Getting him into the cage....

[Baxter]

I posted a question about this a few weeks ago when I first got my bunny and it is not going very well. He is getting pretty friendly and he comes up to me and will take raisins from my hand and he hops on me but i'm still having an aweful time getting him into his cage! His cage in elevated so I have to catch him and lift him but it is quite a process. I don't want to have to stop letting him out in the morning but he has made me late for work a couple times already!!! I know that chasing him wrecks any relationship that we are developing but I end up getting really frustrated andhave to corner him and then grab him really fast and the other day he grunted at me when i grabbed him :cry1 Is there anything else that I can do to catch him becuase I am trying to bond with him at the same time!

thanks!

michelle

 

[maherwoman]

Have you considered either building him some stairs or a ramp out of NIC panels? What kind of cage do you have for him?

If you don't know what NIC panels are, try searching "NIC" in the above search box, and you'll find plenty of pictures of them. They're really easy to connect, and you can get some straw mats to zip tie to them to keep your bunny from having his paws slip through the holes. For the ramp, you can get wooden dowels to zip tie underneath to support it.

Hope all that helps!

P.S. Did you try those stairs that were suggested in the other topic you posted about this?

 

[Bunman]

Is his cage too large to put on the floor for in & out time?

 

[Baxter]

I couldn't find the stairs anywhere for a resonable price. I found them at a pet store but they were way to expensive. Making a ramp is a rood idea. I will look into getting same of the NIC panels. THANKS! Are they available at hardware stores?

 

[Baxter]

The cage is elevated on legs so I can't put it on the floor when he is playing.

 

[Bunman]

OK, sounds like a ramp or stairs solution is the way to go.

 

[lil angel]

I no exactly what you mean . We had exactly the same problem with our rabbit and it can be very frustrating at times . We managed to get her in by sitting with her for a while until she becomes relaxed and then just gently picking her up , and when that didnt work we had a cage which we could lure her back into . Also , im not sure how old your bunny is but there is a way of training called clicker training ( more info is avaliable on the net ) This basically means that you have a distinct noise that your bunny will recognise as doing something good and you can teach it how to stay , come to you , go back to its cage , be picked up with no fuss and much more . It may be worth looking into that , and it only costs between £5 and £10 from pet shops . Hope this helps , and if you would like any links on clicker training please ask , as i no many .

 

[Dribbles]

hello im intrested in clicker training could you put a link in so i can look please.

 

[naturestee]

Definately look into building some kind of stairs or ramps. Make sure they're sturdy and that the rabbit won't slip. In a pinch, you could build stairs out of different-sized cardboard boxes.

Once your rabbit can get in and out on his own, make a habit of feeding him after his playtime. Call him while you put pellets (and veggies, if you feed them) in his bowl. Or give him a small treat.

Another option is to train him with treats to go into a carrier, then lift the carrier up and open it at the door of his cage so he can hop in. But IMO, allowing a rabbit to get into and out of a cage on his own is much better and can also help with littertraining.

 

[Pipp]

Here's a thread about clicker training:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11275&forum_id=1



sas

 

[lil angel]

There is a good introduction to clicker training at http://www.clickertraining.com/training/critters/clicker_train_rabbits/index.htm?loaditem=clicking_with_your_rabbit_samples&itemnumber=2and be sure to look at the videos of the rabbits which have been clicker trained , as it shows what you can achieve by clicker training .



There is also information about clicker training at http://www.understandinganimals.com/article/4. Although this talks about a dog being clicker trained , the theory is the same for rabbits . If you would like any more links then please feel free to ask

 

[maherwoman]

You can find them at places like Target for good prices. I got a box of about 24 for about $12 (remember that prices here in CA are higher than a lot of other places). I've also heard that you can find them at places like Bed, Bath, and Beyond for about the same price.

Baxter wrote:

I couldn't find the stairs anywhere for a resonable price. I found them at a pet store but they were way to expensive. Making a ramp is a rood idea. I will look into getting same of the NIC panels. THANKS! Are they available at hardware stores?

 

[maherwoman]

GREAT IDEA!! Wonderful...the idea even of the cardboard boxes as stairs!

Be sure that if you try this, though, Baxter, to attach the boxes somehow, and possibly even attach them to the cage (you can use zip ties, which are quite inexpensive)...that way you don't have the risk of your bun kicking the wrong way, possibly missing the next step up, and then having kicked the others down, and falling to the floor. Does that make sense? Just make sure, whatever you do, to make it sturdy and quite immovable.

naturestee wrote:

Definately look into building some kind of stairs or ramps. Make sure they're sturdy and that the rabbit won't slip. In a pinch, you could build stairs out of different-sized cardboard boxes.

Once your rabbit can get in and out on his own, make a habit of feeding him after his playtime. Call him while you put pellets (and veggies, if you feed them) in his bowl. Or give him a small treat.

Another option is to train him with treats to go into a carrier, then lift the carrier up and open it at the door of his cage so he can hop in. But IMO, allowing a rabbit to get into and out of a cage on his own is much better and can also help with littertraining.