Is my bunny getting the attention she needs?

[Darcy]

I just adopted an adorable and sweet female netherland dwarf that’s 3 months old. She’s adventurous and curious and already gives me kisses. Her cage is made of some of those wire panels that you put together with connectors and is 2×4 panels.

I work weekdays from 8-5 and I feel guilty leaving every morning. When I get home I immediately take her out and let her binky around my apartment for a few hours. Sometimes she’ll go back in her cage on her own, but most times I have to persuade her with a piece of apple. Since I have chores to do, I do have to put her away so she doesn’t get into trouble. At around 9:30 or 10 I go to bed. Wake up at 6:45, feed her, pet her a little…but I don’t take her out to play in the mornings because I’m typically in a time crunch and sometimes it takes a while to get her back in her cage.

I’m gonna start getting up earlier though, so I can let her out to stretch her legs before I go to work.

Is she getting enough cage-free time? Is she lonely during the day? I put music on for her when I’m gone. Don’t know if that makes a difference. Any advice is welcome!

[12345ABCDE]

Well if you let her out at 5pm and she stays out til 10pm, that’s 5 hours. Technically, you’re providing the bare minimum but personally I don’t think it’s enough. She’s in her cage for 19 hours a day.

[Darcy]

Thanks for the response. I’d love for her to be out of her cage all day if I could, but I don’t trust her to be free roam in my apartment while I can’t watch her. Do you know what I could do? Just put her in a bigger enclosure?

[Dasher]

You can set up a play pen for her to run around in when you are not home.

[Mikey]

An exercise pen attached to the cage would be better, if possible.

[12345ABCDE]

Posted By Darcy on 11/16/2017 2:36 PM

Thanks for the response. I’d love for her to be out of her cage all day if I could, but I don’t trust her to be free roam in my apartment while I can’t watch her. Do you know what I could do? Just put her in a bigger enclosure?

You could put a large pen around her enclosure?

[Darcy]

I just ordered an x-pen, maybe I can attach it to the cage somehow. Thanks!

[Mikey]

For easy attaching, you can use some metal clips or a few zip ties. If you have spare bread clips, several of those can hold it until you can get a better clip type

[OverthinkingBun]

I think the x-pen attached to the cage is a great idea, especially for the evenings when you are doing chores, and in the mornings. I’ve noticed that my rabbit voluntarily goes and sleeps in her cage for almost all of my work hours. So if your bun has a typical rabbit sleep schedule, she would probably appreciate more exercise in the mornings and evenings, but I wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt about leaving her alone for work.

[Author]

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