calm bunny

[angoralvr]

Ok, so this really isn’t a problem, more like a behavior question.

Henri has to be the calmest animal of any kind that I have EVER met. He chills out in one of his favorite places most of the time, even when the pen is open. Very occasionally he will run around the rest of the house but most of the time he just lays around.

I tried making him a diggy box, he just ignored it, I gave him a phone book to rip up, he ignores it. He has balls and a stuffed animal and he ignores those too.

Is it just a breed thing that he is calm? He isn’t even a year old yet so I know it isn’t an age thing.

Would getting him a girlfriend help to get him more active?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

If you’ve ever been woken up at four am by your bunny ‘not being calm’, you can appreciate a calm bunny!

What time are you trying to get him to play? Bunnies are most active in the late evening and early morning (mine are out right crazy in the morning!).
If it’s nap time (ie. early evening or during the day) when you are trying to get him to play, maybe that’s why?
There are many different ways bunnies play, maybe yours isn’t a “Digger/rearranger” or a “shredder” etc. Have you tried hanging toys? Maybe your bunny is a “boxer” or a “noisemaker”?

[Beka27]

that’s so funny that he’s so calm!  it’s truly amazing how rabbits can have such different personalities…  i wonder if he’ll be easier to bond because of his laid-back personality…  he probably knows he has it SOOO GOOD and he’s just basking in the joy that is his life…

[Sarita]

Henri is so neat – I love that he is a calm bunny. It is possible a friend will perk up his curiosity – rabbits do tend to teach each other their habits, they like to imitate. Perhaps too Henri will calm down a high energy bunny so it could work both ways.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Have you tried hanging a simple towel up or jsut lay it onthe floor for him to scooch around?  Some bunnies, like mins, need some incentive like sticking some hay in a paper bag with a treat or two and poke a few holes in it.  Or the grass balls that Binky Bunny has in the store are great too, to stuff with hay and a few treats. I think it’s great he is such a mellow bunny, it sounds like it is going to be a breeze pairing him with the right girl.  I think he’ll make a great husbun.

[angoralvr]

I didn’t think about the calm thing making him easier to pair with a girl bunny. You may be right though. I need to get him fixed before I get him a girlfriend. That should be getting done next month.

Last night I tried the blanket thing. If I put it over him he is just like “alright mom, what do you think you are doing?”. He comes out of underneath it and just looks at me. He did do a little bit of rearranging with the blanket though when he was on top of it.

I have noticed that he likes to “dig” at the cat bed that I put in his cage. It is a tent thing. He will go into it and then dig at the back of it. He also sometimes will dig on the outside of it. Maybe he just likes enclosed things? I think I am going to make a fort out of boxes tonight when I get home and see what he thinks about that.

[Sarita]

It does sound like he’s a digger -what about trying something like the digger box (enclosed though – Henri-style). Maybe one of those cat litter boxes that is enclosed all around (with the top type thing but big enough for a super fuffy rabbit to get in and out of).

[angoralvr]

That is a great idea Sarita!!! I will have to try that when I get home. I have one that I used to use for the cats. I will clean it out and fill it up with shredded paper and see what happens.

[MooBunnay]

Its funny that your Henri is like that because my Henri is the same way. He doesn’t care at all about toys or anything. He just sits like a bunny loaf all day long. Then we let him out to play and he does a few jumps and binkies, and then loafs some more The only thing that he cares to do is if something is in his way like a willow wreath or other chewable item, he will toss and chew on it until he has a clear path!

[xnovalentine]

my lullabelle is the same way – she is just not interested in toys. I’ve made her a diggy box – hidden treats in that and even showed her where i put them and she doesn’t seem to care much. And thats another thing – lullabelle doesn’t really like rabbit treats! I’ve gotten her several different kinds – she doesn’t touch them. She loves celery thought – and doesn’t care much for carrots either. So I use celery as her treat most of the time since theres not much else I can do to make her do something lol. Back to the subject – i’ve noticed that lulla likes to run around and explore (and dig at the carpet) and i find that she has more fun if i sit down on the ground and let her climb all over me and she likes to be chased. Not in a threatening way of course! I usually just crawl my fingers towards her and go really fast and she runs around in a cirlce and comes back for more. Maybe you could try that with Henri?

[Gravehearted]

xnovalentine, i’ve had lots of luck with laying and sitting on the floor too with bunnies. 🙂

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