Bunny Behavior

Rabbit Training

Can Rabbits be trained?  Of course!  But it takes patience and an understanding of rabbit behavior.  Molly learned how to beg in the kitchen on her own – don’t we love that about our pets?  In this video I’ve begun training Molly to jump on and off a lower kitchen shelf.  She’s also learned to spin and go through a tube but in this video I’m working to attach commands to the actions.

See it on You-Tube here.

Molly is getting used to wearing her harness for agility group.

Rabbit agility is another way to enrich the lives of our rabbits.  In this video one of my foster rabbits, Peter, has just learned to jump hurdles.  This was only his second time at it!

Watch the video here.

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Rabbit Proofing

When we think about bunny proofing our homes our first thought is to cover the electrical wiring or make it out of reach.   There’s more!  Unfortunately I learned some things the hard way and luckily my bunnies were never hurt.

Molly is my kitchen bunny.  She’s a big, black, French Lop who’s not shy about begging from me when I’m in the kitchen.  It’s by magic that the fridge opens and a grape comes rolling out.  Actually, she has me trained.  We talk about training our pets but really they’re training us.  Molly learned that if she follows her target stick I will give her a treat.  Such a smart bunny!

Molly is also very inquisitive.  One day I came home from work to find a house full of steamed windows and a completely flooded studio room carpet.  She took a munch out of the water hose leading to the washing machine.  Now I have a tiled floor and a gate to keep her from the delicious plastic hosing.

Molly again!  After 5 years of living with Molly I went into the kitchen one morning and found her on top of my kitchen table.  After all these years she figured out that the chair made for a great step stool.  Dangerous, yes!  Even a small jump down can hurt a bunny’s delicate bones.  I’ve learned to always push in my dining room chairs.

Food left lying on a table is also a prime target for munching bunnies.  Finding a half eaten Butterfinger bar left me to suspect none other than…Molly.  She definitely has an iron stomach!  Be careful of poisonous plants as well.  No, I have none within Molly’s reach.

For more information about rabbit proofing your home click on this link to the House Rabbit Society’s FAQ’s page.  http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/rabbit-proofing.html

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