Chewing up carpet! HELP?!

[Bella&Whiskers]

Both of my rabbits have been chewing up the carpet. They dig at it then pull the fiber stuff out so there laying all over the house. There not doing it in one specific spot though. I need some help! Anything i could do to make them stop?

[LizzieKnittyBun]

yeah… we’ve had this problem like *whoa*

I don’t really have a solution, except cover the spots they seem to like to chew the most.

I’m sorry!

[Bella&Whiskers]

Lol, its fine!

[lashkay]

Carpet is tantalizing to bunnies because it is fun to dig up, and dug up, fluffs up like bedding. Bunnies think they can eat ANY
bedding so some inevitably gets eaten. Even after coming home from surgery at the vet for an intestinal impaction of carpeting, if carpeting is available, the bunny will do the same thing all over again and dig away! About the only thing to do short of removing the carpet and having bare floors, is cover the carpet with a safe-to-chew covering. Seagrass mats are popular choices because they’re so large and it can only take a few of them to cover a carpeted area the bunny has access to. Or you can block the bunny’s access to the carpet with fencing, or not let the bunny in the carpeted room. Beware though, you’ve probably found out that wabbits are wiley and will find a way to foil the best laid plans. With the seagrass mats, the bunny will usually chew them down so you need to watch when the carpet is exposed again. I hope these are some ideas that will help.

[lashkay]

Even if you give your bunny some safe-to-chew alternatives, unless all traces of exposed carpet are somehow made off-limits, the carpet will be preferred – the fun, the challenge, the boredom-breaker and maybe if the bunny knows it’s doing something you don’t want it to, that’s an added kick!

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

Yeah Smokey is terrible with carpet chewing, but only in certain areas. The more you tell her no, the more she would go back to it. Which is why her NIC condo has the shortest carpet available so she can’t pull on it. I had to put the seagrass mats and timothy mats where she was chewing, along with old clothes, while I was waiting for the NIC condo to arrive, though. It’s as if they know it bothers you, so they do it more!

[lashkay]

Definitely, if they know you don’t like whatever they’re doing, that gives them a big charge and makes them determined to continue more than ever!

Anybody have any experience with marine carpeting? How about indoor/outdoor carpeting? Or are those capable of being dug up as well as the regular house carpeting? (SIGH!)

[lashkay]

Smokey, that’s a cute name for a female rabbit. Sometimes I think “No!” is they’re favorite thing to hear! In your first picture, what kind of bed is Smokey lying in? She doesn’t nibble it, does she? I love oval fleece beds with a bumper all around. Yours seems to be perfect for her size.

[Isabelle]

Dutchess is a 100% carpet digging LOVER. If she wasn’t watched when she’s out we’d come back and have no carpet left. I put some lower key body splash on a spot if she’s currently going at a particular area, although this will only deter her for a day or so until the smell wanes. Some days she doesn’t try it, other days I get so frusterated I’m about ready to dig up the carpet myself x.x

[SmokeyBunnyRobinson]

Thank you Her full name is Smokey Bunny Robinson. If anybody gets whose name her name is punning, that would be awesome.

It is a fleece bed from Petsmart. I got it for about $11 if I remember correctly. It was in the cat bed section. She does like it quite a lot and no she doesn’t nibble on it, she just grooms it for some reason. And to give you a size estimate, she is a Netherland Dwarf and she’s 3.1lbs. So she does fit nicely in it

The carpet in her condo is a pet carpet the condo maker uses that is also stain proof and catches flying shedding hair very easily. Her eBay user id is : bunnycondos7 if you’d like to ask her what carpet she uses. Smokey is a carpet puller/digger and she can’t even get a grip on this carpet at all!

[lashkay]

Hi, I’m not very “up” on names, but just a guess…was there a Smokey Jackie Robinson? LOL Or something similar? Very cute name!! Very pretty bunny!!

Thanks for the tips and your generosity with the info about the bed and the carpet. As a fellow bunny owner, to hear of a bed AND carpet a rabbit doesn’t nibble let alone chew, pick at, dig and pull…or eat! …is heaven!!! As these discoveries I’m sure were very happy for you. Many happy zzzzzzzzz’s to Smokey in her fuzzy bed and much happy traction on her carpet!

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