Favorite APPROPRIATE things to chew

[Katydidz]

My new bunny Trixie doesn’t seem to be chewing on anything and I’m a little worried (I’ve had her two days, I’m probably just being a worried new mama). I have things in her cage with her to chew but I’m not noticing teeth marks in anything I’ve given her, should I be concerned or will she chew when she feels the need? I’m worried I’m just not giving her things she wants to chew up. So what are your bunnies favorite APPROPRIATE things to chew on? For Trixie I have peach tree sticks, one of those carrot rattle things, and a toilet paper roll. But her favorite thing to chew on are the buttons on my shirt, I kinda need those . 

[Sarita]

Is she eating her hay? That should be appropriate.

Some rabbits just are not into chewing as an activity.

[Beka27]

she is brand new too, and young. once she gets settled and older (esp. during puberty) you’ll be wishing for the days she did not chew. trust me… lol!

[Katydidz]

Ok, so it’s not abnormal for her to not be chewing everything in sight? She does munch on hay and devours her alfalfa pellets late late at night when no one is watching. silly bun.

Thanks for your help, I’m a nervous new mama I guess.

Just out of curiosity, what do your bunnies like to gnaw on?

[Beka27]

willow.

[MooBunnay]

Mine love to gnaw on cardboard! And rugs, on my clothes if they are in reach, and willow, and pretty much everything else! Try cardboard, I know bunnies have a lot of fun tearing it up and chewing on it.

[BinkyBunny]

Some bunnies are chewers and some are not. My late bunny Bailey was not a chewer at all. Trixie sounds like she may just be one that’s not…right now anyway.( *evil laugh* )

Do you notice any damp eyes, or drooling at all? Sometimes that can be a sign of a tooth problem.

I bet she is just fine, but it’s always a good idea to check her incisors to make sure they are aligned properly. And since she’s a baby, I recommend getting her set-up with a rabbit savvy vet – good to find a rabbit savvy vet anyway, and they usually will check their teeth, including their back ones (you can’t do that because they are too far back)

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Try giving her a phone book; Some bunnies just like soft stuff to chew-or an old towel!

[Katydidz]

She’s not really eating that much hay, I kind of don’t think she knows what to do with it. The lady I got her from didn’t give her rabbits hay she just gave them pellets and carrots, even the babies!! So I keep hay in there for Trixie but I don’t feel like she touches it. She goes to town on the pellets though! Last night I got her one of those chew tubes and a grass ball and a cat toy that is a ball that zig zags instead of rolling straight, well with the grass ball and the chew tube she’s a whole new bunny! The cute fuzzy little devil that scratched the heck out of me last night is now a sweet little fluff ball that hops over to me when i go to open her cage. I hope it lasts. Now if I could just get her to potty in her box instead of everywhere BUT her box.

Are there any treats that are safe for very young rabbits?

[Beka27]

sometimes the little bunnies don’t really pick up the hay habit until they are older. that was how it was with my Meadow. once she was spayed and her pellets reduced quite a bit, she did start eating more hay.

some questions for you: what is in her cage and litterbox as far as bedding/litter? where is she choosing to pee, only in one corner, or everywhere? are the poops scattered everywhere? young bunnies will oftentimes not fully grasp littertraining until they are older and altered. but there are things you can do to increase her success now.

[Katydidz]

She has a litterbox full of … i think it’s called carefresh, and she spends a lot of time in there she’s sort of made it her bed but it’s also where her hay and pellets are so she eats and poops there too. She poops around the rest of the cage too. I thought she was peeing in one corner so I figured that would be her favorite corner and that would be where I should put her litter box. Well the silly duck somehow pushed her litter box to the OPPOSITE corner of her litter box. So I’m kinda stuck. I tried a different layout with her cage this morning so hopefully things are better when I get home. We’ll see.

[Beka27]

sounds like she’s still just trying to figure things out. give her time. when she poops around the cage, scoop it up and deposit it back in her litterbox. soak up any pee with a paper towel, and leave that in the litterbox so she picks up the smell.

[Katydidz]

Thanks for your help Beka! I know it can take time, and she is just a baby still, she’s a smartie though! She will get it!

[LittlePuffyTail]

CardBoard Boxes! Bindi will keep busy for hours with a fresh cardboard box. I take a box big enough for him to play in, cut a door and some small windows and he goes nuts “renovating”.

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