How do you keep your rabbit from being naughty?

FORUM

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 32sd replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 1 month ago by emm_renn.

Viewing 32 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 03/04/2015 at 6:39 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  It seems like all my rabbit wants to do is chew on the wall trimming or anything else that she can get her little teeth around. She has toys she can play with and chew on but she prefers the carpet, the underside of my bed and baseboards. What do you all do in order to keep your rabbits from being destructive?
- 03/04/2015 at 6:42 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Is your rabbit free roam?
- 03/04/2015 at 6:46 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  No. I couldn’t trust her enough to do that. I’ve tried to leave her alone for a couple of hours while I was at work but she ended up ripping up some carpet. Never again.
- 03/04/2015 at 6:54 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Rabbits are chewers, some more than others. Your best defense is to bunny proof whatever you can and supervise when she is out. There are also bitter sprays you can get, but those seem to only be 50/50. As they get older, they will sometimes calm down and chew less, but this isn’t always the case.
- 03/04/2015 at 6:55 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Is she spayed yet?
- 03/04/2015 at 6:59 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Yeah i’m looking forward to when she reaches a year. She is very sweet but when she has had too much time out of her cage she becomes very naughty and gets into everything. And no she is not spayed yet. I’ve been saving up and FINALLY looking for an exotic animal hospital to take her to. She is about 7 months now so it is very much time to have the procedure. Just hoping its not too late.
- 03/04/2015 at 7:05 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Yeah, you’re in the frustrating post-puberty/pre-fixed stage… :-\ Things should get better once she’s spayed and has had time to mature. My girl was very destructive before she was spayed too, but it got better.
- 03/04/2015 at 7:12 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Im just lucky its not that bad. I’ve read a lot of destructive horror stories on here. I am keeping my hopes high for the future. Besides all the chewing she seems to be pretty happy. She binkies and runs around really fast (like right now). That is all I can ask for. haha! I love it when she runs.
- 03/04/2015 at 8:22 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17238 posts
  Well, I generally give Leopold a firm talking to. He can’t hear me, so it doesn’t do any good. LOL
  
  I agree, your girl will likely calm down after she has been spayed and she matured a little more.
- 03/04/2015 at 8:44 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  After I go crook at Henry and point/wave my finger furiously at him, he just tells me he’s the bunny of the house and he’ll do whatever he wants, and I say ok and walk away sulking……
  
  LOL! Seriously, my solution is BOARDS! I have horrible ugly boards up all over my house…. SIGH!
- 03/05/2015 at 6:42 AM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Right now I have a pillow blocking the spot on the wall where she has been chewing at. Now she is scratching and chewing on the pillow… ugg. Chewing seems to be the only thing she is doing but I’m afraid she will eat the fabric.
- 03/05/2015 at 7:27 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Yes, I would be concerned about that too. I really think the only solution (that I can think of anyway) are boards. Or something simular that can’t be shredded and eaten. What about large floor tiles – do have any spare large ceramic floor tiles laying around? No… bugga! But yer, something along those lines. Sorry I can’t be of more help, but I hope my suggestion is something you may consider. I know how frustrated you are – I really do!
  
  But I have good news…. once my Henry was neutered and he grew up (so yes, it did take a year) he is free roam 24/7 and even though I still have the boards up (I’m NOT silly and do NOT trust him completely) I haven’t had an issue with him since.
- 03/05/2015 at 9:39 AM
  kathybunny
  Participant
  57 posts
  my rabbit got much better once she was spayed.
- 03/05/2015 at 12:28 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  I think I might have some ceramic tiles. My parents are redoing my bathroom and they have several extras. For now, I am using those NIC grids and just layer them along the outside of my dresser (thats where she gets under and chews the walls).
- 03/05/2015 at 1:02 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  I just made an appointment for a consolation about getting her fixed.
- 03/05/2015 at 6:00 PM
  Megabunny
  Participant
  2041 posts
  Amazingly AH’s house never burned down!! My Gus is the same age but still can’t be free roam. Maybe he never had enough chances to be naughty. And hubby would never allow me to put ugly boards up all over the house…so no fair grousing about your hubby AH!! Mine thinks the UN should shut down BB as a threat to public health or some such crazy thing…he thinks we’re all nuts. I just had to share this particular post with him. He needs to know he’s not the only one suffering. Give me a break.
- 03/05/2015 at 8:50 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17238 posts
  Yes, I’ve found large ceramic tiles are useful for covering favorite chew spots on the carpet. It needs to be heavy enough that they can’t move it. Leopold is surprisingly strong, so sometimes bricks are better. LOL
- 03/05/2015 at 10:09 PM
  Patrick
  Participant
  86 posts
  I love your bun, nice looking girl, I have a hard time with Patrick, he’s into everything, my best tool is a spray bottle, its very effective.
- 03/05/2015 at 10:27 PM
  JackRabbit
  Participant
  5451 posts
  None of mine could be free roam. Marlee would chew everything, Kieko would pee on everything, and Moshi would rearrange the entire house. We use lots of baby gates, xpens, etc.
- 03/06/2015 at 12:19 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Thank you, Patrick. She is a cute little booger. Its just so upsetting whenever I try giving her a treat she will sometimes lunge at my hand and nip. I’m just hoping this is all a adolescent stage and will get better as she ages.
- 03/06/2015 at 4:55 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Honestly, once your girl is spayed and matures, I’m pretty positive she will settle…..
  
