A lot of questions as a first time bunny owner

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Lucy699

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Hello!

I have a lot of questions which hopefully someone can help me with. I’ll post them all so I’m not clogging up other threads

My bunnies are 9 weeks old.

1. We have started litter training and they will go to the toilet in their tray whilst eating hay (it’s right above their litter tray) but any other time they’ll go on the floor, I put their droppings and hay and toilet paper with their pee on it in their cage but it doesn’t seem to do much. Any tips?

2. How long does it take for them to be used to you? We lie on the floor but whenever we get close to them they run away and they hate being picked up.

3. How do you get them in bed at night? Right now they have a cage u TIL their bigger one comes but they won’t go in their cage at night it takes hours to get them their by picking them up then they hate us because they don’t like being picked up

4. How do you displinine them? They bite things and jump up to places they shouldn’t be, but not sure what’s an effective way

Thank you!
 
1. Wait and keep on. Kits pee and poop everywhere, the behaviour to use one spot develops with age. It's not so much training, but a directed natural behaviour. (You know there are wild rabbits around when you find heaps of bunny berrys).

2. It depends. Weeks, months, years, never, it's something depending on character. I have one doe, about 5yo, that doesn't like being touched, others who demand it, and my buck recently started to totally relax when being picked up, 4yo , house bunny for 2 years now.

3. Training them to the noise of shaking the pellet pail. Make a distinctive noise, and give them a treat/favorite food while they are in their hutch, then when you want to call them in make that noise and only give them what they want where you want them to be. They learn fast.Besides of the pellet pail I use the command "Hase komm!", works great.
Don't pick them up for things you want them to do, that's imho counterproductive. Lure and nagg them to their hutch, but carrying them doesn't teach them anything.

4. Forget it. Doesn't work with rabbits, they are not like dogs or cats in that regard. The clue is out-thinking them. Bunny proofing is a part of that.
At least that's my opinion, read this post ff. of Liung to get an idea what that is all about:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/how-to-stop-bunny-from-rattling-his-cage.93131/#post-1105117

Just as an example, I cut wood with the chainsaw, and a rather big piece fell on my rabbit who sneaked up, it sure must have hurt, but I still have to fence off any working area even when working with power tools, no other way to keep him away. A dog would simply disappear at the sound of the chainsaw.
 
1. Wait and keep on. Kits pee and poop everywhere, the behaviour to use one spot develops with age. It's not so much training, but a directed natural behaviour. (You know there are wild rabbits around when you find heaps of bunny berrys).

2. It depends. Weeks, months, years, never, it's something depending on character. I have one doe, about 5yo, that doesn't like being touched, others who demand it, and my buck recently started to totally relax when being picked up, 4yo , house bunny for 2 years now.

3. Training them to the noise of shaking the pellet pail. Make a distinctive noise, and give them a treat/favorite food while they are in their hutch, then when you want to call them in make that noise and only give them what they want where you want them to be. They learn fast.Besides of the pellet pail I use the command "Hase komm!", works great.
Don't pick them up for things you want them to do, that's imho counterproductive. Lure and nagg them to their hutch, but carrying them doesn't teach them anything.

4. Forget it. Doesn't work with rabbits, they are not like dogs or cats in that regard. The clue is out-thinking them. Bunny proofing is a part of that.
At least that's my opinion, read this post ff. of Liung to get an idea what that is all about:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/how-to-stop-bunny-from-rattling-his-cage.93131/#post-1105117

Just as an example, I cut wood with the chainsaw, and a rather big piece fell on my rabbit who sneaked up, it sure must have hurt, but I still have to fence off any working area even when working with power tools, no other way to keep him away. A dog would simply disappear at the sound of the chainsaw.
1. Wait and keep on. Kits pee and poop everywhere, the behaviour to use one spot develops with age. It's not so much training, but a directed natural behaviour. (You know there are wild rabbits around when you find heaps of bunny berrys).

2. It depends. Weeks, months, years, never, it's something depending on character. I have one doe, about 5yo, that doesn't like being touched, others who demand it, and my buck recently started to totally relax when being picked up, 4yo , house bunny for 2 years now.

3. Training them to the noise of shaking the pellet pail. Make a distinctive noise, and give them a treat/favorite food while they are in their hutch, then when you want to call them in make that noise and only give them what they want where you want them to be. They learn fast.Besides of the pellet pail I use the command "Hase komm!", works great.
Don't pick them up for things you want them to do, that's imho counterproductive. Lure and nagg them to their hutch, but carrying them doesn't teach them anything.

4. Forget it. Doesn't work with rabbits, they are not like dogs or cats in that regard. The clue is out-thinking them. Bunny proofing is a part of that.
At least that's my opinion, read this post ff. of Liung to get an idea what that is all about:
https://www.rabbitsonline.net/threads/how-to-stop-bunny-from-rattling-his-cage.93131/#post-1105117

Just as an example, I cut wood with the chainsaw, and a rather big piece fell on my rabbit who sneaked up, it sure must have hurt, but I still have to fence off any working area even when working with power tools, no other way to keep him away. A dog would simply disappear at the sound of the chainsaw.


I have tried that with treats to get them into their cage at night but they realise what’s going on and take the food under the sofa (where they hide) and then refuse to come out because they know it’s bed time lol
 
Prietler said it all well. As explained in #3, don't give them their food or treat until they are where you want them to be. (ie. wait until they are in the cage before they get their pellets or put the pellets in toward the back of the cage so they have to go all the way in the cage to get them. Of course you need to make a big show of it so they know that you have the pellets and what you are doing with them.) By doing this, they can't take the food anywhere.

I also second that the idea of trying to pick them up to get them back in their cage is counter productive. A big no-no. You have to convince them that they are the ones deciding to go back in. This is where x-pens come in so handy. At this young age they really shouldn't be totally free roam. They can get plenty of exercise in the pen. The pen should be set up in such a way that they have easy access back to their cage. The spaces need to be connected. (This is important for potty training as well.)

If you use a pen, then all that is needed to get them back in is to shrink in the x-pen until they have no option but to hop back in their cage. In their bunny minds, they are the ones choosing to go in the cage because they aren't being physically picked up and put inside.

As for the bonding, all of the above is an important part of that because even if progress is made when you sit with them, it is being negated if they are being picked up and forced back in their cage. Also, you mentioned, "whenever we get close to them" they run off. Well that is the clue. Don't approach them -- at least not yet. When sitting in the pen with them, let them approach you. When they do, ignore them. Yup. Ignore them. This is how they learn you are safe. In time, you'll be able to begin petting them.

After all this, however, just know that older rabbit train more easily and bond with humans more easily. Once hormones kick in, any potty training or other training or bonding can go out the window. Don't get discouraged. Once fixed (and hormones dissipated) things will be infinitely smoother.

On a side note, you may want to reconsider letting them under the couch. Many a rabbit have decided to dig into the underside of the couch. Not only may they crawl up in there (and someone inadvertently sit on them) but they may ingest cushioning and get a gut impaction.
 

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