Please help? Destructive bun!

[Brambino]

Hi all

First time posting!

Bramble is a 3 month old Netherland Dwarf doe. She is beautiful and incredibly affectionate. Perfect litter box habits.

Bramble has recently started destroying our carpets and sofas. She will not stop eating them! We moved to our new home 5 months ago so everything is brand new and this is putting a lot of strain on my relationship with my partner.

I have tried lots of citronella/bitter apple sprays. I have tried shouting ‘no’ and clapping and stopping (she looks at me like i’m crazy, licks my foot, then resumes chewing!).  

She is unfortunately unspayed and single. Our vet has said she is too little to spay and we need to wait until she is 6 months. She was the only doe of the litter so we plan to bond her with a neutered boy rescue when she is spayed.  

Does anyone have any ideas?? Our house is quite small so we don’t have room for an xpen. She’s very clever and I think she may even chew for attention! She knows we both come running when we hear her. If I didn’t know better I’d say she was quite gleeful chewing as we shout in horror!! She has loads of toys, boxes of hay, grass mats. We’ve had her a month and it hasn’t been an issue until the last few days.

All and any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!!

 

[Bam]

I do think you need to block her access to the sofa and carpet. This is very typical of a young unspayed doe coming into puberty. It will get better with spaying and time, but until then, you can’t let her on the sofa. Most bunnies are not good free-roamers until they are about a year old and some can actually never be free roam 24/7. Sofas are particularly attractive for a bunny because they are soft and has lots of human scent on them.

Could you perhaps make some kind of collapsible pen for her to use during playtime only? The carpet can be covered with pieces of cardboard for protection. It would mean extra work for you, but it’s worse if she totally destroys the carpet and sofa.

She might be “gleeful” at your shouting in horror not because she knows that she’s being destructo but because you are giving her lots of attention, she has an impact on your behavior. All young animals + children love that. But she’s not doing it out of spite or malice. She’s being a nuisance like a puppy-dog or a very small child, not because she intends to be but because she’s exploring all the wonderfulness the world has to offer. For a young bunny, destroying stuff is very rewarding in itself. Does she have a cardboard house (upside down cardboard box with door-holes) she can remodel and “bunstruct”? They can spend weeks on such projects.

[Brambino]

Thanks for the advice, Bam

We’ve covered things up as best we can so we will just grin and bear things for the next few months! I think it must be hormones because she’s also started pulling the hay from her litter tray to make a mound :s

She has boxes and baskets to use, I think we might need to start rotating toys to keep her interested. I don’t know how kids keep bunnies as pets! Bramble is definitely a diva! At least she’s worth it

[Bam]

Rotating toys is a great idea, I did that with my dog when she was a pup. It really did keep her interest up.
Bunnies aren’t really ideal pets for small children. Their cuteness is their undoing in that respect.

[Mimsy]

Couches that can’t be blocked cover in heavy blankets so you have a chance to stop her before she destroys the couch. Hit the second hand stores for the blankets if you want them at a more reasonable price. Throw rugs or those plastic carpet runners for the carpet works too.

Clapping and/or yelling make Willow happy and does not work. I pick her up. She’s not fond of being picked up so it seems to have a bigger effect. Plus I figure it gets her used to the idea of sometimes you need to be picked up and if you don’t want to be picked up, don’t be naughty and come when you are called. If she is being good and stops chewing on my stuff, or goes to her pen when asked or anyother t hing I’m trying to get her to learn, I give a little piece of carrot or apple for good behavior.

She is *mostly* good about not chewing things that aren’t hers and she comes to her name and goes into her carriers and pen when asked.

[Booplesnoot]

I found that sprinkling a bit of ground pepper in Boople’s favorite chew spots to be successful. It’s deterred him completely, even after vacuuming the next day.
I don’t know if the same trick would work on couches, but it’s worth a shot! I totally get the strain n the relationship too… M partner was less than thrilled when I brought Boople home. :-/ His misbehavior hasn’t helped things any, haha!

[Author]

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