Being bonded has made my bun very happy...and also, very naughty! Help please!

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 5 months ago by The Rabbit.

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- 09/30/2010 at 6:52 PM
  The Rabbit
  Participant
  183 posts
  What can I do? Pixel is even snugglier then before. he’s so happy. he loves to hop and play with Zelda. But now, he also chews the carpet. Very often. Last night I awoke to him chewing the carpet. It wasn’t just a few chews. He made a big spot where the wood underneath has been exposed. There is carpet everywhere(he doesn’t eat it, just pulls it) Zelly only chews paper and cardboard. He hadn’t chewed the carpet for a long while, and i he did it was one or two pulls to get my attention. Zelly poops nighttime poops on the floor, and in anything that contains hay she goes to the bathroom. Pixel now poops in his cage. It’s a big mess and is going to have to be cleaned(i’m making them a new cage soon, so no worries.) I have a blankey that he would occassionaly nom on, but now it’s all the time(and he does swallow that) so I have to keep it hidden from him. It’s my blanket not his(and even if it, was…thats a no no). He also sneaks out of my room to hop and play in the living room, and it’s harder then ever to get him back in. Now he has to be in the cage every time we go out, And at night. He has been allowed to go in ad out of his cage at night, because he was such a good bun. But now, he’s missbehaving and I need help.
  
  He clearly needs some re-training (probably due to the new living arrangements, although he clearly loves flopping with her and getting kisses), and I don’t know where to start. Help is much appreciated.
  
  also, how do I teach Zelda that not everything with hay in it is a litterbox? we have a hay box now to minimize the mess and she uses that as a litterbox, the cage too, as thats covered in hay.
- 10/01/2010 at 8:47 AM
  Deleted User
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  22064 posts
  What you are describing is very typical of a newly bonded bunny. I guess they may just come out of their shell more when they are in lagomorphic company. The stray littering is definitely because of being newly bonded, it may last a while. Most rabbits like to potty wherever there is hay on the ground so make sure you contain the hay in their litterbox or above it. Don’t let them eat hay in other areas or these will become potty zones. You have to manage the unwanted behaviors by habitat modifications. I would get an xpen or make a large NIC condo so they can be happy even when you have to confine them.
- 10/01/2010 at 3:21 PM
  Balefulregards
  Participant
  715 posts
  Ah yes….I occasionally think Coco does things intentionally BECAUSE Jackson is here. She was our Alpha Bun (in so many ways) and she was always a bit on the Feisty side of the spectrum, she did increase the feisty with the addition of Jackson – almost in a “He’s got my back” kind of way.
  
  The irony is that Jackson is NOT a naughty bun at all. The worst behavior I have seen is him grabbing a lush piece of dill from her mouth and foot flicking off under the bed. He also has always been 100% with his litter habits.
  
  She remains my stray pooper – and on occasions when I have upset her, she will pee in very specific spots. Jackson Only poos outside the box when he smells her urine.
  
  As to the hay…I am not sure you can convince them to not use the space with hay as a litterbox. It seems to be, in some way, hardwired into a rabbits brain ( or at least mine) Eat Hay….Pee and Poo. I use a Large Bottom “tray” from an old cage as a litter box – with two cat litter boxes set into it. This way I can clean their “primary” boxes easily and contain the mess from the hay within the box, somewhat. Also, if they overshoot the litterbox, then the edges of the box have litter in it and easily absorb the misses.
  
  This way they have a really large space for their litter, they can both be IN the box and eating hay ( which I keep in the front space of the litter pans) and they rarely miss the litter (unless it is intentional) . I took a pic ages ago, let me see if I can find it….
- 10/01/2010 at 3:34 PM
  Balefulregards
  Participant
  715 posts
  Ah, found it.
  
  It looks slightly different now – as Coco would sit in the middle ON the hay. Now I have the Boxes side by side in the big white box, and the hay at the front of the boxes. They also are pellet free, so they don’t have those bowls.
- 10/02/2010 at 10:00 PM
  The Rabbit
  Participant
  183 posts
  Posted By Balefulregards on 10/01/2010 03:34 PM
  
  Ah, found it.
  
  It looks slightly different now – as Coco would sit in the middle ON the hay. Now I have the Boxes side by side in the big white box, and the hay at the front of the boxes. They also are pellet free, so they don’t have those bowls.
  
  That is really cool! They look happy.
  
  I think I’m going to make a bunny condo for them to sleep in at night. I have an x-pen, but it takes up a *lot* of space.
  
  The worst thing about the poops is hers are softer (especially at night, and softer than pixel’s night poops) and stepping on them mashes them into the carpet. I’m just glad she isn’t peeing on the carpet. (knock on wood.) The interesting thing is, pixel hasn’t chewed today. We ahd to keep the dog in the room with them today, and i’m wondering if that had an effect on him.
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