Too early to free roam?

[Gelly]

I want to free roam my bunny but he's young (13 weeks) and not yet neutered. Should I keep him in his cage when I'm out or start free roaming already? He just seems very comfortable in his cage and gets plenty of workouts since I let him out whenever I'm home. Any tips on free roaming appreciated!

 

[Blue eyes]

The problem with starting free-roaming too soon is the potential for accidents. This is particularly likely once hormones kick in. Those hormones can cause excessive destructive chewing and can make them forget potty habits. You don't want him doing either of those since un-training is much more difficult than training.

I'd suggest waiting until several weeks after his surgery (to allow hormones to fully dissipate). To start free-roaming, it is best to start small. Limit his area around his cage initially. After days of good behavior in the smaller area, gradually increase it. Never start fully free-roaming all at once as that is more likely to cause potty accidents which (as mentioned) are much harder to un-train.

Don't rush it. There is plenty of time to get him fully free roaming.

 

[Gelly]

The problem with starting free-roaming too soon is the potential for accidents. This is particularly likely once hormones kick in. Those hormones can cause excessive destructive chewing and can make them forget potty habits. You don't want him doing either of those since un-training is much more difficult than training.

I'd suggest waiting until several weeks after his surgery (to allow hormones to fully dissipate). To start free-roaming, it is best to start small. Limit his area around his cage initially. After days of good behavior in the smaller area, gradually increase it. Never start fully free-roaming all at once as that is more likely to cause potty accidents which (as mentioned) are much harder to un-train.

Don't rush it. There is plenty of time to get him fully free roaming.

Thank you! I will definitely do that. I've just been conditioned to feel guilty about having him in a cage by a lot of online sources but I'm happy to hear I'm doing the right thing.

 

[Imbrium]

Do you have a store-bought cage or a DIY type condo? If you feel like he needs more space for exercise before he's old enough for free-ranging, you can let him out in a limited area with light supervision (kitchen, large bathroom or other non-carpeted area is good) or you can buy an exercise pen for dogs (this one is a good deal when it's on sale; I would get it 36 inches tall or higher to prevent jumping out... I like the 48'' because you can put big toys like cardboard boxes without them using them to jump out) and use carabiners or zip ties to turn it into a "run" attached to your rabbit's cage (if on carpet, putting a tarp down and using the cage/pen to hold it in place can prevent messes).