How big is your bun on routine? Do mine miss out?

[GrumpyBun]

 My two rabbits, Bisto and Oxo are around 18 months old now and I’ve had them since they were babies. Both my husband and I have always worked shifts so they’ve never had a routine as such, which they’ve always been fine with. In March this year, around when they turned a year old, I switched jobs which, although it was still shift based usually meant I was finished by 5 in the afternoon. So my buns got a something vaguely resembling a routine – mum normally home by half five, she can have half an hour to sort stuff out if she has to but if we’re  not out after that she’s in big trouble. They generally have around six hours free time in the evening 5-6 days a week, and around 11 hours free time 1-2 days a week (being let out from lunch time if I’m in all day).

But now my shifts have been changed so I’m on evenings. Buns are getting around 5 hours free time from first thing in the morning and about 2 hours in the evening after work (I work part time). Again, they’ve adjusted really well apart from one thing – on days when I have to go out in the mornings I’m in terrible trouble!

So I wondered – how set is your bun’s routine? Do you have set time when non-free range buns can come out? Do they have bed times? Do you have set meal times? If you can’t stick to their routine for any reason do you get in trouble? Do you think rabbits with routines are better off or not? 

[Elrohwen]

My husband and I work at the same company and have the same hours, so our buns are on a pretty tight routine. Some nights we’ll go to the gym and come home a little later, or maybe have a happy hour with friends, but mostly we’re home around the same time. They keep to a schedule of their own that has nothing to do with our schedule. Haha. Whether we’re home at 5:00 or 9:00, they want to come out and play when the sun it setting – in the summer it’s been about 8:00 every night. In the winter it’s usually earlier. They both wake up around 5:30 every morning, even though neither of us come downstairs until 7:00 (we’re far enough away that if they are mad about us sleeping in, they can’t do anything about it).

The only time they get angry about a change is if they don’t get enough time out. On those days Hannah can get destructive in the cage and runs around like a crazy bun for at least 24 hours afterwards. Otto is much more laid back and doesn’t even seem to notice. So Hannah doesn’t really care when her exercise time is, just as long as she gets it.

I don’t think buns necessarily *need* a strict routine – they’re generally pretty adaptable. As long as they’re getting fed and getting some time out of the cage, I think it’s fine to change it up a little. Only very nervous or insecure bunnies wouldn’t be able to handle that, I think.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Zeus’s routine is consistent as to the number of meals he gets a day (3), and the times of day he goes out (early morning and afternoon).  Other than that though, it is rather varied.  Not by choice, but just because I’m a college student working 2 part time jobs, plus I also own a horse who lives 35 mins away from my house.  So my schedule is just really crazy.

He doesn’t seem to mind, though.  I graduate in December, and hopefully once I get ONE full time job, things will settle down a bit.  But for now, I do the best I can and just make sure I make time for him each and every day, even if it’s not at the exact same time every day.

As kind of an example, sometimes he is out from 7:30am-8am, and then 5pm-9pm.  Other days, he’s out 9am-11am, and then 3pm-8:45pm.  And sometimes, if I’m running late in the morning, it’s 7:30am-7:45am, and then to make up for it, 5pm-10pm.  USUALLY his “total hours” out is approximately the same, but if he is shorted an hour or two, I just try and make up for that over the weekend and stuff, when he’s out pretty much all day minus a few hours for the barn. 

[jennyrabbit]

Jenny is free run during the day and in her pen at night..she is pretty set in her routine..as soon as I get up in the AM she runs to the door of her pen and starts rattling it, I open the door and she runs out and chases all my dogs out of the room…during the day its “her” room lol, when I get hiome from work she gets her training ime, which is unavoidable, if I dont she will run circles around me, nibble my fingers, jump on and off of me etc.. until I do something with her lol. I go to bed around 10 and she runs to her pen and jumps on the shelf and waits for dinner, after dinner and some hay she stretches out on her shelf for bed.

[Elrohwen]

Also, despite feeding the buns at 10pm every night, they still have no idea what time is dinner time/bedtime. Every time I get up and go to the kitchen between 7 and 10 Hannah gets up and runs to the cage expecting dinner. Not sure if she’s actually confused, or if it’s just wishful thinking. Haha.

