Please help, i am going insane and so are my rabbits it seems...

Hello everyone, i'm not sure how experienced any of you are with mischievous rabbits but my two are really getting me down at the moment. They have just bitten a big hole in the side of their hutch (which was very pricey new) and just seem to be very very destructive. I realise that this is mainly due to boredom but i have no idea what else to do, they have lots of toys, i give them paper which they rip up and tubes. Every morning i am woken by the loud sounds of them eating their hutch and it makes my blood boil, mostly at weekends as i like a little lie in. I only want them to be happy but i can't seem to satisfy them. We have a little yard that is patioed. They have a run attached to their hutch but not enough to really really stretch their legs. Me and my bf think we could put chicken wire up around the fencing and put them out for a run around an hour a day (more in the summer as it stays light longer) I'm not sure if any of you have experienced this but if you have and have resolved it please could you help. I just want them to be happy! x

How old are they? Bailey chewed everything when he was little (hutch, table, walls :shock, but hes much better now. Do they have any wood to chew on? You could try large willow balls or willow rings, and lots of hay for them to munch on and play in. You could get some dried herbs for bunnies and mix it with their hay to keep them busy too. Bunnies need a lot of exercise, maybe you could get a bigger, secure run to attach to their hutch. The more they tire themselves out during the day, the less energy they will have to chew their hutch!

Maybe they could be housebunnies in a 48" dog crate? That way they could get an hourly run every day inside the house (supervised), have more space when they're not outside, and they wouldn't be able to destroy the cage. You can buy dog crates on eBay for about £40.

AMETHYST

If you haven't tried good quality hay already, that might do the trick - usually riding stables or farm shops will have nice hay, compared to pet shops - or there are good suppliers online. they like a fresh bundle twice daily - it's the best toy there is

Amethyst said:

Maybe they could be housebunnies in a 48" dog crate? That way they could get an hourly run every day inside the house (supervised), have more space when they're not outside, and they wouldn't be able to destroy the cage. You can buy dog crates on eBay for about £40.

AMETHYST

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Might not destroy their cage but if they are into munching things i wouldnt trust them around cables, skirting boards, doors, carpets, curtains, shoes etc:lol: My Simba was like that when he was young and he ate all sorts of things.. of course he is a very good boy now he's more mature
As suggested maybe you can get a bigger run or extend it.. but please get one with a lid and foxproof mesh, im not sure that chicken wire is strong enough. My lot love things they can throw about and nibble

What about lining their hutch with good thick cardboard (supermarkets often have boxes you can cut up)? Mine chew on that and it is free to replace.

Our rabbits use to chew the legs on the hutch also!! Placing plastic guttering put a stop to that.

Good luck!

Hi

I've got a mischevious bunny but she's biting holes in the sides of my house :lol:

Could you put a big piece of wood in their hutch for them to chew on instead, bunnies like to have projects and can be reluctant to stop halfway though one.

How about putting their pellets of veg inside a hay ball/toilet roll etc.. keep them distracted.
I'm sure they'll love the extra exercise could you let them run in your house for a bit, the extra exercise and attention may help.
If you have lots of toys inside they may not be destructive (coughs as Millie is again eating the plaster)

Sorry if it's already been mentioned but are they neutered?

Wow! I never expected so many responses! Thank you all so much for replying to me!

My two are young, i got them in April and they were 12 weeks old. They are both unspayed females. At the moment they have an assortment of toilet roll tubes, cereal boxes, large cardboard tubes, big wood den thing and a litter tray. The newspaper i put down for them is a big mess as they've shredded it (which i don't mind - anything to distract them from destroying their hutch!). I've also put a few towels in with them so they can play with them. Although
before i left for work this morning Rosie was trying to find a weak spot in the run mesh.

It is a very good idea about the cardboard lining, how did you go about doing this? What did you use to place it on the sides? Also good idea about hiding their pellets in toys instead of their bowl. That would keep them entertained wouldn't it. Do any of you do this yourself? I was thinking or hanging a few of the toys by string to the top of the run like a tube and then putting things in there so that keeps them thinking and stretching.

I currently get lovely hay from my local pet shop, they really enjoy it. When i first got them i just gave them pets at home stuff but my local pet shop has such lovely hay that smells so nice i sometimes wish i was a rabbit.

