new bunny issues

[nick08]

I just got a new bunny friday. It’s 7 months old and was neutered/spayed last wednesday. He is a boy-Bongo. I put him in his cage on friday and all was good. I put him in his x–pen for 4 hours on sat. and he just sat there. I put him back in his cage and a few hours later he goes and dumps his food bowl everywhere in his cage. then on sunday he kept scratching the cotton rug on the bottom of the cage and kept moving it to the other side of the cage. i put a cardboard box in it. he’ll crawl under it and then tear it up from the inside. he made a mess with it and tore it into little pieces. he also peed in the corner right next to his litter box. otherwise he has always peed in his litterbox. most of his poop ends up in the litterbox but some of it ends up on his cage floor. is that normal?

i woke up this morning to my bunny with the cotton rug on the other side of the cage, his water bowl tipped over and water everywhere, and the carboard box in tiny pieces all wet=[ what do i do? at least with the scratching and moving of the cotton rug? he gets plenty of hay.

i put him in his x-pen tonight, always with his litterbox, and after 4 hrs. he went pee right next to his litterbox=[ it’s right there. he hasn’t really had any other potty training or behavior problems. humane society said he was litter box trained.

Apparently only 80% of the time.

would small wood blocks and mini wicker baskets be less of a mess than cardbard for him to chew on besides all of the hay?

his cage is a 42″ double door wire dog crate with a thichk, plastic bottom.

[LittlePuffyTail]

First of all, congrats on your new bunny.

All of those behaviors sound very normal for a recently neutered bunny in a new home.

If he’s scratching the rug in his cage, I would remove it. You could get some seagrass mats (made for bunnies, check out the Binky Bunny Store) instead.

Bunnies love tearing up cardboard boxes. It’s a fun hobby for them. I let my buns tear it up and I just clean up the shredded pieces every other day. You have to provide some form of entertainment and, for many bunnies, cardboard boxes are a great option.

The litter problems are probably a result of his crazy hormones (they won’t settle down until a few weeks after the neuter) and his acting territorial in a new home. Pick up the poops and put them in the litter tray. If he seems to prefer a certain spot for peeing and pooping, try putting the litter box there. Bunnies will often pick their bathroom spot. Make sure his litterbox is large enough (he should be able to lay down) and place hay on top of the litter to encourage him to spend time in it. Just be patient and persistent.

From my experience, most buns aren’t crazy for wood blocks. Mine do enjoy willow, although that can also be messy.

[Chronicambitions]

Just take the cotton rug out. I started putting a cushion in the spot of my cage where my bunnies sleep and they always move it to the other side of the cage. I tried this for a week then just took it out. It might be how the rug smells weird to your bunny or that its too warm for him right now. I use a dog crate too and my bunnies think the floor is comfortable enough. They’ll even go into the cage to lay down during play time instead of sleeping on the rug. As long as it isn’t a wire bottom cage don’t worry about covering the floor.

[Chronicambitions]

Also getting a water bowl with a heavier bottom would keep him from knocking it over. I have one that attaches itself to the side of the cage that’s made for dog crates.

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