Won’t leave his cage!!

[stewe]

Hello,

I adopted a bunny a few days ago, he’s about one year old and is very tame, but won’t leave his cage unless I pull him out of there! Not even to eat or drink!! I think he might just be lazy cos I did catch him yesterday trying to drink from his bowl without moving his back legs from the cage, but he couldn’t quite reach so had to come anyway.  But he just sits in his cage all day and all night!! (It’s actually a cat basket).  I’ve had him for nearly a week now and I’m quite surprised at how little he does!! He hasn’t explored anywhere more than a metre from his cat basket, even though it is always open! He just sits in there all day! I’m worried he might be depressed or something…I adopted him a few days ago from a rescue centre, where he had a normal rabbit hutch to himself, so maybe he’s just not used to all the new freedom he has, I don’t know!   His basket is in the kitchen, and he has a litter tray which I think he quite likes because he has laid down in it and sits in it when I’ve made him come out of the basket, but he is a bit more lively when I take him up to my room, which is quite annoying as he’s peed in there twice now.  Why would this be? He seems more relaxed and inquisitive when he’s up there, do you think it could be that he just doesn’t like the kitchen? I’m a bit worried for him! Or maybe he just needs to get to know me a little bit better?

[Sarita]

Is the kitchen linoleum or tile? Rabbits usually have a problem with walking/hopping on these types of surfaces – carpet is better for them since they slide all over on the smooth surfaces. Their feet are all fur, no pads like cats or dogs.

Also, he will take more than a few days to become comfortable as well – he’s probably in sensory overload at his new place.

[Barbie]

Yes, he’s probably taking some time to get adjusted and to get used to the new sights/smells/noises. Also if his space is on linoloeum/hardwood that could be the problem. My bun never goes into the kitchen for that reason.

You mentioned that he peed on your carpet a couple times. First of all… for cleaning, use a solution of 50/50 water/white vinegar – it does wonders at getting up stains and smells. Getting rid of all the smell is important because if the carpet smells like his pee, he’ll start to associate those place with his pee spot. Some buns just like peeing on soft surfaces like comforters or the couch/bed, so you may need to restrict his access to certain locations until he is completely litter box trained. Coming from the shelter he may not have had the reinforcement he needs for litter box training. There are tips on this site for how to litter box train your bun. Also, he might be peeing to mark his new place – claiming it as his. Is he neutered? Neutering him will cut down on marking, improve litter box habits, and reduce aggression.

You’ll want to slowly expand his space, especially if he’s having trouble with his litter box training. So much space at once might be overwhelming, so start by blocking of a portion of the room with a fence or gate, or just pile up boxes, bags, chairs etc to block off part of the room, and then gradually make his space larger. Is his cage a cat carrier? Or is it bigger than that? If you keep him caged for any length of time, he’ll need a cage or a pen much larger than that – make sure that when he’s in his cage he has access to unlimited hay, fresh water, a litter box, and a few toys. If you’re planning to eventually let him free roam and don’t want to buy a cage, you can just block off a corner of the room for now and then expand his space slowly.

Oh and don’t force yourself on him.  Let him come to you.  One of the things I like to do is ignore them.  Lay or sit on the floor (to be at the bun’s level) and have a book or something with you and just do your own thing.  Eventually bunny will get curious and come to visit.  When he does, don’t grab him.  The frst few times, you may not even want to pet him.  Move slowly and quietly – don’t want to startle him – and let him build up his trust with you.  And keep a few raisins or some bits of carrot with you to feed him when he comes over to you so he learns that yummy things appear when he approaches you!

Also… welcome to the forum! Bless you for adopting a bunny.  PIx are much appreciated around here.

[KatnipCrzy]

Some rabbits do not like cooking smells and that might be something that takes him longer to get used to.

IS your household busy- maybe it will take some adjusting to get used to your normal household noised and people traffic.

[Karla]

Not all rabbits are bold and jump straight out of the cage to explore. When I first got Karl, he sat completely still for 3 days – almost paralyzed. And then it took him 1½ day to get the courage to jump out of the cage. Almost the same thing when we moved.

Give him time, and please don’t take him out of the cage. Let him explore in his own time or you will just scare him even more. The world is big when you are a little bunny.

[bunnymama]

I’m wondering if the cat basket has the smell of a cat ( a natural predator)? Is it new? Maybe that is what is keeping him from coming out. Peeping in your room is a territory mark I would think.

[Author]

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