  PS – LOL MB!!! I can’t believe you remembered ALL the cords Henry chewed (it’s true!), I can’t believe our house didn’t BURN down! Lol!
  So those UGLY boards (or tiles) do come in handy…. ha ha ha!
- 03/07/2015 at 7:43 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Thanks guys for all the positive feed back. Crossing my fingers for the future
- 03/11/2015 at 5:49 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  When is your consult with the vet?
- 03/12/2015 at 2:08 PM
  Flopsie
  Participant
  388 posts
  Bunnies will be chewers, this is a behavior coded into their system. For some, they get lucky and don’t have chewers, for most, we have to deal with them.
  
  Your long term solution is spaying, but that may not fix it completely. For example, my bun chewed a lot before, but still chews now, although at much decreased levels.
  
  Your best bet is to not try to teach them not to chew, but to (A) give alternative things to chew such as toys, cardboard boxes, etc.
  and also (B) prevent the chewing. This might mean blocking off access to the walls, fencing areas that you dont’ want to have access. Using ceramic tiles to cover rugs, etc. If you want her to have more room but can’t be trusted, you might look into creating an area that is controlled for her to be in
- 03/12/2015 at 4:27 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Beka, it was today and everything seems to be in order! So she will be having her surgery this coming Wednesday afternoon. I think my problem is, she doesn’t have many toys. She has a few pet store toys like a wood ball, a carrot looking toy, and a rolling cylinder with a ball in the middle held in there by wood pannels. Then I have a toilet paper toy filled with hay. Maybe I just don’t have enough things to distract her. I blocked off the underside of my bed which she didnt like because she likes to hid under there, so I think I might clean out a side of my closet and make it a bunny haven for her. She seems to like it in there as well.
- 03/13/2015 at 12:42 AM
  Thump
  Participant
  60 posts
  Getting them fixed might fix the peeing problem but most likely do nothing for the chewing problem. They have an innate need to chew. I give my bunnies pieces of junk mail or cardboard boxes which is their favorite chew toy. Plus its free. As long as there is paper or cardboard, my buns wont chew on anything else. Of course you need to keep all cords away too.
- 03/13/2015 at 7:40 AM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  So they can chew on paper? My rabbit likes to do this but I’m afraid if she swallows the paper it might hurt her. And she has no peeing problem. She uses the litter box very well actually. Almost perfectly especially when she is out roaming around my room. I am very pleased about that.
- 03/13/2015 at 8:12 AM
  Megabunny
  Participant
  2041 posts
  Phone books are popular past times for rabbits. I have a box for mine that I throw in newspaper and random paper, plus a tissue box of hay. He has gotten a bit tired of it. He has a very short attention span
- 03/13/2015 at 9:39 AM
  Patrick
  Participant
  86 posts
  Paper and cardboard are fine, Patrick loves paper, he found that my desk contains lots of paper, so I started putting decoy pages on top with turned up corners so when he does a hit and run, he takes the blank sheet.
  
  Patrick goes through a mischievous stage and I don’t think he’ll ever leave it lol
- 03/14/2015 at 12:13 AM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17238 posts
  I think they get satisfaction out of ripping paper. Mine love their phone books, but boy do they make a mess. LOL
- 03/14/2015 at 6:18 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Alright! I will let my rabbit tear up my bills! xD
- 03/15/2015 at 6:22 AM
  Megabunny
  Participant
  2041 posts
  Uhhhh… well, I don’t think the bill collectors would accept the “my rabbit ate my bill” excuse
- 03/19/2015 at 4:25 PM
  emm_renn
  Participant
  309 posts
  Haha! well megabunny, it is worth a shot XD. But here’s an update! Just got Fuji back today from her spay. So far she is not happy at all. I gave her treats and all she did was lunge at me and then take the treat. The doctor said Fuji definitely let her know that she didn’t like something because she would thump at her (thats my girl), but said hopefully the spay will help calm her down. I secretly love her diva attitude though.
Author

Messages