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Rabbit leads & cage biting

Little Les

New Kit
I've seen in my local pet shop a rabbit lead. I can't decide if this is odd or unkind. Has anyone tried putting their rabbit on a lead?

We have a big garden and it may be good to be able to walk our bunny safely in the garden without him escaping or injuring himself. Just wondered if anyone does this or if I am right to think it isn't that nice for them?

Also Willow is still biting his cage - a lot! We tried the lemon juice as someone suggested which works to an extent although now he licks the juice off the bars LOL! :lol: Why does he do this? It is very annoying. He has enough food and willow balls to chew etc.
 
I had Buttons on a lead but it didn't fit so needed to be used as a collor. I made it slack but not to slack, so i could put my thumb through because i never had a run when i found him. I don't use it now though but he never seemed to mind, used to pull my brother through the garden full force though :lol:
 
Most bunnies really detest leads - I tried one on Zeus and Athena at one point but they went nuts - much better to buy a secure run! It is too easy for them to panic and get themselves tied up in it causing strangulation or other injuries.

I take it your bunny has lots of hay and chew toys to chew as cage biting usually indicates boredom. Does he get much free running time? What sort of toys do you have for him to play with?

Caz
 
He has hay quite often - I think I could put more in for him. He has those fruit/nutty stick treats that hang in the cage - loves these and can get through one in hours!

Toys he has willow balls and a ball with a bell. any suggestions for other toys that will keep him amused? He's a house bun but only comes out of his cage for a run when we let him - usually once a day. I think he loves that as he does mega binkies but can sometimes still bites his bars after being out for a run and after being given food. He's lovely but the bar twanging is a pain.
 
You say he has hay "Quiet often". He should have access to hay all the time. How big is his cage, and when you say he is allowed out of the cage once a day...for how long?
 
I had my house bun Asta in a cage before she was free range and I made sure she had loads of hay all the time. She can spend hours picking out the tasty strands and nustling around in it. Bit of a pain that it gets everywhere, but I think its really important for them to have hay all the tiem to beat bordom (and for the diet).

Loo roll tubes were a hit, but she doesn't chew willow balls until you start it off for her :D I use a craft knift to chop the top off and leave twigs poking out.

If you can give him a pen, then a treat ball will probably keep him occupied for hours. They don't work so well inside a cage though.

Oh ... hay got more exciting for Asta when I stuffed it in a loo roll middle so she had to pull it out, and a small box with a hole in stuffed with hay was good too - she had to eat it all before she could get in the box :lol: :lol:
 
Little Les said:
He has hay quite often - I think I could put more in for him. He has those fruit/nutty stick treats that hang in the cage - loves these and can get through one in hours!

Toys he has willow balls and a ball with a bell. any suggestions for other toys that will keep him amused? He's a house bun but only comes out of his cage for a run when we let him - usually once a day. I think he loves that as he does mega binkies but can sometimes still bites his bars after being out for a run and after being given food. He's lovely but the bar twanging is a pain.

Deej is a house bunny, and only chews the cage bars if we are in the room and he is not allowed out (if he has been naughty etc).

Buns are intelligent and friendly, so if they cant get out and interact with you when you are there I think they get very frustrated.

Also just thought I should point out those fruit/nutty stick treats are very high in sugar and fats not so great for bunnies, and also many contain colourings, and many people and animals are adversely affected by colourings, can even make them a bit hyper!

Lots of hay, hidden in tubes and boxes is also good for mental stimulation, healthy treats hidden in it encourage your bun to forage around, also treat balls are fab! Deej loves chasing his treat ball around!
 
Yep, he should always have access to hay. You can hang a hay rack on the outside of the cage (or just put a pile on top) so he can pull it through the bars without taking up more room inside the cage. You might find that helps keep him occupied too ;)
 
My rabbit loves her harness and she is happy to hop along after be and it helps me train her too bunny hop ( rabbit show jumping)
 
Thanks for all your suggestions. I will try the treat ball I think and maybe a lead. I have tried loo rolls stuffed of hay in the past and he loved those so I must give him those more often. I will also make sure he has hay all of the time.

In the summer I am thinking of buying him a two storey outdoor hutch so he can have two levels to explore. Seen a couple at PAH - Thistle Hall and another which look good.
 
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