Carpet digging

[Patty]

Can the onset of sudden carpet digging be hormonal? My female rabbit is 8 months old and has not been spayed due to health reasons. The vet is postponing her spay until she is in the clear. Prior to the last 2 weeks she would never have excessive digging behaviors. She is destroying my carpet and don’t know how to get her to stop. Will the spay surgery help minimize the behavior? She was such a good rabbit prior to this. Also any recommendations as to what I can put down? I was thinking tiles since they are heavy and she won’t be able to lift or move them. I would really appreciate any advice or stories of people who have been through this with their rabbits. I love my rabbit but I cannot have her constantly destroying my carpet 🥴

[DanaNM]

It could be, but it could also be something she suddenly realized was fun. My guess is it may improve with spaying but prob wont completely go away.

Heavy ceramic tiles do work really well, get the biggest ones you can. I’ve noticed just covering up the hot spots helps a lot. Cardboard cat scratchers and grass/paper mats are also really good for giving a safe alternative. You can also provide a digging box by stuffing a cardboard box  or a tunnel with paper and cutting some holes in the sides.

. . . 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.  

[Patty]

Maybe she did just find out that the carpet is fun 😫, because prior to this she never did any of that. She would chew on stuff here and there but I’ve always provided her with plenty of toys so it was never an issue. I’m going to head out in a bit to buy several tiles. To at least cover the edges of the carpet. I do have a big cardboard box for her full of shredded paper but she doesn’t really find interest in it. I just really hope the spay will help somewhat. I have 5 more weeks of meds to give her before she can be spayed.

[DanaNM]

Do try some cardboard cat scratchers too! My carpet digger really liked them and they helped save my carpet.

. . . 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.  

[Patty]

I will definitely give the cat scratchers a try! I never thought of getting her any. I’m going to put them inside the boxes as it’s shown in the videos below hopefully that will catch her attention. Thank you so much for the ideas.

[Wick & Fable]

It may reduce when she’s spayed, but indeed, if she has now discovered the glory of carpet digging, it is likely something you’ll want to learn how to effectively redirect. Carpet diggers, baseboard chewers, etc. seem to be fans of “anchored” toys, in my experience, so things held down, tied down, or large so they can really tug and get into it.

Here are some examples:

Cat scratcher uses: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/p4ex96/enrichment_for_baseboardliking_rabbits/ , https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/pyl349/behavior_playtime_narrated/ , https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/pbsvjm/redirect_chewing_energy/

Paper tubes (or similar objects): https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/pae597/redirect_carpetdigging_energy/

Fleece blankets: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/p8bwbb/fleece_digging_corner/ , https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/comments/pkyue3/behavior_diggingadjusting_fleece_blankets/

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.

[Patty]

Thank you for so many ideas! I think she will enjoy the fleece. I do have some laying around I’m going to give that a try. I just really hope I can re direct her to dig into other stuff.

[Author]

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