Help with moving bunnies into a new room

[narkut]

Hi all, I have had two Netherland dwarf bunnies for 8 months. Duke is 10 months old and was neutered 7 months ago. Lady is 11 months old and was spayed 8 months ago.

Problems: Neither of my bunnies are very comfortable with me, they jump on me, eat from my hand and demand attention by nudging and nipping but they also keep their distance a lot and NEVER want to be touched! I thought 8 months was a long enough time for them to trust me, but I keep being told to be patient… Also, they have become very destructive over the last couple of months. They chew and dig everything! They have so many toys and have so much space to play and run so I don’t think it’s caused by boredom.

Previous advice: I have therefore recently been advised to move the bunnies from the living room to my bedroom. The idea is that although I will be sleeping, the extra hours they get to spend in my presence will hopefully speed up the human/bunny bonding process. Also, the idea is that moving to a new room and hence having a new territory to explore, will make them less destructive. (I want them to be free roam of the whole flat eventually, but I would also like to limit the damage to my wooden skirting boards and furniture!)

Questions: 1. They have now been moved to my room in a big area within a play pen. I always read you should start the are small so that the bunnies get litter trained and accustomed to their new surroundings. How long should they stay like that before I can let them have free roam of my room?

2. I’m worried their destructive behaviour won’t actually improving by moving rooms. What can I do to stop them causing damage? I know it’s their nature but there must be something I can do to stop them from scratching and digging my stuff and divert them to do it to their own stuff?

3. Do you think having them in my bedroom will actually help to improve our bond and their behaviour?

I appreciate your views! Thank you!

[Azerane]

I suspect that moving them to your room will have several outcomes. The first being that your bond with them is likely to be improved by being around them more, and secondly that you will get far less sleep I do doubt that a destructive rabbit is going to be any less destructive in a different room once they get comfortable in it.

I’d be leaving them in the play pen for up to a week. First to make sure little habits are good, and second to reinforce that that’s their home base. Make sure you have everything blocked off and protected that you don’t want them getting to before you first let them out. Otherwise it just becomes a game where they want to get things that they had access to but you said they can’t have.

[narkut]

You’re right! First night Duke kept walking over my face whilst I slept, second night I ended up on my hands and knees at 3am laying blankets onto the floor under my bed to stop them digging up the carpet! Haha!
I hope you’re right about the bonding also!
I’ll keep them as they are for a week, then hopefully they can have free roam of my room. Maybe giving them a bit more space will help them like me more too!

[Author]

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