Rabbit behavior

[Phil]

I inherited Richard 6 months ago from my daughter as the place
she moved to does not allow pets.
It’s been a learning experience for me as I have never
cared for a rabbit before. In general though, it has been an interesting
and fun experience with Richard. Especially figuring out all the things
needed in order to care for him. I have grown very attached
to him! Something I never expected as my wife razzes
me all the time about how I dote and cater to Richard’s every whim!
I am not really that kind of a guy so go figure!
I have his cage occupying a corner of our living room and I let
him out 1 to 2 times a day for an hour or two to run free in the
living room then I set a treat in his cage and he heads back in.
This has worked well over the last six months until today.
Richard found a way out of the living room into the dining room
down the hallway and into my office to my surprise. I freaked
out because we also have a rather large dog, Una, that has the rest
of the house to roam around in.
I picked up Richard rather quickly as he was going back out
into the hallway where our dog una was. Richard tried to jump
out of my arms but I cupped him quickly the way I learned from
the Rabbit YouTube videos. I then went to living room sat on the floor
and let him jump into his cage. He went straight into his litter
box and laid down which scared me because I was expecting
him to go into his hideaway but instead he just laid down in his
litter box. I immediately went & got a treat went into his cage and
sat down gave him his treat. As he began eating I petted him and
after a bit left his cage and have been watching him for any weird
behavior.
Is it normal for rabbits to just lay in their litter box in such a casual
relaxed posture after just being grabbed and put back in his cage
so abruptly? I know I’m over reacting as he seems ok now, but I
don’t want to find him tomorrow keeled over from sort of delayed
reaction to this event. Sorry for the verbose drama!

[kurottabun]

It’s awesome that you are trying your best to care for the bunny There’s a BUNNY INFO section on this site that you could read – it contains a lot of useful information on bunny care!

As for your question, I think it really depends on the individual bunny. There are some bunnies who are generally more relaxed and less jumpy, while others get spooked by the slightest sound. If Richard has a personality that is laid-back then it should be quite normal. That being said, rabbits are quite known to hide their illnesses as a result of being a prey animal, but Richard sounds like he will be fine

How big is the cage? Bunnies do need a lot of out-of-cage time (an hour or two is actually quite little) so if he’s trying to escape it may mean that he is getting bored being in the cage.You mentioned that your dog gets to roam the rest of the house – does this mean that it’s not usually in the living room? If that’s the case you might want to consider letting Richard free roam in the living room.

[Bunny House]

Hi! I second Kurottabun and congrats on becoming a bun dad! They are amazing creatures.

I know for my bunnies, if they got really stressed after something they will lay in their little box for a bit, but mostly mine will only lay in it if they are in pain.
I would just keep and eye on him and if he continues to lay in it and not move then I would suggest a vet visit as he might have some pain somewhere.
Also, bunnies should have a minimum xpen as their house and most recommended-free roam, it helps keep their gut moving and keeps them in good shape

[Phil]

Thank you for your quick responses and suggestions! They really made feel better! ☺️ He’s back out running around now. I work out of my home so I am thinking of moving him to my office and letting him free roam while I work, I just need to make some room and Richard proof it. ? Thanks again from the both of us!??

[sarahthegemini]

I agree that it’s down to the individual bun in regards to how they respond after something potentially stressful. If your bun is acting normal now I would assume that he’s just a very laid back rabbit!

I think having him free roam in your office would make him really happy!

[Author]

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