Giving bun free roam time right away?

[Bu20055]

Hello all!

So I do not currently have a rabbit, however I am planning on adopting soon.

I know you’re supposed to let your new bun settle in for a few days before really interacting with them, but I was just wondering, can you leave the pen open to give them a chance to come out?

Thanks!

 

[HipHopBunny]

Hi @Bu20055

Getting a but is always very exciting, and packed up with tension on waiting to see what the bun would think of your home. For a bunny, it is scary being in a place, with new people and new smells. I would say that it is would probably be best to let your bun fully adjust to her/his new pen, and all of the different sites and smells of your place. Once they have fully settled in, I think it would be great to let them out of their pen. 🙂 It is great how you want to make sure what is best for them, and are planning ahead. 🙂

[Louiethebunny]

Ditto. It does depend on the personality of your new bun, and regardless of how they act I would try to give one full day of settle in time at least. My first rabbit was much more shy than my girl, so for him I gave him a couple days to chill out, and for my new bun, she only needed one day to settle in before she was practically begging to come out.

[Bu20055]

Okay thanks!

I guess I’ll just wait and see how new bun settles in and wait till they ask to come out :).

[Louiethebunny]

It’s better to let them adjust first, you also don’t want them to see you as the person who forces them out of their comfort spot.

[Bu20055]

That’s what I mean. I’ll wait till they’ve adjusted and are ready to try to venture farther.

[Louiethebunny]

Sounds great!

[Bam]

It varies a bit between individuals. When my bun Vilde came to me, he had a cage with him from his old home. I put it in my bedroom, left the cage door open but blocked access to the rest of the apartment with a grid. He stayed in his cage for about 2 days, then he started to explore. He settled in very quickly, but he was 6 years old and has an outgoing personality. Other buns may need quite a bit more time.

The most important thing is to provide a hidey house or/and a tunnel, so the rabbit knows it has a safe place to retract to should need arise. A hideyhose can be made from a cardboard box. It should have 2 door holes, because that’s how rabbits make their warrens – they always make sure there’s an “emergency exit”.

If a bun has a safe hidey house, it feels safer and dares explore more and sooner.

Another advantage with starting with a smaller area for the bun is to allow the bun to choose a toilet-spot which is conveniently located for both the bun and the human. The cage/pen is a good place to have food and water and toilet in.

[Wilburbunny]

I agree with everything everyone has said. My bun was begging to come out of his cage as soon as I put him in it for the first time! He just started hopping around my room as soon as I let him out of the box we brought him home in lol. If your bun has an outgoing personality and doesn’t seem scared I would say it’s ok to let him have some free roam time when you get him, just don’t force him to come out from hiding and make sure you have blocked everything off that you don’t want him getting into. You should keep him in his cage/pen for most of the time though at the beginning, at least until he learns how to use the litter box. You don’t want pee all over your floor!

[prince dorian the bun]

I will second @Wilburbunny & @BAM on increasing his range slowly to avoid pee oopses, for me that was the biggest reason for slowly opening up his territory… other one was making sure things were bunny proofed. Until you get a rabbit it’s hard to know what that rabbits particular talent for mischief will be 😀 and it’s much easier to keep and eye on and react to a small area. Some are chewers, some diggers, some can leap over the highest fence, others climb up everything… and then if you are lucky they do it all plus ones I forgot to mention.

Oh and most likely there will be territorial poops, they should decrease after a couple weeks though… but I found slowly opening up the are made those less hard to deal with.

[MichiganRabbits]

When I got my rabbit, he was very outgoing. When I opened his pen on the second day to refill his water dish, he hopped out to explore. I guess it depends on your rabbit and it’s personality/how fast it adjusts to it’s new home. Have fun with your new furry friend and thanks for researching beforehand❤️

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