New owner questions

Hello i recently bought my fiance a tan and white rabbit and she is not very active or playful. She is four months. She loves being petted but most of the time whether in or out of her cage she loves to jus flop on her side and lay around. She is curious when she gets out and will walk up and nudge us to pet her but after about 5 minutes she will jus lay down and is very content to jus lie just about anywhere, we have also noticed she dug out all the bedding in her hidie house and lays on the plastic. Is this normal and should we be worried that she never runs around. And as for playing she doesnt really play with anything unless food is involved. We tied a ball up in her cage so it hangs over head and have started tying food to the top and she now periodically stands and messes with it but only enough to see theres no treat then jus digs herself a place to lay in her bedding and lays down we are more curious than worried. Is this normal are there things we should be doing to make her more active. Thank you in advance and we appreciate all the help we can get

Some are so active they'll drive you nuts and others more like furniture crossed with a tuber (couch potato). We had one very old bunny that was very active when out, but slept probably about 20 hours a day in his hutch. Live and learn--I prefer the more sedate to the Holy House Terrors.

Curiousowner said:

Hello i recently bought my fiance a tan and white rabbit and she is not very active or playful. She is four months. She loves being petted but most of the time whether in or out of her cage she loves to jus flop on her side and lay around. She is curious when she gets out and will walk up and nudge us to pet her but after about 5 minutes she will jus lay down and is very content to jus lie just about anywhere, we have also noticed she dug out all the bedding in her hidie house and lays on the plastic. Is this normal and should we be worried that she never runs around. And as for playing she doesnt really play with anything unless food is involved. We tied a ball up in her cage so it hangs over head and have started tying food to the top and she now periodically stands and messes with it but only enough to see theres no treat then jus digs herself a place to lay in her bedding and lays down we are more curious than worried. Is this normal are there things we should be doing to make her more active. Thank you in advance and we appreciate all the help we can get

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Rabbits tend not to be demonstratively affectionate animals like cats or dogs. They certainly can be affectionate. One thing I can say confidently is that rabbits, once they bond with you, they really like you to be near them...they love your company. They usually don't want to sit in your lap. They will ultimately be happy to lay down beside you. They will eat on their own, but I believe they are happiest eating when you are nearby. That being said, they can have a wide range of personalities.

The tail of three rabbits: Our first bunny, Bunny (!), a rescue lived with us for 11 years in our house as a house rabbit. It took her many years to become fully bonded and affectionately interactive with us....maybe 5 years. Towards her later years she was such a delight....the perfect house rabbit with free run of the house. Fast forward to our now baby Flemmish rabbits. The are sisters from the same litter and their personalities are very different. One,we call Cheyenne (Shy-Ann) is very reclusive. After living with us for two months (nearing 5 months of age) she will only tolerate gently rubbing her forehead..anything more and she runs away. She is slightly smaller and much more passive than her slightly bigger sister. The big sister! The big sister at nearly 5 months of age is far more sociable than our previous 11 year old Bunny1 We call her Snowy. She is so gregarious. She just loves to be petted and will run up to me and my wife and start licking our ankles if we don't pay attention to her. Actually, a good bit of the time she has an ulterior motive...she often wants a treat piece of fruit!!

On Youtube there is a video by the woman that owns Darias. Darias is the world's biggest rabbit. 30 plus pounds. She says.."You have to work with your bunny, and when you do you'll end up with a pretty nice bunny."

Work with your bunny, learn how they think...they are different that cats and dogs.....and like the lady says you'll have a pretty nice bunny as a result.

Thank you i really appreciate the help. Ive always heard rabbits are hyper so i was curious about her almost lack of motivation lol but it works and she always seems happy so thats good. I was more concerned that shes not getting the exercise she needs. Her cage is prettty large so maybe she is more active when we are not around. Its funny because when we sit near her she puts her head in our palms when she wants to be rubbed or she will lay down beside us and is content to lay there until we get up then she will go to her house and sleep.

I thought we talked about this but maybe in a different thread. Rabbits are crepuscular, which means they are active at dawn and dusk. Mine is on a 5AM to 9AM and 6PM to 10PM schedule. Most binkys happen at 5:30AM. So it's possible you're not around when your bun is most active. Aside from those times, my guy sleeps dang near all day. He'll get up now and then for a drink or a bite or some grooming, but not much.
"lays on the plastic" concerns me that it might be too warm and she's seeking a cooler place? Where did she come from? Did she have friends to play with before and not now? And what kind of bunny is she? My mini rex weighs four pounds, as long as she stays around her normal weight I wouldn't worry about how much exercise she's getting.
My guy is not much into toys either. A paper towel roll that I hold on to and he pulls at. A towel he likes to simu-dig and arrange. I have tried hay balls, cat toys, cardboard, he's just not interested.