digging her way out

[somebunny]

Hey guys, now that hershey has been spayed for a while i’m finding that her behaviour has changed alot!

thankfully no more pooping every and peeing.
however, her new favourite thing to do is to dig out her litter box. not sure what to do about that!

she has plenty of other things (treat balls, paper to shred, boxes, toilet rolls, towel) to keep her occupied in her house, but she prefers to dig out the litter as well.

i have a feeling that she doesn’t like her house.. it seems like she is always trying to get out of it when she knows we’re around!
it is a nic cube cage. i don’t know how to make it more likeable for her.

anyway it’s getting tiring having to clean her house almost everyday due to the litter everywhere…so any suggestions on how to control this?

p.s i love her so

[jerseygirl]

Some members put a cake rack in the litter box and put a little more litter on top/or hay. Sound like she’s sociable which is great! Does she pull at the bars or somethng when you are around? Have you observed her in her house while she doesn’t know you are about. My rabbit seems to only display those unwanted behaviours when I’m there to see it. I rarely find evidence of mischief when I’ve left her free range alone in the house. (Apart from this week! ) I feel it’s sort of to get my attention when she starts these antics!

[jerseygirl]

Oh and with the digging – Some rabbits just do this. I wouldn’t think it’s her trying to dig her way out. But then, who knows what they think sometimes! Some are chewers, some are diggers – especially females! The spay probably lessens the urge to do this or it could be her form of play. Maybe try a diggy box for when she’s out for play time.

p.s. What are those ears of hers doing these days?

[Beka27]

ditto on the cake rack/cooling rack. or you could try a higher sided box, or less litter.

i really like the diggy box. i have my own variation that is a long, narrow cardboard box filled with newspaper, packing paper and they love to dig and burrow in it.

is she well-behaved when you’re home and she is out? can you increae her playtime outside of the cage? it’s important that you do not respond to the digging by letting her out, b/c you’ll reinforce that she can get what she wants by doing that. so if she digs, she does not come out. if no digging, she can come out.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Another thing ‘digging’ rabbits love are ‘crinkle papers’ for cats, they are like fabric covered crinkly things and also cat tunnels. I’ve seen so many dig themselves right onto their back and do a big flop-I guess the texture is just what they are looking for!

[somebunny]

well actually, i have seen her dig even when she is free to come out of the cage… straight after i have put fresh new litter in the box! she digs all the way to the bottom so that i can her scratching the plastic. she also digs the lino floor and bites/pulls on the cage when we’re aroudn and she’s not out.

i wanted to give her a diggy box but i have a feeling she would dig in the diggy box AND the litter. also i don;t want to limit her moving space in the cage..

and another thing is that she currently has a long cardboard box as her hidy place… but she has taken to flipping it upside down!

she is fine when she roaming free around the house, she has random boxes and toys to play with. she does like to chew the carpet every now and then but its not out of hand.

unfortunatley my husband and i both are out of the house 9-7 on weekdays. she gets play time i nthe morning and at night, more on the weekends as well. I have thought about letting her roam free in the kitchen while we’re out, but my husband is afraid she’ll get behind the fridge or the oven (which she has done in the past – gave me a heart attack!).

and her ear is still flipped up but i prefer it to stay that way.

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