My rabbit hates being out of her cage

[Alyssah]

Okay so I have had my mini lop Lola for 3 years and she has a bigger than average space that I keep her in when I am not home or sleeping. I have been recently trying to ease her into free roaming and she was doing really well….except now I will take her out of her pen and she will bolt back to her pen. It’s not a new environment, no new animals, nothing has changed. She literally hates being outside of her pen. She used to love being out of it. If I make her pen unavailable to her she will go hide for hours and as soon as I make it available she goes back to it. She used to be really friendly and nice and now she kicks and scratches, she has gotten really aggressive even though she is spayed. I’ve always known she’s a kind of strange rabbit because she refuses to touch toys (all kinds, believe me…..I’ve been trying for years and nothing except for wicker balls….so I am always stocked on wicker balls) and now I am just concerned because she literally hates everything, not just toys. Anyone else experience this? I know it’s usually the opposite where they refuse to be put back in pens but some insight would be much appreciated because I feel defeated right about now

[Deleted User]

I’m a new rabbit owner, and this behavior seems a bit strange. My rabbit is a baby and I let her out two days after I got her and have continued to give her time out of her cage (which is a large dog crate). My bunny does like playing a bit and has several toys, but she doesn’t play all the time either. Has your rabbit seemed stressed lately? (Other than hiding when out of the cage) Do you think she could be sick in any way? I’m really not sure what could be wrong. I hope you figure it out

[Sr. Melangell]

Have you tried letting her come out on her own? Just leaving the door open, just sit quietly somewhere and keep an eye on her she’ll do it when she is ready.

[Alyssah]

I mean, she has been like that for 3 years now, so the toys thing wasn’t new to me. She just likes what she likes, so I work with it. She more prefers digging at fabric so I usually give her that. As far as stress goes, she was at the vet last week, he said she checked out fine, I have no clue what on earth she could be stressed about. My sister moved out about 3 months ago and Lola was raised with her cats, so I guess she could be stressed about that. Thank you, I hope I figure it out too!

[Alyssah]

I will give that a shot! I never use to have to do that because she wanted to be out, so I never thought of it. Thank you!

[PandaBun]

As a new rabbit owner I find that behaviour very strange. My rabbit is fussy with toys aswell if that helps. Maybe book an appointment with your vet and ask for their opinion on the situation.

[sarahthegemini]

I agree that’s very odd and I would have recommended a vet visit too but you’ve already done that. Glad she is in good health!

Perhaps it is the fact that the cats are gone. Was she ‘bonded’ to them?

[Alyssah]

It’s very possible they were considered bonded! I haven’t really thought that a possibility, but it sounds plausible!

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Rabbits are creatures of habit, to the extreme. Add to that a tendency to be wary/frightened, and you get an animal which is desperate for companionship and safety. It may very well be that she misses the company of the cats and has to get used to the new situation. It was very good of you to take her to the vet. If health reasons are excluded, I think that a lack of security or companionship may be an issue here.

Does she have hiding places outside of her cage? Like overturned cardboard boxes or other hidey-holes where a rabbit feels safe? I’d advise you to build on her self-esteem and to let her choose her own actions. Treat her as if she were a new rabbit in a new home, more tips are found here: http://www.wikihow.com/Earn-Your-Rabbit%27s-Trust

Reward her when she goes out of her cage and socialises, and don’t push her into leaving it. A cage is often the ultimate safe space for a rabbit and should be available at all times. You can still spend time with her by sitting next to the open cage, and reading to her or talking to her. This will calm her down. If she’s very nervous, try not to reach into her cage, as this may be seen as invading her territory.
When she’s calmer again, you may want to look into bonding her. It sounds like she’ll feel more secure with a buddy.

[Alyssah]

well the good news is she has improved even since yeat today. I have managed to leave her gate open and she has been hopping around and hanging outside of her cage all day, which is a plus! And yes, she has plenty of hidy houses and cardboard castles spread through my house. As far as a new companion, I will have to look at some options. Thank you!

[sarahthegemini]

Great news, go Lola!

[Deleted User]

Yay! I’m glad she’s doing better. Are you thinking about getting her a new bunny friend? Maybe will help with aggression.

[Alyssah]

I’ve been thinking about it! The reason I haven’t at this point is there is no shelters where I live that take in rabbits, so there is no where within 300 miles that I can adopt. And getting there is very hard as it’s already begun snowing through the mountain passes (crazy, I know) and to top it off, to make a rabbit sit in a car for 4 1/2 hours in those conditions, sounds like a recipe for disaster. I’ve even looked at our local listings online for people rehoming rabbits with no luck I may try taking a look at the local cat shelter for a calm older cat that doesn’t like playing to rough because Lola really is a cuddle bug. That’s all she wants is someone to hang out and snuggle with….which is what her old cat friends used to do. It’ll definitely take some time to find a companion that i find suitable, whether it’s another rabbit or a kitty

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

A cat sounds like a fun companion too, if another rabbit isn’t available. Glad you’re looking into it!
Also good to hear that she’s a bit calmer now. Try to do some trust and confidence building exercises with her, like laying on the ground without taking the initiative to cuddle her. This makes you less scary. (Be careful that you don’t block off the entrance to her cage.) Let her come to you for affection, this way she’ll learn again that you are a trusted companion.

[Alyssah]

I am so happy right now! Thank you all so much for the advice, she just “groomed” me for the first time in such a long time! I’m not sure what it was that helped her the most, but she even flopped today!! she NEVER flops!! If she’s improved this much in just a few days I can’t wait to see how well she does in the time to come! Thank you all again for your suggestions and wisdom!

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

That’s amazing, what a big step forward again! You know what I think? I think that you’re feeling calmer and more confident about how to handle/approach the situation, and she picks up that vibe. Animals are amazingly sensitive to our emotions, although they respond differently to them than humans do. Keeping that in mind, try to analyse your state of emotion/energy when dealing with your rabbit, and use that to communicate with her. Spread the love ^_^

[Deleted User]

Awesome! I’m so glad She sounds like one happy bun!

[sarahthegemini]

Absolutely brilliant news!

[Author]

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