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Cage Biting

carbafe

New Kit
Hi

I am new here. I wondered if anyone could give me any advice. I have a 1 year old male mini lop house rabbit called Snug. He normally gets out in his run for an hour in the morning and then spends the day in his hutch while we are at work. He gets out as soon as we get home and has free run around until we go to bed. He is a happy bunny and very friendly.

I am due to have a baby on 9th April and I have just started maternity leave today. I decided it would be best to keep Snug in his normal routine as I don't want him to get used to getting out during the day for the next few weeks and then I am not able to let him do it when baby arrives and I am run off my feet.

Today I left him have a little extra run about before putting him in his hutch as normal and for the past hour he has been biting at the bars of his cage and banging his nose off it trying to get the door open. I don't know if this is because I am in the house and he is upset that he is not out or if he does this every day when we are at work. Can anyone offer any advice ? He is pushing so hard I am worried he will hurt his nose or mouth.

I have tried telling him no and tapping him on the nose. At the moment I have turned off the TV and am 'ignoring' him to see if he calms down.
 
He wants out.

He's basically craving to get out of a cage - he associates you being at home with him coming out and he's confused by the fact you are at home and your not letting him out.

Is it possible you could let him out at all? As you are at home?
 
He wants out.

He's basically craving to get out of a cage - he associates you being at home with him coming out and he's confused by the fact you are at home and your not letting him out.

Is it possible you could let him out at all? As you are at home?

This.

I also think that tapping him on the nose is not going to help, it is likely to just make him wary of you. Ignoring is the best tactic if you can't or don't want to let him out.

Getting him a friend, giving him a bigger cage and more stimulation and getting him neutered (if he isn't) are all things that could also help.
 
I thought he was probably confused :(

I could let him out just now and would be happy to but I was worried If I get him used to being out lots during the day just now and then I can't do it when the baby comes it would be even more unfair on him. He is generally well behaved but will occasionally try and nibble on wires or get through our defences to places he is not meant to be (like behind the TV) so i like to be to keep one eye on him when he is out. I am also not sure about him climbing on the baby etc when baby is on floor or in baby seat etc He is used to jumping on the sofa and climbing over me and DH but obviously I don't want him to do this with the baby so thought if he still got his play time in the evenings then DH and I would both be here and fingers crossed when baby gets a routine baby will be sleeping anyway.

I wonder if anyone else has had experience of having a new baby and a bunny.
 
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I thought he was probably confused :(

I could let him out just now and would be happy to but I was worried If I get him used to being out lots during the day just now and then I can't do it when the baby comes it would be even more unfair on him. He is generally well behaved but will occasionally try and nibble on wires or get through our defences to places he is not meant to be (like behind the TV) so i like to be to keep one eye on him when he is out. I am also not sure about him climbing on the baby etc when baby is on floor or in baby seat etc He is used to jumping on the sofa and climbing over me and DH but obviously I don't want him to do this with the baby so thought if he still got his play time in the evenings then DH and I would both be here and fingers crossed when baby gets a routine baby will be sleeping anyway.

I wonder if anyone else has had experience of having a new baby and a bunny.

Yes, quite a few on here - hope they see your thread and can give you some reassurance. Sounds like your bunny is really fed up of being stuck in his cage (and, yes, perhaps he always did this when you were at work and he was locked in.:(). Certainly wouldn't tap him on the nose - he won't understand at all. Does he have a good sized dog crate and things to keep him occupied (a hay box to dig in, toilet rolls stuffed with hay etc)?

ETA - is he neutered?
 
Could you not make him a run so he's out but not out, if you see what I mean? Enough space

Graham (above) has got a little set up he takes into his office so his buns get a bit of 'out' time during the day but aren't totally free range.

You could also get him some toys to occupy him. Lots of people hide hay/treats inside boxes/toilet rolls for buns to play in. If you do a search for 'toys' you'll find a few threads on the subject

As for the baby, sorry, I can't advise but there's lots of people on here with babies who should be able to help. Might be worth starting a new thread specifically about that.

Good luck with the baby.

xxx
 
Thank you for the replies. He is not neutered. We is well litter trained and isn't aggressive so we haven't had him neutered so far.

We do have an indoor run which is quite large so that could be an option although he only usually goes in there in the morning or when I am busy making dinner etc so again he might wonder why he isn't getting his freedom of the house.

I hope no one thinks I was tapping him hard on the nose just a gentle tap as I read online that was a way of telling them no. It didn't help anyway. He seems to have settled down now with me ignoring him. ( I hope that doesn't sound bad we do play with him a lot in the evenings I don't want you to think I keep him caged up all day) He does have some toys and chew sticks in his cage but maybe I will have a search for some new toy ideas thanks. Hi cage is an indoor rabbit cage but a pretty big one. I feel bad if he has been so unsettled normally when we are at work. At the weekends his routine is more varied and sometimes he is in his cage when we are home but I have never seen him act like this which is why I am upset
 
Could you not make him a run so he's out but not out, if you see what I mean? Enough space

Graham (above) has got a little set up he takes into his office so his buns get a bit of 'out' time during the day but aren't totally free range.You could also get him some toys to occupy him. Lots of people hide hay/treats inside boxes/toilet rolls for buns to play in. If you do a search for 'toys' you'll find a few threads on the subject

As for the baby, sorry, I can't advise but there's lots of people on here with babies who should be able to help. Might be worth starting a new thread specifically about that.

Good luck with the baby.

xxx

:no: :lol:

Biscuit and Ginger are 100% free-range between 6:30am and midnight every day. The extra pen in my office just extends there area even more, with an additional 4x4 worth of pen panels :wave:
 
:no: :lol:

Biscuit and Ginger are 100% free-range between 6:30am and midnight every day. The extra pen in my office just extends there area even more, with an additional 4x4 worth of pen panels :wave:

Oops! :oops:My mistake! They're lucky bunsters!!:love:

Off topic and ducking out...:love:
 
Even the biggest indoor cages you can get are still really small. I would suggest putting up the run. So that he has his cage attatched to the run so he has space to run around in at all times, and then when you are able to let him out and about around the house. My pair hate being in their pen if I'm home, they are nosey creatures so like to know what's going on, can't even go for a wee in peace :lol:

I'm not sure how to go about things with the baby, but an indoor pen would be good for him :)
 
Most animals dislike bars,and will try chewing them out of frustration to get out.

Funnily the only bars I have are around the sofa to keep the rabbits from going under it, and Sea will sit and chew on those bars, even though she has the rest of the house to run around.
She was found as an elderly stray, so I don't know her history, but I guess she was caged previously, and has the "habit" of bar chewing.

Good luck with the baby - I had three dogs and 4 rabbits when I had Beth with no problem whatsoever:D
 
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