[MissKris&Koji]

I am no expert here, but I read buns like a routine and can be change-a-phobic, so I tried to stick to it closely at first. But, being a college student (different time of class each day) it was hard to keep it too set. I realized pretty quickly my rabbit doesn’t mind the variety too much. He seems more to keep track of overall time each day, and if I haven’t given him what he thinks is enough love and attention, in the evenings he will be thumping and generally trying to get me to come over. Also some days he decides he wants more, or less, out time/pets/etc and is just quieter.

I try to keep feeding times within a couple hour window. Lately I have been trying to get him more on my new schedule (now that I’m graduated and will be working, days start slightly later) with breakfast around 8-9, and then dinner around 7-8. He adjusted to the changed feeding time really quickly, but he definitely knows when it’s past the approximate time. If I get caught up in working and it gets to be 9pm and he hasn’t had salad yet, he will do his attention getting behaviors to let me know.

But I know I was reading a thread recently about the people whose rabbits HATE change. I wish I could find it to point you there, it was kind of funny actually, but anyways…. that said, I’m thinking it’s probably up to your rabbit about how well they deal with change or how much structure they need. I think if they have a problem with the changes or are not doing well, they will let you know if you are watching and listening.

[LoveChaCha]

Bunnies like routine, no worries at all.

I work at 1 pm 4 days a week and get home at 9:30. I let bunny out for 3 hours. She is out for a longer period of time on my days off. She seems quite happy with it.

[jerseygirl]

It does sound like your bunnies have adapted to changes fairly well. When you have to be out in the morning, could you provide them some white noise (radio/tv) ? Or do you think that would make things worse? That they might think someones about but not letting them out. It’s silly as mine have free roam but choose to tuck themselves away in a corner if I’m home or not.

Another peacemaking tactic may be to slightly change their habit. By adding something to occupy them or increasing space.

[RabbitPam]

bunnies are creatures of habit and like routines, but are also pretty adaptable to new ones. If a bunny is raised from early on to adapt to changes, then they are usually ok with it unless they are born with a very stubborn temperament. One or two bunnies here have set ways and get grumpy, but most are able to change with you. Spockie and I moved several times, along with my schedules changing at times, and he was very good about all changes, including moving from MA to FL. What really worked for him was that his cage remained the same, and his foods remained the same. So once inside his house, he had ‘his” stuff and his dishes with the food he was used to in it.

What’s nice about unlimited hay and water crocks that can be supplemented with hanging water bottles is that a bunny will not go hungry no matter what time you get home. More than pellets, hay is a staple that will be good for them and they are self-regulating feeders, so they will eat when they want to without having to wait for you. So fill up the hay bin!
As for play time, if you find yourself feeling like you are depriving them or they need more exercise, consider changing the room where their stuff is to be a free range room. If they are in a place where you can close off the door when you leave, it’s bunny proofed, and they have a room to run in, that should take care of it if you can live with it too. Samantha is NOT free range – except yesterday when she got under my bed to stay for the day. I went to work after unplugging the phone in there and she didn’t budge until later when I got home. Just a cozy nap, but I am so darned bunny proofed in my apartment that I didn’t worry as much as I did last year.

[GrumpyBun]

Mine are happy really – I just worry that I could be doing things better.

The white noise idea is good, but I always have the radio on in the kitchen and if I have to nip out (a 10 minute trip for milk say) I will shut them in there with the radio in the hope they don’t realise I’ve gone. I’m not sure I wouldn’t worry about leaving them for longer – they would be ok but I’m not sure about my furniture! Maybe its worth looking at some chew deterrents again, I just didn’t have much success last time. I’d really like to work towards having free range buns but I’m not sure my bunny proofing skills are up to it!

[eyorelop]

I think Eyore likes to be fed at the sametimes. I even have to get up early on weekends otherwise he acts mad cuz his pellets are late. During the week when getting up early for work I can hardly get them in the bowl he is already trying to get some out of my measuring cup.

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