alright so this is my sweet boy, harley who i brought home monday. he was found in a park by my sister (not sure if he was abandoned or dumped). I have wanted a bun for years and he came at a really good time, I just have a couple questions.
The first day and a half or so, I did not allow him out of the enclosure as I wanted to get him litter trained (turns out he already was) and bring him to the vet. After he was cleared by the vet I started letting him out to roam my room. (Free roam 24/7 is not currently an option but he gets several hours a day)
The first time I let him out he seemed to become a bit overwhelmed and started thumping. He has also started biting and pushing at the x pen. He’s about a year old and isn’t neutered yet, I’m going to be taking him within the next couple weeks. Otherwise, he seems to be doing well adjusting and is pretty comfortable with me. I’m not sure if he just needs more time to adjust to his new home. I also have no clue what his life was like before this.
If anyone has any suggestions I am open to them, I just want to make him as comfortable as possible. thanks in advance :’)
by Appropriate_Total356
13 Comments
Congrats and thank you for rescuing this sweet boy. They are such kind little creatures and the fact that someone dumped him alone in a park breaks my heart. You’ve earned some good karma.
As for happiness and living arrangement – first off I’d recommend a softer substrate, many people use fleece blankets because if they get chewed the rabbit can digest them. I use cheap Walmart fleece blankets underneath the XPen, and underneath that I use a section of vinyl flooring to avoid carpet damage. This protects your floor, and is much softer for the buns feet than foam.
You’ll also need more toys and chew things. Chewy.com has a ton, just stick to stuff that isn’t dyed or sugary. Wood, sea grass, baskets, cardboard, paper, wicker, anything with that can make for a good toy. Balls that hold pellet food, stacking cups, tunnels (more tunnels), dig boxes full of sand or paper shreds, etc. they are super smart little turds and quickly get bored, so having stuff to keep them from chewing on the bars or carpet is necessary and not too expensive.
Lots of hay too. I keep two litter boxes one in the living room corner with fresh hay and one in the cage. Keep that topped up. Oxbow Timothy is good and again not too expensive. There’s tons of food guides out there and even in this sub.
If he can’t Free roam all day that’s ok, just make sure his pen is a good size and always has toys, fresh hay, fresh water, and a place to hide.
I think neutering, toys, and time will all help him calm down and adjust. If that’s what you’re asking. He will need a few days to poke around and get used to things.
I wouldn’t call myself an expert in rabbit behavior, but I have cared for them for more than a decade, so hopefully my experience will help.
It sounds to me like bun is just a little overwhelmed by his new environment. I know that when we brought my rabbit Éowyn home she stayed in her travel crate for hours until we eventually took to top off and kind of forced her to explore. Now she owns the entire house.
It’s also possible that he got spooked because he heard a noise he wasn’t familiar with. My rabbits have been known to stomp if they hear me sneeze, although they might just be frustrated with me for making a loud noise lol.
As far as biting the bars, I’ve seen buns do that even if the pen is open. Some just like to use the metal to wear down their teeth. If you don’t have any bunny-safe chew toys (dried apple wood is an inexpensive option if you have a tree nearby that hasn’t been chemically treated), you should offer those as well to see if he switches over.
It sounds to me like you’re doing a great job for a new owner. The fact that he is flopping already is a good sign he is settling in. Keep it up, and good luck with the neuter!
Edit: forgot to add that pushing bars around can be either frustration over small space or just for fun. My rabbit Monet was an infamous furniture re-arranger. Nothing we gave him was safe lmao.
If she flops in her food, hay or toilet you’re doing it right.
Unrelated but WOW. He is criminally cute. Unreal
You might wanna get him fixed asap. Since he is a year old now. It is probably the best time to do so.
Less experience that most here but our bun hated being confined to a smaller space. She refused to go into her enclosure (we ended up just getting rid of it after a few days of trying to coax her in).
Maybe your bun is similar? I think mine is a bit odd, she hates being touched and refuses to walk on anything that isn’t carpeted.
I’ll mention it cause I didn’t see it mentioned yet, but be careful with pee pads bun might go for a nibble and the stuff inside expands in the stomach which can cause a blockage which can lead to gi stasis.
Aww hes so cute
What a gorgeous bun. He will be fine. My bunny took a while to settle in as well. Neutering definitely helped. As we all know, they’re prey animals, their default is nervous. Once again, he is freaking adorable.
If you got a flop already… i think he likes you!!
He seems pretty comfortable just by going by his body language in the first picture!
Give him time! He looks like a little sweetheart!
My rabbit is really timid and didn’t leave his “enclosure” area for MONTHS after we brought him home. I would try to force him out and he would just run back to his pen. After about six months of that, he decided he was coming out and never going back. He is now free roam 24/7 and only goes to his home to eat, drink, and use the bathroom.