Will chewing decrease with age/neuter?

[Xtina22]

Hi there,

I recently got a new bun – about a week ago now. I had one for years when I was in highschool but I’m very rusty and looking for some input!

Overall he’s a very sweet and docile bunny, but he also has some issues which I hope are largely due to him being young (about 8 months old), unneutered (he’s being done next week), and probably frustrated from lack of exercise/mental stimulation in his previous home. 

One thing is that he’s been spraying me…yuck  I’m hoping the neuter will cure that given a bit of time.  His litter training is going ok, except for some buttons he leaves around. Again, hoping the neuter will help with that?

His biggest issue is chewing. I use babygates to confine him to an area of my house (stairway and hallway) when he is out of his pen, but he kept trying to chew on the walls/baseboards. He’s taken pieces out of them in a few places. At first I just tried redirecting him (saying “no, no” firmly and then bringing him a piece of wood to chew), which worked a little but he’d sneak off again in time and start to nibble. I also tried Bitter Apple and Fooey spray, as well as ivory soap. That didn’t seem to work either. So I’ve resorted to just covering the bottom 2 feet of my walls with cardboard. It’s an effective management strategy but of course doesn’t look very good – and in the future I’d really like to give him more freedom to roam but I can’t cover my whole house in cardboard! LOL

Is it likely that these behaviors, particularly the chewing, will lesson after the neuter and as he matures? Of course I know I’ll always have to do some level of bunny proofing, but as it is now there’s no way I can give him any more freedom or leave him out unattended at all. It’s limiting the amount of time he gets out of his cage and also meaning I have to spend hours sitting on the floor in my hallway as I supervise him. LOL

[Wick & Fable]

1) Spraying should stop. I thought I was getting off scotch-free, but Wick started to spray me 3 days leading to his neutering; longest 3 days of my life. After the neuter, there was one spray two days following, but none since then. There is no circling behavior either.
2) Poopoos around: Yes, the neutering will help rid those last few due to the lessening of territorial tendencies. Wick no longer leaves markings in the far corner of the bedroom and on the bed anymore.
3) The chewing could lessen generally, but it would be a good idea to find what things he may enjoy chewing on his own in terms of toys, whether you find some safe blocks of wood to present to him/put in his dwellings, or a chewable, non-toxic toy. I see some people put the CC-cage walls against their base boards for protection. It could look better, and they’re easy to set-up/move, as well as being multifunctional when you need them to be (make a quick pen or something)

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.

[Xtina22]

Thanks Wick

I had an unneutered male bunny for years (no local vets did bunny neuters back then) and he never sprayed, I was lucky! This is a whole new and unpleasant experience, haha.

Thanks for the chewing tips. I’ve been working hard. My biggest problem is the walls are wainscoting, which means ridges to chew on the whole way up
I’ve noticed that mostly the chewing he’s doing now is at doors, trying to get through and explore. Hopefully that’s all he is doing and once he’s used to our house it will subside a little.

[LittlePuffyTail]

From my experience, yes, chewing decreases with age. However, not to say that is true for all bunnies.

I suggest getting him some things he can chew like willow toys (the Binky Bunny store has a great selection) or cardboard boxes. Try taking a cardboard box (no glue or tape, or lots of ink on it), put it upside down like a hidey hut and cut out a door and window. My bunnies used to love customizing the houses.

[Xtina22]

Thanks. I have gotten him some cardboard boxes which he likes. I also give him a phone book to play with while he’s out and he has lots of rabbit-safe wood in his condo. He spends most of his time just running on the stairs and lounging, so that’s good. I just hope that if/when I do take the cardboard off the walls he doesn’t immediately go back to chewing them :/

[Mikey]

Adding my input about chewing: Agreeing with LPT, most buns will slow their chewing (but still chew because they need to), but some buns dont. 2/3 of my boys increased their need to chew as theyve gotten older. So much so, theyve chewed apart the majority of their coroplast walls in under six months and we go through wooden chew toys a few times a week

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