Question from the Audience: Location, location, location

A question from Nancy F. in Boston, MA:

Q: I have two male Newfoundland Dwarf rabbits I adopted at the end of this past summer (Douglas and Andrew are their names). Currently they stay in their 'pen' in the basement.
Here is my issue: when I get home from work I like to bring them upstairs in their carrier and I have a heck of a time getting them to go into said carrier to bring them to the upper floor where they basically have the run of the place (they are litter box trained). Andrew generally seems to be more amenable to going upstairs, but Douglas will squeak and hide and run away when I try to get him to go in so I don't force him (I don't want to upset him). This usually means Andrew gets playtime upstairs and Douglas doesn't. On the occasions when I can actually get them up to the first floor they run and jump and hide and generally have a wonderful time.

I don't try to pick them up b/c they clearly don't like it but I talk to them and pet them whenever I can. How can I 'corral' (if you will) my rabbits in to the carrier more easily? Sometimes it can take up to an hour to return them to the basement and if it's been a long day I can't always afford to invest that much chasing time.

A: I have a suggestion regarding your situation, and I think this one minor change will actually make a huge difference. You say you keep the rabbit cage in the basement; if you kept the rabbit's cage in your living room, the situation would improve drastically. This way Douglas and Andrew would be able to come out of their cage easily and comfortably whenever you opened the cage door. This would save you a ton of time and stress too-- instead of corralling them into carriers (I can only imagine how long that would take!), all you'd have to do is open the cage door and let them out. Since this is easier on you, I'm sure the bunnies would get more time out of their cages as well.

You're right that most rabbits don't like to be picked up, but they also don't like to be confined in carriers and carried about for similar reasons--it is scary! They experience a full range of stress every time they have to go in and out of their carriers, and this stress would be easy to cut out by keeping their cage upstairs. Furthermore, since they are currently unable to see/access their cage (an area of safety) from the living room, they could be experiencing stress from this as well.

If their cage is upstairs in your living room, then you'll no longer have to corral them back into carriers when you want to get them back in their cages; it's much easier to coax a rabbit into a cage than a carrier. Try calling Douglas and Andrew's names and offering them a treat once they've gone inside.

You'll be surprised how much you enjoy having them up there and interacting with you more; they'll become more socialized and you'll also have an easier go of allowing them their out-of-cage run around time.

***UPDATE from Nancy 2/18/2010***
I wanted to give you an update and thank you for your very sound advice. Douglas and Andrew moved into our back hall in a large dog crate last week. They have supervised reign of our kitchen when we’re home and they seem so very happy with the new set up. I can’t tell you how much fun it is for me to sit on the floor and have my coffee with them in the morning. So, thanks very much for your suggestion of moving them upstairs, we’re all a lot happier (Douglas hardly squeaks at me anymore – just a tiny bit if he doesn’t want his cheeks rubbed or he’s scared). Now on to training them to go into their cage upon command!

Question from the Audience: Before Adopting

A few questions from potential adopter Tara D. in Chicago, IL:
Hi! I am soon planning to adopt a bunny but I have some questions.
Q: Where should I adopt a bunny? A pet store? A Breeder? A Shelter? I know it all depends on me, I am just nervous about getting a sick bunny or not getting enough information on where the bunny came from?
A: The best place to acquire a healthy rabbit will be from a shelter or a rescue organization. Pet stores have no guarantees and breeders are notorious for inbreeding-related genetic problems. Shelters do medical examinations of their incoming animals, so they can guarantee an animal is healthy, or otherwise provide full disclosure. And most importantly, adopting from a shelter also helps the colossal problem of pet overpopulation; by adopting, you are saving that animal's life. With millions of animals being euthanized in shelters yearly, I believe it is socially irresponsible to buy from a pet store. Pet stores encourage and support animal breeding facilities which feed into the rabbit overpopulation problem.
The Red Door Animal Shelter in Chicago specializes in bunnies and would be a great place for you to visit.

Q: How do you know what gender a bunny is? And how do you know if its neutered or not?
A: If you are adopting, the shelter or rescue organization will be able to tell you the gender of each rabbit. Rest assured that both sexes are equally friendly and relaxed--as long as they've been fixed.
The shelter can tell you if a rabbit has been altered by checking for a spay scar or testicles. Spay scars can be hard to locate, so some veterinarians will actually mark a doe that has been fixed.

Q:What kind of cage do I get for my bunny?

A: You should get a cage that is spacious and has a flat surface.
The cage should fit an appropriately-sized litterbox, bowls for food and water, an area to lay down, room to hop around and stretch out. Since it is advisable to put your pet in the cage while you are away and unable to supervise, you'll want to consider that she will undoubtedly be spending a sizeable amount of time in there. If the cage isn't big enough, your rabbit will feel cramped, which may lead to physical and mental discomfort. This can manifest itself in nonstop digging, cage chewing, and other behavioral problems.
For rabbits other than dwarfs, I would recommend a dog crate instead of the rabbit cages pet stores offer. There are numerous varieties of dog crates and some have pull out trays which can make for easy cleaning; additionally, many of them fold down to a compact and portable size.
Don't use a wire-bottomed cage as it can lead to a painful condition called sore hocks. If you do have a wire-bottomed cage, make sure to cover it with a flat surface, so that rabbit can escape to a comfortable area.

Graysie in her cage, fit for an 80 lb dog

Outfit the cage with all sorts of toys, a rug or towel (unless they are ingesting bits of it), a cardboard box for security, tons of hay, a food and water dish, a large litterbox, and various mental stimulations to entertain you're rabbit while your gone.

How to Train your Rabbit

Training your rabbit to come when called can be a valuable tool. I use this command to get my rabbit into her cage and keep her mentally stimulated!
To teach your bunny this trick, start by crouching down a few feet away from her. Hold a treat, like a blueberry in your hand and make tsk tsk tsk sounds. If there's no response, move a little closer and let your rabbit smell the treat, making the tsk continuously. When she comes to you, continue making the sound and give her the treat. Move back and start the process over again. Your aim is to get the rabbit to associate the tsk sound with a treat. She'll likely catch on faster than you think, but the bottom line here is patience and repetition. Later on, you'll only need a treat half the time. Practice calling her over often to keep it fresh in her memory, and if your rabbit starts giving you that clueless look, increase the frequency of your practice sessions.

This sort of Pavlovian conditioning works well with rabbits. As we owners know, bunnies are intelligent creatures. Teaching them commands is an excellent way to mentally stimulate and keep them active, thinking, and happy. And teaching your rabbit to come when called can make your life easier. You'll never have to chase her into the cage at night again! She'll go in on command. This not only helps you, but since your rabbit is entering the cage seemingly at her own will, she'll view the cage as her own controlled territory, causing her to feel safer.