My new rabbit hates being outside her cage...

Question
Hi,

I have just adopted a rabbit from the city's humane society. She is approximately three years old and has been at the shelter for the last 4 months. I am trying to get her accustomed to her new home with me. She seems to be getting more comfortable and relaxed around me, except for when I take her out of her cage. All she does is try to get back into her cage, she will even hop out of my hands into her cage. She is not interested in exploring her new environment at all. Today, I took her the the kitchen, out of sight from her cage. She just sat there, looked around a bit and then defecated and urinated. Does this mean she has some kind of behavioral problem, or is she just scared? How can I get her to be comfortable outside her cage?

Thank you!

Answer
Hi,

several things going on here.

One, it takes a long time for rabbits to adjust to new surroundings, new people and new routines.  They aren't predators, they are prey animals.  TRUST takes a long time to build up because if they trust the wrong thing they're dead.  So that's part of it.  

Second, don't take her out of the room the cage is in.  you need to get her used to the area around her cage first.  This may take a week or so. Put another litterpan out in the corner or area she might mark.  She's just marking territory, totally normal.  But you freak her out by bringing her into an area she spends no time in and is strange to her.  Basically you need to extend her familiar space out from her cage.  Gradually.  Until she has the whole room.  If that's as much space you want to give her, that's fine.  If you want to open things up more, do it gradually.  There are pet exercise gates that (get the 8 panel, at least 30 inches tall kind) you can use to adjust where she can and can't go.

Third spend a lot of time with her outside the cage when she's exploring.  You want her not to be so scared, you want her to build up trust in you because you want her to view you as the 'alpha bunny' that she can look to and you say "It's OK, pumpkin" and give her a pet.  Be on the floor with her as much as possible, sitting, laying down, seeing the world as she sees it, and she can interact with you better.

Fourth rabbits don't like being picked up - as prey species being off the ground and out of control is a bad thing.  If the cage you have her in is off the floor you need to get a ramp or steps (carpeted, with texture because the fur on their feet slip on bare wood) so that they can hop up or down when it's time to come out.  If you only feed them meals inside their house, and do it at a certain time every day - or if they get a goodnight little treat, they will learn the routines and it will be easier to tuck them in at night voluntarily without picking them up.  Then you only have to pick them up when it's really necessary and they will be more relaxed around you.

You can give her a little hay basket outside the cage, and a separate water crock while she's out, but just feed meals (and if you do, the nightly treat) in her house. She will have hay and water in the house always but if she's out exercising she doesn't have to go back in.  A litterpan outside the cage will probably be needed, if they find a corner they want to mark.

Trust takes months and years to develop, it can vary from their past experiences.  It is well worth it.  You will see them getting more used to the place, and you.  Just never use physical discipline, as hands are how we develop trust with them.

Pick up the House Rabbit Handbook, and spend some time on their web site.  www.rabbit.org

You'll also need to find a good rabbit vet, you should have a checkup for her.  Not all vets do rabbits, so start here: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html