Letting Winston out of his cage, how to control him?

[Mubunny]

Winston loves to run around and explore outside his cage but he won't let me pick him up and doesn't like me standing around him so how can I get him back in his cage?
Also he seems to poop just anywhere when he's out instead of going to his litter, even when his litter is in the same room.

 

[elrohwen]

It's usually best if you can set up a bun's cage so he can go in and out on his on. The majority of buns really don't like to be picked up and are much happier if they can get in and out without picking up and chasing.

 

[Mubunny]

It is, it's a pen but I don't just sit around all day. I ended up being late for an appointment because he wouldn't go back in his cage. He has an exercise pen cage so I just open it up, he doesn't need to hop into it or anything. He had been running around like a crazy bunny for close to an hour. I tried to coax him in with treats but he was having none of it.

 

[elrohwen]

You can get behind him and kind of herd him towards it. This tends to work the best - much better than picking up.

Also, try making a routine where he gets his dinner whenever it's time to go back in his pen. If he has a good reason to go back there and knows that's the routine, he'll be perfectly happy to run back. It'll just take some time before he understands.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

You need to find a treat he REALLY likes, one he'll do just about anything to get. Then, just do what you were doing, tempt him into the penwith it. (Craisins or banana seem to do the trick for Gus.) Do this every time you need him to go into his pen.

Eventually, all you'll have to do is walk toward his pen and he'll come running!

Hope that helps!

Rue

 

[bengal77]

I have an NIC cage that I connect a Marshal's 11 panel small animal play pen to directly. I use wood clothes pins to connect it to the sides of the cage so that I can open Lily's cage door in the morning and she has the run of her cage and the play pen until bed time. It's pretty easy to get her back in if I have a treat or her dinner. So if your bunny has a wire cage like an NIC cage or a Marchioro or Super Pet cage you could do that.

 

[SweetSassy]

Mubunny wrote:

Winston loves to run around and explore outside his cage but he won't let me pick him up and doesn't like me standing around him so how can I get him back in his cage?
Also he seems to poop just anywhere when he's out instead of going to his litter, even when his litter is in the same room.

I would give him a smaller area to run. He might be marking with his poops. My bunnies might leavea few poo's when playing. But if it's alot, I would give him a smaller area to play until he starts using his litter box.

Also, some bunnies don't like to be handled but if your bunnies will tolerate it, I would work with them on holding and picking them up. For the reason you just gave in your post. You couldn't get him back in his pen. I would start on the floor and put him on your lap and see what he does...and go from there. Don't force it but try it.

Good Luck

 

[Mubunny]

If I put my hands near him he pushes them away with his paws. I might try distracting him with treats and get him use to being touched a little. The herding method will have to do for now.

 

[juliew19673]

All I have to do with mine anymore to get him back in his pen is too shake the bag of dried cranberries I leave ontop of his pen.. He hears that bag and comes running! I've never met a bun that does not like cranberries (or yogurt drops for that matter); sugar seems to be the drug of choice..

And yes, at first whenever I let my bun into a new area he must lay down some strategically placed poo's; aftera few dayshe stops doing this, however there apparently must be one or two somewhere - lol..

 

[elrohwen]

Is he neutered? Unneutered buns have a strong drive to mark their territory with poos. If he is neutered, it should get better with time if you keep picking up the poos and putting them in his litter box.

 

[funnybunnymummy]

It was several weeks before Gus would accept a treat from my hand. Instead, I'd just put it on the floor in front of him and point at itand say, "What's this?" (Bunnies don't see so well right in front of their noses! )

Rue

 

[Mubunny]

He's neutered. I've tried putting treats in his cage and alerting him to them and that seems to work pretty well.

 

[elrohwen]

Then I think his marking will decrease as he gets used to your house. You can also give him less room to run around for a few days until it seems he's using his litter box better. He may just not realize quite what it's for yet.

Keep up with the treats in his cage. I'm sure after a week or so he'll get the idea that cage time is fun and full of treats and he'll run back happily.