Please help

[Cookies&Glitter]

So I have had guinea pigs for 6 years but have had my mini lop for just over 2 months. She is 8 months old and I am trying to decide if I need to get her spayed as I lost the one guinea pig I tried to spay immediately after the surgery(hadn’t brought her home yet).
There are a number of behaviors I’m needing advice with. She has a C&C cage with fleece bedding that I’m about to do away with if we can’t manage her behaviors. Her cage is 2.5ft by about 5ft.
Issues are digging and chewing, she has bitten through most all her fleece and digs through it as well. Digs all the litter out of the litter box and then pees on her hay instead. I made a large shallow coroplast litter tray and use paper litter (the crumble kind). I can’t afford to buy and throw away fleece, she has also chewed through most of her litter tray and leaves the chards everywhere. I’m wondering is this is nesting behavior that would tame with spaying or if I have to buy her a smaller cage as she would eat through the base if I did away with the fleece. I’m getting desperate, I can’t afford her to destroy everything, she has about half a dozen toys in her cage at any given time. I woke 3-4 nights as a nurse but try to give her at least an hour of floor time daily. I’ve never owned a pet this destructive and I rent.
Please help, thanks!

[DanaNM]

Hi there, welcome, sorry you are having trouble!

So, spaying might help, but it might not. But there are things you can do to make her home more appropriate and bun-proof, and the main reason to spay female bunnies is to prevent reproductive cancers. Unlike in guinea pigs (which to my understanding are usually only spayed if a reproductive problem has already come up?), female rabbits have rates of uterine cancers somewhere between 60-85% depending on the age of the rabbit (I think the risk by age 4 is about 50 or 60%). So, for that reason, it’s recommended to spay within the first few years of life.

In the meantime though, I think you can remedy her home so she can’t destroy it so much, as I think a lot of the behaviors you’re seeing are just normal bunny things. My girl also loves to pee on soft things and dig in fleece. Coroplast isn’t great for bunny litter boxes as they can just chew through it and destroy it. Basic cat litter pans work great. If she digs, you can get a litter box screen, which separates the bedding from the hay so she can’t dig, or just get a huge litter box, so if she digs it doesn’t make a huge mess. (I use a concrete mixing tub from the hardware store for my bonded pair of buns, and no matter how much they dig, it mostly stays in the box).

Hay should only be in the litter box, as buns definitely like to pee on their hay. Again, a larger more sturdy box will help keep it there, and you can also use a hay rack that is only accessible from inside the box. Hay racks sold for piggies and other small pets are usually too small, but a cardboard box cable tied to the cage wall with a hold cut out works great. Lots of people also use those things that are meant to store extra plastic grocery bags.

The cage floor itself doesn’t need to have blankets or bedding, especially if she is chewing it (ingesting is dangerous). My CC condo has a plywood base with peel and stick tiles for the first level. I do have some fleece covering the upper levels, but I have it stretched tight and clamped on, so they are less inclined to dig in it. Having hard surfaces around the litter box also helps with litter training.

Finally, 1 hour a day is not quite enough. I know your schedule is really busy, but if you can aim to give her at least 2 hours morning and evening when she’s most active, this should help as well.

Since I know guinea pig houses are similar but different to bunnies, here’s some housing suggestions (https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/GreatHabitats/tabid/229/Default.aspx)
and bunny proofing tips (https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/8/PID/940/Default.aspx), to hopefully make it easier for her to be out running around (without having to watch her like a hawk), and to make her home more suitable.

To not get overwhelmed, I think a bigger, more sturdy litter box will solve many of your problems right away!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Cookies&Glitter]

On days I’m off she is out 4-8 hours or but will still spend some of the time in her cage digging and chewing. So I guess my question is what are some good flooring options I could possibly fit in 1-3 grids to cover the coroplast for the floor (my cage is 5 grids long and can take off the 3 center grids for cleaning). I still have guinea pigs on top and really am trying not to deconstruct the entire cage to swap out flooring. Also is there a minimum size for a little box because her tray is currently 26” x 16” but she just pushes out all the litter and chews the coroplast. Currently the rest of the base of the cage is also coroplast with 4” sides, I can take it out in 2 sections but is there something sturdy to replace it maybe with low sides to protect the carpet in my apparent. I assume a bunny is an ok pet as my guinea pigs were no issue but I’m scared if she damages things I’ll be kicked out.

[DanaNM]

Since she’s a chewer, I would go with a plywood piece, covered with peel and stick vinyl tiles. You can get a piece cut to size at the hardware store, and the tiles are very cheap. Maybe even cut into two sections so you can fit them through the opening.

If you have a drill, I recommend getting the piece to be an inch or two bigger than the floor space, so the walls actually sit on the base. You can drill some holes on each side and zip tile the walls to the base. The she really will not be able to get at the carpet or chew on the base.

That said, if she isn’t chewing the floor (and just the box), then you might be fine with it. Bunnies get into little “projects” and will become obsessed with certain things. Sounds like her project is currently destroying her litter box….

Another option that might not be as clean fitting is to use a plastic carpet protector meant to go under an office chair. The harder plastic ones work pretty well, but they are weird shapes usually, so might not fit the area that well.

As far as box size, how big is the bun? Medium or large size cat boxes are pretty standard, unless the bun is a dwarf. I’ve seen some with high sides and a low entry point, which might work well for you.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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