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Rabbits v carpet

B

beccalillynick

Warren Scout
I have got quite thick carpet which is quite new and expensive!! I expected the buns to have a little dig but they are pulling it up in clumps. How do I teach bobby not to do this? They have lots of wicker type balls out for them to play with, tunnels and blocks. At the moment I am just gently moving him away and giving him a ball. Any other tips?
 
You don't. They are rabbits. They dig naturally.

You can only cover areas with other things. You can't 'teach' a rabbit things like that.

Welcome to the world of house rabbit ownership.
 
Rabbits and carpets dont really mix well. Sorry.

We have chunks out in most corners. Have tried to teach Rolo this is not good. But to no avail. Dont think he cares that we spent £600 for a fuzzy floor covering:roll:

When youre a bunny mum, you have to sacrifice ALOT of things. Wallpaper, phone chargers, laptop cables, kitchen floor, having a clean house (that hay gets everywhere, even in bed!)

But...the benefits far outweight the bad. Noserubs, bunny flops and scooping him up for a snuggle and him knowing you need it. Ahhhhhhhhh!:love:

Rach x
 
Yeah, pray! :lol: I don't think you're going to be able to train your bunny not to do this. We have new carpets which have been pulled up. I find the more space we allow, the less carpet gets dug/pulled up due to not feeling enclosed and being able to run around. Otherwise, you need to hide the carpet so they can't get to it. I don't think they learn!
 
Haha thanks for the replies!!! Will have to get a nice big sheet to cover it all then. Will just have to make sure he doesnt eat any of it :lol:
 
I bought some ground sheets from the 99p shop 1 meter x 2 meters. Put them in corners where there is frequent digging with something heavy on top. Just means I have to stop him chewing on the groundsheet instead :roll: :lol:
 
When mine start having a nibble on the skirting :)roll:) I clap my hands once. It startles them a little so they stop. If they start doing it again I clap again, and so on. Eventually they seem to lose interest :D

Worth a try :wave:
 
Gemmapookie said:
When mine start having a nibble on the skirting :)roll:) I clap my hands once. It startles them a little so they stop. If they start doing it again I clap again, and so on. Eventually they seem to lose interest :D

Worth a try :wave:
Click to expand...

I thought of that too - like noise distraction. He is only a baby though so dont want to startle him while hes getting settled in. He's not too bad to be honest, I was just wondering if there was a way to teach him not to. Will dig out a few bed sheets that I dont need anymore haha.

We havent been in this house for long so dont have skirting board in the living room yet :roll: but at least that is one less thing for him to eat at the moment :lol:
Thanks for all the help :)
 
oh dear, sorry for your carpet!! :( so pleased we have laminate flooring!! :lol: could you maybe take the carpet up and lay it in another room that they don't access as often so it doesn't get ruined, and lay laminate down in their main space instead? quite costly but may be worth doing in the long run than forking out for new expensive carpet later on :roll: sorry that is my only solution... :oops:
 
beccalillynick said:
I thought of that too - like noise distraction. He is only a baby though so dont want to startle him while hes getting settled in. He's not too bad to be honest, I was just wondering if there was a way to teach him not to. Will dig out a few bed sheets that I dont need anymore haha.

We havent been in this house for long so dont have skirting board in the living room yet :roll: but at least that is one less thing for him to eat at the moment :lol:
Thanks for all the help :)
Click to expand...

No problem :wave:

I just do a quiet clap, just enough to get their attention but not scare them. Its negative reinforcement I guess. I used the technique on my Charlotte when she was settling in and decided she had a penchant for the cushions on my sofa :roll: She leaves them alone now :D
 
Noise distraction can work, but then you face the problem of bunnies beign intelligent.

My two know what they're not allowed to do... So they just wait until I'm not watching :lol:
 
Okay I have two corner spots that have been dug at. Luckily my buns are not interested in digging them up anymore so at least the damage hasn't got any worse. I believe this is down to always giving them a toy house to destroy and dig at. This one is the best as it has a cardboard bottom for them dig at:

http://www.cardboardguy.co.uk/

I have also used this one below. This doesn't have a bottom so I put a vet bed underneath it and this stopped them wanting to dig at the carpet.

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Tunnels,+Tents+%2526+Mats.8/Maze+Haven.414.html

If these don't work, or for extra security, use old catalogues and telephone directories. Just pile them on the digging spots and then your bunny will be happily destroying the catalogue instead. You will have to pick lots of bits of cardboard and paper but hey ho thats the joy of being a bunny mommy!
 
I think the key is distraction! Give him something better to dig, like a fleece blanket or a box filled with hay/soil/shredded paper/fleece. My duvet and a sheepskin rug are the favourites in my house! I dont mind because they are easily replaced and cheaper than carpet, although they havnt ruined them yet.
 
nessar said:
I think the key is distraction! Give him something better to dig, like a fleece blanket or a box filled with hay/soil/shredded paper/fleece. My duvet and a sheepskin rug are the favourites in my house! I dont mind because they are easily replaced and cheaper than carpet, although they havnt ruined them yet.
Click to expand...

I have ordered some new tunnels and toys today so hopefully they will do the trick. Will get a piece of furry fabric and stick it to a board or something.
Thanks for your advice :wave:
 
BinkyBun said:
Okay I have two corner spots that have been dug at. Luckily my buns are not interested in digging them up anymore so at least the damage hasn't got any worse. I believe this is down to always giving them a toy house to destroy and dig at. This one is the best as it has a cardboard bottom for them dig at:

http://www.cardboardguy.co.uk/

I have also used this one below. This doesn't have a bottom so I put a vet bed underneath it and this stopped them wanting to dig at the carpet.

https://www.thehayexperts.co.uk/Tunnels,+Tents+%2526+Mats.8/Maze+Haven.414.html

If these don't work, or for extra security, use old catalogues and telephone directories. Just pile them on the digging spots and then your bunny will be happily destroying the catalogue instead. You will have to pick lots of bits of cardboard and paper but hey ho thats the joy of being a bunny mommy!
Click to expand...

I will give anything a go, the image of him tearing up a yellow pages is quite amusing. Might give him one anyway just to watch ::lol:
 
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