What bed for destructo-bunny?

[Haymonster]

I’m not really sure if this should go in the behaviour section, or this section, but it sort of crosses over both.

Our new(ish) bunny, Winky, loves to tear things apart and generally destroy things. Last night she tore the stuffing out from the inside of her bed:

 

 What beds do people use for destructive bunnies? Can I let her keep using this bed, or should I remove it for safety reasons?

Is this destructive behaviour a sign of boredom? If so, what can I do/give her to alleviate this? Another night she went to work destroying one of those Oxbow hay mats, which our other rabbit, Dobby, had had for six months, and had only taken occasional nibbles at. She’s a mini rex cross and the rescue did warn us that she will need lots of stimulation.

[Sarita]

I would not give her a bed at all. My rabbits lie comfortably on their carpets – I’ve never had beds for any of mine.

[jackikal]

Silly Rabbit!

She’s probably bored, and destruction is, well…. fun. Do NOT let her use this bed anymore because she could be eating the materials and that could cause digestive blockage. You’ll just have to test out beds to find one she won’t destroy. Chew toys and things like hay mats would be ideal for her if she’s into destruction. I recommend you contact the rescue to see what types of toys she had and possibly even what beds they used.

Evelyn has never had a bed either. She flops down next to the closet doors and crashes. 

[Haymonster]

Thanks for the feedback!

I did remove the bed, but I didn’t know if I was overreacting by not letting her have it anymore. It’s good to know that my instinctive reaction was the right one! Do you provide blankets etc to help them keep warm at night?

Winky is proving to be a lot more challenging than Dobby, and I feel like I’m always one step behind her. She always seems to be doing things that I don’t quite know how to deal with!

Our house is all floorboards, and though I do have a rug for them, it only covers part of their room. I also have some old (but clean) carpet, but it’s all in very large pieces. Could anyone recommend a way to cut this smaller, so that it fits their room and their hidey holes better? I.e. any particular “carpet scissors”, if such thing exists?

[mocha200]

You can use a utility knife. My bunnies do not have beds either as they just pee in them. About the blankets, rabbits LOVE cool weather and 60’s are their favorite! They most likely don’t need to be warm but some rabbits do like to snuggle up with blankets! But my guess is that if he destroyed a bed, he may destroy a blanket as well.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Zeus will actually eat any fabric left in his cage, so he has coconut fiber mats to lay on, as well as some ceramic tiles. He looooves to lay on the tiles.

[jackikal]

I agree with mocha200. Try giving your bunny a blanket and see what happens. Just don’t let it get eaten!

[CinnabunMom]

Cinnabun also loves to dig and chew so I have tons and tons of cardboard boxes. Some are small and some are really big. She seems to like the really big ones the best because I carve out two escape holes and she’ll just go inside and tear at inside. It’s safe for bunnies since cardboard isn’t harmful and it’s not overly messy to clean up.

[Haymonster]

The bunnies have blankets, and though they will sometimes bite holes in them, they don’t completely destroy them (or eat them!). You can see a fleece blanket in the picture, which she merely pushed aside to dig at the bed. They like to rearrange the blankets and dig at them, but they also like to flop down on them at the end of a hard day. Dobby will also duck under them during a thunder storm.

She does like to carve out holes in boxes. Mostly ones perfectly sized to stick her head through. Last night I gave her a phone book and although she hasn’t completely destroyed it, she has made an impact on it. I’ve ordered some edible rabbit toys, but I’m also trying to get creative with things around the house.

The funniest part about it is that when she gets into a destructive mood, and starts ripping things apart, Dobby just sits and stares at her. I may be anthropomorphising him too much, but it’s as if he’s astounded by her behaviour. When Dobby hops around the house, he’s looking for noms (and although the furniture is not a Dobby approved nom, soap and other toiletries are), but when Winky hops around, she’s looking for things she can destroy!

[Deezle]

My little girl loves to shred a bed. As long as they have some kind of shelter/tunnel to snuggle together out of drafts, they will probably be fine.

[Wick & Fable]

It’s always good to have a shelter/tunnel for rabbits, as they do indeed enjoy their hidey-holes!

Since this is an old thread, you’re unlikely to get contributions from the original posters @Deezle, so I will be locking it; however, feel free to comment to any more active/recent threads, as well as create your own topics!

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.

[Author]

Messages