Unhappy bunny

[Danika]

Hi all. I’m new to this forum. I got my first bunnyrabbit baby this week. I’ve been told it’s 6 weeks of age. I don’t know whether it’s a buck/doe. I keep it in my room, it is free roam but has a HUGE travel cage which is open and available to sleep in (this is only temporary since I am getting a nice cage built). I don’t want to confine it. My room is about 5×4 meters (sorry for the metric units). He/she can roam anywhere within my room and has lots of toys. Unlimited hay and gets half a handful of pellets per day. Also cabbage and cole and carrots in small amounts (I’ve done my research). I’m in the process of litter box training him/her as well.

Anyway, that is the background. My problem is that my bunny seems unhappy. It is getting more and more accepting of me and I can now lay next to it and pet it for long periods of time – it loves to be pet!! But this little guy is SO DOCILE. It eats and then just lays and then maybe does a binky and runs two circles and then it lays down again. It’s not playful at all!! And aren’t they supposed to be when they’re so small still?? I am worried that he’s unhappy with his circumstances, or misses his mom/siblings. I am an AVID animal lover so I am always overthinking whether I’m treating my pets the best I can… please can someone give me some insight? He is currently just chilling on the carpet – as he does most of the time. Is he unhappy?

[Sirius&Luna]

Bunnies shouldn’t really be separated from their mums until they’re 8 weeks old, so he/she may just be subdued as they’re still pretty young and have been moved to a strange environment. I wonder if maybe he’s overwhelmed by the space he has too? Even if you have a free range bunny its good to give him an area that is ‘his’ with hay, food, boxes etc that he can always retreat to.

But bunnies aren’t ever really ‘playful’ in the way that a cat or dog would be. Normal bunny behaviour includes some speedy running and jumping, but also a lot of flopping and snoozing.

Have you tried sitting on the floor with him at letting him come over and investigate you?

You might also want to give him more pellets while hes still super young. I’m not sure what a 6 week old bunny should be eating, but babies should have more pellets than adults. Hopefully someone else can advise on pellets, but I gave my 8 week old bunny 2 small handfuls a day. He’s now about 17 weeks and still getting that amount, but I will be slowly reducing over the next couple of months.

[Luna]

Agreed, he is young – I would add more pellets and eliminate the veggies. Buns have sensitive digestive systems. Veggies aren’t usually introduced until around 3 months old. And if any new foods (except hay) are introduced, they must be introduced slowly.

Also, rabbits are crepuscular (most active around dawn and dusk) so it wouldn’t be unusual for him to not be as active during the day. However, lethargy can also indicate a medical issue. If he starts eating or pooping less, or not at all, then you must take him to the vet immediately.

[Bam]

He sounds like a normal bun to me. Some buns are more shy that others. He’s very young, so he needs to sleep a lot. Rabbits have a translucent 3rd eyelid, so they can sleep with their eyes open. It’s normal for them to lounge during the day.

[Deleted User]

It doesn’t sound like your fluff is unhappy to me. As long as you see some flops, binkies, zoomies, those are all signs that bun is well. One of my buns stays in my room and I’m often woken up in the early morning by his darting around the room.. a little bit of a bother, but very cute to watch and I’m happy to know he’s having fun!

[OverthinkingBun]

I don’t think he sounds unhappy, either. I’m a beginner bunny owner, too, but since I was recently given a lot of advice about a ~5 week old baby I rescued, maybe I can help a bit? When they are this young, they can eat lots of alfalfa hay and alfalfa pellets (I was told unlimited is fine). A lot of places say not to feed these to rabbits, but that’s because they are assuming you have an older animal, and one the age of your bunny needs more calories/protein (a rabbit-knowledgeable vet confirmed this).

Have fun with your bunny

[Danika]

Thanx so much for your responses. He is doing fine now. Much more active and seems happier. I read recently that they should only be weened at 8 weeks and feel terrible that my bun was only 6 weeks when I got it. I will not use that supplier again. I did’nt know this as I would’ve never snatched him up so young.

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