truly is a gentle soul)

[pinknfwuffy]

Petunia sounds like such a little sweet pea! I’m so glad you’re settling in together and it sounds like things are going really well.

From my experience, I found that most rabbits love to explore but it can be helpful to start small and expand their space over time. This not only helps them get used to a new surrounding a little bit at a time but prevents overwhelming their senses (and possibly help with littler training if you don’t want them to stray too far from their box). I use an x-pen to close off a small area and let me rabbit explore. Every few days, I make the pen a little bigger. Once you exceed the size of the pen in a square shape, you can then use it as a fence to block off half a room, etc. as their space grows.

Starting small helps the bunny learn the scent of a new space and can often keep them from marking too much. She seems young so it might take a while (and she may revert backwards once in a while) but I think you’re on the right track as long as everyone is separate until they can be fixed and have time for those hormones to settle. Good luck!

[Manda]

Thanks for the advise pinknfwuffy! In her “bunny headquarters” she has dutifully peed in her litter box but the pooping in there is not a concept she has grasped and I doubt she will until she is fixed. I think that Mr Buns may already have a crush as they seem to lie side by side with the fence between the two of them and he seems quite content. thanksfully he is neutered but I don’t want them “mingling” until her lady bits have been removed but I feel bad restricting my buns in any sort. My buns has full access(even though he never seems to stray from bunny headquarters!

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