A picky eater?

[MelBell]

I just adopted my first bunny ever from a local shelter. I am very new to all this so please, do not bash me!

I bought plenty of timothy hay, thinking he would gobble it down and want to nest in it. Well he loves the nesting part, but hasn't even gone so far as to nibble the hay. In the shelter I know he had a large bed of straw hay, so perhaps that's what he ate as well? Should I switch to straw hay?

Also, he has been confined to my room when I let him out to romp and bounce around, since I have dogs and they have not yet been acquainted. The first day I let him out of his cage, he hopped around my room and investigated, but went back in his cage regularly if he was frightened or I led him in with food. But today (second day of him being here) he has found that under my bed is a great hiding spot and goes all the way to the headboard against the wall and will not come out unless I bribe him with food, and grab him by the scruff to get him back in his cage. It made me very upset that he was so upset! Also when I offered him food when he was under my bed, he would charge at me very fast and thump the floor.

Help?

 

[Marrie]

Hi Mel - I just adopted a bunny from a shelter as well. The behavior you're describing sounds a lot like my bun was the first day or so.

Here was my experience with Powder, I just got him a little over a week ago:

First day he came out of his carrier after about 15 minutes and explored. Slightest noise, or fast movement and he was back in his carrier. He found under my bird cage was a good hiding spot, so after a few hours switched to that. Second day he stayed under the cage most the day, hiding but occasionally coming out to sniff around if he thought it was OK! 3rd day he was starting to get more comfy and he would follow me around the house, though he was still a bit jumpy. He slept under my chair a lot of the 3rd day.

After that he started to calm down a lot. To get him back in his cage first day we had to "herd him" into his carrier. Second day he jumped into the cage on his own. 3rd day we had to pick him up as he was running from us and the cage. 4th day again he went in on his own. What I started to do was give him a little lettuce in his cage at night since that made him go into his cage willingly to get the treat. He's comfortable enough with me now that I can just pet him and he'll lay down, then if I have to, I can pick him up without having to upset him too much (held securely he calms down though he still doesn't like it).

For eating, my bun didn't show much interest in his timothy hay until about the third day. He ate some of it, but mainly when I wasn't looking. I didn't think he was eating pellets either but someone here suggested lowering the amount so I could tell easier if he did and he was eating them after I left him for the night in his cage. He also ate his hay after I had left. What I did is make three smaller piles outside of his hay rack as he did not have a hay rack at the shelter... and he ate those, he still won't eat out of a box or hay rack, though I am working on it.

My bun still doesn't _quite_ trust me as far as food goes. He'll run up to the food fast and grab it, then back into a corner to eat it if I feed him.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

It takes a while for a bunny to settle in and get their routine down. You may want to block off the underside of your bed. We have apple boxes around the room with pans in them. It give them a place to hide out and they love to play with the shredded newspaper in them as well as use the boxes to chew on. When it's time to go back to the hutch, I just herd them into the box and pick it up.

 

[elrohwen]

Sounds like a typical bunny new to a home! I've had mine for a few years and the one time they were in a bedroom they promptly went under the bed and wouldn't come out. We needed to leave and actually had to lift the mattress off the frame (very carefully) to chase one of them out.

I would block off your bed, at least for now, so you can be sure she's not using it as a toilet. Later, when she's more comfortable with you, you can let her under there again.

 

[MelBell]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!

@Marrie - I left for work today at 8AM and my mother let him out shortly after. He had free-run of my entire room today (with wires and other bad things tucked away) and was a very happy bunny! I came home and went to my room with a baby carrot and he came out to check me out. So he's getting better but we still have to catch him and it takes forever!

@Nancy - Thanks, I'll try the boxes and shredded newspaper!

@Elrohwen - I know for sure he's not pooping or peeing under my bed, I've checked! He's very good about using his litter box thankfully.

EDIT: I cleaned out his cage today and opened up a new bag of timothy hay. It was much thicker and the "sticks" of hay were very long and crunchy, like a wicker basket. It seemed more like food than bedding. The timothy hay I was using before was very thin and in small sticks. He did eat the new bedding though! But only the fluffy things at the end of each stick, the part that looks like a cattail.

 

[MiniLopHop]

The difference between the hays is probably when in the season it was cut. Different brands can also make a difference. It's a good thing that your bun wants to eat the hay, timothy is much better nutritionally than straw.

I have a bonded pair that live free in my office and a single in my bedroom. As long as it is bunny proofed it's a great way for them to live. I feel it keeps them more engaged with exploring their environment and gives them space to play. Some are more prone to chewing and going around barriers than others. In time you will learn the personality of your particular bun. The pair upstairs will get into trouble easily and I have had to block off a couple things I thought were out of bounds, but they figured out how to get to. Houdini lives up to his name! Becky, on the other hand, is such a good girl about not getting into things that I hardly bunny proof anything for her.
Welcome to bunny slavedom!