Aggressively chewing & rattling condo bars

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 6sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 1 month ago by mango.

Viewing 6 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 03/18/2016 at 4:17 PM
  mango
  Participant
  89 posts
  Hi everyone,
  
  I’ve seen several posts on the issue of chewing and rattling cage bars. I’m working on some of the suggestions in those threads.
  
  The noise does wake me up at night/early morning sometimes, but I can live with that. I’m more concerned about his TEETH. I got him on Sunday and he saw the vet Wed morning. She said his top teeth were a bit short which may be a developmental delay, and to keep my eye on them. It only occurred to me afterwards… Could chewing the bars have ground down his teeth that much in such a short timeframe?
  
  Reese is quite aggressive about it. He always has lots of food, water, fresh litter. He has a variety of toys and chewing alternatives, both loose and fixed to the cage. And I let him out for 3-6hrs per day. His behaviour seems to be a demand to be let out. I’ve been careful not to reward him for the behavior. I was hoping he’d lose interest if he didn’t get the results he wanted. No luck so far. I tried giving him a treat or letting him out when he stops and is quiet, but I’m not sure if he made the association yet.
  
  I first tried simple things like a loud clap, sharp “no”, tapping him on the nose, spray bottle (water). To my amazement, he was completely unphased. I don’t mean he stopped for a second and then continued. I mean he literally IGNORED water sprayed in his face (just closed his eyes) and me tapping his nose lightly. He just continued chewing as if nothing at all had happened, without skipping a beat. I knew Tans are stubborn and determined, but wow! (As an aside, I noticed he doesn’t react to me grabbing his paw while he’s occupied with chewing the bars. Could be a good time to trim his nails. Lol!)
  
  I used binder clips to secure the condo door more snugly. I was hoping if it didn’t move or rattle as much, he might lose interest. No luck yet.
  
  Next, I will try weaving those flexible cutting boards to block his access to the bars. I’m reluctant to use lemon juice or anything like that on his home because he can’t escape the scent.
  
  Am I right to be concerned about his teeth? Any other solutions I’ve overlooked?
  
  Thanks!
- 03/18/2016 at 7:29 PM
  skysblue
  Participant
  208 posts
  Bigger living space might help with the chewing issues
- 03/18/2016 at 7:51 PM
  mango
  Participant
  89 posts
  His condo is 5′ (length) x 2.5′ (depth) x 2′ (height). A second story will be added later to make it 4′ high.
  
  He is currently 12 weeks old, testicles have dropped, and he scheduled for neutering in early April.
- 03/18/2016 at 8:30 PM
  Love4Bunny
  Participant
  878 posts
  Thor is neutered and gets time outside his pen but will run back IN on purpose to rattle and chew the bars. I’ve created some small stations for him to chew, but I’m starting to think he likes the sound of his teeth against bars!
  
  The vet said his teeth are fine, and while he isn’t a chronic rattler, he will chew bars every so often.
  
  I think sometimes you can tell if there is a misalignment when they are young, but there is no way of knowing if it is genetic or environmental after the fact.
  
  You def. have a stubborn bunny!
- 03/18/2016 at 8:49 PM
  Excript
  Participant
  70 posts
  I dont have a for my bun, instead i am using those cube fencing for her area. And i put this short plastic gardenihg fencing to keep her away from biting the grill
  
  http://www.felton.com.my/prodetails.php?fpid=fp99514771&fscate=Gardening&fmodel=FDF
- 03/18/2016 at 8:59 PM
  mango
  Participant
  89 posts
  Love4Bunny, actually, now that you mention it, I think I did see him chew the bars a couple times even when the door was open. I just assumed it was because he didn’t notice yet that the door was open. I’ll have to watch for that. It will help me better understand why he’s doing it, which might help me devise deterrents.
  
  Excript, that fencing looks nice. It will be a bit tricky because he chews mostly around the door and I still need the door to open & close freely. But I should be able to create something or cut something to size.
- 03/19/2016 at 3:38 PM
  mango
  Participant
  89 posts
  Found a website about the Tan breed which described how notorious they are for chewing cage bars, moreso than most breeds. Here is an excerpt:
  
  “Being a very tactile breed, it is not uncommon to find them chewing on their cage wire. Giving them blocks of wood will sometimes redirect their attention from the wire. On average, they usually don’t do much, if any damage to their teeth.”
  
  That makes me relax a bit. He does have willow sticks and wood toys both affixed to the bars and loose in the cage.
  
  I went to the dollar store today and saw some things that might work as a barrier. Have to take some measurements and give it a try.
Author

Messages

Viewing 6 reply threads

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.