[Resolved] It could mean many things...

We have ordered a dog crate for George, our ten week old rabbit, which should be arriving soon so he can be a house rabbit. But until then we have to carry him from outside into the bedroom where we are (he wouldn't be safe to wander around the house). He spends most of the day inside (from aout 9 am to 9 pm) and lately he has taken to hiding under the bed more than usual. Usually he would go underthere to explore but stay in the middle of the room or behind a plant. What does this mean? I am not sure about this as it hasn't been going on long, but I tink he as also stated pooing mostly in a corner of the room instead of everywhere. Is he starting to ee the room as his home?

He has also taken to digging at the floor a lot more this is fine, however when I take him into the garden on a lead (my boyfriend doesn't think its safe to let him off comletly) he nibbles grass and sits but doesn't dig. Is there a way I can incrourage him to dig outside? I think he would enjoy it more than just doing it at the carpet.

He has also started biting and then pulling and tugging at my clothes/hand, he sometimes digs at my hand too. I thought this means he is hungry but I am not sure. It could mean alot of things.

Any help would be amazing.

Thank you!!

You're right, it could be a few things. I hope this doesn't come over as me being preachy or anything, but I don't know how much you know about all this, but here's a few things I've learnt

Young and new house buns do need a space that is their own until they settle in and relax a bit, which can take a long time. As prey animals, they are constantly looking for something to attack them. The scan each space to go into for a safe bolt-hole and/or escape route.
I think giving George a crate in the space he's in will be doing him a big favour. It could be that he simply doesn't feel that safe in your room yet -It took Bertie a good 7 months of living here before he relaxed at all, an then it took another year really before he was as chilled as he is now.

Pooing in one place is what they do in the wild, to avoid being caught, and it's usually a good distance from the burrow. I would put a corner litter tray in that corner if he's going to have access to that room when the crate arrives. It could be that he's making the place his, or perhaps that he feels a bit afraid or unsure of his surroundings, but that's just my take on that, I don't really know.

His digging is instinctive, and maybe he just prefers the carpet. You could get carpet tiles to put over where he likes to dig, or get him a digging box, doesn't work for all,, but does for some. You just fill a cardboard box with sand or torn up paper, and let them dig away.

Tugging your clothes etc can just mean he want attention. Has he got things to chew and play with to keep him occupied? Housebuns need a lot of attention and company if they are single. You need to be fairly strict with amounts of food, as they are also prone to obesity, from overfeeding and not enough excercise.

I don't know if you saw, but we've made a very informative pair of videos on destructive houserabbits and bunnyproofing on the You-Tube channel.
Part 1

Part 2
hope some of that helps

Hiya,

Id absolutely go with what Jay has said above. They like to have somewhere they can go to to feel safe. So a cardboard box he can climb into a great idea. Perhaps with a closed top and a hole in the side for a door.

If he has decided to poo in one corner then I would definately put his litter tray there. This will help with his litter training when he is inside all the time. At first pop some of his own poos into the tray and put it in the same place so he understands what this is. You could them pop it into his crate too - this will be a lot easier for you to keep his area clean.

Bunnies also like to have space to spring about (binky) - I always see this as a sign that daisy is happy....

Hope this helps.

Good luck with george.

Katie and Daisy
G

Jays videos have some great ideas on them - I think you will find them a massive help.

Good luck with George.
I found that popping a little fleecy blanket down where he likes to dig will help becuase he can then dig at the blanket and re-arrange it and then dig at it again. Daisy (my house bun) loves doing this.

House buns need lots of patience, lots of attention and space to express their natural behavior.....and of course lots of cuddles from his mummy.

I think with the digging of you - maybe he wants some attention - house bunnies do need lots of attention and things to do.

I just properly noticed his age, and he's coming up to maturing time, so hormones may be surfacing too, and this could make more terratorial and tetchy. The crate wil be very useful for the next few weeks, it can be quite a testing time.
Are you planning on having him netuered ?

Not prechy at all! Thank you so much for the help, George is our first rabbit so I really don't know much about rabbits at all. Thoes videos are good too. We were planning on gettung him netuered. Is it the best thing for him? He has a chewable tunnel and a willow ball with corn husks in it so he can chew but he hasn't really played with them yet but I think that is because they are brand new and he never has had any toys before now. What toys do you recomend?

Katieb - a cardord box and blanket sounds like a great idea! He does lots of binkies when he is inside so its good to know they mean he is happy!

Pooing in a corner is what my buns do outside in their run. They decided where they fancied their latrine to be - conveniently in front of the panel that opened for access - so had to give up with the door!

There is a lot to learn about buns. I got my first without any prior knowledge and it is only when you get together with other people that you realise how much there is to learn and how complex the little creatures are - but so worthwhile.

Neutering is the best way to curb aggression, spraying, and all things male!
There's this article on it in our care library

Acorn wrote: He has a chewable tunnel and a willow ball with corn husks in it so he can chew but he hasn't really played with them yet but I think that is because they are brand new and he never has had any toys before now. What toys do you recomend?

Different buns take to different things. You can get packs of willow twigs from P@H, and he'll probably toss them around. I hold one for bertie and he chomps his way through it, it's good for his teeth erosion.
A treatball is really good for keeping them busy. You put his pellets in it and he has to work to get them out (see vid). You can also get metal ones with slats in for veges. You can stuff hay into loo rolls, make a cardboard warren, and give him a small safe cuddly thing. If you stroke him with it, it'll put his scent on it, and he may well take to sleeping with it or similar (See vid) A lot of it is trial and error, and creating new things to keep them stimulated. It's better for the bunny and for your decor!

Jay wrote:Different buns take to different things. You can get packs of willow twigs from P@H, and he'll probably toss them around. I hold one for bertie and he chomps his way through it, it's good for his teeth erosion.
A treatball is really good for keeping them busy. You put his pellets in it and he has to work to get them out (see vid). You can also get metal ones with slats in for veges. You can stuff hay into loo rolls, make a cardboard warren, and give him a small safe cuddly thing. If you stroke him with it, it'll put his scent on it, and he may well take to sleeping with it or similar (See vid) A lot of it is trial and error, and creating new things to keep them stimulated. It's better for the bunny and for your decor!

Thank you! I will try them out and see what he likes best. It will take time but he is worth it ^.^