Does your bunny have a schedule?

[Whisky The Bun]

So Whisky is about 7 months old and I’ve noticed that she’s really got a pretty set daily schedule, as far as activity goes. First thing in the morning (well, first thing for me, which is about 10am), she gets her breakfast and then she’s out of her cage and wanders around the living room, gets into things, and basically tries to cause trouble for a couple hours. 

Then she settles down and naps for the afternoon (and sometimes wants to snuggle the dog), either under her open cage door or in her cage. By mid-evening, she’s up and active again for a little while, and also seems to want to snuggle with the dog again. I often find them lying on the floor together. 

But then, about 10-11pm, she gets HYPER. Bunny 500 around her blanket (I have a big blanket down on the floor for her because she hates the linoleum and I haven’t found a big area rug yet), binkies, and generally gets into things. She’ll keep doing this until I put her to bed (back in her cage) anytime between midnight and 2am. 

Once she’s in her cage, she’s totally calm for the night. I haven’t had a single issue with her trashing her cage because she was mad about bedtime (her previous owner said she did that pretty regularly, but the cage I have for her is much bigger).

I’m totally new to bunnies, so I’m wondering if most bunnies have a set schedule like this? I work from home, so I get to observe her pretty much 24/7.

[LBJ10]

Yep, that’s pretty normal. Bunnies like routine and they somehow seem to know what time it is and that you’re late.

[Deleted User]

I have OCD and am a routine freak! Henry is worse than me, lol! If I want to know where Henry is, I only have to look at the clock!
And if Henry is nudging my leg/foot under the desk, I know it’s dinner time! I don’t need to look at the clock.

Ha ha ha ha……

[Jo Leigh]

Merlin is exactly the same. If I happen to sleep in past his breakfast time, he will definitely let me know!

[Sindri]

My bunnies seem to have a routine as well. It sounds pretty normal.

[Whisky The Bun]

Glad to hear this is normal! I kind of figured it was, but just struck me as funny how much of a schedule she keeps. Probably why she gets to upset when I’m gone for the day and she’s restricted to her cage (she’s out before and after, minimum of 3-4 hours per day, though her usual is 12+ hours/day).

[Philomena]

Yup sounds a lot like my little Princess’s schedule.
7AM: let out of cage and into expen for her breakfast. If I’m late with her morning meal she gets visibly upset and will not allow pets for a very long time.
8AM: she catches up on her soaps, (we leave the TV on for her when we go to class so she doesn’t get too bored volume is down low and we put on disne channel).
1-4PM: Some serious beauty sleep,
5pm: This is when she decides to wash herself the most before she plays.
6pm: Playtime, it goes pretty slow at first because she is still a bit cranky from her nap so I give her some bunny salad around this time.
7PM: Time to steal Mama’s apple
8PM: I start to work on homework with her and she will often just shut down my computer or type things to my friends. [-9jk <—— That was her.
9PM: Organize the blanket I’m sitting on because she definitely knows best
10PM: Running. Or this is when she likes to play keep away with my homework.
10:30PM: She will allow pets and kisses. But only if I’m the only person around
11PM: Bed time.
She’s very particular with her daily routine

[LittlePuffyTail]

My bunnies have a routine as well and they get upset if it’s disturbed. They know when breakfast or run times are late!

[kirstyol]

Bramble is not much for routine but I think that’s because we have had him since he was six weeks old and our schedules vary so much that we deliberately try not to create a routine for him so he doesn’t get used to a set time we are unable to stick to. My previous bunny however was mad about her routine! She used to throw a full-blown temper tantrum if I was five minutes late with her dinner, she would go into her hutch (I had a huge outdoor hutch indoors which I used to leave one door of open) and kick the living daylights out of one of the walls to get my attention, I was always so worried that she would hurt herself and I tried so hard to never be late with her dinner which only made her want it even earlier!

