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Getting bunnies back into cage with threatening them.

C

chocolatebunny

Young Bun
Hello,
I have 2 rabbits, Skittles and Trix. I like to let them hop around and play, but after playtime it is extremely hard to get Trix back into her cage. I really don't want to scare her and it really frightens her (understandably) when I chase her and grab her to put her in her cage (Skittles is alot more easy going with this). Do you have any suggestions on how I can get her back into her cage without making her nervous? Thank you so much =)
 
Mine used to just go in on their own before night so I've never really had this problem, I'm sure someone here will be able to help you. :D
 
How about feeding them at bedtime, so they learn to hop it at the sound of food being put into their bowl? Works great with my buns, it's a bit hard to herd up 3 at the same time but a bowl of pellets brings them back straight away!
 
I've had this problem with Tia recently, as I've just opened up the garden for the bunnies now it's spring :?: and she is LOVING every second on that grass - binkies like crazy, runs round me in circles, doesn't know what to eat first :lol:

But getting her back in her hutch :!: :? She's not a 'pick up' bunny and gets very scared - I put a few pellets in a dish in her hutch and basically chased her in there the first night with a wash basket - she didn't know what was going on, but forgave me when she saw the pellets. 2 nights later she's now going to check the hutch for pellets, and when I went towards her last night saying 'come on madam it's bedtime' she ran round me once, then off to her hutch, and while she scoffed the couple of pellets I shut the door, so she learnt quickly! :)

Much better than chasing if you use food - but make sure you don't let them out just after you've fed them, or they won't be interested :)
 
Mine our supervised free range and I used to panic as they would not come back in. The more I chased, they ran. Now I shake the pellet bag and shout their names (it has to be in a high pitched voice!! or they don't come) and they come running back into the house.
 
I do a similar kind of thing to elve.

Candy is a house bun so it's not quite so hard but I put a few bits of basil in her bowl and waft it around near her, tell her its bed time and shes so used to this now she runs to her cage and jumps in and sits waiting for me to get there with her supper.
 
Food definitely works! Kahlo gets her veg at night, and all I have to do is shake the bell on the end of her bunny ka-bob and she's sat in her cage waiting dutifully!
 
Holly is tame but HATES being picked up and it used to take me ages to get her back in, she used to wriggle out of my hands and i would have to hold her very tightly and it used to scare her.

Now we have come to an arrangement.

Coming out of the hutch: First I pick Alfie up and he comes out. she then goes to the upstairs of their hutch, i open the door and put the litter tray in front of her and she hops in and i put her down,

Getting back in: I put Alfie in first so she then knows its going in time, put a little treat in there for them. I go up to her put the litter tray in front of her, she hops straight in and i put her in the run again.

It has been working really well over the last 2 weeks..hope it continues. If she doesn't hop in she knows that she will have to be picked up!

give it a go!

Bonnie
 
Getting them used to being fed when they are put away is the best way. All mine hop straight in when I put their pellets and veg in. Although if I have run out of veg Magic rabbit will hop straight back out again :roll:

If they need encouragement the first time walking with a stick gently bumping on the ground behind them can herd them in the right direction - but keep this calm and at a very slow pace. If they get frightened they will zoom about and get really agitated, which is completely counter productive. You have to be persistant so they will get fed up rather than scared and go in their hutch for a bit of peace - where they will find the food, making them more willing the next time. Also do NOT pick them up after doing this. Leave them for the night. Always handle them before letting them out not after or they will get cany about the process.
 
My 4 girls are so cute - Primrose is a greedy pig, so when she hears me yodel 'come on then!' (must be a high, yodeeeel voice, like raine says) Primrose belts up to me, and all 3 sisters follow behind and into the shed, like a little bunny train - so cute :lol:

Except for Zinniea, who seems to be a little deaf like her Maa - she just follows the others, and doesn't hear me calling at all - mainly because her head is down her latest tunnel :roll:

If you have a standard thing that you sing to them like 'come on then!' they soon learn it means snacky time :)
 
Sounds like I do pretty much the same as everyone else.

With 4 buns, 2 of which don't like being picked up but will tolerate it and 1 who will fight like crazy :shock:, I use the tried and tested 'foodtime' routine! :D It works everytime!! :thumb:
 
Yep I have a bunny train back to the shed too :lol: It can take a week or two for them to totally get the connection between you appearing, rattling a food tub and calling for them, but they'll soon catch on that dinner appears in their house shortly afterwards :lol:
 
Like the others said, I use food. I feed them their pellets in the evening and they can't get back in quick enough. Humpty hates to be picked up so it's the only way without stressing him. It's thir routine now so it''s easy.
 
Mine are the same, they know when dinnertime is & come tearing down the garden when I come out & if im late they are already in ready & waiting tapping their paws!
 
Mine also know they get fed when its bed time and as soon as i call them they both race to their cage and sit just inside the door waiting for food! :D Are they able to get into their cage without being picked up? If not can you put a ramp or step so they can jump into it on their own? Another alternative ive heard people use is getting them to hop into a carrier so u can lift it up to their cage.. that wouldnt work with mine as they dont like going into it, think they associate it with going in the car which they dont enoy all that much
 
Diddeen said:
that wouldnt work with mine as they dont like going into it, think they associate it with going in the car which they dont enoy all that much
Click to expand...
Yep - not only going in the car, but often that results in going to the place where the nasty lady shoves needles in you, sticks things in your mouth and up your bum and even cuts important bits off you :shock:
 
^^
l l
l l

:lol: :lol: :lol:

If the cage/crate is on the floor, it's easy, Travis knows the "bedtime" command. I used to walk behind him (like hearding sheep) and say "bedtime" in a high voice and clap my hands once. He soon got the idea, and now I only have to say "bedtime" or click my fingers (if I'm standing near his pen) and he'll go back in!! 8) :lol:
 
Not much to add to what everyone else says really! I had the same problem when I first got my girls and so I now give them their pellets at night.I keep some in a plastic tub and shake it and they know what they are getting!! I had a terrible time initially I think they knew I was nervous and played me up!! :oops: but now 8 months down the line things are much better :D We spent the day in the garden yesterday and they had a free run all day and came in when I called them no trouble (well ok I did have to call Sylvie a few times!! :roll: )
 
Training them respond to the 'bed time' or 'go home' command is a good idea.

I recently had to do this with Scarlett who is Malcolm’s new companion. They're not bonded yet so I have to alternate their free time.

Just walk behind them clapping your hands and saying 'go home'.

The first few times can be a bit like a Laurel and Hardy sketch as you follow them around, but they get the idea pretty quickly.

Scarlett learnt in three days.

Using food works well especially if you feed at a regular time however I think it is definitely useful to train them to return when asked as well.

Good luck.

Damien
 
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