Alright guys, I think I need some words of encouragment…

[NinjaBunny]

I’m really considering getting rid of my bunny. I don’t want to, but I’m starting to feel like it’s a lot more trouble than it’s worth. I know bunnies aren’t perfect, and bunny owners have plenty of negaitves to deal with like with any pets. But it’s beginning to feel as if I’m attempting to contain a wild animal in my apartment! To give an idea, here’s a list of some of the things he’s destroyed since I got him: my couch, my mattress, my carpet, half of the wires in my home, my tv remote, my headphones, and the wooden corners of various pieces of furniture.

So I guess what I need are some words of encouragment? Maybe some reasons as to why it’s worth it to keep a bunny despite how much stress it’s caused me. I love bunnies, and he’s so sweet and beautiful, but I don’t know if I can keep a pet that has become a never ending battle. It really just takes the fun out of it.

Please help! What should I do??

[Monkeybun]

Sounds like some bunny-proofing is in order Is he free range, or doe she have a cage or pen? If free range, you will want to make sure that anything you do not want him to have access to is blocked off, bu grids, wood, whatever. Just make it so he cannot get to it. Get cord covers for every cord you have. Keep headphones way out of reach, use an xpen to block of the bed. Cover the couch when he is playing so he can’t wreck it.

Or, if he is currently free range, get him an x-pen. And cover the floor in it with alternative flooring if you don’t want him to dig up carpet. Then only let him out supervised when you can stop him from chewing and digging at stuff.

[Lintini]

Whoa! That’s a lot of damage! I agree with Monkeybun, some serious bunny-proofing is indeed in order! Until you can make sure all your items are safe you should not let your bunny free range or anything on the floor is fair game to ‘bunstruct.’

We had a thread before with lists of things our rabbits have destroyed, and we have all gone through many cell phone charger cords, tv remote buttons, head phones, carpet, etc etc. You are not alone, it took me some time to figure out how to make my room safe and I learned the hard way that anything I left out had a 95% chance of being tasted. Do you have an xpen or something to house him in until you can bunny proof?

[NinjaBunny]

Thanks for the response! I guess I wasn’t expecting how much I would have to change my whole house around in order to accommodate him. I’ve never had a pet like that before… and I’ve had every sort of pet you can think of, LOL. He is free range sometimes, when I let him out of his cage. More bunny proofing would probably help a lot, of course, but I wish it wasn’t such an eye sore.  I’m an artist, interior design is a big deal for me, haha. Having to put blockades in front of everything doesn’t seem attractive at all. I can section off just one area of the house for him, but then I’ll feel guilty leaving him alone there all the time and not being able to hang out with me and the cats. 

[Lintini]

I line a lot of things with the NIC grids, they don’t look pretty as you said but if you use zip ties you can fold them up after playtime and store them somewhere else instead of leaving them up. My parents would strangle me if any of my buns started eating the brand new suede couch.

[angie-la]

oh man, they definitely are much more of a handful than I anticipated as well! but, like others said, with some bunny proofing it can be very easy. I got a great x-pen on amazon, the tallest one is 48″ or so, there’s 8 panels [so your bun still has plenty of space] and it goes for about $50. I keep it closed when I’m not home, and I just open it up when I come home and let them have a free run area. My dad had the smart idea of getting a bunch scrap carpet from the carpet stores so I don’t have to worry about them tearing up my own haha. Just try and keep your valuables out of their designated area. They also sell these plastic covers for cords… I haven’t bought them myself but I’m considering it since two seconds of chewing leads to disaster haha.

But, I would definitely say keep your bun! I think once you get all the bunny proofing settled it’ll take a huge load of your shoulders and come on.. who can resist these fuzzy little cuties? they’re tons of fun and they definitely do help perk up your day when it’s not going so well. good luck! I hope everything works out =]

[Lintini]

Aww I forgot to add that too….keep your bun! It’s really OUR fault for leaving things out for them to ruin. It’s not fair to be upset with them when we have the ability to make them safe and in a space where they won’t ruin OUR things. I probably have 1000$ worth of damage in things, the biggest being Indy eating my Blackberry cell phone….*rolls eyes* We can help give you ideas with how to better your area you want to bun proof and go from there! I find my rabbits to be rewarding pets and I just love them to pieces. I can’t even consider them my pets, they are like my babies. I will do anything for them. My friends think I am insane when I have to leave parties early to feed them but….it’s my responsibility that I took on and I woudln’t have it any other way!

