2 years in a pet store.

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Myalashawn

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I just purchased my rabbit a week ago. He had been in the pet store for 2 YEARS!! All he was feed was pellets. When I took him home he eat only his pellets which isn't healthy for him. The only way he would touch his bag is if he threw it around the cage. I had his cage really nice and he completely trashed it. He moves everything around in the cage no matter how much I move it back. He also moved all the bedding in a pile so I stopped using it. What is the reason for this behavior? What should I do? I thought it was because he was adjusting so I have been leaving him alone lately.
 
A cage won't stay 'nice', unfortunately - rabbits make a mess, there is hay everywhere all the time and they will move things around, that's a given. And the most time your rabbit will spend in it, the more he will move things around and make a mess (how big is it? How many hours a day is he out of it?). If it's not the case, I suggest you put litter (wood pellet litter, no shavings which always make a terrible mess and can be bad for the rabbit) in a litter box inside the cage and don't put anything on the bottom of the cage itself.
You've only had the rabbit for a week. You have to let him settle down, especially since it's a petshop bunny (so incorrect diet and sociabilisation are almost a given). But if I were you I would take this rabbit for a vet check-up quickly because I would be afraid of dental problems. You will probably have to transition to a better brand of pellets and you'll need to introduce vegetables one by one slowly, as rabbits in petshops are badly fed and born from rabbits who don't have a correct diet either which often makes it harder for them to digest things. But the most important thing is for your rabbit to eat tons of hay. Go to the website stevesmum gave you, it's reliable and very complete - everyone owning a rabbit should read it.
 
Poor little guy. All he knows is confinement. So glad you took him home!

Rabbits can take time to adjust to a new environment. Moves are stressful for them. Some rabbits can take considerably longer.

He's not used to freedom so he'll probably find comfort in simply adjusting to his new cage/habitat. That's ok. Once he seems comfortable in his new cage, then you can start letting him out for exercise.

I'd suggest a litter box straight away. This is the perfect time to let him get used to one. Use a plastic box that is large enough for him to lay down in. You can use that loose bedding you had as litter in the meantime. Top it with hay. If the rest of the cage floor is solid (as it sounds it is since you've removed the bedding), then he'll have a spot to potty and may take to it readily. That will be a big start to him adjusting to being a house bunny.

You can see more about setting up a bunny home here. I suspect he will begin litter training himself once he has a box that is set up properly with hay inside. They like to munch as they potty.

If his pellets aren't plain pellets, you can transition him to healthy pellets and then slowly begin reducing the amount of pellets he gets each day. That may encourage the hay eating. Pellets are often preferred over hay which is why it is advised to limit pellets for adult rabbits.
 
Blues eyes yea I'm happy that i was able to get him out of that place. About the liter box it has been in there ever since he came home. He likes to sit in it but he uses the bathroom outside of it or right next to it.
Aki his cage is surrounded by a pen so he can go in and out whenever he wants. I didn't add the pen until about the third day because i wanted him to adjust to his cage first. As of right now i have been giving him kale and i will begin to expand his pallet when i feel i should.
Stevesmum i stopped moving things around because i figured he was making himself at home. He moves everything in the center and just sits in the corner. He hasn't really had someone talk to him or pet him because he was in the pet store so long so hopefully he will begin to understand I'm here to love and care for him.

BY THE WAY I'm not a first time rabbit owner but i have never had a rabbit to do this.
 

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