Merry won’t leave her xpen

[cainan]

Is it standard behavior for bunnies to not want to leave their xpens?  I’ve left the door open for Merry and she’s curious, but won’t actually get out.  I’ve done this in just the tiny bunny room (doors closed) and also w/doors open so that she can get into the huge bunny proofed dining room.  I don’t know what to do – the dr. says she needs to lose .6 pounds (what a cute little number lol) and I got it all set up for her to run around for exercise.

[jerseygirl]

What kind of door does the pen have?
Is there a difference in the flooring inside her pen and on the outside?

[cainan]

The door does have a little lip she’d have to jump or climb over – but I’ve given her boxes and crates, etc., as steps.

Yes – the floor is slightly different. She’s got a dark brown carpet in the pen, and outside is a combo of throw rugs (and a large carpet in the other rooom) over hardwood floors.

[jerseygirl]

Sometimes it might just be the contrast in different flooring that has them unsure. Still, carpet to carpet shouldn’t be a problem… you could try puting a darkish colour mat just outside the pen door and test whether that’s it.

Does she act like she wants to come out but is afraid or does she just ignore the fact the doors open altogether?

Couple other things you could try is:

-  try giving her pellets just at the threshold and keep moving them gradually further and further out if she needs encouragement.

  – provide a tunnel or a hidey box just outside the pen. She may need to identify  some safe spots when 1st coming out.

-  be in the bunny room but away from the pen and doing something else. Rabbits are so curious and this might prompt her to venture out and see what you are doing. If your down on the floor she’ll be able to see you across the way.  You might have heard of this “floor, ignore” technique? It’s good for when a bunny is new and you want them to approach you on their own.

[cainan]

good ideas! thank you!
she generally runs up to the pen when it’s feeding time I think she’s just afraid to come out

[Beka27]

Have you tired unclipping the xpen panel and pulling it to the side? She might be hesitant of the lip?

[cainan]

Oh, great news! Just last night I put down a blanket and a towel to make a sort of walkway to the dining room rug – she was out of that pen so fast! She’s been sniffing around -every-thing and rattling the bars of the pen when she’s shut in there. She was zooming and binkying from room to room until the one blanket slipped while she was running on it. So cute!!!

[jerseygirl]

Good to hear!  Now the trouble FUN begins! 

I totally missed that you wrote “throw rugs over hardwood flooring” but I did register the large carpet. So I was thinking it was carpet in the pen and out.     You found an easy solution in the end.  Be sure to have a camera out to capture some of those binkies!

[cainan]

Oh she’s a total monster now This morning [early!!!] I heard her rattling the pen and when I finally rolled out of bed to check on what she was doing, she had reconfigured it!

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