Grazing on my carpet

[Jessie]

So there are two carpets in my entire house, and the bunny seems dead set on eating them both. They are in my room, where Lulu spends most of the day running around. I’m not just going to take then out (one is nessesary because it keeps my desk chair from rolling on the floors and leaving marks). She doesnt just chew in one place, shes taken to just chewing everywhere.

 

Is there anything i can do to make her stop. It is sort of ruining our relationship because she blames me whenever i tell her to stop. Sometimes i feel like lately all ive been doing is making her stop destroying my things.

 

Also, i know eating carpet is dangerous for rabbits, so I dont want her to get sick.

Any adive would be really helpful.

[Adalaide]

I used a water bottle to make Freya stop chewing things she shouldn’t. She’s stopped chewing the wood by the bedroom door, although she hasn’t stopped boxing the door. She has also mostly stopped chewing the carpet, she still tries at least once a week to see if the rules have changed yet. I just have it set to a stream of water so I can hit her from across the room. She always looks at me with a glare that may kill me one day, then finds something else to do with her time. It took her about 2-3 days of water to learn that it was happening because of her chewing but she eventually caught on. I still keep the bottle handy but rarely have to use it now. Usually I just say her name the same way you would to a 2 year old who is getting into something they shouldn’t and she’ll look at me with the “what, I wasn’t doing anything!” look. She even forgave me for all the water bottle squirts because I always give her raisins for going back in her condo.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Your exactly right that it’s hurting the bond-it certainly can. Instead use a positive way to make her stop (Clapping, making loud noises or spraying with water often just don’t work-and make your bunny mad at you-though it has worked for some and I admit I tried those things at first!)

The best way is two fold:

First: you are going to make the carpet taste bad (use vinegar) or block it off https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/BunnyProofingYourHome/tabid/61/Default.aspx

Second: you want to give her something appropriate to do instead. Toys, boxes, phonebooks etc. Just redirect her with something she’s allowed to dig or chew.

If you just block the behavior they are going to concentrate on how to get around what you did “HEY I used to be able to eat that, how do I get back there?” and will instead work on trying to get through your bunny proofing.

They aren’t going to go ‘oh I can’t get to it now – I will find something else to do”

So you do that for them by providing the redirect-an appropriate toy. So “HEEEY I used to be able to eat the carpet and now I can’t…but what is this new toy”

Blocking it off does not have to be permanent-just long enough that’s it’s off her radar I’d say a few weeks you can try removing it.

[Jessie]

I cant really block off the carpet. It takes up most of the room which is where she gets to be free in the house. Also, she really likes to run on it a lot better than the wooden floors.

If I was to use vinegar would I like…spray it across the whole carpet. She chews everywhere, not just in one spot. Would that be bad for the carpet / make it sticky / make it smell bad to me?

It would be really great if she got bored of the carept and just stopped eating it like you said. Does that commonly happen?

[Adalaide]

Once, we pulled the bedroom door shut but it didn’t latch and Freya bumbed it open and got in. I keep my shoes lined up under the bed so she is strictly prohibited from the bedroom. She has been OBSESSED with getting back in there ever since that day and boxes the door at least a few times a day to see if she can get it open this time. It was June when she got in.

Oh, I just got reminded (by hubby) of the other time she got in. It was just after she got her condo, so like August maybe? Something like that anyway. We were using large binder clips to keep her door closed. Well, she grabbed the door and shook it until it popped open and wandered in in the middle of the night. Lucky for my shoes my husband heard her, we bought padlocks for her door that day. Still, it’s been at least 3 months and she still wants back in. I’ve never seen any person or animal with the single minded determination a bunny has.

[Karla]

Karl used to do the same with a certain rug and I would in fact just shout and clap my hands. It did eventually work.

Then they all started going for the nice sea grass chairs and no shouting or clapping could help. We covered the chairs with a blanket and put branches on top. So whenever they jumped on the chair to chew sea grass, they found branches instead to chew on. Eventually, we pulled off the blanket and just had the branches lying there. I would say it worked 9 out of 10 times.

[jerseygirl]

haha Adalaide! Jersey had that same obsession about my sisters room and her shoes. She has finally become less determined after a year. Though I do find her at the gate sometimes…
Jessie, all I can suggest is provide her something to chew that she finds more enjoyable and hope she loses interest in the carpet. Maybe seagrass matting cable tied down onto sheets of thick cardboard or wood. Place them on the floor so she can go at them in the same style as the carpet.

[Adalaide]

After the night she broke out of her condo she would not stop sitting at her condo door, literally for hours, shaking it to try to get out. She was unsuccessful since we started using padlocks. After a month I couldn’t take it anymore and sealed up her door and moved where it was in her condo. She started leaving it alone. I wish I could change the scenery like that to change other obsessions. (She still shakes the part that used to be her door once in a while.)

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I cant really block off the carpet. It takes up most of the room which is where she gets to be free in the house. Also, she really likes to run on it a lot better than the wooden floors.

If I was to use vinegar would I like…spray it across the whole carpet. She chews everywhere, not just in one spot. Would that be bad for the carpet / make it sticky / make it smell bad to me?

It would be really great if she got bored of the carept and just stopped eating it like you said. Does that commonly happen?

Well Vinegar won’t smell great when you spray it, but it will fade You could also use bitter apple (And yes-spray it everywhere if she’s chewing everywhere)

Is she spayed yet? I’ve found they are less destructive after a spay. Honestly I have the door open to one of my pairs right now-they could be anywhere in the house doing anything and the butts are just chilling and grooming each other. None of my fixed buns (they are all fixed) bother with carpet at all It helps a lot!

[Jessie]

Yes shes spayed, she just does it anyway. Well actually I mean I really HOPE shes spayed…I adopted her and her old owner said she was. I’m choosing just to trust that. Is there any way to tell? If she was a boy i’m sure it would be a lot easier. She has incredible litterbox habits, so that might point towards being spayed.

I might try the bitter apple spray. I’ve been squirting her with a water bottle when she starts to chew, and she seems to be getting the message. The only thing is, she knows that if i’m not in the room to spray her than nothing will happen. She also knows if she goes under the footstool I cant get to her. Maybe with more time.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

AH!! Has she been seen by a vet yet? A vet could check for scars-or x ray to see if her girl parts are still in. I really think that’s worth checking-b/c an unspayed rabbit will be a lot more destructive then a spayed one.

The only way you could check is if you could get in touch with the owner ask for vet bills or the clinic contact-the vet can probably telll from looking for a scar (she can shave her and look) or an ultrasound/xray something along those lines.

That’s the problem with a water bottle or any type of punishment-that they know how to get around it. And the other thing is they may associate the aversiveness (getting wet) with you and not what they are doing.

[Author]

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