New to bunnies: my bunny won't come out of her cage

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Tofubunny

Tofubunny

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So I recently just adopted a year old lion head bunny. I've had her for 3 days now and I have been patiently waiting her to make the first move and come out of her cage but she hasn't. :( is this normal? I've been laying down on the floor in front of her cage for 2 days now and nothing has really happened. I've also been giving her different leafy vegetables through the cage bars and through the door and she takes them but she has yet to venture outside the cage. I don't want to rush her or anything, but maybe some tips on how to make her more comfortable with me? First time bunny parent any tips would be welcome! Thanks!
 
I'm no expert but maybe she just needs some time :) some of my bunnies have taken a while to warm up to me.

I'm sure someone much more experienced here will come and give help and advice.

Good luck!
 
Hmmm.. What is your flooring like outside of the cage? Do you have carpet or hard flooring? Some bunnies won't walk on slippery hard floor surfaces like hardwood. Like mine (exasperated sigh). They are just chickens about it. So I have had to make islands of safety for them out of rugs. If that's not the issue, maybe some bribery with a treat is in order? What is the opening of the cage like? Can she walk right out or does she need to jump out? Maybe she's too shy to commit to jumping right out. I once had a cage where bunny had to jump out, so I put a pillow in front it and that made it easier. Lots of possibilities, tell us more about your setup..
 
if you have a standard plastic bottomed cage, you can cover the door with a piece of carpet. If you have slippery floor you can lay carpet down underneath it.

And/or it could simply be a matter of giving her time. Do things on her schedule.

Do you pick her up at all to get her used to you and your scent? Or put a old smelly of you shirt/towel/old underwear in with her so she gets used to how the folk of your household smell?
 
She is in a usual plastic bottom cage so she does need to hop out onto the door/ramp to get out. I have been covering it in a towel in attempts to encourage her to come out. My floor is hardwood but I have been sitting on a blanket in front of the cage again, thinking she might not like hardwood. I will try putting on old tshirt in the cage that's a good idea. And no I haven't been picking her up, her previous owner told me straight up that she doesn't like that. She seems genuinely curious this morning when I fed her and emptied her litter she even jumped up onto the door but quickly retreated back into her cage. Maybe she just needs some more time. Trying to be patient haha
 
If it's a wire door that folds down I strongly recommend taking it off (a pair of pliers usually does the trick) and rehanging the door so it opens up and you can clip it open. Rabbits sometimes get their feet caught in the spaces between the wires.
Is the area outside of her cage bunny proofed? If she has something like an exercise pen I'd set that up and then hang out somewhere other than right in front of her cage so she can explore the area on her own without a potentially scary human obstacle. Once shes figured out how to get in and out then we can add you back into the mix.
 
So she came out of her cage this morning and even ventured to come over and sniff me while I was laying down on the floor! (Yay!!!) I ended up moving her cage to a more central area in the room so she could see everything that was happening around her I also took the pillow suggestion under the wire door that is covered in a towel. She seems much more comfortable and adventurous today. I'm super looking forward to being off work so I can go home and hang out with her! Thanks for the tips!
 
Oh also she hates hardwood.. Will not walk on it. She's a diva but it's cute so whatever. I've just been putting some large blankets next to each other and that seems to be fine. Maybe I will invest in a rug of some kind for the room she lives in eventually. Will post more pics when I get home. ☺️😊😊
 
My girl Phoenix won't walk on tiles, I have blankets laid down and she will come on the carpet but needs blankets for stepping stones. She won't even do it for a treat!
 
Do you pet her while she is sitting in her cage. I like to sit next to the cage and just give mine really nice head rubs in their cage, it gets the used to your hands and they all really seem to like it. With one of mine that I go when it was older, I hand fed its pellets to it for a few days which really seems to tame him right down.
 
My pair hates slippery floors. Kind of useful in that I can set them on a rug in the middle of the room and they won't leave the rug.
 
She doesn't really like it when I stick my hands in her cage except for when I'm changing her food and litter. So I haven't been petting her when she's in there I've actually barely touched her at all cuz she pretty much moves away whenever I try to... Weird, today we seem to have taken a step back she's back to not coming out. I don't know why..... :( I've been home all day today and have her cage open so she can come and go as she pleases but she's just been sitting in there ignoring me.. My bunny hates me whyyyyy
 
When i was younger the first thing you were always taught about new animals was LEAVE THEM ALONE! at least for the first few days/week Why cant people understand this concept? Let them settle in. Rabbits are prey, shes obviously scared and youve moved her cage again. Just let the bunny settle.
Shes obviously not as adventerous as some and shes been set back again every time theres change.
 
She is eating and drinking normally she seems better today. She's been out exploring and such.

Also she was better the day after I moved her cage and actually came out quite a few times on her own. I don't really appreciate the all caps screamy comments when I have done a lot of research about bunnies and I have been doing everything I can to make sure she's comfortable and not stressed out by me. And her choosing to stay in her cage all day yesterday was probably a factor of something I did that I didn't know bothered her I was doing chores and cleaning most of yesterday. But i have been leaving her alone as you so harshly put it, and I have been giving her time to settle which I have brought up multiple times... So maybe read the rest of the thread before making condescending comments.
 
Tofubunny said:
So maybe read the rest of the thread before making condescending comments.
Click to expand...

Your entire thread was read. Numerous times. As its sort of my job to read through threads on this forum.

You made this topic on the 1st of the month, and said you got her 3 days before that. She is obviously a shy animal and just had a big move making things worse.

She doesn't really like it when I stick my hands in her cage except for when I'm changing her food and litter.
Click to expand...

Little things like this, if you want her to come to you, Don't do it!
Let her come out on her own and leave her alone. Don't sit there sticking your fingers in her cage. She's obviously all ready scared.
You said you moved her cage on the 3rd, and now yesterday the 4th she has gone backwards. Coincidence?
 
Ugh no I moved it on Saturday and on Sunday she came out in the morning before I went to work and then again when I came home. Monday she came out in the morning but then wouldn't come out anymore after I started doing chores and such. And I noticed she didn't like me sticking my hands in her cage the first day I had her and therefore didnt do it again. Noticing she doesn't like something doesn't mean I've been doing it repeatedly. Don't just assume that I'm forcing myself on her. Goodness. Definitely done with this site. Pce
 
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