Extremely hyper baby….

[Rainn]

So, yesterday we brought home a new member of the family, Eclipse. They’re a 12 week old Dutch rabbit, the people we got them from couldn’t tell what gender. It’s been a week since Rain passed away and after lots and LOTS of reflection, I decided my love for Rain would not ever fade or be “replaced” by giving love to another rabbit as well. And after what happened the household really needs an energetic little fellow who makes us hopeful about the future. Eclipse seems very confident compared to when I brought Rain home, who took at least a week before stepping foot out of her temporary baby cage. Eclipse actually readily hopped out when i opened the door today, they explored my entire room and even hopped in my lap and gave me some experimental nibbles. Loves their toys too (they were tossing and chewing those at 5 am 🙄)  My question I guess is should I just let them do what they want, or keep them restrained in the cage for at least a week since thats what the pet store people advised, though their advice is usually iffy. She keeps biting the cage bars and stretching upward and it makes me feel like I should just let her out, but what is y’all’s advice? Its been 5ish years since taking care of a baby bunny so the behavioral stuff is hard to remember 😭

[DanaNM]

Awww I’m so happy to hear you got another bun! <3 Eclipse is a lucky rabbit indeed!

So, it kind of depends on the rabbit. Some are very timid and feel safer with less space to start. The logistical things to think about are litter box training and bunny proofing. Baby rabbits will get into A LOT more mischief than older buns, so it’s good to start out slow with fully supervised free-roam to make sure bunny-proofing is adequate. It’s also recommended to keep the bun confined to a pen for the first week to help with litter box habits. Box habits are often poor until spaying/neutering as well.

I think given that she wants to explore it would be fine to let her out to explore as long as you are there to supervise and don’t mind the occasional pee accident.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Rainn]

Thank youu it’s been a TON of work already but it’s also very uplifting. Thank you for the advice, I let her out once again in my room making sure nothing dangerous is available, she did manyyyy binkies and zoomies, even licked me so I think it’s safe to say she’s not very anxious right now. And yes…peeing incidents…I remember those with Rain 😅 I do wish there was a way to make Eclipse less angry when she has to be in her cage, because it’s just unsafe to let a baby free roam when im unconscious. I think she’ll just have to have her tantrums though.

[Bam]

Welcome Eclipse!

Young bunny energy is quite different from adult bun energy, but as you are saying, it is rather uplifting, in its own inconvenient way 😄

Some buns benefit greatly from having a smaller space to begin with -say 5 sq meters/53 sq ft. One explanation for this would be that it offers the bun a sense of control over a new environment. Other buns are just “The world is my oyster. Oyster, beware, here I come!”

I’d suggest you try a smaller space for spending the night and alone time in, paired with daily or twice daily playtime outside the main area. They should have access to their “home base” during playtime so they can use the litterbox, drink water and eat in there.

 

[DanaNM]

If she’s biting the cage bars a lot at night it sometimes helps to hang a sheet or towel over the wall. Something about the visual barrier makes them less obsessed with it. You can also mount a grass or paper mat on the cage wall to give something “constructive” to chew. She will get used to the routine in time though!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Rainn]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Thank you both for the responses! And great ideas, I didn’t ever think about putting grass mats along the walls 🤔. Keeping her nest area nearby during playtime is a good idea too. We moved her downstairs from my room to the kitchen today, she was perfectly fine and leaped at the chance to come out and explore. We tried to keep her in an X Pen but….she somehow escaped even though it was completely closed and is like 4 feet tall 🤨 Oyster beware indeed 😂 Luckily she eventually wanders back into her cage just as long as you pretend you don’t care if she goes in or not. Both my mom and dad were like “I refuse to be friends with this rabbit it hurt too much when Rain passed.” Then 5 seconds later what do you know they’re helping me with cleaning and feeding and can’t seem to take their eyes off her. She’s just so adorable and energetic you can’t help but be her friend.</p>

[LBJ10]

Aww! Congrats on the new baby! Yes, young bunny energy is definitely different than that of an older rabbit. Luckily, some of this stuff will resolve itself with time.

I do agree that sometimes it’s best to start them out in a smaller area. It does help them feel more secure and less anxious.

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