Maybe you\u2019ve tried this and your bunny still won\u2019t leave their cage or playpen. There are other reasons your bunny may not leave the cage even with bribes. Patience is key and perhaps there are some other strategies you can try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How To Set Up Your Bunny Room<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Floor surface is something we don\u2019t even think about when it comes to our bunny. Generally, we have experience with other pets or friends pets such as dogs and cats who will walk, run, and play anywhere in the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But bunnies have sock-like fur around their paws which means hardwood, varnished surfaces make your bunny look like they are ice skating when trying to walk on them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the same feeling you have when you put on a pair of socks on a slippery wood floor. You can\u2019t take off very quickly and a wrong step could literally have you falling over. Your bunny doesn\u2019t feel confident or comfortable on this kind of surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we first brought home our bunny Groot, we set her cage area upon our lounge carpet rug. Through her first weeks with us and her inquisitive personality, she would explore a little more each day or so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But only to the edge of the rug. She would test one paw over the carpet to see if she could walk on the hardwood. Every time she would put a paw on the wood, she would slip. This kept her on the rug for quite a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we had set her cage area up on the hardwood floor, I\ndon\u2019t think she would have come out straight onto a slippery floor. If you\ndon\u2019t have carpet, try using a blanket or foam mats as flooring for your\nbunny\u2019s cage area so she can feel more comfortable leaving her cage. Further,\nmake sure there\u2019s a bridge between your cage box or litter box and the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the beginning, our Grooty was a tiny baby and being so\nshy, there wasn\u2019t much chance of her jumping out of the cage to explore. So\nproviding a ramp or bridge to connect the cage and floor can make the\ntransition easier for your bunny. We just used a wooden bridge toy that is\nbendable (see Amazon link here).<\/a> Don\u2019t\nuse wire ramps that can be painful on a bunny\u2019s paws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is something we had to do at first to get Groot to\nleave her initial transport box we used to bring her home. As bunnies are very\nshy being prey animals by nature, trying to force them out of a box or cage is\nnot a good idea especially when they are trying to get used to their new\nenvironment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We bribed her with a small piece of banana (now her favourite treat!) and left it in her cage. It took some hours but eventually, she came out of her box to eat it. However, that was only part of the battle as she was still in her cage, just not the box anymore. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Feeding treats out of your hand is a great way to start building a comforting relationship with your bunny. This could be a piece of carrot or our bunny\u2019s favourite, banana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lie down on the floor so you are at your bunny\u2019s level and let her come to you. Or start by offering treats through the wall of her playpen or cage. This could take many tries and efforts so it\u2019s important you create a routine with this every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most bunnies are curious animals and will eventually warm up to the idea you have tasty treats for them. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As your bunny gets more comfortable, you can place the treat right outside her cage area or door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, your bunny will come to eat it but don\u2019t pat her. Just let your bunny eat in the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As your bunny gets used to this, you can now do the same thing but lie on the floor close to the treat. Your bunny may come and sniff you which is great progress! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just let your bunny do this without touching her and let her eat her treats. As time goes on, you can start to gradually touch your bunny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start by extending a finger or hand for her to sniff. Your bunny may allow you to gently pat and rub her head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If not, don\u2019t worry, create that routine each day and let your bunny sniff, explore and get used to your presence and touch. Eventually, you\u2019ll be able to pat her head and back when she is used to you and comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To continue luring your bunny out of their cage area, start\noffering treats further and further away from the cage. Call her and talk to\nher to encourage her to come to you and her treats. This process could take\nmonths so don\u2019t get discouraged if it\u2019s taking a lot of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The number one mistake you can make when trying to coax your bunny out of their cage area is to pick them up every time. This can undo the work you have put in to build trust and a comfortable bond with your bunny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, bunnies really don\u2019t like being held and cuddled even though they look so cute and all you want to do is squish them close to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only pick your bunny up if it\u2019s absolutely necessary like moving her so you can clean her litter box or cage. Forcing a bunny to be held is actually a predatory image to your bun which creates a large stress response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In doing so, your bun will kick and flail which can cause spinal fractures and broken limbs due to their powerful legs and weaker spines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re lucky, a very small percentage of bunnies actually like to be held and cuddled. Most do not. However, they will lie close to you and snuggle you on the ground once they are comfortable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let your bunny get comfortable enough with you to come out of their cage area themselves and lie with you on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned above, there are times where you may have to pick up your bunny. For example, a trip to the vet or needing to remove her from her cage to clean it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important, NEVER pick your bunny up by their ears. You\u2019re not a 20th-century magician and it will cause a lot of pain to your bunny. Instead, place one hand under the ribcage, and the other hand under her bum. Lift your bunny quickly and securely and turn your bunny so her feet are against your chest to make her feel more grounded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your bunny struggles, release them and try again. This is\nonly for necessary circumstances. Coaxing your bunny out of their cage area\ndoesn\u2019t involve picking them up and placing them outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t panic if your bunny stays in their cage area for a long time. I know we thought something was wrong when our bunny wouldn\u2019t come out of her box. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why we wanted to write this article and share this with you so you know exactly the steps you need to take to make your bunny feel comfortable in their new environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will take time. Be patient. Be loving. And your bunny\nwill warm up to you and be able to show you the same love back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Getting your bunny to come out of their cage can be an exercise in patience. Bunnies are naturally shy animals and will take time to warm up to their new owners. To help coax your bunny out of their cage, make sure your room is quiet with no other pets or distractions. Lie down on […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=465"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1437,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/465\/revisions\/1437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How To Bribe Your Bunny With Treats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Time NOT To Handle Your Bunny<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/bunnyparents.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/girl-lying-on-white-surface-petting-gray-rabbit-1462634-min-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow To Pick Up Your Bunny<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n