Box Chewing and Funny Poop Related?

[Little Lion Head]

Pumpkin has recently started showing us the “Chewer” inside of her. We have a lot of random boxes in her room for her hide in. I noticed yesterday that she’s not just chewing some of the boxes; she must be ingesting them as well. I’ve taken out the boxes with any kind of ink product and have been watching her with the plain boxes. Can ingesting the cardboard cause issues? It wasn’t much; maybe an inch by inch square.

This morning and this afternoon I’ve noticed a few larger (half-dollar sized), kind of squished poops.Is it possible they just got wet (from pee) and she stepped on a few mushing them together? I also noticed some poop on her front foot which is odd b/c I figured she’d be cleaning it. When I tried to clean it she got mad, grunted, and lunged at me.

Also, I put her salad in her cage last night and she didn’t eat any of the parsley (she’s eaten parsley with not problem in the past). Could it just be she is sick of parsley and didn’t want it?

Each of these things individually would’t phase me…but if I put them all together? I’m just such a paranoid bunny-mom after everything we went through with Boston!

[Thump]

Its sounds like your rabbit stepped on the cecotropes which stick to the fur and can get messy. Normal poop is hard and when covered in pee (or water), only turns slimy but does not squish.

I wouldnt worry about cardboard boxes being ingested. In the wild rabbits eat all sorts of roughage like dead leaves and branches for fiber and to help file their teeth. In fact I give my buns unlimited access to paper and random boxes to chew on. They ingest a good amount everyday and they are still alive and healthy other than being fat. All ink is non toxic. I routinely check their poops to make sure they arent eating things they shouldnt like carpet or othert threads. If youre worried you can break the poop open and see whats inside. I usually just find tons of fur which mean at least they are passing it.

Its funny you say your bunny didnt want the parsley. My bunnies went through a phase where they loved parsley for a few weeks then got completely sick of it and wouldnt eat it.

[Cotton's Mama]

I’d love to hear more opinions on the paper/cardboard eating. I am a new bunny slave, and gave mine a toilet paper roll to play with. He eat half of it on an hour before I realized what he was doing! I haven’t given him something like that again as I was afraid it was harmful.

[Deleted User]

I’m with Thump – half of Henry’s diet is eating cardboard LLH and CM! And I leave paper towel on my beside table to absorb moisture from my water cup overnight and it’s nothing for me to wake up and find half of that eaten too – HUH? Lol!
Henry has been indulging in cardboard since I bought him home as a baby, and a year and a half later, he has never been unwell. I get that some bunnies have sensitive tummies, but if your bun is eating cardboard and hasn’t shown any ill effects, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Henry has plenty of food including pellets for breakfast, hay available 24/7 and a vast variety of veggies every night for dinner along with treats of craisin, banana, apple and mulberries and yet he still indulges in cardboard.

I just wish he’d wait for the ’empty’ tissue box and not chew on the full one on my bedside table….. doh! Naughty bunny!

[Little Lion Head]

That makes me feel much better AndHenry!!! I did buy her some seagrass matts and a timothy hut anyway, but I’ll leave some of the boxes!

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