She keeps eating the toilet paper rolls

[Beetiza]

These are Eliza’s favorite toys:

1. a Snak Shack Log

2. A toilet paper roll with flaps cut on either end

Why does she like the toilet paper roll? Because it apparently tastes delicious. Every time I give one to her, she eats the ENTIRE THING. Everything I’ve read says that cardboard is safe unless it’s eaten a lot. She only gets about one or two a week. Is that too much for her to be eating? I’m working on moving them inside so she has a bigger place to play and more space for toys, but for now their hutch is not the biggest, and a toilet paper roll is a really nice-sized toy for it. Plus, I don’t really go to the pet store that much, so I can’t just buy toys all the time. 

Is there a way to get her to stop eating the rolls? 

Thanks,

Beetiza

[Eepster]

A couple a week is no big deal. Let her enjoy.

[Sr. Melangell]

Olly will eat toilet rolls, he loves them, he gets one every week, why bother going to the bin in the rain with an empty roll? When bunny can have a free chew toy

[Beetiza]

All right thanks guys. Eliza will be happy to hear that

[Bugs &Ruby]

Hello all! My Bugsy and Ruby love their cardboard. Unfortunately, due to Bugs’GI stasis over the weekend, (we still havent found the cause) we’ve removed all cardboard. What do you guys suggest we give him now to play with/chew on? When we let him out hes actively chewing on stuff he never has before because he needs stuff. Do you guys think that his cardboard eating caused his stasis? Thanks!

[Bam]

Bugs &Ruby, normally bunnies don’t suffer any ill effects from ingesting some cardboard – but it of course depends quite a lot on the amount. They shouldn’t stuff themselves with cardboard. It’s really difficult to say what caused Bug’s episode of stasis. Hopefully a bit of dietary adjustment will do the trick. You’ll have to keep an eye on him. Recurring bouts of stasis/ gut slowdown can mean that the problem isn’t with what he eats but rather with his teeth (molars) and as a result his ability to chew his food properly.

As for stuff to chew: I give my bunnies apple and willow twigs to chew. If you don’t have trees yourself, there are quite a lot of willow rings and balls and other edible willow toys that you can buy for your rabbits. I’m lucky to have apple-trees, so my buns get twigs and small branches, and they never seem to get tired of stripping the bark off of them. There are many trees that are bunny-safe. You can buy seagrass mats and hay mats and wooden chew toys that some buns like to chew.

[Bugs.Ruby88]

Thanks Bam!

It was his first time having stasis and just before he tore up a box and left large clups everywhere. Hopefully I can reintrograte the cardboard once we get his diet back on track. The vet said his teeth are fine, so its good to hear that that wasnt the cause. We will do some exploring! Thanks for all the help!

[Bam]

Of course, I meant if he (as he hopefully absolutely doesn’t) get recurring tummy-problems, then you might have to start looking for reasons beyond diet. I’m glad his teeth were checked and fine!

[flemishwhite]

Hmmmmm..  Wasn’t happy to read that cardboard chewing may cause a statis problem.  Our bunnies chew a fair amount of cardboard..they also eat a lot of oat hay, pellets, green veggies, and treats….they have robust appetites…they now weigh about 10 pounds.  They love to play with their cardboard boxes, push them around, turn them over, jump into them, and also eat them. I kinda think they like eating the cardboard because it’s noisy!  If cardboard can cause a statis problem, we’d better keep an eye on them.  They are 6 1/2 months old so their teeth should be in good condition.  i know statis can be a problem with older bunnies if their teeth get long/develop spurs and they don’t chew their food well before swallowing.

[Author]

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