My rabbit escapes. Is she safe and why does her behavior change?

Hi, it is best to keep rabbits inside at night in very hot or very cold weather. They can go outside in nice weather and back inside at night. Predators love rabbits, since they have no way to fight back if another animal wants to eat them. Also, outside they are prone to get fleas, ticks, and other external parasites on their bodies. They can also get internal parasites from eating brush and dirt. If you live where dogs and cats go, I would only allow your rabbit outside in a very secure cage. Make sure it is large enough for the rabbit to get exercise, has shelter, and food and water available. It also should go underground a half a foot so predators cannot dig under the fencing. So in light of the set up it takes to safely keep a rabbit outside, it is better to keep them indoor where they are safe. Rabbits can be leash walked with a small harness for outdoor activity. Good luck, I hope this helps!

I recommend introducing Fluffy in a large clean cage with plenty of room for her to move around and clean soft bedding such as Care Fresh or soft wood shavings with plenty of food, toys and ideally a sheltered portion of the cage where she can hide/not be visible. Rabbits are prone to overheating and should be maintained at a temperature of about 15-21 C (60-70 F). If moving her in the winter, be sure to put her cage far from heater, if moving her in the summer (now I assume it is summer in Australia), just make sure that her room is air conditioned /does not get too hot. Offering fresh veggies and treats daily will likely minimize the stress of the move. In addition, try to keep Human/pet traffic/noise in her room at a minimum. Good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Bun Bun. Not sure if this is a behavioral condition or an illness. Not sure on the age of your rabbits, but they have a high incidence of uterine cancer by the age of three, therefore need to be spayed. Is she is just resting outside, that might not be a problem, she could just be scared. If you noticed continued problems, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Buddy. One of the keys to keep on mind regarding rabbits is they are easily stressed. So changing things slowly is best. Once she is introduced to your home, allow her a quiet place to recuperate for a few days, with limited interactions. Monitor water and food intake, and urine and fecal production. If is recommended she be kept away from other pet, including rabbits, until she is more comfortable. Take it slow. Good luck.

Your rabbit was probably frightened by what happened. You will have to slowly work with him to regain your trust. Just be patient with him and use lots of treats and he will go back to normal soo. Additionally, when you take him outside if the cage, only allow him into a safe area where he cannot sneak under the furniture and hurt himself. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Something may have recently startled Alice that she's feeling a bit jumpier than usual. Give her some quiet time alone (30 minutes or so), and try again, being careful to approach slowly and quietly, talking softly to her. She may just need some time to settle down. Good luck! Hope this helps :-)

Glad to hear you have added a bunny to your family! They are definitely very rewarding pets to have and certainly have some of their own individual challenges. In terms of just general information, you'll want to make sure Nznz is getting an appropriate diet of leafy greens, timothy hay, occasional small amounts of alfalfa, and other fruits / vegetables. Rabbits have teeth that will continually grow throughout their life so they should ideally have something to chew on to keep them from growing inappropriately. Sometimes, they will require manual teeth trimming if they do not take care of this themselves. As far as when to keep him in and out of the cage, that will ultimately be a personal preference. If you intend to litterpan train him, I would wait until he is regularly using the litter box before allowing him to roam freely, just so he makes claim to a certain area. Rabbits are also very sensitive to stress, noise, and heat so make sure that she is in a cool, calm environment. Hope this helps!