Bad rabbit…

[FrankieFlash]

What is a non-harmful, effective way to tell a bun that behavior is not okay. Or if someone wants to provide a solution to my current scenerio:

My bun isn’t fixed YET and he’s currently vacationing at my parents house and we had to put him on a vinyl tablecloth inside a playpen (not ideal understandably) because they are worried about their carpet and its way to big of a house to let him run alone in any room. Plus its added security measure for me against his cousins- two very curious dogs. (very tame dogs but he’s still to frightened by them & they’re on different floors of the house).

Anyway bun here is a typical teenager and ignoring all his toys and digging and chewing up tablecloth. I’ve been taping over the holes so he can’t get cotton inside and when he does chew the tablecloth i yell “NO” and clap my hands. This temporarily makes him stop.

Anyway the question to this lengthy scenerio is what can I do to stop this behavior so he doesn’t harm himself? I can’t think of a better flooring situation at the moment (he wont move on hardwood floors (too slippery) and he pretty much chews every other flooring option (carpet, towel, blanket)

The clapping and yelling no is becomming less and less effective and we have a full week here and I want him to be happy and safe with out-of-cage time.

 

Picture:

(he’s in the coke filled with hay box giving me a disapproving look for sneaking a picture)

[Stickerbunny]

You need something he can’t dig up, you can’t teach a bun not to dig/chew… it’s their instinct. And obviously he finds it tasty. Coroplast would work (available at sign stores, home depot, etc). Or something heavier, like lineoleum stapled to a piece of plywood, or a single piece of hard vinyl with teeth that will attach to the carpet and be impossible to dig up to get ahold of. But a squirt bottle of water is a safe way fo saying ”no” , also a loud “EH!” noise but it doesn’t work for long especially when he’s already in his own area.

[mindy10]

thats hard because since he is a chewer you cant put anything in there thats not safe for him. How about cardboard so at least if he digs or tries to chew it its not harmfull for him. Hopefully someone will come up with a solution for you. Like that last said that digging is instinc to them so thats like me trying to get my cat to stop killing mice. It would be impossible to do.

[LBJ10]

The best way to discourage chewing is simply to remove the possibility from the equation. When mine had started a digging spot in the carpet, I literally had to set something heavy on the spot or fence it off. If what he is sitting on is dig-friendly material, then there isn’t much you can do accept find a different material to put him on. I think Stickerbunny has a good suggestion.

[Sam and Lady's Human]

I wouldn’t let any tape be in his pen, I had tape facing sticky-side down on the carpet in the corner to keep Samson from digging, and one day Sam dug it up and got it stuck on her fur, it was awful
Put him on the hardwood, he’ll get used to it. Or even lay down some cardboard over the hardwood, that would add a little traction.

[FrankieFlash]

Ok so he went back in the cage when I went out to the store to get him some yummy veggies (he thought the cilantro was a monster :/) and he’s back out.

He’s much more happier now. I’ve added newpaper- he loves the sound of it shredding, and for tonight I’ll watch him. The tape won’t come up but I covered it with litterbox and other fun stuff. Tomorrow I’ll try putting cardboard under the superyard.

I’m not trying to stop him from digging, i’ve actually got something at home to fill that need (long tunnel like cardboard boxes full of the newspaper he previously shredded and he does his digging thing there. I already told my mom I need a box like that here and tomorrow the coardboard hunt will begin. He’s enjoying his coca cola filled hay box tonight.

And this coroplast is what? is it a flooring material? and is it non harmful if he chews? or is it a hard surface like linoleum? I ask since I’ve never heard of it. I’m afraid to give him anything with wood because he eats what he chews which I know is bad. Especially with carpet or cotton or a lot of things.

[Stickerbunny]

Coroplast is a hard plastic sheet that is used for out door signs and such, people use it for NIC cages a lot as a floor for guinea pigs etc, but it works for buns too.

[FrankieFlash]

oh ok cool. Maybe B/f can get me some at work (home depot) tomorrow.

P.S. Buns braved the cilantro and likes it. Just not with as much vigor as romaine lettuce or carrots.

[BinkyBunny]

We are just talking about flooring yes? I am not sure I would use hardwood flooring unless he has great litterbox habits — urine can burn hardwood.

Sheet vinyl can also work well as flooring — you just need to make sure you get a some large enough so the edges will be on the outside of the pen.

You can usually get decent sized remnant pieces of sheet vinyl or even linoleum (though that can be expensive) at a flooring store. I was able to get a 6 x 8 feet pieces in all different styles — I didnt’ always need them that large, but it’s easy enough to cut down. Coroplast is good too, but it can be a bit slippery! So can sheet vinyl, but not typically quite as slippery.

[FrankieFlash]

ok thanks for all the suggestions. I’m going to be laying cardboard down today. My bf has no idea what coroplast is (some home improvement worker he is, guess thats why he works in the lot- haha). But I think I’ll be getting one of the two when I get home for his permanent play place.

BB, I’m super excited for all the toys I ordered last week (they’ll arrive here this week)!! Bun will be like “what tablecloth? I’m too busy with this tunnel of awesomeness and fun house”.

[Stickerbunny]

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/lumber-composites/paneling/optix/24-in-x-18-in-x-4-mm-corrugated-plastic-sheet-in-white-15pack-53641.html that is coroplast hehe

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