So lets start with what type of space are we working with to bunproof and what types of hazards do we need to look into. Anything is fair game to be tasted so we must protect anything that you do not want “tasted” What is his cage like? Have you considered a dog xpen? You can find them on craigslist or the classifieds for dirt cheap! I think petsmart has an online sale of 20% off too this week?? When dealing with a free range bun you first must make sure all things you need to be protected are protected! I said before I’ve had mine free range pair in my room for a year and just 2 weeks ago I heard a strange noise…..Bee was in my aquarium stand eatting a fake plant!!! There are so many chemicals I keep in there and she drug out my net and another silk plant outside of the stand….I freaked out when I found her under there I said, “BUMBLEZZZ NOoOoooOooooooooooOO” (all in slow motion of course) I’m still learning too….they always find ways to sneak around what we think is an amazing bunny proof thing when it might not be! I just try my best to make things safe until they prove me wrong.

[jerseygirl]

Hi NinjaBunny
I have a magic word for you; Neuter!!!!! lol. I just re-read your intro thread from last month and you mention Ninja is a young bunny and unneutered as yet. It’s no wonder you’re having trouble! I assume you haven’t had him fixed as yet?

Neutering can tone down (even stop) unwanted behaviours. Not right away but there should be an improvement within a month or two. Though I do think they’re still rascally while teen buns.

Aside from that, do provide alternative things for him to chew, dig destroy and limit his access to areas until you can trust him not to destroy the place.

[Beka27]

Yes, if he is still intact, neutering can greatly decrease these behaviors, BUT… (BUT!!!) there is no guarantee that they will completely stop.

There are many altered rabbits who still dig and chew and mark. Some of it is inherent, but at least after the neuter you can have an easier time distinguishing what is HORMONE-induced and what is just your bunny’s personality. And then can have a more accurate idea as to what needs to be modified.

[NinjaBunny]

Thanks so much for all the responses guys!! They really mean a lot!
I was in a pretty grumpy mood last night when I posted that, so now, with some sleep, I have a more open mind about things again.

I do still need to get him neutered. He even had an appt. but I had to cancel because of holiday plans. Then I got really sick and was down and out for the last two weeks. Needless to say, much bunny destruction ensued because I was way too sick to bunny proof everything while he was out. But I’m HOPING there will be some improvement once he’s fixed. Anyway, I do have some of those metal grids I see everyone talking about around the site. And I bought zip ties. I even have an extra room that’s basically empty that I was going to give to him. So I’m going to see what I can come up with. And I’ll see if I can use the grids to block off the couches and cords when he’s in the rest of the house. Because as I said before, I’ll feel bad keeping him alone in the extra room ALL the time.

My parents keep saying I need to get rid of him, but I’m so determined to make it work. I’m hoping I can prove to them that it’s possible to have a bunny without a destroyed apartment as well!

Hopefully things will improve! I’ll let you guys know!
Again, thanks so much!

P.S. Lintini: You made me laugh so much with your story about the bunny getting into your aquarium stuff! I can only imagine! Hahaha.

[KatnipCrzy]

Neutering will help- and also as he matures after neutering you should notice a difference.  He is basically a “naughty child” right now- exploring everything with his teeth and otherwise- bunnies tend to mellow with age.

[Monkeybun]

When I hear parents say stuff like “You need to get rid of it if its being destructive or not sing the litterbox” I always say “Did you get rid of your kid when it broke stuff or had an accident?”

That usually shuts them up

[Otti]

Yes, neutering should definitely help. My rabbit is 8 months, was neutered at 4, and I think his chewing/burrowing instincts went down by maybe 70%, though they did not completely disappear.

I would definitely suggest a pen for when you’re not present, and then when you’re home, you’re going to have to both bunny-proof and consistently discipline him to get the results you want.

For bunny-proofing, I hate the NIC grids too. I just can’t make myself put them all over my apartment. So instead I just put cord covers on any exposed cords, pushed the entertainment unit close enough to the wall so that Sammy can’t get to the cords behind it, and covered any corners of the carpet he was particularly interested in with straw mats from the binkybunny store. (Luckily he only really pulls up the carpet in two corners).

For the ‘disciplining’, I’ve become pretty tuned in to the difference in the noise he makes when he’s just chewing on straw, and when instead he’s chewing on wood or digging at something he shouldn’t be. You have to do this consistently to make it work, but just say NO once firmly (sometimes I snap my fingers) and then if he doesn’t stop, go over there and physically lift him and move him from what he’s doing. After about 4 months of doing this with Sammy he responds much more quickly, and I can get him to stop whatever he’s trying to do now about 50% of the time. It only keeps getting better, so I’m sure as he ages his response will keep improving.

Until you neuter him though you might want to limit his time out of his pen for your own sanity. Just get a pen asap, get a blanket or towel to put under it until you can figure out more permanent flooring, and then let him out only a few hours a day (even just 1 or 2) supervised by you so you can start the ‘disciplining’. Then once you get him neutered and his hormones die down, you can increase his ‘out’ time.

