Bedtime for Bunnies

[Lucille]

I bunny-proofed my study and the buns get to run around there for most of the day, but the cage door is open and there is a ramp if they want to go in for a snack, so they come and go.

One of the two actually wanders back in the cage toward the end of the day. The other doesn't really want to do that and of course doesn't come when called. I've tried treats and that has worked a time or two but sometimes I just have to chase her down. What do y'all do when you need the bunnies hutched up?

 

[pla725]

I taught my rabbits to go home or go to bed. I would place them in front of their house and say go home or bed depending on what I taught the bunny. I did that for while. Then I would gradually work on telling them to go to bed/home. They always got a treat. Most of the time my rabbits will go to bed on their own.

 

[BSAR]

pla725 wrote:

I taught my rabbits to go home or go to bed. I would place them in front of their house and say go home or bed depending on what I taught the bunny. I did that for while. Then I would gradually work on telling them to go to bed/home. They always got a treat. Most of the time my rabbits will go to bed on their own.

That is sooo cool! Sippi will just times do that if we tell him to get in his cage. He will run from outside and go into the rabbity, he usually just does that, but sometimes then we will tell him to get in his cage if he is right near it and he will, he has only done it a few times though.

 

[BethM]

I've taught my bunnies to go back into their pen at the end of the day. I will start talking to them, saying "time for bed," or something like that. At that time, each one will get a raisin. Then, I will re-fill the hay bin, and they usually go right in and start eating hay. (Every once in a while, one will run off after eating the raisin and try to hide.)

It did take some time to get them used to this routine, and I think it helps that bedtime is around the same time every day. (On the weekend, when I sometimes stay up a bit later, the bunnies will start begging for their bedtime treat at the usual time.)

 

[pla725]

I got the go home/bed idea from a book or an article about training a rabbit some years ago.