New odd behavior…anyone’s bunny ever do this?

[Ali925]

Sorry this is long….

Background: So Blu is my active spunky fearless (unless you pet him when he’s not ready for it…) bun who loves to run around more than eat or anything else.  The typical routine at night is to open up his pen from one side and he darts out before I can get it all the way open…sprints through the kitchen to the family room where he wreaks havoc, or plays…haha.  Although he’d love to play and be out of his pen all day he tends to run back when it’s close to his time being up.  He and Oreo both sort of do this…they are so good about routines (usually).  I set a timer for both (they run separate times) and usually around the right time they both run back to their pens on their own … I’ve bragged about how well they are trained at this!  Without any coercing from me too…for most of the time at least. 

Odd Behavior: Anyhow, Blu started doing this two nights ago out of nowhere…  I open up his pen he gets super excited, goes to dart out but stops short of leaving his “area” and sits there.  He tries to go forward and sniffs everywhere and scampers back to his spot and sits again.  The first night I thought he was just tired still and needed to wake up before coming out, this happens every once in a while…but it was like I had to coax him out to play…which is very very odd.  But once he came out he didn’t want to go back to his pen!  It seems like it’s that one spot between the kitchen and his pen that he’s afraid to cross?  He was on his way back to his pen on his own and when he got to the “spot” he scampered away in the opposite direction like he got spooked by something.  …  I had to put him in his carrier the past few nights just to get him back in his pen because he would NOT leave the family room and I gave him an extra hour to go back on his own!  I don’t know what happened in the kitchen but he’s afraid of it for some weird reason…  He will cross it eventually but it takes some coaxing and he doesn’t run around in there like he used to…

Everything else is normal for him, activity levels, eating, pooping, behavior, etc…it’s just this one “scary spot”.  Any idea what I can do?  I guess I could clean it to see if there’s some unwanted smell?  We had a big party here last weekend, but he came out normally the first few nights after it, so I don’t think it could have been anything from that?…I don’t know…but it’s getting frustrating that he’s not following his routine since I’m limited on time with getting both of them to have enough free time as it is … 

Any ideas?  Thanks in advance…

[mocha200]

Is the floor different in the kitchen than it is in the living room? If so and its hard floor he could have slipped and wiped out and gotten scared when you weren’t looking.

[Michelle&Lolli]

So it’s the kitchen? Mine hated the kitchen and would always go hide if I cooked. Or even just went in there. So maybe that’s what the problem is now.

[jerseygirl]

Maybe he sensed an animal outside while he was passing through the kitchen? Or sensed it while in his pen but noise originated from kitchen?

[Ali925]

Thanks for your response mocha200   There is wood flooring where his pen is as well as throughout the kitchen, the family room is carpeted.  You have a good idea, but I have seen him slip and slide a lot before and it has never affected him like this.  We have had his on wood floors all his life, this is actually his first experience with carpet and we’ve only been in this house for 2 months…so if anything he should be most used to wood floors…  

 

 

[Ali925]

Thanks Michelle&Lolli for responding.  Like I said, he’s very acclimated to the kitchen and if I’m in there while he’s playing he has a habit of circling my legs and biting my pants while I’m washing dishes/cleaning up the kitchen… so I don’t think it’s the kitchen itself.  It’s really just one spot where his pen ends and the kitchen begins, once he’s past that he’s fine..  And he’s been perfectly fine before this for the past 2 months…  Thanks though

[Ali925]

Thanks jerseygirl…I feel bad refuting everyone’s good suggestions…but it’s just not like him to get spooked like this.  Even with animals…Oreo on the other hand does…but he never seems to care much.  We do have a lot of wildlife in our backyard…but I just don’t feel like he’d still be scared for 3 days in a row about it?  He basically sniffs the “spot” incessantly  (it’s a very small area) and tries to move forward into the kitchen but then gets scared and runs back to his pen.  At first I thought he was being a pain for not wanting to go back in his pen, then I realized something was scaring him in that spot. 

At first I thought it was something I had on the floor that scared him, so I moved it, and that didn’t help.  Then I thought it was the reflection of light off the floor, it makes a bright spot on the floor in that spot at a certain time, but that wouldn’t be anything new either.  And like I said, nothing ever prevents him from wanting to have free playtime…I guess I’ll see if it’s better tonight.  I’m happy he’s still wanting to play, otherwise I’d be more worried about him.  Thanks guys..

[Ali925]

Just an update in case anyone is following this…I made a temporary solution tonight…I put one of his blankets over the “spot” and after sniffing the blanket, he ran right over it and into his play area… Still don’t know what’s up with that part of the floor but I have a way around for now (I hope)…

[Sarita]

Sometimes you can just never ever know what they are thinking. I’m always scratching my head trying to figure out their behavior – it’s just always so obvious to us humans what our lagomorph’s are thinking.

[Juli]

Well, it could be a smell on that spot. Have you used any type of floor cleaner on that spot? Maybe he is just smelling something on the floor.

[Elrohwen]

Sometimes animals come up with funny “rules” for themselves and we never do figure out why they do what they do. Sounds like he decided that part of the floor was scary and wouldn’t walk on it for anything!

[RabbitPam]

You just tried one of my two suggestions, which was covering the spot to see if he will step on it once covered. That’s good that he did that.

Now, if you want to try to eliminate what’s bothering him, I’d suggest a very localized cleaning of that spot and area with either 1. a vinegar/water spray solution. You spray it, wash it with it, then rinse and dry. It will not smell good to him (might even put him off the spot again) but will cut any other odors out, and once it fades he may be fine.
Or 2. Use Nature’s Miracle spray cleaner on the spot. It also cuts odors from pets without being harmful. I keep it in the house because it’s also very good at getting out stains and odors from “accidents” he might have. (Like pee on a couch.)
If that doesn’t clear out the problem, then keep it covered.

[Ali925]

Thanks Sarita and Elrohwen, I think you’re right! They are strange sometimes…but they keep us on our toes!

Thanks Juli, but no I actually haven’t done any cleaning to that part of the floor…it’s the same condition as the floor he lives on and the rest of the kitchen that he will walk through! Strange little man…

Thanks RabbitPam, I’ve continued to put the blanket down every night and runs over with no problem. In fact he’ll lounge right on top of the blanket in the spot… I try without the blanket first, just to see if we’ve made any progress to out the evil on that spot lol. So far it’s still a no-go, so for now I’ll keep using the blanket!

I could try the cleaning too..but I’m not too sure what is okay with the floors we have. I am told most cleaning supplies are not good for it and to use a specific hardwood cleaner (Bruce’s and the like)… So I’m hesitant to try other methods. (The floor is only 2 months old ) But if this continues I will take that next step. For now I’m just glad he’s willing to come out and go back in as normal again..

Thanks!

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