Scratching at Cage Mat!

[StormIsMyBunny]

One of my rabbits (or both) scratch at the floor! In their cage I have the floor as one of those outside camping rugs. Underneath of it is a waterproof mat incase of accidents. But in the corner of their cage they have an entire hole they dug with the underneath mat sticking out! I don’t know why they are scratching at the floor nor how to stop them! Any help or ideas? 😬

[LBJ10]

Some bunnies just like to dig and if they find something that will come up when they dig at it, then they will just continue to dig there. I think the concept here would be the same as if your bunny was digging at regular carpeting, so my suggestion would be to put something heavy over the dig spot. I’ve found that large ceramic tiles work well.

[StormIsMyBunny]

Thank you! I will try that!

[Roo and Doe]

I agree with the ceramic tiles idea, We have also tried ceramic vases and bowls with success haha.

A few contributing factors though: how big is their cage? Free roam bunnies are less likely to be destructive since digging behavior can stem from boredom. You can temporarily end the digging behavior with ceramic tiles, however digging is in a bun’s nature and they will redirect their energy to something equally as worrying if that energy isn’t expressed safely. Therefore definitely think about free-roaming, and try making them a digging box (you can find resources online) that you change out every week to keep things fresh :)! We always keep any cardboard boxes for them to play in, especially if you can hide veggies and treats in there..yumyum..just remember to remove all tape and plastic. I also recommend a variety of chews, especially apple twigs daily. Other things that people recommend are foraging mats, cat scratcher pads, and phonebooks for them to rip apart.

Another contributing factor is age and spay/neuter. Fixed rabbits will become a lot calmer as their hormones settle, and rabbits over the age of 2-3 will usually mellow as well.

 

Hope this helps!

[Author]

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