living room or bedroom?

[peach&winny]

Hi! I recently got a 5 year old bunny that had been rescued and rehabilitated around 6 months ago. She is extremely sweet, super gentle, loves human affection, but is just shy, timid and quiet.

I have her in my bedroom currently, she has her own half of the room separate from me kind of so she feels comfortable. I moved her things around yesterday and reorganized it and it upset her lol, she was having a fit about it, so I don’t plan on moving her things anytime soon, but I’m thinking about the big picture because I hoped from the beginning to keep her in the living room (I realize I should have done that from the get-go)

So I have a few questions if anyone could give their two cents.

How long do bunnies usually take to get acclimated to their environment? (I know it’s different for every bunny, what’s your experience?)

My bedroom has no natural light, which I don’t think is a huge deal for her but it’s something, and the living room has a LOT of light which also isn’t good. It’s quiet in both spaces for the most part and foot traffic is probably equal. Where might she be better off?

Does she need a friend? I worry about how she would do with a companion, but if it were to be a good match, I think it would help her come out of her shell & obviously just have more enrichment.
She comes from bad beginnings but she is so insanely loving, I just want the best for this girl. I know this was all over the place and long but if you could, let me know what you think. Thank you <3

[Wick & Fable]

For my high-anxiety rabbit, it takes at least a week or more to acclimate to a new room/restricted space.

Re: light, I don’t think too much light could be an issue if she has hidey holes and places she can hide out when she wants peace and darkness. I personally think natural light can be important, and I have read of (but have not personally read) studies talking about the importance of sunlight for rabbit health in general.

If you are able to provide consistent and frequent socialization time, your rabbit does not need a friend. If there is a time when you feel you’ll have less time to spend or something, then yes, I would recommend getting your rabbit a friend to prevent loneliness. Notably, you can’t just get any rabbit and put them together– the rabbit bonding process has some specific parameters to best facilitate, but not guarantee, success. You can read more in the RABBIT INFO section of this website!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[DanaNM]

I’ve found that shy or anxious rabbits will go through phases of adjusting to new places. I think whatever room you spend the most waking hours in is the best for her to be in. The living room seems like a better option to me, but either one would prob be fine.

It takes them time to realize that they are in a safe place, and that you are not a threat. At first you may notice she pretty much just sticks to her area and doesn’t want to explore (and it is best to avoid messing with “her stuff” when she is in her pen, if you can help it). During this phase I like to play “hard to get” with the bun, where you sort of ignore them. Of course you are feeding, giving water, and cleaning the litter box, but I don’t really try to interact with the bun at first. As prey animals, rabbits actually feel more comfortable when you aren’t focusing on them intensely.

Then in the next phase, the bun might start exploring more, but during the quiet and calm times of day. But the bun prob won’t relax outside her pen right away, and might spook easily when out exploring. Eventually the bun will start to feel comfortable hanging out outside the pen, and will spook less. At this point I will start spending more time on the ground with the bun, but still not forcing any interaction. Once the bun relaxes near me, then I will offer some nose rubs, but I don’t force it.

These phases can take weeks or months. One of my bunnies, Bonnie, was a very scared rescue who had been at the shelter for 3 years and had become cage-aggressive. For the first couple weeks at home, she showed no interest in coming out of her pen. Then she started coming out at night while we were asleep and zooming around the apartment at 4 am LOL. About a month later she accepted some nose-rubs from me. She still can be skittish, and I know that she only wants nose-rubs during certain times.We moved recently, and it took her about a month to start exploring the room again, even though she’s now bonded to a very outgoing bun.

You may decide to get her a friend eventually, but it would be best to wait to do that until she is settled in and trusts you more anyway.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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