Chews play pen but not enclosure?

[MadiJg]

My little buns has been chewing and shaking his play pen when I let him out of his enclosure. Sometimes I give him more space to roam but he will still go and chew and try to move it. He doesn’t chew or shake his enclosure though when he’s in there. Is there something I can do to stop this? I’ve tried clapping and telling him no or I’ll move him away from where he’s chewing but he isn’t phased!

If anyone can help explain why he’s doing this and even have a suggestion on what to do, I’d be really grateful! Apologies if this has already been discussed

[Wick & Fable]

Remember that play pens are things we humans place to restrict a rabbit’s access. For a rabbit, a play pen is this weird thing that allows them to see the other side but for some frustrating reason they aren’t able to get to the other side from where they are (e.g., all the instances of rabbits chewing their play pen even though it’s open). Typically, boredom, frustration, and/or visually seeing the outside will facilitate pen chewing.

There are some suggestions here to help dissuade it: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Training_FAQ#My_rabbit_keeps_me_up_by_consistently_chewing_his_cage_bars._How_do_I_make_him_stop?

Also, I notice you mention an enclosure and a play pen, and it sounds like you let your rabbit out of the enclosure into the play pen? Generally, a play pen is the minimum sized space you’d want a rabbit in for any amount of time, so if his enclosure is smaller than a playpen and you’re keeping him in there overnight or when you cannot supervise, please consider just transitioning him to the playpen 24/7 to ensure ample exercise and space in general.

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.

[MadiJg]

Thanks for your feedback! I should have mentioned that he is free to roam the majority of the house for all of my waking hours (6am to 10pm) and is in his enclosure at night. I put up the pen as a wall barrier to the lounge room which contains a lot of plants that could potentially harm him, so he has a lot of space to roam.

I’ll try the sheet trick to see if that helps! 🙂

[Author]

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