It's a bit hard for me to make the run and bigger as it would take up the width of the yard, hard to explain when you can't see the set up i have. Good idea tho! I think it would be better and more beneficial to the rabbits if i could fence the yard off so they can run around and i can relax and be sure they won't escape for the fifth time. I think now they have done it s few times they expect they can do it all the time. They are so naughty!! But i love them and am sure when (if) they calm down they will be a joy to have.

Unfortunately I'm not able to have them in the house as the place is rented ( i did sneak them in once but i was so scared they would do any damage i couldn't chance it again!) I would love house rabbits though. Definately something i would consider if we move.

Anybody know of where i could get foxproof mesh from? Is it pricey? Has anyone done this with their own yard or garden?

I'm glad (but sympathetic) that i am not the only one out there with naughty rabbits! I don't feel so much on my own now. Thank you. It will be my project this week to try and give them more things to do. I would like to tame them more really, not so hard with Blue as she is quite good but Rosie is scared of her own shadow sometimes. Odd really because when together it is totally Rosie who is the boss!

xxxxxx

Thanks again for all your responses

Hi - I'd just add that my chewy buns will always prefer twigs with the bark on (apple and other fruit trees especially, but also willow, beech and oak) above treated wood, so this is a very good way to stop destruction. If you live near the countryside you can just collect twigs and fallen branches from around the place (I find the free tastes better to me).

My two chewed their hutch when they were still young even though they had lots of sticks, willow balls and hay to munch on! We had to keep patching it up! Brian stopped right after he was neutered! Sophie continued a bit after she was spayed at 8 months but thankfully they have stopped now!

You could also try putting wire over the wood of the hutch/run so they can't chew it so easily. I made my run and put the wire on the inside of the wood rather than the inside and so far not a single shew on it, the hutch however is another story!!!

Mesh

Where did you guys get your mesh from? Can it be cheap? I'm looking on ebay right now. How did u cover up holes in your hutch? I will look in to getting mine spayed when i've got the pennies. I've heard it's rather pricey...it is on the cards tho at some point i should think x

Bunnies normally calm down when they get to 2 years old ish. I've got 7 rabbits but only 2 under 2 yrs old and they're the only ones that cause havoc - and of those the unspeyed girl is the worst!!!

Hopefully once your girls are speyed and have grown up a bit they'll be better!

I can't wait until they grow out of it, it's giving me serious blood pressure issues! x

mezrie said:

I can't wait until they grow out of it, it's giving me serious blood pressure issues! x

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That's nothing.. try a pair of housebunnies... bye bye carpet.. shoes.. books..curtains.. bed covers.. rat food.. remote control buttons... hamster food.. flowers... wardrobe.. in fact any wooden furniture

How about hay in a box (willow warren do a small one (which is massive) that mine love to jump in and have now chewed a hole in teh side but keeps them occuped for weeks!!

We also have ultra solid packed alfalfa toys (house and hollow log) that are great for chewing!! From Pets at Home. I took the straw roof of the house tho as it was quite eye-pokey! They have had those for months and are still going at it!!

Neutering will also be a great help !!! Will calm them no end as they are probably hormonal at the moment which will only add to their restlessness. Tis best to have this done for health reasons too (uterine cancers etc) and to stop girlie squabbles.

Also read a thread where someone put their pellets in a plastic tub with teh lid on, which drove them crazy trying to get to!

You can also get willow balls (again from the willow warren - online) that you stuff hay into.

Hope you find smthn out of all teh above suggestions in the threads to tempt them with

JOCELYN - That's nothing.. try a pair of housebunnies... bye bye carpet.. shoes.. books..curtains.. bed covers.. rat food.. remote control buttons... hamster food.. flowers... wardrobe.. in fact any wooden furniture

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HA ha why do bunnies love the remote buttons :lol:
We also had to strip the wall paper before they did :roll: will be a pianted room now :lol:

The do have 'missions' dont they and keep us on our toes !! :lol:

emjay said:

The do have 'missions' dont they and keep us on our toes !! :lol:

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I find that Piper's mission is to eat/chew everything I don't want her to. So I'll give her stuff to chew ie: cardboard boxes, willow balls, etc. and then I pretend like I don't want her to chew them she's more apt to! Does that make sense? Then I pretend I don't mind her chewing my carpet and the walls and she kinda leaves them alone! Reverse physcology on buns! :lol: :lol:

Mine like a treatball that i put their pellets into Keeps them active and busy for a while