Rabbit won’t come out of cage

[Chalice]

I have had my rabbit for 8 months now and she used to always look to come out of her cage but recently she doesn’t want to come out. When we force her to come out in order to clean her cage and etc she will run around for a few hours. She isn’t old, she is about 10 months old and we had her spayed 3 months ago. I don’t know if this is just because she is maturing to a more adult bunny or if I should be concerned that she isn’t feeling well. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[SuperCheesetastic]

Her cage must be very comfortable.
My bunny is totally the opposite. She’d love to be out and about 24/7, but we can’t do that (she likes to jump on our tummies while we’re sleeping at night).

[peppypoo]

How is she housed, and what is the flooring material outside her cage? Sometimes bunnies can be reluctant to come out and play if the opening to their cage is inconvenient, or the floor is hard and slippery i.e. wood floor, tile, etc. In addition, bunnies usually nap through the afternoon and are most active in the morning and evening – if you’re trying to convince her to come out in the afternoon it is possible that she doesn’t feel like running around since it’s naptime. Also, how long has this been happening? If you’re concerned about her health, the main signs to watch for are a change in appetite and pooping.

[RabbitPam]

My bunny Sammy hasn’t come out of her xpen habitat since we moved in with my folks, because it is an all tile floor. She used to run around on the wall-wall carpeting in my former apartments. She just absolutely won’t set foot onto tile – not even the kitchen floors in my apts. So I understand that kind of a change. I am taking her (she doesn’t like to be picked up either) into our dining area that has an area rug now for a bit of exercise. However, she often ran for a short time and then curled up in favorite spots on the rug in previous homes, so it’s not as unusual a behavior as I thought at first.

You just need to be sure your bunny is getting the exercise she needs. Keep taking her out to play. Try placing a towel or blanket down across the floor she won’t step on if it can be a bridge to the rug she likes. (Don’t invest in any runner yet. It didn’t work for Sammy, but another member had luck with the idea.)

Definitely watch for eating/poo changes, as well as grinding teeth and hunching in a meat loaf position. She may be getting sick if there is a problem with these indicators. And definitely take her out in early morning and early evening. It’s their natural grazing time, so she’s more alert.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I think you can rule out sickness because when you take her out she will run. I bet it’s the flooring, or exit of the cage….They really hate slippery surfaces so if you are able to get a carpet remnant you could pave her cage exit when it’s out time to make it easier.

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