kona, the scaredy bunny

[Dutchybun]

hello! so we just got a second bunny Kona, who is almost eight weeks old. shes a Holland lop. we let her out to exercise in our dining room, when our other bunny, dasher is in her rabbit mansion (seriously its huge, i can comfortable sit in it). Kona is comfortable enough to leave her own cage, given that we are not watching, and loves to run. she will sprint and Binky in front of us and just have fun. however, we have to pick her up to put her back in the cage, she hates this! I fear that its making her afraid of me. she wont even be in the same room with me right now. what should I do? she needs her exercise but I also want her to be human friendly. what can I do? thanks in advance.

[sarahthegemini]

Bunnies do not like being picked up. Is there a way you can make it so she can come and go into her cage as she pleases?

[PeachyPoochy]

I had the same issue before! I usually make my bunnies go into a carrier travel bag (by using treats like apple or bokchoy), then let them jump out of the carrier travel bag when we reach the cage hope it helps!

[sarahthegemini]

^ ^ That would work! Or you could attach a ramp?

[Dutchybun]

Kona can get in and out fine. She just won’t go back in when she’s out. Treats might help, however I’m skeptical about giving her treats due to her young age. She’s under three months. All the reading I’ve done says not until six months. Is that wrong? And what treats would you suggest? Thanks

[sarahthegemini]

Ah okay. You could always use her normal pellets as treats.

[Dutchybun]

So a quick update, kona fixed the problem for us. I think she realized that we will pick her up if we need her back in her cage, for the last two days, she started to go back in by herself, right around when at least I start to get ready for bed. I hope this is a new habit of hers sense it fixes that problem.

[Deleted User]

A lot of buns adapt based on habit, which it sounds like might be happening with her. Like for example, my boys know that two alarms go off in the morning. Mine at 5am, and my husband’s at 5:30am. They know they get fed at the second alarm. When mine goes off, they still lounge around and don’t move much. When my husband’s alarm goes off, they instantly run to their litter boxes and start trying to jump out of the cage because they know it’s time or food.

[Dutchybun]

That is very interesting! That would explain my other rabbits behavior, sitting by her cages door every morning and if I’m not giving her attention she starts to make noise in her cage and she always starts this by seven, the time I get up

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