How to catch a free ranging rabbit in the garden?

My mini lop Bubba is a house rabbit, but during the day I let him free range the garden because it's safe and secure. At night he sleeps in a cage indoors, and on rainy days or days i've been out he comes out into the room his cage is in for some free range time too.

When Bubba is out indoors, he is so affectionate and loves attention, but when he is outdoors he has so much fun that he skips off kicking his back legs up at me whenever I approach him! It's always been hard to bring him indoors and I try to leave a cat carrier out with some hay in but he never will willingly go in it, so I have found myself having to sneak up on him or quickly pick him up when he's not looking, which always makes me feel bad.

On some days it's taken over half an hour to get him in from the garden, and this was a problem a few days ago when VERY heavy rain had suddenly started along with thunder and lightning, and Bubba ended up soaked through and very scared. (So did I :lol

I do have a moderately large run in the garden which he goes in if i'm only putting him out for an hour or so, but it's not the same as watching him fly across the grass freely and try to get the cat to chase him!

Is there any way I can get Bubba to start approaching me outdoors? I know it's probably because he doesn't want to go back inside, and i'm not sure how to stop this fear. He seems to think it's all a big game!

Sorry for the long post

Thanks

my two free range all day when its time for bed i just shake the pellet tube and they come running :lol:

in a morning they get there greens and hays so at night they cant wait for there pellets

hope that helps a little

Try only giving him his fav treat when you want him to come back indoors.

Biscuit will come running if I call her name whilst waving a bit of banana or plantain.

Sounds like he is having far too much fun to come back to mum :lol:

I agree - food is the best answer. :lol::lol::lol: I trained Alfie and Bubbles to go back home when I shake some pellets in a bowl and 'home time' is so much less stressful than trying to pick them up.

Same for mine - they only get pellets in the evening and I just shake the pot and they come running!

Mackers said:

Same for mine - they only get pellets in the evening and I just shake the pot and they come running!

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Same here!! I remember the days of chasing the girls round the garden to get them in i think the record for catching Chloe was 2 and a half hours good luck

You can train rabbits to come to their name, try sitting with him while he is lose, call his name and "come", if he comes to you, giver him a treat. Keep reinforcing this and he'll soon realise that coming to you calling him is always a good thing. (keep reinforcing inside first before you try outside... otherwise he'll realise coming to you means going to bed!)

Hope it works, its not, I would suggest food!!

When I had all 3 of my girls, they had a big outdoor hutch and free roam of the garden during the day. Tabby would always come to me if I walked to her (because I'd usually have a treat in my hand, she was such an awesome rabbit), Tipsy went to her bed whenever it started getting towards 'dinner time' but Tessy I would always have to 'herd' into the hutch, although she could sometimes be tricked by putting greens in their hutch and she'd go running if she heard the other eating yum yums - well, sometimes. I dont think she ever left teenagness!!

But that doesnt help you, lol!!

Good luck!

Thanks everyone Bubba does go crazy for his pellets, so i'll try that

Looks like most people's bunnies have a passion for freedom too :lol:

I'll let you know how it goes!

jenny s said:

my two free range all day when its time for bed i just shake the pellet tube and they come running :lol:

in a morning they get there greens and hays so at night they cant wait for there pellets

hope that helps a little

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i will have to try this with my doe taz, she is in a thistle hall untill she has bonded with my buck but she has the run of the garden and she is a little devil to get in at night, my male is greedy and will do anything for pellets..:lol:

i normally shout bed time and they both come running, Honey sometimes likes a bit of a chase but so far so good lol.