Cage chewing

Please can someone solve this for me as it's driving me mad! Our house bunny keeps chewing her cage bars like something possessed, especially at night when we go to bed. As our bedroom is next to the living room where she lives it's even worse! I originally thought this was because she didn't have enough space and was (quite rightly) very cross. I bought her the ferplast 140 which is pretty huge and although it stopped for a few days, she's started again with vigour!

She has plenty of time out of her cage, about an hour in the morning while I get ready, 1/2 hr at lunchtime when OH pops home and then from 5/5.30 until about 11. She also has lots of toys, cardboard etc to chew on in her cage. Any ideas before I chuck her out of the window? obviously, the window would be a last resort...

Hate to break it to you, but rabbits like to chew! :lol:

How much hay does she get? Rabbits need access to unlimited fresh hay 24/7. You could try getting some extra specially nommy ones from www.thehayexperts.co.uk to help distract her. What about wooden toys, and fresh twigs? She'll need these anyway to keep her teeth in good shape, and again, they're a distaction.

How about adopting her a husbun from a rescue centre? If she's bored another rabbit is the perfect solution - it's lovely to watch 2 bunnies interact anyway.

For a short term solution, use something like this:

http://www.petmeds.co.uk/p-3014-bitter-apple-spray-236ml.aspx?=googleshopping&CAWELAID=448553466&

If the worst comes to the worst, and it's a possibility, banish her to a shed outdoors. (Although this is only an option if she's bonded with somebun, or she'd get lonely, cold and depressed).

Welcome to RU anyway! Any piccies? :wave:

Tilly does this sometimes in the evening, when she goes back in her cage. I tend to give her a fresh handful of hay, even if shes got plenty in the cage, she seems to be more interested in the fresh lot and goes to investigate, it usually works.

We live in a flat so outside isn't an option (we have bunny proofed the balcony so she can get some sunshine though). I reeeally want another bunny and i'm in the process of convincing the OH she always has fresh hay and eats about 3 handfuls a day. She does seem to prefer it fresh though. She pucks her favouite bits out and drags the rest into her hidey hole to lie on! I'll get her some new wooden toys to see if it helps but she always has lots of twigs etc. Do you think the cage is big enough for two buns? Could use her old cage for the other one while they're being bonded?

cage biting

:wave:
we have a guinea pig who bites the bars:lol:
it can be very annoying! i think they are trying to get your attention as she does it at meal times and bed time (they get a couple of mini shredded wheat before we go to bed).
a friend might be a good idea though...
not sure about the cage size as we have our house buns in a dog crate.
our guinea stops biting the bars when you say "enough" maybe you could train your bun:shock:
good luck
rabbitmum

When my girls do that - they are miffed they have been shut in their indoor cage....they wanna run about still...
Is there anyway bun can have a secure place to run about during the night? attache a pupppy pen or something to her sleeping area...will proabbly more more happy. They are more active at night - so evening play time is still only half a day out for them....
Hay does help...but mine still do it if I walk past to go to bed & they want out...:?

chelle said:

When my girls do that - they are miffed they have been shut in their indoor cage....they wanna run about still...
Is there anyway bun can have a secure place to run about during the night? attache a pupppy pen or something to her sleeping area...will proabbly more more happy. They are more active at night - so evening play time is still only half a day out for them....
Hay does help...but mine still do it if I walk past to go to bed & they want out...:?

Click to expand...

i second that - i'm afraid being stuck in a cage always after having lots of space will make your bun a bit miffed as to why its now stuck.

Puppy pen's rock, thats my opinion

I have a 4x4 foot puppy pen and during the day attached to that is a 5x2.5 foot attached to either side giving much more space and at night, free-range from 5pm until midnightish and all day every wednesday (OH is at home) and most of the time at weekends from 9am - 11-12 at night.

Mines not perfect i know and its even more different since i wrote this thread, i shuold really update with a newer picture, but this is the basis and you can see how it progresses

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=239385&highlight=project+play

Hope this helps

I think space is an issue. 5ft isn't all that big when she is shut up in it all night. Plus they tend to be most active at dawn (and then at dusk) - and most are still asleep at dawn, so she no doubt wants out! My two were much like this when I locked them up at night (their home base was 6ft x 2.5ft). I bunny proofed my room, so that they now have access to their home base plus the rest of my room. They don't make a peep now, except for when they are thundering around doing bog laps at 3am in the morning :lol:

Agree space and boredom is probably the main problem which is why your rabbit is chewing the bars. Can you increase the space that they have by adding a run area around them or using the ferplast tray as a base somewhere for their litter tray, water and food and then bunny proof the room. NIC cubes also make a good option for accomodation which can be expanded upwards and outwards.

Dawn and dusk are usually when rabbits want to be out exploring and playing, therefore when they are locked away in an area which is less than 5 foot they will complain and want to be out and about. You can then in adidition to their toys give them hidey holes and tunnels for them to hide in and explore.

A friend will also help

:wave:I used to house Feegal in something similar, a long time ago now. He used to do the cage chewing, but he also used to yank at the bars too:shock: Quite understandable really.

In the end I got him a rescue doe and they were housed in this: http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing/pens_with_racks/35638 the larger one, and let out in the evening.

So company and a larger house was all that was needed

They are now free range in my bedroom and rarely wake me up

Good luck.