Oh, another thing that is useful as someone else said is providing other things to chew. Not just in his pen/cage, but also wherever it is that he’s mostly chewing stuff he shouldn’t. As an example, Sammy loved to chew on my wicker Papasan chair. I put some apple branch sticks under it, and now anytime he’s under it, instead of chewing on the bottom of the chair, he’ll chew on those. The wicker rings from the binkbunny store also work well as deterrents, and again the straw mats are good as well. 

[angie-la]

Posted By Monkeybun on 01/12/2011 11:31 AM
When I hear parents say stuff like “You need to get rid of it if its being destructive or not sing the litterbox” I always say “Did you get rid of your kid when it broke stuff or had an accident?”

That usually shuts them up

LOL! got em.

[RabbitPam]

Posted By Monkeybun on 01/12/2011 11:31 AM
When I hear parents say stuff like “You need to get rid of it if its being destructive or not sing the litterbox” I always say “Did you get rid of your kid when it broke stuff or had an accident?”

That usually shuts them up

Uh, Monkeybun? I heard from your parents, and, well, I hate to be the one to break the news to you but they left you at a truck stop on the highway after a particularly bad car ride wih you. But you followed the potato chip crumbs home and they felt guilty when you found them toasting each other with champagne in the jecuzzi…..

Seriously, it will help to have the neuter, and age in general can often make a bunny less destructive. It’s not too hard on the bunny to be in an xpen during the bad hormonal days, and you can let him out in some areas that are bunny proofed but not everywhere. I like to decorate my apartment, and almost went nuts with the NIC cube decor around my whole couch and chair/stereo/computer. After a while, though, she got too big to fit under the furniture and I slid them away with just a spare blanket stuffed underneath to keep her from trying. She got bored and left much of the pieces alone once she was fully grown.

Also you can wipe a solution of white vinegar and water, or spray, on your furniture and wall molding to repel him. It won’t smell for long to you, but he’ll smell it.

[Otti]

Yeah Pam is right, that’s another thing. While they’re small you need to block them off from going under or behind furniture or the couch if they’re chewing under there/messing things up. However, as he grows, he’ll get to a point where he just can’t fit anymore. He might still try every now and then, but that’s when the disciplining can come in.

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

Everyone here has said some great advice.

When we moved to where we are, Smokey was about a year and had outgrown her cage I had gotten her when she was a baby. In the process of saving up to get her the current condo she has now, her “cage” was an x-pen. There is medium length carpet down here and while I was sleeping, se would rip it up. Now there are several patches of carpet that are bare. I had no idea she was capable of THAT type of destruction.

Because of this forum and reading up, I’ve learned how to keep things away from her that she feels the need to destroy. I could never give her up, and I don’t think you should give yours up, either.

I wish you the best of luck bunny-proofing your area. You could always get a NIC-grid condo with 2-3 levels like I did if your bun having free range is too much hassle. I have a great person who makes them and has them shipped to your house if you’re interested!

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

Also, Smokey was horrible when the hormones hit her. I had her spayed at 8-9 months and all of the cage territorial stuff, growling and batting stopped completely and I had my sweet Smokey back : D

[MirBear]

You mentioned being an interior designer…
What about a certain room? you can design a bunny paradise room then that could be his play area and you wont have to worry about destruction or un appealing NIC grids Just a thought / dream

[Ashley&Bing]

What I did to prevent damage to my things was give him replicas in his pen that he was free to destroy. He would find my jeans and dig and dig and chew and dig until there were holes!! So i got old jeans and cut them up and draped them all over his pen. And now my jeans are safe. He would chew on anything with a corner, so every time a new box comes my way, I throw it in there and he chews the corners off after a while and my walls were safe.
Keep him, I promise you its completely worth it. Your parents may think your crazy, but one day they’ll understand when he’s older and does binkies in front of them and then he will be irresistible!

[RabbitPam]

Yes, chewing substitutes given immediately is a good method. I prefer to use willow toys, sticks, and willow balls sicne they really get their teeth into them, can swallow for fibre and they last longer. It’s very good to train a bunny that chewing a carpet won’t taste great or feel very good later, but a willow or seagrass matte is fun, tasty and no indigestion! They’re smart enough to go with what they like best.

Forgot to add that I have deliberately put my computer table and a TV in my bunny’s room (2nd bedroom space) in my apartment so I will be certain to do my thing in here for periods of time with her while she flits around in there with me. When she feels like company, I get teeny kisses on my feet and I know to look down.

[LittlePuffyTail]

My living room is completely bunny proof. Doesn’t look very pretty (not to mention all the cardboard boxes and toys all over). When company comes over I “De-bunny proof”. It’s good to set up some bunny proofing stuff that is not permanent so your house can look presentable once in a while!

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