Bringing My New Bunny Home For The First Time!

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Hey Everyone!

I'm new to the site and think its just wonderful, I do not own a bunny yet but we are adopting one from a local rescue. We have arrangments to look at a few potential new family members on sunday!

We have to travel a good hour and some to the place where we are viewing the bunnies my boyfriend works nights in the city and has a town house I would have to stay in overnight with the new bunny. My concern is bringing the bunny from a familiar place to an unfamiliar one, it staying there the night and then uprooting the bunny once more to its perminate home. I understand most rescue bunnies have probably endured this already! moving from home to shelter to rescue to foster homes, but I really want to have a good start with our new rabbit and create as much of a stress free environment as I can.

I've read you should keep your rabbit in its new home(cage) for a day or two so it can get used to its new routine. This makes sense but at the same time it wouldnt be getting the partially roaming experience they need daily.

So my question(Finally!) is would it really make a big difference to the rabbit if it was there one night(not day and night just night) or would it be a better idea to arrange a later date to pick up the rabbit where we could bring it back to its perminate home right away?

Also is it really a good idea to keep them in their cage for acouple days or should they be allowed to explore and interact with us?

Thanks so much to any and all who can offer their rabbit advice!

 

[elrohwen]

I think it would be ok to do it the way you plan. Certainly not ideal, but I don't think it will cause any lasting emotional damage or anything. And it'll probably be less traumatic than being in the shelter.

As far as how long to leave him in the cage, I say it depends on the rabbit. For very young rabbits or very nervous ones, leaving them alone for a day or two is best. For a very outgoing and brave bunny, you can probably let him out to explore right away and just sit quietly to let him approach you.

My own bun has traveled to a few different houses while we were on vacation and he settled in just fine with our friends, so plenty of bunnies are able to go to new places and make themselves at home fairly quickly. Especially as he might be going stir crazy in the shelter and enjoy the chance to stretch his legs.

 

[aurora369]

An over night stay is probably fine. Bring a pen or temporary cage so that the bunny won't be cooped up in a carrier over night.

Also, talk with the rescue and they will know more about the rabbit's personality and how well they will travel.

As for when the bun gets home and how long to leave them in the cage, I definitely give them some time to adjust. A day or so would be good. You can try opening the door to the cage and seeing if they want to come out. But I would keep them restricted to a penned off area until their litter habits are good. Too much space too soon can make a rabbit want to mark it all, so a gradual expansion of space helps with that.

-Dawn

 

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Thanks to both of you!

The rescue I'm adopting has the buns in foster homes so they have a lot of space to run around usually! I have a store bought rabbit/ferret cage at the town house I had used for my pet rats so I think she would be comfortable in there for one night, going by what both of you are saying.

I will deffinatly ask the foster what she thinks is best but it makes me feel a bit better knowing it wouldn't be as big a deal as I thought it might be (first timers are always so nervous at getting everything right! lol).

Thanks!