Get those flexible cutting boards the sell at Wal Mart. They come in white or multi colored packs of 3. Weave those through the cage bars as close to the bottom as you can, make sure the ends are always out so there is nothing your bunny can reach to chew. If that alone fails to stop him, get some bitter lime spray form the pet store and mist that on the cutting boards inside the cage. That should put an end to that bad habit. (You will need 2 or more packs of boards, depending on the size of the cage. If you cannot wave them say it’s a mesh cage, secure them on the inside very tightly with zip ties by punching 9 sets of tie holes in each board.)

Lulu does this too and it’s like she’s trying to escape but that’s not it cuz her pen is always open. Any reasoning behind why they may do this?

I’ve found for most, it’s a bad habit learned from the breeder where they were in a cage with no toys, nothing else to do to alleviate boredom and, in a location that no one cared to stop them form rattling the cage. Several of mine did that when I got them but the cutting boards stopped it. After a month or so I took the boards away and, they still left the cage wire alone.

Neat idea about the plastic cutting boards! Make sure they are solid colored. I know some places sell them with designs and those rub off after awhile. Obviously, I’m guessing the paint is food safe, but better to keep with the plain ones!

What kind of cage is he in? If it’s a small cage, can the space be expanded at night with an xpen?

Huh, I will have to try that BlueMoods!

It always makes me laugh when my rabbit does this. It’s like he’s some POW who’s being tortured and is trying to escape. lol!! Meanwhile, he’s spoiled beyond belief and just can’t handle it when I go to bed an hour early or get home a little late. haha!

Bam does this if there is a grid he can get to. His cage at my mum’s house is always open, but he still gnaws at the grid. I guess it’s a habit from before my time with him, when he was probably caged.

He may also stand on two legs and lean on the grid with his front paws and press his little precious nose against the grid to beg for food, which is kind of ridiculous since the cage-door right next to him is wide open.

Rabbits are creatures of habit. I have one, Skittles, who apparently was always given hay and greens through the top of his cage before I got him. Even though I offer the hay and greens at an easier to reach level for him, every time I bring fresh to him, he stands up and watches over his head for the food. He still expects them to be shoved through the top of his cage, even if the door is open and the greens or hay are in the feeder closer to floor level.

Poor fella, never allowed out and just had food poked through a cage at him. He’s a good rabbit, quiet, docile, loving little guy (NZ runt so only 4.5 lbs which is small for that breed.) He has a much better life here, has for the last year and a half but, he still remembers the old ways he learned before I got him.

Ellis will rattle his cage door when we’re home and he wants to come out. Well, when he wants the door open. He knows he has to be in the cage when we’re not home and when we go to bed. But the door should be open when he knows we’re there.

That doesn’t mean he comes out. He’s been known to rattle the door, and then go back to sleep in his corner once the door is open.

Yes, he has us under his complete control as is proper for a true Alpha Bunny.

Oh life as a bunny slave

My cage doesn’t make a lot of noise, so Ziggy tends to bang his toys or ceramic dish again the bars. He’s gotten quieter since he’s discovered it doesn’t help him any. lol!!
I’m a former cat slave so the transition to bunny slave wasn’t that far. Except I don’t have to share my tuna. lol!

This was a great read.. my bun does this too… its slowly stopping tho. only because i’ve know put plants all around her ex pen so she can’t see me all the time. I think it was just making her want to be out! plus, the nice plants give her oxygen and natural fun environment (she doesn’t eat them or that wouldn’t work – haha)

Of my herd, it’s Tippy that lets me know the herd is ready to come out and play. He grunts rather loudly which sets Skittles to grunting back and, that aggravates Sassy so, she goes to thumping at them. No ignoring them at that point, I have to go open the cages and let them out into their runs. (the have 3 runs since all are not bonded and, I have mixed genders, unaltered, so they can’t all be together.) Then there is BB, she is the only one that will go to the litter box form anywhere in the house and, the one that is bomb proof (nothing spooks her) so, she has free run of the house as long as I am home and awake. All of them have to get in their cages when I have to leave or when I go to bed.

My guy lives in an ex-pen when I’m not home or awake. When I come home, he chews on the bars and pushes the pen walls to move them. His way of telling me he wants out.

I have one who chews/shakes at the bars when he gets excited (door open or closed doesn’t matter) — usually when I open the cage door at dinner time *after* I’ve opened the door.  I have another in a NIC condo who not only rattles the doors when she wants out but also to tattle on one of the other bunnies when one of them does something she doesn’t think they should be doing.  This bunny rattles the doors with her teeth but also stands up, sticks her from legs through the grids, and pushes/pulls hard to shake the doors.  She shakes them so hard we had to put a bungee cord up to keep her from being able to pull one of the doors inward enough that she could get a foot caught in the opening.  And she’s only a small bunny (> 3 lbs?)!

Nessie does the same thing and her favorite time to do it is at 3 in the morning when I’m trying to sleep. My boyfriend got so tired of it he took some paperclips and wired shut the door before bed the other night so she can’t shake it enough to wake us up. It did actually work. She probably is bored but I don’t think there’s much I can do about it. She’s got two or three toys, plenty of room, plenty of water, and plenty of hay

Licorice somehow rattles his whole cage by chewing the bars!

Chipper – who chews EVERYTHING else – doesn’t touch the cage bars or ever ask to be let out.

I think it’s one of those “to each their own.” lol

Interestingly – a friend gave me a tip, said to cover the cage with a blanket at bed time – works like a charm.

Haha Katscarpena I tried that once and it made it much worse!! Talk about an unhappy bunny. She went to dig out her entire litter box and banged all of her toys against the bars. :S

Oh man. I hope you can find a solution!

Lol luckily she is much happier now that she has her x-pen instead of a cage, but will still voice her opinion when she wants out

Foo does this when she wants out, especially if we’ve gotten home late. Even though his home is separate until they’re bonded, Jaxx has picked up this habit from her, so I now have two little prisoners waiting for me when I home or wake up.