Soon to be bun mom questions!

[thetinyherd]

Hi everyone! I am new here and am new to rabbits! I’m sorry if this has been posted before, the search function won’t work for me!

I will be adopting a bonded pair of males within the next 2 weeks. I have done a ton of research and am still reading as much as I can, but I had a question I haven’t been able to find much information on. I thought this would be a good place to hear first hand experience.

My main question: Should I leave the boys in their cage for 24 hours before letting them out? I have heard differing opinions on this.

They will have their own room to live in, and eventually we will be working up to letting them have free range of the house just when we are home. Currently they live in a cage at their fosters’ and are let out to play everyday. Would it make them feel better to be in their cage at the start or just let them get used to the entire room? I won’t be bothering them much the first week or two other than everyday tasks with the buns and my guinea pigs (who will be in the same room, but up on tables high enough the buns can’t access) but I will be in the house to keep an eye on them. I really only have a cage area as a home base and in case there’s a situation having them in a cage is necessary, it won’t be closed on a regular basis.

If you have any other tips for me as a first time bun owner that would be appreciated as well! These boys had such a hard hard start in life the foster didn’t think they would even make it (abandoned, emaciated, worst case of ear mites the shelter vet had ever seen, among other things), so I’m very honored she accepted my adoption and I want to give them the best life I possibly can from the start!  

[Dface]

Personally I would leave them in their enclosure for the 1st 24 hours.
A new area and a lot of space and new smells might cause some bond issues, or also fear injuries-the rabbits panic and dont know where to run and just end up hurting themselves. As important as space and excercise is for them they are also agoraphobic and can really hurt themselves.
Once they seem settled I’d simply open the cage door and leave them to hop in and out as they choose- only during supervised times and gradually bubild up to all the time freedom to move around the room uninhibited when they have become comfortable with it

[kurottabun]

I think it’s safe to leave them in the cage for the first 24 hours – most bunnies won’t be willing to come out anyway within that period if they’ve just moved to a new environment.

The BUNNY INFO section has lots of useful information for bunny owners – do check that out

[thetinyherd]

Great, thank you for your feedback! I will let them settle in their cage for a first before I let them explore their new room- definitely on their terms. I want to make it as easy on them as possible. The foster mom has had them for about 4 months said they settled very quickly with her, even with being sick, and are very curious and adventurous (one has figured out how to hop out of her x pen!) so I’m hoping they don’t take this transition too hard.

I’m reading more of the bunny info section this morning, and I’m sure I’ll be back regularly once the buns come home as well!

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