Fern insane about new condo…

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Yea Fern is insane about her new NIC condo… she never wants to leave it. She LOVES it. Does anyone else have this problem? I am happy she likes it, but I like it when she runs around in her pen, and if she does go in her pen then I can greet her and play with her more easily. I wanted to pet her and spend time with her today so I resorted to taking her out of her cage and shutting the door so she could not creep back in….

I opened it again after I had spent some qality time with her.

Ummmm….. do you think her obsessiveness with her cage will wear off so she won’t spend ALL DAY in her cage. I think she is just an insane bun. Well.. it is good she likes her cage.\

Any suggestions what I can do to encourage her to come out of her cage, also do you think her obsession will wear off?

[COOKIE'N FLUFF MOMMA]

i built my bunnies a NIC condo about 3 weeks ago. I had the same problem. They absolutly love it and don’t want to come out too much.  Its kinda like a new world for them so when they get more use to it they will come out more.  Mine are finally starting to come out and play again 

Fern sounds like she is just super comfy

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

LOL sounds like my guys-they have free range in the whole apartment and I still have to drag them out of their condo for cuddles!!

[Ebi]

Hehe… Good to hear that others have this issue too! Freckles just LOVES her condo and I have found that I can leave her door open all day and really never see her out and about. She’s such a homebody… She came out today though. I rearranged her room. Maybe I should do that more often? HAHA

[Beka27]

it’s really good that she feels comfortable in her own space. give her time… forcing her to play with you will have the opposite affect of what you want.

[Scarlet_Rose]

That’s wonderful Fern loves the condo so much! I had the same thing happen with my two. Can I suggest that you sit on the floor outside the cage with a tempting treat instead (and a book to read – or tempting newspaper she can chew when she braves getting nearer to you?) You really don’t want to block a rabbit’s access to their “safe” place because it often makes them more inscure, panic more and view you like a predator, trapping them. The “newness” of the condo should wear off in a while, and I know it is really hard to resist those cute little noses and that soft fur and you just want to cuddle and pet them, but in the end you will both grow closer if you let her decide when she wants to be with you. In essence you really want it to be a positive experience, instead of a negative one i.e. taking her out of the cage and closing the doors to be with you.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Yea you were all right, the newness did wear off and now she comes out of the cage, yea I am glad she likes her cage too (I think she likes being up high) I only forced her out of her cage twice…. and she did not seem distressed, but I won’t do it again. She is so funny though, now if I leave her room, I come back to find her digging at the pen where I exited (I had to put a peice of cardboard there so that she does not dig holes in the floor)! Yes fern is a happy bun.

[Lightchick]

I’m so glad Fern is happy! I had the same problem, and I’m dumb, and dragged poor Lizzy out of her hutch to play because I was afraid she would never get exercise on her own, but then she associated my hands with being grabbed and picked up, which she hated, which made her more likely to hide…vicious cycle! Ick!

Glad you were smart enough not to fall into that! Yay for you and Fern!

[Scarlet_Rose]

That is really awesome Moonlight Wolf!

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