Won’t get into his carrier

[SirBunny]

I am trying to bond my two bunnies, and I have to bring them downstairs from my bedroom into the kitchen. However Moby is extremely stubborn and refuses to get into a carrier. I have two carriers and he won’t enter either of them any more. I was able to bring him downstairs two days ago for a first bonding session that went really well, but that was after he hadn’t been in the carrier for a long time so he entered it more willingly. Except now I’m trying to have a second bonding session and he won’t get into the carrier at all, i’ve tried coercing him with treats, alfalfa hay, and bananas but he won’t budge. I don’t want to pick him up and carry him because I never really pick him up and I know he would struggle even more with that.

This is extremely frustrating because he also has a vet appointment next monday and I can’t sit around for hours waiting for him to get into the carrier, and I can’t just shove him in there.

 

What do I do???

[Azerane]

I would leave the carrier in his pen with him with the door open. Put some hay and a few treats at the back of the carrier and just leave him be. Eventually he’ll get curious and go in and just leave him be, let him enjoy it and get relaxed with it. I’d leave it in with him as a hidey place if you can at all times. I leave my cat’s carrier out all the time and sometimes she goes in and sleeps in it because it doesn’t come out only when something is happening. If I pick it up and move it she comes to see what’s happening and gets in straight away. So while I don’t have a quick fix for you, desensitising them to the carrier is an important step. Perhaps feed his daily pellets in the carrier so that if he wants pellets he has to get in the carrier and it will become a very positive association. Eventually, when you go to feed him pellets he will get in the carrier before you’ve even given the pellets. In terms of the vet visit, if he is still unwilling to get in the carrier by that point, you may have to pick him up to put him in.

[SirBunny]

Fortunately I was able to get in him there, I just lined the floor with fresh hay and left him alone for a while. I heard him rustling around in there so I closed the door really fast. The bonding session went fairly well (it was a bunny standoff with their heads smushed together the whole time – but no fighting!), and funny enough he went right into the carrier after the session.

Thats good advice to just leave the carrier in his pen. Although I’m sure after the vet visit he will absolutely hate the carrier again because I am taking him there to get his nails trimmed.

[Author]

Messages