Bunny stress over new house

[Cassi&Charlie]

My poor free range bunny is experiencing being confined for the 1st time, in a new house, with new people and not suprisingly he’s a bit stressed. Before I left for work this morning he was sitting in his litter tray looking at the world suspiciously. He’s eating still but he looks confused all the time. I’m worried that he’s stressing too much and I think he’s contantly on his guard. I’ll be home soon (hopefully) but I’ve been kicked out of my apartment for a week and I’m worried that after a week of contant worry, Charlie will be really stressed!

He’s in an enclosure three bunny hops long and two bunny hops wide with familiar things all around him. Will he be ok? He spent all night rattling the bars of the cage, but I’m sure this was an enraged response rather than a stressed one. Has anyone else had to lock their free range bunny up for a while? I’m in a very kind friends house, with white carpet so he has to be confined except when I can watch him like a hawk.

 

Help! Charlie’s stressed and I’m stressed and it’s horrible (and I need sleep at some point)

[kralspace]

I’m sure he’s fine, just a bit perplexed and po’d at being confined. I have to keep mine confined for a week every now and then when my son’s girlfriend comes to visit (Mom, I don’t want the rabbits poops all over the house!!), which will be next week matter of fact.

I pay for it later, believe me, when they do get out again, it’s like they show me they’re taking charge. I do save up toys and diggie boxes so they have more things to occupy them during their ‘sentence’ and it sounds like you’ve got that covered. Just think how happy he’s going to be when you go home!

Kathy

[Beka27]

that’s tough being kicked out of your place… how kind of your friend to let you stay with them.

is there anyway your rabbit can be allowed to run around in a kitchen area? even if it’s just an xpen placed over the linoleum or tile? it sounds like he just is not happy being locked up… not that i blame him. how long will you be staying at this place? that cage does sound too small for him to be in for any length of time.

[Cassi&Charlie]

Thanks Kralspace & Beka27, he is might p’od at the moment and showed it by thumping his foot constantly yesterday, so he has free range of the guest room when ever I’m home now, which is about 8 hours every night. He binkyd for a while when I let him out to roam so he’s a lot happier with his surrounds. The only problem now is that I’m getting the Royal Bunny Butt Treatment, which only time will fix…

[Cassi&Charlie]

UPDATE: Charlie has lost 100g in a week, the vet is concerned and I have to give him more food, but he’s only eating a certain amount. He’s still eating but not the amount that he needs to eat to maintain his wieght. The vet suggested feeding him pellets but pellets give him a stomach ache and make him sit in the corner grinding his teeth in pain. Once I told the vet this he suggested I try to feed him more calorie rich foods, but I’m worried this will upset his digestive system as well.
News on my killer flatmate – I’m on the lease, he isn’t, therefor if he’s not gone by tomorrow he will be bodily hauled away by the nice men in police uniforms

[Beka27]

wait wait wait… i’m guessing 100 grams is alot? i’m not familar with metric… sorry.

what is his diet, everything that he gets on a daily/weekly basis and amounts? he does not get ANY pellets AT ALL? how do you know he get a stomach-ache? does he have teeth problems or something that is preventing him from being able to eat them. you want to be careful with just increasing calorie-rich food b/c you don’t want to cause other issues. remind me, how old is he and is he neutered yet? when was he neutered?

we had an interesting thread awhile back about bunny diets with no pellets. and if it was better to feed a completely natural diet (veggies and hay only). the conclusion was that a limited amount of high-quality pellets helps to fill in all of the little nutritional gaps that are missed by the veggies.

will you be returning to your flat after your flatmate is hauled off? i wonder if he will resume his normal habits in familiar territory? (your bunny, not your flatmate ;o)

[MooBunnay]

Can you increase some of the foods that don’t upset his stomach that he likes? Is there a particular vegetable that he likes? Can you try clothespinning a sheet around his pen so that he can have more privacy? Bunnies really like to hide in dark corners and tunnels to feel more safe, so if you can provide him a space like that in his cage it might make him feel more secure.

[Cassi&Charlie]

Well I’m back in my apartment and he’s eating alot better already.
The way we know he gets a stomach ache is because he hunches up n his favourite ‘I’m sick’ corner and loudly grinds his teeth. We took him to the vet the first time and she said it was a stomach ache after giving him a good check up. We worked out after a while it was pellets by eliminating various things. The vet agreed that pellets wasn’t a good idea either just yet but we have to weigh him again next wee to see how he’s doing.
100g is 3.5 ounces

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