Claustrophobic bunny?

[yramnot]

Seems I've had a lot of questions about my bunnies as of late... Well, here's another one. My rabbits have free run of my room at present (used to have run of the whole house), and I've taken to caging them at night at my father's request.

Their cage is rather small. It's just big enough for a bed, a litter box, and a bowl of food. Each night when they're to be caged, I put some sort of treat inside (fresh hay, oats, carrots, what-have-you), and both of them go in without protest. Shortly after I close the door and the novelty of the treat wears off, Peter begins to throw a fit.

The first night, he spent half an hour frantically trying to break down the door and rip the blanket through the bars. The second night, he only fought for about ten minutes, but when I uncovered the cage the next morningt, the bed had poop all over the inside. Last night, he once again fought for fifteen or twenty minutes. When I uncovered them this morning, Peter had soiled both the bed and the blanket covering the cage with urine. Instead of sleeping in Peter's waste, Jack had fashioned his own bed by spreading hay over the top of the litter box.

Jack has not been a problem in this process. He has never fought the confinement, and happily goes to sleep for the majority of the night. Why is Peter acting the way he is? Is he claustrophobic? Will providing a larger cage remedy the situation?

 

[Pipp]

Yeah, just like some people like staying in their rooms and watching TV while others want to climb Mount Everest.

A bigger cage with a more interesting design should help. You can use NIC panels to build 'up' so it doesn't take up a bigger footprint. You can also consider building a 'run' attached to the cage and other enhancements.

Got pics of the current set-up?


sas :bunnydance:

 

[yramnot]

I don't have a picture of my cage personally, but this is where I got the cage:

http://www.petsolutions.com/My-First-Home---X-Large+I45160230+C40001929.aspx

I realize it's very small. I got it because I figured they wouldn't be spending as much time in it, and they don't usually. They go in to eat and drink during the day. I will definitely invest in some storage cube panels if that'll help Peter. Jack doesn't mind at all, but clearly if his brother is fighting it so hard and even wetting the bed, there's a problem.

 

[Pipp]

Yeah, sorry, that's a terrible cage for lockdowns for two bunnies.

I'd keep the tray but instead of the wire top, build another top over a larger are with NIC panels, and also put up a second level.

Rabbits really like to feel safe, and that means having small, dark spaces to hide and relax in, so a cardboard box as a 'hidey spot' is invaluable, and traction to be able to escape sudden 'attacks' without slipping.

They also love to hop onto things -- they love going on top of the boxes as well as in them -- and multiple levels are always best for exercise and entertainment.

Here's one built on top of a wire cage. Great idea!

 

[yramnot]

Thanks for the ideas. I picked up a set of 9 panels at the goodwill for five bucks... It won't make a cage, but I was able to add a temporary second floor to the existing cage, until I can actually get my hands on a larger quantity of panels. Both bunnies seem quite content. They're not even thinking about how to escape, just how to get up to the second floor.