Chewing on cage bars

[Mackenzi]

He’s at it again! So yesterday was the first time we spent a lot of time with Reggie. He got to go outside twice for long times and even got to run around the house for the first time. We didn’t before because we feared chewing and him peeing (he is litter box trained but my room mate has a small dog that he didn’t seem to like, but yesterday was fine with). Well now he won’t stop chewing on his cage doors and rattling the dang things. I know you’re not suppose to show aggression, but when it is the middle of the night sometimes pillows will fly(he is in our room). He hasn’t stopped! I want to let him out but not if he is going to keep doing this. Can I put like vinegar or maybe even hot sauce on the bars to make him stop? Is there some other trick? I’m just lucky I didn’t have to work today. I really don’t want to have to move his cage from our room, but his is looking like our last resort. He is just such a temperamental boy and won’t even listen now when I tell him no. Someone please help! I just want a happy and healthy bun.

[Muchelle]

If he does that, he might be very stressed because of the dog or maybe he wants to be let out more often.. especially since he had a taste of freedom recently.
Don’t do hot sauce, poor thing! Rather discourage him by yelling a stern ‘no’ + gently pushing his head away from the bars. Don’t reward him afterwards (no pets/treats), he’ll understand eventually. Is he a young one?

If you have enough space, consider moving him and making an indoor pen for him so that he can have his territory and can hop around without threats.
Personally, I wouldn’t keep a pet in my room at night, but this is my personal opinion!

[Mackenzi]

I use to have him in a pen with all sorts of toys, but found him to be much more destructive. He’s calmed down now that we keep him in our room and in a cage. He is a year old, neutered, and I’m not sure if the dog does stress him out. They are both the same size and she is very chill with him. He is use to dogs and cats his size. As far as the hot sauce goes I was hoping the smell would deter him, but I can see how that would look bad, especially on his little tum tum. I know it’s cause he has got a taste of freedom. I don’t know, I hope he understands soon that that behavior will get him nowhere.

[beebun]

Chito does this all the time too.

We cover his enclosure with a sheet of fabric to help him calm down. Be sure to cut some ventilation on it!

[Deleted User]

Mine always used to do this after being let out. I gave in in the end, they’re free range now.

I often get woken during the night by a bun jumping on my head

[Mackenzi]

I would love to let him be free range, but we live in apartments and he chews on everything. He chewed through most of the patio of our old one cause we let him be free range out there. Now we have to watch everything he does. He is very destructive and I’m not sure why that is.

[Benthebunny]

My bunny has the same problem. All you have to do is put at towel on half of their cage. Works for me.

[caudex]

How big is his cage? If he can’t roam free, he might like something a bit bigger. As a bonus, x pen bars are a bit thicker and, since they aren’t under tension, harder to rattle.

Before I adopted my buddy Finnegan, his owner let me keep him for a summer. He was in a petco cage then, but free roamed when I was home. He was a smart and naughty boy who used to keep her awake rattling his cage. I can’t blame him, he was never let out. That first night, after a long day of binkies, I put in ear plugs, and I put the tiniest amount of liquid soap on the bars. I could still hear him, but it was less jarring. He rattled a few times, realized it was yucky, and started thumping instead. At first every thirty seconds…then every two minutes…ten…gave up. I fell asleep. Next night he started in, gave up faster. Not a peep at bedtime for the rest of the summer.

Sounds mean, but he spent hours and hours every day loose and hanging out with me. He had a lot of adorable bratty habits, I was just lucky enough to break this one.

[Excript]

I put those small plastic garden fencing tied to the cube cages to prevent my bunny from. Biting the cage bars. It worked

[Mackenzi]

He isn’t in a bunny cage but a dog kennel. When we first found him our neighbor have that to use so we could keep him in at night (Falcons, Hawks and owls in area). We moved him into an actual red wood rabbit hutch and put him outside to roam free on the patio. He was fine for a bit then started chewing the whole thing up. He chewed one of the legs clean off and a Reggie size hole through one side. We had to cut the legs. Then he started on the patio itself. No matter how many a of how much I played with him, it wasn’t enough. It started to get too hot for him to be out so we put him back into the dog kennel and he was fine. It was the weirdest thing. I’m planning on extending it soon. Now he has supervised outside time, but since it is so hot it’s like an hour or so a day in the morning before I go to work. My husband and I have been putting on metal clamps on the cage door. Sorta works. Better than before. And because Reggie is in our room we just turn the fan in our room up loud to try and not be woken up by a cranky buck.

