My house rabbit is only allowed in one room, which is the kitchen. Thankfully it is very spacious and he has plenty of room to run around. It's rabbit-proof too, with no wires or electrical devices he can reach.
However, he has managed to sneak out of the room when people carelessly left the door ajar on several occassions, and now he has a 'taste' for the house outside the kitchen.
When let out of his cage, after using his litter box, the very first thing he'll do is run to the closed kitchen door and start biting/chewing at it an attempt to pull it open. Of course, since the door is fully closed and not left ajar, he can't budge it, and just ends up damaging it. He also scratches up the lino floor just beneath the door to try and dig under it, and has damaged it as a result.
It's become extremely annoying, not only because his attempts are hopelessly futile, but because of the damage he's doing and how aggresive he becomes if you try to stop him. Trying to nudge or push him out of the way will result in an angry grunt or an attempt to bite, and while telling him a stern 'NO' will make him pause and go away from the door briefly, he always returns.
Offering toys or treats can serve as a distraction for a short while, but eventually he'll always go back to the door to try and pull it open.
Is there any way of fixing this frustrating problem?
However, he has managed to sneak out of the room when people carelessly left the door ajar on several occassions, and now he has a 'taste' for the house outside the kitchen.
When let out of his cage, after using his litter box, the very first thing he'll do is run to the closed kitchen door and start biting/chewing at it an attempt to pull it open. Of course, since the door is fully closed and not left ajar, he can't budge it, and just ends up damaging it. He also scratches up the lino floor just beneath the door to try and dig under it, and has damaged it as a result.
It's become extremely annoying, not only because his attempts are hopelessly futile, but because of the damage he's doing and how aggresive he becomes if you try to stop him. Trying to nudge or push him out of the way will result in an angry grunt or an attempt to bite, and while telling him a stern 'NO' will make him pause and go away from the door briefly, he always returns.
Offering toys or treats can serve as a distraction for a short while, but eventually he'll always go back to the door to try and pull it open.
Is there any way of fixing this frustrating problem?
