Hey bunny community :). My bunny is 3 months old now. He’ll turn 4 in April. He gets unlimited hay and pellets 1/4 cup.
I work 8-9 hours onsite. He stays in his play pen which is big. I come back and let him free roam till I sleep. I got him toys but he’s only food motivated. Will he get depressed when I go to work? 🙁 I don’t know if I can get second bunny right away. Pls tell me if there are different ways to find out if he’s happy?
by sadsackrubaro
24 Comments
Get Bne #2
tell him he cute and gib nana 🙂
Get him a second rabbit! Rabbits should always be in pairs. If not you would realistically have to stay w him 24/7 to make him happy which is not ideal😭
Strawberrys, blueberrys, black berrys, and bananas. My Luna loves strawberrys
While the other people in the comments are being a bit too blunt, the biggest benefit to quality of life for a rabbit legitimately is lots of companionship. Don’t feel bad that you have to wait, don’t rush to get another bun before that is feasible. Just make it a priority. Other than that, how is their behaviour? Do they flop? Do they play and run around?
Congrats on your adorable bunny. Bunnies are a blessing. Bunnies sleep most of the day so have a routine in morning and evening that your bunny can be included in.
Can I pet your bun bun 🥺
Get him some of those grass balls to chew on. I give them to my bunnies when they are going to be alone for a while, the balls keep them busy and from getting bored.
it’s okay to not add another bun until 6 months (and neutering!!!!) but you’ll have the best odds socializing if your new addition is a spayed girl. you can scent swap before 6 months if you decide to get another little baby, but socializing before puberty/snipping can be unstable.
babies can also have *unlimited* pellets until 6 months! lots of growing to do. still keep track of the amount so you can adjust to a grown-up diet. foraging mats, stacking cups, treat balls, and other interactive dispensers can help with enrichment.
let him try lots of different salad greens (aim for a mostly low-oxalate and/or low-calcium selection) and fruits (in appropriate quantities, ofc). picky, unadventurous eaters are less fun, and it’s harder to address health problems with nutrition if they won’t accept a wide variety of things.
bunnies are very sleepy creatures, so he’s probably just napping and snacking on hay the whole time you’re gone. getting more than 4 hours of free run time is excellent.
good work, and congratulations on this precious little cutie pie 🥰🥰🥰
Take into consideration that rabbits are crepuscular, that is they are most active at dawn and dusk during the twilight hours. Just because your bunny is acting lethargic doesn’t mean that they are depressed or bored, it could be that they are sleepy.
Also, your rabbit is too young to be neutered and you cannot bond a sexually intact rabbit because they are too territorial. While other comments are correct in saying that rabbits need companionship, the glib comments saying to just get another rabbit are unhelpful.
The best thing to do is to spend a lot of time interacting and playing with your rabbit (not just letting them out to roam and leaving them to it) until they are 6 months old and then neutering them and bonding them with another rabbit. This isn’t necessarily going to be easy, rabbit bonding is difficult, but it’s the ideal that we aspire to.
feeds him food that he loves the most, take care, and give play ground for fun.
Create a forage box or snuffle mat. One of buns is solo, he does not like other bunnies. I got him a snuffle mat and he spends hours digging through it .
As you bond with the bun, you might give him a shirt of yours you’ve worn recently for him to have in his play pen. Mine loves my clothes and likes to groom anything that smells like me! You can also get a cheap pack of wood toys on amazon that they can throw around and chew on: https://a.co/d/0fFjhxBi
Aside from the other comments,
i would give him a cheek massage. Use 2 of ur index finger gently rub his cheeks in a circle, see if he likes it. My rabbit loves it and i can feel his teeth purring.
Obviously if he shows any signs of distress stop doing it, but from my experience i had good results.
there’s those plastic eggs where you put the pellets in and he can forage them out. keeps them engaged for a bit of time.
One of my bunnies loves plushies. If you can find one made of 100% cotton, your bun might cuddle up and groom it. Alternatively, it may chew its threaded nose off like my other bunny, but it’s worth a shot.
Also seconding the foraging box suggestion. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Here’s an example of the one of the ones I’ve made for my bun: [forage box example](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT8zjb0D5sx/?igsh=MXhqMXVoeTU3b21keA==)
Lots of space to run around and stuff to chew on. Cardboard boxes and tunnels are usually a hit. Also bananas, but only as a treat.
Oh it’s a bunny friend
I had a very food-motivated bun that wasn’t interested much in toys. My biggest recommendation is to make his food a “game”. Some ideas:
* This [cat treat ball](https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-slimcat-interactive-cat/dp/48576?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20207612288&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20211474655&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V25hShr1PNvoYmOCHlqZW16t&gclid=Cj0KCQjwve7NBhC-ARIsALZy9HUzWcBAxd0iLuIupDw94dR-gEZLPuBuAMpgGQM0bMxBTb41gysGBigaAkSREALw_wcB)
* Snuffle mats (or make your own)
* Shipping box filled with paper – sprinkle pellets inside
* Fill toilet paper roll with pellets and fold the sides
* Stuff a paper bag with greens and pellets and scrunch it up
I always, always sprinkle my bunny’s pellets on the ground or feed in one of the methods above. I truly feel like this is the best enrichment you can offer a food-motivated bun. 😂 Good luck!!
Kiss him on the head for me
I think since he’s still quite young and food motivated, I would introduce some enrichment while you’re at work! There’s some toys that make it harder to access treats so it’s something to keep the bun busy ☺️
But other than that don’t worry too much I’m sure you’re being a great bun parent from what you’ve said and you clearly care
Also I wouldn’t recommend getting another bun anyways until this one is neutered. I made that mistake and I have 2 unfixed buns living in separate enclosures. it’s chaos and double the work but I love them both to death 😭❤️
A mí con esa carita me hace feliz. 🥰
Our rabbits look so similar
From my experience… Plenty of room, stuff to jump on, and FOOD. My bunnies run around and binky like crazy after any treats. They have lots, but they really love the freeze dried (no sugar added, check the ingredients) strawberries and apple slices from Dollar Tree.