herding him back to his cage!

[Tofu]

So I just adopted a new baby bunny (about 11 weeks old)
The shelter said he's half dutch-mix... I think he's got some lionhead in him bcuz hes really furry around the head and bum...

BUT ANYWAYS..

I got him yesterday and have started letting him run in 2 rooms in the house, he loves it and jumps and everything! ...but I'm starting to think I shouldn't have given him so much freedom so quickly.. but he looked so sad in his cage!

He'll run up to me and poke his nose at me for a bit, but he runs when it looks like I try to handle/pet him. Which is understandable because he's not used to me...

... But my problem is, I don't have a way to put him back in his cage when it's time to go back in! I let him run around for 1 hour blocks x 3 times a day.. and he'll occasionally go back in his cage to eat/poop etc...

..and when he goes back in, thats when I close the door.

But I'm afraid when I do this that he'll avoid going to his cage to eat/poop because he knows i'll close his freedom (but i leave a treat in there when i close it).. is there a better way to get him back in there without unwanted handling? .. today it took me 30mins to herd him back in..

Thanks! I'm still new to being a bunny mom- any comments/help is appreciated~

 

[elrohwen]

It has helped me to stick to a routine. I feed my buns right before I go to bed, so they know to go back to their cages. I find it's much harder in the middle of the day when they want to keep running around! I find walking behind them to herd and offering a treat as soon as they go into their cage to work the best. After a while he'll probably figure out what you want and be willing to do it for a treat.

How large is his cage? Some buns also have an easier time when they have a nice large pen, but will resist if they have to go home to a small cage.

 

[jcottonl02]

Hmm yes I can understand what you mean. I am the same with Pippin in that theory- he hates being picked up, so when we are having a grooming session I try never to pick him up immediately afterwards, otherwise he might associate coming over to me for a groom, with being picked up :?

I think it's great to get him used to the house, and his freedom from quite early on. He's almost 3 months old, so needs his exercise, and to feel comfortable where he is at.

That's great you give him so much exercise too, I just have to add. So many rabbit owners don't realise or give their rabbits much time to run and exercise, and so I am very happy to see that your bun gets at least three hours run time.

My Pippin will literally bolt and hide whenever I approach him standing up- and of course! How terrifying would that be!? A huge, looming being swooping over you and descending on you?
So what I do, when I am not sitting down (on the sofa he leaps up as happy as can be etc, because I guess I look quite small with my legs crossed etc.), I lie on the floor. And almost immediately he will come up, climb over me, demand his strokes etc. If I stand up immedately, he will bolt.

So. Whenever I need to 'catch' Pippin, as it were, I will crawl, or almost even army-crawl (splutters) towards him. He's not scared, because I am ground level, and I talk calmly, and extend my arms towards him with the backs of my hands slightly curled towards him, and place them under his nose for him to lick me. I guess, almost as if I'm saying 'no threat, no threat'.
Then I'll give him a treat, and then pick him up briskly, efficiently, cradling him like a baby, and quickly go to to wherever I need to go.

Rabbits are very trainable. More so than many people would think! So why not try and train him to go to 'bed'? Try and herd him back to his pen, saying the same key word, in the same tone. Every time you put him back into his pen, or you manage to herd him in there, say something like 'bed' or 'go to bed', and eventually he will associate this with going to his pen, and he will do! There are many people on here that just need to say 'in your bed!' and off the rabbit will go, as good as gold.

Good luck with it. Let us know how it goes.

 

[tamsin]

Yep, routine is really important. I would time feeding so it's just after running about time. They are more amenable to going back when it's for dinner - a treat is a good idea to though.

 

[Torchster]

I give my rabbits a bit of a wheat thin as a treat. Before I give them a treat, I shake the box to let them know that they are getting a treat. If they are running around the house and its time to go back in the cage, I shake the box to get their attention then walk towards their cage room. They usually come running because they know they are going to get a treat.

 

[snap]

You can just train him to go back on command. Harper is trained to go back when I clap and say 'bedtime'.

The way I did it was I just got in the pen and started clapping. Sometimes he got startled and went immediately, other times I would follow him until he got irritated and went back to try and hide. Then I'd give him some hay and shut the door. Now whenever it's dark outside and I walk in the room he knows exactly what to do. XD

DON'T pick him up and put him back. His cage is his house, not his prison. It should be a safe and enjoyable place, and if you're picking him up and forcing him in there he'll becoem very upset.

 

[kirbyultra]

Toby goes home when I pull out the treat bag. Sometimes he doesn't believe that there's actually treats in the bag so I open it up so he can smell the aroma of the dried fruit. Then hecomes running. When he makes it to the corner of the room, he gets 1 treat. Then I back into his pen and he follows. When he makes it in the cage I give him another. That's his routine and he knows it's time to "go home". I always tell him to "go home" when I pull out the treat bag so he kinda knows what it means. If you plan on giving him a treat to train him though, always make good on your promise. I find that Toby gets cross with me if I lure him in and then don't give him the treat Plus if you're in the midst of training, breaking routine could be detrimental. Sometimes he is *intent* on staying in hiding, in the most inconvenient place and I can't get to him. The only other thing I can do is pull out a banana and peel it so he smells it... he can't resist and always comes running.

Kirby, my skittish ruler of all the land, thinks he is the king of everything and has the right to lounge when he feels like it. He was my first bunny and he is spoiled rotten. The only way to get him to go home is frankly to keep nudging him in the right direction. He has his "usual" hiding places and I have to block them off as he gets near them. The magic button however, is threatening to pick him up. Ironically if I attempt to pick him up, even if I have no intention to do so, he will run for the hills and I can slam the door shut :biggrin2:

So, really what I'm saying is, it might take time since you just got the bun -- find your bunny's magic button and use that.

 

[jcottonl02]

snap wrote:

DON'T pick him up and put him back. His cage is his house, not his prison. It should be a safe and enjoyable place, and if you're picking him up and forcing him in there he'll becoem very upset.

Well, unfortunately, at the end of the day, when it's time for bed, and the bun cannot be herded back, he will have to be placed back into his pen, just to keep him safe when he's not being supervised.

Once he is used to this 'bedtime', however, he should know that is where he should be at the end of the day, so hopefully he will go there willingly.

However, during the day, obviously don't just force him back into his pen; as was stated correctly, this is HIS home, and he should be able to go there to feel safe, and have some 'quiet' time, undisturbed, when he feels like it. It should be a nice, safe place for him to feel relaxed etc., so he needs to choose when he goes there, and when he doesn't.

What I would say to be most important, is to never take him FROM his pen. He should feel totally and utterly safe in there, and know he won't be bothered.

 

[nicolevins]

I used to have to chase the buns around the garden to make them get into bed (they would never come near me when I was standing lol!)

Now, they follow me everywhere!!! When I "tut" they chase me and go right into the shed where they stay at night.

It will take time for your bun to get used to you

 

[Tofu]

thanks for all the replies!
I havent been taking him out/ picking him up and putting him back home for that reason... actually, now that I think of it, I havent picked him up yet since I brought him home! hahah. I think its gonna be a long time for him to trust me to pick him up.

I think I'm going to do the treat-bag-thing!
Thanks again for all the comments!