Morrigan1981
Mama Doe
Having read a few comments on another thread I'm now really nervous about posting this, so please be nice!
My demon nibbler, Frankie, has managed to chew a little hole in the side of the hutch he shares with Jen. The sides are made of tongue and groove so he's obviously managed to get a grip on the wood and start nibbling. The hole was tiny (about 4 mm x 2 mm) but you could see the hutch hugger through it! My OH and I have responded by cladding both sides of the hutch with 2 x 4in pieces of wood, so even if the hole does get a little bigger there's still at least 2 in of wood between the rabs and the outside world, so no chance of any escapees!
Of course I'd rather Frankie didn't feel the need to chew his hutch at all though... I just can't think what else to try to encourage him to leave the walls alone.. I've put a dangle wooden toy on the front of the hutch near the nibbled corner which gets a good chewing too, plus a variety of apple branches, willow balls, a chube, cardboard boxes... he eats everything :shock: A willow ball lasts (literally) minutes. They always have plenty of nice hay (although that doesn't last long either: I have to refill their litter tray at least three times a day). They have a big run that they spend at least 3 hrs a day in and more if the weather is good.
I don't like the idea of Frankie being bored but I'm not sure how else to keep him occupied. Does anyone else have a bun with a real talent for chewing?! How do you feed their habit?? My only consolation at the moment is that his teeth are perfect (which does sort of make all the nibbled things worth while ).
My demon nibbler, Frankie, has managed to chew a little hole in the side of the hutch he shares with Jen. The sides are made of tongue and groove so he's obviously managed to get a grip on the wood and start nibbling. The hole was tiny (about 4 mm x 2 mm) but you could see the hutch hugger through it! My OH and I have responded by cladding both sides of the hutch with 2 x 4in pieces of wood, so even if the hole does get a little bigger there's still at least 2 in of wood between the rabs and the outside world, so no chance of any escapees!
Of course I'd rather Frankie didn't feel the need to chew his hutch at all though... I just can't think what else to try to encourage him to leave the walls alone.. I've put a dangle wooden toy on the front of the hutch near the nibbled corner which gets a good chewing too, plus a variety of apple branches, willow balls, a chube, cardboard boxes... he eats everything :shock: A willow ball lasts (literally) minutes. They always have plenty of nice hay (although that doesn't last long either: I have to refill their litter tray at least three times a day). They have a big run that they spend at least 3 hrs a day in and more if the weather is good.
I don't like the idea of Frankie being bored but I'm not sure how else to keep him occupied. Does anyone else have a bun with a real talent for chewing?! How do you feed their habit?? My only consolation at the moment is that his teeth are perfect (which does sort of make all the nibbled things worth while ).