What's up with my Bunny?

[lilys.eyes]

Hi everyone!
I haven't been onto the forum in a couple of years (I'm sorry to say), but I'm hoping that someone will still be willing to help me!

My bunny, Bella, is acting sort of strange. He's not really playing. I know it's possible for Rabbits to become depressed...is there a way to fix this? I will admit that I don't let him out of his pen to run around as much as I'd like to. I'm staying with my Mom for awhile because she is ill, and my Mom has a dog who (while she LOVES Bella), plays a little rough. I try locking up the dog in a room for a little while and letting Bella play, however he doesn't really do much any way. The last time I saw him binky was last February

He also just wants to eat...and eat...and eat! He's getting kind of chubby though so I'm trying to restrict how much I feed him.

I just want to know why he's not playing anymore I feel like I'm a bad bunny owner.

Here are some of his details if it will help:

BELLA - 6 yrs old, un-neutered male
lives in a 4x3 pen with a blanket floor
eats Timothy hay with a small handful of fruit/vegetable (usually vegetable) once a day, and occasionally timothy hay pellets
has toys and a hiding spot in his pen as well.

He really is the sweetest guy. It breaks my heart that he doesn't want to play anymore and just wants to eat and cuddle. Is there something wrong???

Thanks everyone!

 

[lilys.eyes]

Oh and I forgot to add that he is a Rex.
Thanks!

 

[JBun]

It could just be his age. I have a 7 yr. old bun and she's a little overweight. She doesn't really binky anymore. Occasionally she might give a halfhearted attempt at it if she's feeling particularly happy about being able to run around. But she's just my old girl now They just slow down, so they're more inclined to sleep and cuddle, than zip around like a youngster. If you got him a younger bunny friend, that might perk him up a little, and he wouldn't be as bored so might be inclined to eat less too. You might have to get him neutered though for this to work out. Just depends.

 

[missyscove]

What's the flooring like outside of his pen (which is where I presume you're trying to get him to play)? My new boys just about refuse to walk on slippery flooring but will binky and bunny 500 all night long on my rugs.

 

[lilys.eyes]

Yeah, I suspected it was our hardwood flooring/tile, so I take him to our carpeted rooms or our rugs. But he still won't play much.

 

[missyscove]

Has he seen a vet lately? Maybe there's some arthritis slowing him down?

 

[Acacia-Berry]

I would blame the dog. Hands down. When I moved back home a few years ago my rabbits met the dog and the cats for the first time. They didn't mind the cats bc we had been living with cats previously but the dog spooked them. It took time for Acacia, and eventually up until last September when my dog passed, Acacia and the dog were best friends. Cuddling on the bed and out in the yard.
The scent of the dog or the dog's pushiness and the loud voices if you scold the dog etc... All this is new to the bunny. (*unless I read it wrong)

Lay a blanket on the floor and give him time, offer treats and a cardboard house. You can build his hut up too, My condo is 3x3x3 so my bunny gets A LOT of jumping room and binky room on the floor.

You can also pick him up and bring him to a quiet room with a blanket he knows and just sit with him. I noticed my bunny slowing down a bit, not in an old way but in a mature way (she's 6). Just talk to him and pet him daily.

 

[tmaddox9]

Every bunny is different. My nine and a half year old little bunny boy still runs and plays and does binkies but my four year old girl Binx isn't very playful at all. My big sixteen pound Flemish Giant at two yrs can't get his big ole butt up in the air but he still tries! My thirteen pound half Flemish girl is going on seven and still does lovely binkies. It could be the change in your living place, the addition of the dog or the fact that your bun doesn't get as much outside time that is asking him unhappy. Check him all over for anything that feels unusual and watch his gait, how he moves to make sure he isn't in pain. Check his nails. If they haven't been trimmed in a while and are too long this will also make him cautious to move. I'd watch for any new symptoms and if anything else unusual crops up, have him checked out by a vet. It's so hard to tell when bunnies are ill. They hide things so well.