Bunny Proof Blankets?

[Breezy]

I’m getting a lop bunny in the next month, her name will be Scout and she was born about a week or two ago. I’m trying to plan out Scout’s habitat so that I am prepared when she is ready to come home. Scout is going to be a free roam bunny in my home, once she is old enough, except for when I am not home. I’ve been researching and I’ve seen a lot of people give their bunnies fleece blankets and not have a problem and the bunnies look so happy and cozy, however I’ve also read horror stories about bunnies chewing and eating their blankets which can cause blockages. Is there a way to train Scout to not chew her blanket if I do notice her beginning to chew at it? Would a carpet rug (not shaggy) be a better idea? I’ve also seen the grass mats but I want her to be able to cuddle up if she chooses to and I feel like a blanket would be better than a grass mat. I also considered a small dog or cat bed for her to lay in. Would giving her other things like cardboard and safe chewing toys be a way to prevent her from chewing things she shouldn’t chew?

[Wick & Fable]

Make sure she’s at least 8 weeks old before you take her home— any younger can result in improper weaning, which can lead to health problems. Also, there’s no guarantee she’ll be a she. At the age she is now, it’s very difficult to properly sex, so be prepared to have a boy if that ends up being the case! Even experienced vets acknowledge that those mistakes happen, sheerly due to differences in growth rate and how “down there” develops for some rabbits.

Unfortunately, you can’t train a rabbit not to chew if it wants to chew. Majority of owners just make the object less enticing (cover furniture with packaging tape/bitter scented spray), or block off access/eliminate access to the object.

Owners who have rabbits who do not chew on blankets will provide them, so if after observing your rabbit’s behavior, you find this would not be a problem, provide any fleece blanket really!

You can do a lot of preparatory buying, but some things you may want to wait until you observe how she is. For example, don’t buy a bunch of toys right off the bat— buy a couple, with a variety in wood type/texture, and see what she likes. For litter boxes, depending on the style, don’t spend too much, because your rabbit will grow and may outgrow a litter box very fast. Many people start out with a box that’s too little.

Re-directing chewing inclination only sometimes works— again, if your rabbit doesn’t like the “toys” you bought, they won’t work to dissuade him/her from chewing on whatever it is he/she is.

A good thing to remember in general is that humans decided these are rabbit “toys”, “beds”, “boxes”, “carriers”… no rabbits contributed to those decisions. Many owners buy beds, toys, etc.., but end up returning it because their rabbit doesn’t see it as such. Wick doesn’t chew anything and he sleeps on my dresser— that’s his preference! But of course, there are rabbits who thoroughly enjoy items labelled as toys and beds. So experiment, and be prepared to be flexible.

So… with fleece blankets. I’d say have one that you already own, see how he/she interacts with it, and decide whether you’ll be getting them their own.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Breezy]

Thank you so much! That was very helpful and that is a very good point! I can’t wait to see what kind of likes and dislikes Scout will have!!

[Author]

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