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Violet and Zippy seem to want to stay in their hutch

Rhianna

Wise Old Thumper
As some of you will know I had to have my gorgeous Frangipan put to sleep last week. She was part of a trio who had to be brought inside when Fran got sick. Violet and Zippy are now outside permanently in my neighbour's garden (due to them having building work done the other side of my buns' home here).

They have a run and a hutch connected with a runaround tunnel but are choosing to stay in the hutch for most of the time. I don't get it. The hutch has their litter trays in and pellets but I am putting their forage in their run and they have even left dandelion leaves. They are eating their pellets but don't get many. It is hot but they have a cover over part of the run so have access to shade.

If they were confined to this hutch they would be like loads of poor bunnies stuck at the bottom of gardens but they aren't, yet they are choosing to stay in a small space. I very rarely see them in the run and my neighbour's children asked why they are always in the hutch. The children are at school all day and were away all weekend and are very quiet and respectful around the bunnies and can't access them without adult supervision as the cover is too heavy so I don't think the buns are scared of the children.

I don't understand why they have suddenly developed agoraphobia. They were doing this before Fran died too. She was in the run more than they were.
 
Was the hutch/runaround/run combo new to them when they started staying in the hutch? Could it be being in the different garden? when runaround was new to my bunnies they wouldn’t use it at first, I had to put them in the run and they soon went up to the hutch through it and then were speeding up and down it! Are there any places to hide in the run if they feel a bit exposed?
 
I'm afraid I'm no expert, but my thoughts for you are this: it could be possible that they sensed fran was not well and chose to be more supportive with her? They are sensitive animals so it's not beyond the realms of believability that they were worried.
Also they are in new surroundings which could be unsettling plus they've just lost fran so there may be an element of grieving there?
Just make sure they are eating to avoid any stasis and make sure they get loads of attention. Have you got a snuggle you they could associate with?
Hope this helps
 
The hutch is new to them and is part of the runaround set up Nessar gave me. They ate their old one:( They used the tunnel before we even finished putting it all together. They don't have anywhere to hide in the run, although part of it is covered to protect them from the sun. I will put a hideaway in there for them. They aren't getting much attention but they never did when they were outside. As they are in my neighbour's garden I don't like to spend too much time there, although they aren't in most of the time and I don't think she would mind.

They were really miserable in the kitchen and initially loved being outside - I got binkies :love: Maybe they sensed Fran was very ill which is why the distanced themselves from her prior to her death and they are now grieving. They are eating enough for me not to need to syringe feed them and neither of them has lost any weight.

Maybe they need time. I guess it must feel very strange. They moved from outside to my kitchen to outside somewhere completely new. Not surprising if hey are confused.
 
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