Chewing everything in the room, worried he’s swallowing it?

[Heaven]

A quick question about bunny nibbles!

Sam does love to “investigate” things with his mouth & over time I have found little chunks taken out of shoes, clothes, wooden furniture, the carpet… could he actually be ingesting this stuff, or does he just like chewing on it? (he’s not been neutered yet).

I do always watch him closely to make sure his behaviour is normal, but just to set my mind at rest that he’s not going to get poorly from accidentally eating little bits of plastic etc.  

[Wick & Fable]

Rabbits do chew items passively without ingestion, but obviously monitoring for consume is important. Chewing on plastic/rubber is common, as well as shoes.

Do your best to minimize this behavior by taking those items out of his reach. With carpet, be extra alert. Ingestion of carpet fibers can cause blockage since it’s much thicker and nappy than fur.

Attempting to redirect that energy with handmade toys or purchased toys may help if your rabbit finds something good.

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.

[Sirius&Luna]

Can you see the chunks on the floor? I found a whole pile of woodshavings by a chewed wooden table leg, so I know the chewer didn’t ingest it, but it’s more worrying to find a lump of something missing, and no evidence of it!

[Heaven]

Good points. Yes there’s usually shreds of carpet or evidence left behind! I’ve got a large high pile red rug which takes up most of the room – on the one hand I’d rather he digs & pulls that than the landlords carpet – on the other hand I wouldn’t want him to ingest any. Perhaps I should look into buying a different kind of rug?

Any recommendations for large rugs which are “safer” for rabbits?

[Deleted User]

A sisal or seagrass rug is safe. Of course, with anything you want to be sure that it isn’t being ingested in large quantities, but these are safe if he decides to nibble a little snack!

[Deleted User]

You can also buy sisal rope, and maybe if you offered the rope too, he might chew that and not the rug. Just a thought!

[Minty]

I also have this problem with a 3 month old bun. I’m pretty sure she’s ingesting at least small amounts of it although I’ve seen chunks aside. I’ve seen her pull strips of cardboard from and eat her cardboard box.

Also not sure what to do and looking for safe rug / flooring / bedding.

She has lots and lots of toys.

You could also try the Oxbow timothy grass mat. My bun likes it very much but still she chews other things.

[Author]

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