[MoxieMeadows]

My bun (Moxie), is MUCH happier when I have her on a schedule. If she isn’t on a schedule she’ll sit grumpily in her cage (Open door so she could get out at any time.).

[Little Lion Head]

Pumpkin’s got a schedule too…playtime is definitely in the evening w/ zooms and binkies!

Do you all feed your pellets in the morning for “Breakfast”? Pumpkin gets hers at bedtime…I don’t know if I could get her in her cage otherwise. We always put them on her shelf and she looks for them whenever she goes into her cage.

[Jo Leigh]

Merlin gets the majority of his pellets for breakfast but I save a few for bedtime, otherwise there would be nights where I definitely wouldn’t be able to get him in his cage! Very happy I learnt that trick early on! 

[Bam]

Yohio wakes me up at first light by running around, this morning he did zoomies and binkies in my bed. He didn’t when he was sick. I missed it.

I’ve tried pleading with him though. “No, let’s sleep just a little while longer” or even “We are not getting up now”. Yeah, right. Those big, long ears seem to be purely ornamental.

[Deleted User]

Yer, Henry is awake at night, but that’s when he hangs out and wants pats, he is pretty calm. He is most active in the morning’s! That’s the only time I see him binky and zoom, and when he gets into everything naughty – goodness!
Henry gets his pellets in the morning for breakfast along with a craisin (he knows the craisin’s are stored in the cabinet with his pellets, so expects it!) and his salad/veggies for dinner. He then gets dessert when the hubby gets home from work late at night. The dog’s and Henry all run to him when he walks through the door – Henry gets banana and the dog’s get a doggy treat. One night the hubby had no banana (GASP!) and Henry was climbing his leg, ha haha! Luckily the hubby had an apple to share – LUCKY! (for the hubby – I reckon if he didn’t, Henry would have gone for his throat!) Lol!

[Tedster]

Wow, I’m glad it’s normal because before, I searched if we could get our bunny to follow and schedule and a lot of people on yahoo and stuff like that said not likely but Teddy caught up pretty fast. I usually let him out of his cage at like 8am (He gets unlimited pellets because he’s only 5 months old, I’m not thinking about reducing his pellets until he’s 6 or 7 months old, so by then, I’ll have to work that into the routine). He’ll run around in his play pen and do whatever he likes to do and then from 12pm-2pm is nap time for him. Then he comes out again. I usually get home at 4pm, the moment I walk in the room, he’s sitting at the corner of the playpen waiting. 4:30pm is usually veggies time. 5pm-6pm is petting and grooming time. From 6pm-9pm I leave him alone because I have to work or do homework, shower, make dinner, and etc. At 9pm-10pm is more petting, playing, and doing tricks time, also treats. At 11:30pm I will go into the room and he’ll hop into his cage and I’ll close it up. He’ll eat some pellets and hay and then jump up to the top level and sleep. He does wake up around 5 or 6am in the morning, but he doesn’t create noises or anything like that. At around 8am, when I walk in the room, he’s sitting at the door of his cage waiting to get out. I’m so surprised because rabbits sure learn faster than I thought.

[Deleted User]

Do you know Tedster that Henry doesn’t wake us in the morning anymore! It took over a year, but he worked out we aren’t at our happiest when woken at 4am. He is still awake, but he doesn’t wake us. He worked it out…… either that or ‘I learned’ to sleep though being zoomed and binkied on? Ha ha ha!

[Tedster]

LOL. I agree, in the beginning he would get up at like 3 or 4 am and run around this cage and makes so much noise. I kept ignoring him and now he manages to sleep till 6am and when he’s awake, he just play on his own in the cage or eat and then go lay down, he doesn’t run around making noises anymore, so I’m so glad, but in the beginning, I had to force myself to sleep through all the ruckus. xD

[Little Lion Head]

Now that Pumpkin hasn’t been caged for three days I’m not sure what her routine is? Being a spoiled rotten brat 24/7??

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