I kind of wonder if that no bite nail stuff might work. I’ve tried it(I bite my cuticles bad) and it is mostly bitter with a slight sting, but more unpleasant than anything. I might have to check with his vet. We also just moved and there is a new dog in the house he is still getting use to. They have et to learn how to play with each other (they are the same size and she doesn’t understand how to chase and neither does he, so they rule one another up and run but there is no chasing that happens. It’s pretty cute, so we have to chase them). I know there is a lot of stress for him right now, but I’m trying to be there for him as much as I can and so is my husband. I only wish I could make a consistent time just for him.
I’m going to try the towel thing. I had before and it seemed to calm him down. I just didn’t want to do it now due to the heat, but I’ll go half way with it.

[Odette]

The Nail No Bite stuff is possibly toxic to bunnies. Rabbits are sensitive to the chemicals in cosmetics.

Bunnies are good at schedules. Maybe if you gave Reggie time outside his cage every night in your room, just before bedtime at the same time, when possible, and at the same length of time, he would learn the schedule and know he gets out then and not beg/chew during the night.

[Mackenzi]

Alright, I’ll not use that idea then. Maybe I’ll ask his vet the best solution. So far we are just using clips on his door.

He has made a schedule for me in fact, lol. Every morning he wakes me at 7, I eat breakfast and come around 8 he is begging to be let out. I just had to have a stern talking to him (whether he understood me or not) to get him to stop chewing. He sort of just sat there,and what seemed like, glared at me. But he stopped chewing. I waited a few minutes and then let him out. At night he gets to run about the house and as soon as he chews on anything we put him back in his cage. Last night, I was so proud, he didn’t chew and ran back into his cage after ten minutes and didn’t rattle the bars or anything the rest of the night. I think we are starting to get into a regiment, and hopefully we can stick with it. I just don’t want him being so darn demanding like that. I know he likes sleeping in the room with use, otherwise he chews and thrashes, like he gets nervous being away from us. It’s so odd.

[Mackenzi]

Posted By Mackenzi on 8/14/2016 10:31 AM
Alright, I’ll not use that idea then. Maybe I’ll ask his vet the best solution. So far we are just using clips on his door.

He has made a schedule for me in fact, lol. Every morning he wakes me at 7, I eat breakfast and come around 8 he is begging to be let out. I just had to have a stern talking to him (whether he understood me or not) to get him to stop chewing. He sort of just sat there,and what seemed like, glared at me. But he stopped chewing. I waited a few minutes and then let him out. At night he gets to run about the house and as soon as he chews on anything we put him back in his cage. Last night, I was so proud, he didn’t chew and ran back into his cage after ten minutes and didn’t rattle the bars or anything the rest of the night. I think we are starting to get into a regiment, and hopefully we can stick with it. I just don’t want him being so darn demanding like that. I know he likes sleeping in the room with use, otherwise he chews and thrashes, like he gets nervous being away from us. It’s so odd.

Plus I like him being in the room. He saved me from a spider before and if he ever gets scared he has us to be comforted by.

[LuvFurBabies80]

Sage rattles the gate bars when she wants attention.  She has a room to roam but when Walker is outside (Not ready for Walker and Sage to be our together yet) I pop open the gate and she gets supervised run of the house.  

She has gotten use to the schedule, I wake up at 7 let Walker out, open the gate so Sage can run and then go about my morning…make coffee, fresh water and food for both “kids”, scoop litter box….etc.  When Walker scratches at the door (usually about 1/2 hour later) I round Sage up and put her back in her room….

Now if I oversleep…the gate starts rattling like crazy! lol 

She also does this around the times she is used to getting her salad or if I am in there playing with her and leave and she feels she deserves more human play time.

the picture below shows the gate I am speaking of, this particular picture was nap time….Walker on one side and if you look closely Sage flopped out on the other

[JosipTheBunny]

Try sleeping with earplugs! It works for me
Mine also learned that rattling the cage won’t work to get him out. So just be patient. In the meantime – earplugs

[GeorgieTheBunny]

Sounds like you have 2 problems:
1. Cage rattling
2. Chewing

There’s been lots of advice on rattling already

Have you given Bun something chew friendly?
My bun chews like crazy but I always have a delicious option for her and it distracts her from being a bad chewer.
Apple/Willow/Oak Branches and Pinecones have been my life saver!

Here’s a link for more safe branches:
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Food/Branch/Branch_en.htm

Good chewing habits could be as easy as taking a nature walk and coming home with sticks!

[Author]

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