Agrophobic (sp) buns

Recently our buns don't want to go out in the garden. Rosie and Leo and Dandelion and Florence live in the shed both in hutch and run combos. They are never closed in the hutch so they have 24 hour run access. I open the door so that they can come out and run free in the garden but they never want to. They step out have a quick look round and go back in. :? I can't understand it The garden is completely secure and they don't seem frightened. I can't force them to come out though.

Suzanne said:

Recently our buns don't want to go out in the garden. Rosie and Leo and Dandelion and Florence live in the shed both in hutch and run combos. They are never closed in the hutch so they have 24 hour run access. I open the door so that they can come out and run free in the garden but they never want to. They step out have a quick look round and go back in. :? I can't understand it The garden is completely secure and they don't seem frightened. I can't force them to come out though.

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I have several Buns who HATE being outside. Although I suspect a lot of that is due to the fact I live under a flight path to/from Heathrow.....

Maybe there has been a Fox about the garden during the night? The Fox scent will hang around for ages.
Michael, one of my Rexes is the worst for his fear of the outdoors. He just sits doing a 'frightened rabbit-in-the-headlights' pose and looks thoroughly miserable So I dont put him outdoors now. He has a large indoor pen he shares with Millie and is happier staying there

Janex

I mentioned the other day that Audrey was reluctant to go outside, but yesterday she came out of her own accord and had a good run around for about 20 minutes and seemed to enjoy herself before retiring to bed :lol:

She was was very nervous of all the sounds like traffic noise though and was constantly pricking her ears up and looking all wide eyed. She was also jumping when Worm was running and jumping near her and she usually loves her. I guess when they're used to the sounds, sights and smells being muffled by being indoors or in a shed it is a bit scary? I also wondered if she was nervous of the foxes as I've seen one in the garden in the last few weeks

I'm going to continue just leaving the patio doors open when I'm around to supervise so she can choose whether she wants to go out or not.

Ooooh that could explain why my 2 didnt seem to want to come down the ramp yesterday..... I was a bit worried as they had come out fine the previous to days but yesterday they were just huddled inside. I was worried that they might have been ill, but I put them on the grass run and they seemed fine, so maybe there had been a fox around the night before and left a bit of a smell.

Ruby didnt like coming out of her hutch at all when i first got her but now she is paired with a male she comes out fine.

Maybe as jane said is there a possibilite a fox has some how got into your garden and scared them?

Buu is my only bun that loves playing in the garden. If I let the others out they head straight for the back door and play in the kitchen or just lay on the door step. We havent had any foxes in our garden and the cats that come in are more scared of the bunnies than the bunnies being scared of them so I just thought they preferred playing in the house