Jumping and scratching

[kimi]

Hi guys,

I just got my mini lop buck about 6 days ago, he is 8 weeks old and called Widget! I live in a flat so we have a long, rectangular hallway, with access to 4 rooms in the rest of the flat. The doors to the rooms are always closed when we let Widget out of his hutch, so he only has access to the full hallway at the moment. He comes out as soon as we open the door and is happy enough to take himself back in after a little while. At the moment we let him out fo upto an hour or so 3 times a day (he usually takes himself back to his hutch in this time) and he is pretty well litter trained already and doesnt poo or pee outside his hutch.

The problem is that although most of the time he seems to just motor up and down the hall, bounce back in and out of his hutch and play, and I think he binky’s, he also tends to go to some of the door frames and either jumps up the corner which the wall and doorframe meet and scratch his way down, and/or dig into that corner of the carpet. I have tried saying ‘no’ and clapping my hands, and have tried with a water squirter, but they dont really seem to work! I’m going to try with perfume later, but any other tips on how to stop this and also any idea why he does it?  Thankyou.

[MooBunnay]

This is a very normal behavior for bunnies – all of mine if let out long enough will find a corner to dig in or tear up The reason for this is that really bunnies have a natural tendency to dig. If you see bunnies in the wild, they have huge underground burrows that they dig to make themselves feel safe, and your bunny is just exhibiting very natural rabbit tendencies.

While trying to stop the behavior sometimes works, I have found that with my bunnies, distraction is better. When I let my bunnies out I put phonebooks that they can tear up in the corners, or cardboard boxes with little holes cut out that they can tear up, or papertowel tubes that will distract them and allow them to get out that natural tendency to chew and tear things up. It sounds like he might do well with a little hidey place in the hallway, so I’d recommend finding a cardboard box and cutting a little tunnel in one side just big enough for him to squeeze into. Hopefully he’ll get distracted and start tearing that up instead! Also, if you can track down some phonebooks that will help a lot because they will cover up the whole corner.

[bunnytowne]

Widget is young yet too..  This behavior may slow down once he matures.  Bunnies love to dig and chew some more than others.

The previous advice on phonebooks and cardboard boxes is good. Should help

[kimi]

Thats great thankyou guys. He does have an open top diggy box which he likes alot and a tunnel and a separate tent hidey as well as his hutch in the hall but will see what else I can build him! Any idea why he jumps up the wall as if trying to climb it though before scratching his way down? xx

[Cake]

I have a laundry basket that cut a hole in. Then I used a shredder to shred newspaper. I put the newpaper in and my bunny loves to go in and dig.

[Author]

Messages