First time rabbit owner looking for advice

[Seawitch]

Hi, I just adopted a rabbit and I’m absolutely in love with her. The issue is, she is isolated in my bedroom where I’m afraid she’s lonely. I know it’s best to keep bunnies in a busy area of the house because they’re social animals but my bedroom seems to be the only option for now because I have other pets in the rest of the house (dog, 3 cats). She has a large pen in my room and I don’t confine her in a little cage so at least she has plenty of space to move around but nobody is ever in my room except for me when I’m in there visiting her so I feel awful and I need some ideas on how to keep her happy. I try to take her outside once a day and go upstairs to interact with her at least a few times a day but I work during the day and it makes me feel so horrible knowing she’s all alone in there. My parents would not let me get another rabbit but I’m planning on moving out in possibly the next 6 months so then I could get her a companion and let her roam free around the apartment. But in the mean time I’m looking for any suggestions on how to improve this situation. This is my first rabbit and any advice is so appreciated.
Thank you

[ThorBunny]

Is there any space you could set up a pen for her in the main living areas of your house? Exercise puppy play pens are pretty cheap online and easy to set up/take down.

I would guess that your cats could possible jump over this, however it might be worth carefully introducing your cats (one at a time, supervised) to your rabbit. Many cats and rabbits can get along just fine as long as they are introduced correctly and the cat is not too predatory:

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/2-11/cats-and-rabbits.html

It’s less common for dogs to get along with rabbits, as this can be a much more dangerous pairing!

In any case, its good that you are bonding with her and loving your new bun! In the long run, 6 months is not too much time so if you can’t change her situation before you move out don’t beat yourself up. I’m sure she knows you love her

[Seawitch]

Thanks so much for your reply! I just ordered her an awesome exercise pen online so I’ll be able to set that up outside and maybe occasionally around the house so she can be around people more and have more excitement in her day.
I’m considering introducing the cats to her but I’m nervous… I heard rabbits can have heart attacks just from a predator scaring them. Like I said, I’ve never had a bunny before so I’m nervous and am used to more hardy animals like dogs, cats, and rats. But my two cats that I have are generally very calm, cuddly boys and are 100% indoor cats so maybe that will work! I’ll have to read up on the introductory process. Are rabbits really as fragile as I’ve read? I bought a good, sturdy pen so my dog wouldn’t be able to get to her but I’m afraid the stress could be too much for her.
Once again, thanks so much for your advice. I’m feeling a bit better about it now.

[ThorBunny]

Well I think it really depends on the rabbit. I think that the main thing that is different between rabbits and other pets (e.g. cats and dogs) is how they exhibit illness. In rabbits, they hide illness well so when you notice symptoms it is more urgent to get them to a vet. It’s also imperative that they eat, so if they stop eating for more than 12 hrs this is considered an emergency. In terms of frights, it really depends on your rabbit’s personality. I’ve had 3 rabbits so far, and all of mine have been pretty brave!

If you haven’t seen this yet, this is a great resource to learn about rabbit body language: http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

Knowing all this can help you know when your rabbit is stressed. I would say it is worth introducing her to the cats, if she seems to be too put off then maybe give it a bit more time before trying again

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