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My Rabbit Eats EVERYTHING

Dan_K

Warren Scout
I bought a male dwarf lop in November 2005 and since then he has decided to chew on everything except the things I bought him to chew on. His particular favourite is plasterboards. For the first couple of days he was fine and within a couple of weeks he was allowed fere run of the kitchen, with some plywood boards covering the doors to stop him eating them and to keep him in the kitchen. Now he's a bit bigger he's learnt to jump on his cage and over the boards into the space between the boad and the door, so he can shred my doors and frames. he's also taken a large chunk of plaster off the wall, but everything else I have for him is left mostly untouched - woodden toys, cardboard boxes to dix in, shredded newspaper he just doesn't seem interested until my back is turned when he goes for the big stuff. I realise it must be a case of teaching, but he's my first bunny and i obviously need some ideas. I don't like keeping him in his cage all day while i'm at work and when I get home he doesn't seem interested in me. He was neutered 2 weeks ago but his behaviour is more destructive now than ever.

Anyone got any tips????
 
It takes awhile for his hormones to calm down think its arund 8 weeks. Have a look if your library has "living with a houserabbit" Think thats what its called anyway. I found its a really good read with loads of good tips, the other one is why does my rabbit...
Might be best to give him a limited amount of space until you have time to watch him closely and put him back in his space when you can't focus all your attention on him.

:) Vera
 
Hiya!! A bunny who eats walls :roll: :roll: Oooops!! You are doing all the right things in providing him with lots of toys. I wonder if there is a way you could make an enclosure for him that is bigger than his cage but that will prevent him from demolishing your house :? :? . Also, if he spends a lot of time on his own whilst you are at work would you be able to consider adopting a spayed female Bun from a rescue to keep him company? If he has another Bun for company he may be less destructive. Once he gets older I am sure his behaviour will improve. Sounds like you have a bunny version of Kevin the teenager at the moment :roll: :roll: . Jane and Buns xx
 
Does he eat much hay? Mine only chew the doors etc when they want more fresh hay (well they will go and tread on the stuff I gave them an hour ago :roll: ) - It's a great boredom buster as they like to pick their favourite bits out of a bundle - keeps mine busy for ages, but you need to shop around and find some good, sweet hay, as lots of pet shop stuff is rank.

the other time mine get destructive is when they want to be let outside to go mad!
 
Storm is the same, he, and gypsy, have loads of toys, which they do play with, but Storm likes digging up and chewing my carpet!, chewing the skirting boards, walls, clothes, EVERYTHING!! and he's so stroppy!. He's been neautered too :shock: .
I know it doesn't really help you now, but it will calm down. It's a stage all bunnies seem to go through, some more than others. Gypsy was a litte terror too! but she's really good now!.
 
well he always has access to hay, I think it is that he wants to get out cos just a minute ago he was trying to move the board so he could get into the hallway. U wouldn't have thought something so cute could be such a pain in the ass!! U would have thought he'd have learnt by now as I'm always clapping my hands at him and shouting NO! when he tries it on but he just doesn't liste. Perhaps Kevin would have been a better name for him!
 
It's boys you know :roll: My boy bunny is more trouble than my 6 girls put together - same goes for my son :?

I gave Benny (my rabbit, not my son :lol: ) (now there's an idea :shock: ) a huge hutch outside, and he has a couple of hours free a day - he seems happy now, and only tries to eat his way out of the hutch when he can hear me talking to the girls and he's not allowed to go and kill them like he wants to - boys! :roll:
 
Hiya,

Does he eat the hay he has? Rabbit's should get through a fairly big pile each day e.g. about the size their body is. You can get lots of different types/qualities of hay and sometimes rabbits won't eat one flavour. They'll also fill up on dry food instead which is quick to eat and full of energy. Don't know how much your feeding but a big pile of hay and only 50g max of pellets is a good diet for an average bun.

Toys are an excellent idea, not sure what you have but I'd really recommend a treat ball. Putting all his dry food in this will mean he spends much more time eating. Wild rabbit spend most of the day/night eating if your bun doesn't then he'll make up his own fun to fill the gaps.

If you can make it so he spends 50% looking for and eating his dinner then that's 50% of the day he doesn't have to spend on chewing the walls.

Lots of ways to make finding dinner more difficult. Hanging things so they swing or are difficult to reach. Putting things in/under boxes (that don't matter if he chews)... make a digging box filled with shreeded paper of straw/hay and hide food in that etc.

You may also find his own large box(es) with doors cut would divert his attention to chewing their walls rather than yours.

Goodluck!
Tamsin
 
That's a good point actuallyhe used to eat a lot of hay but not so much these days, certainly not as much as a ball the size of his own body each day. I have started trying to hide his food in things but he shows no interest and then as I don't feel safe leavinghim out while I'm asleep I have to put him in his cage with some food so he doesn't starve!!!!

He has 2 cardboard boxes but he shows no interest in either, to the point that even if i try to give him a helping hand in going in he panicks and bolts away. He's an odd chap!
 
hay was my biggest headache when I started with rabbits - I tried so many different suppliers and I threw most of what I bought in the bin! Got it from West Wales Willows in the end - quality seems a bit off at the moment - they told me they bought some in from a different farm and it's not as good as usual - but my lot still seem to love it - Also found some lovely green meadow hay at my local grocers, which they like too.

It might be possible that lonliness is making your rabbit neurotic - I'm home all day so my single bunnies seem happy alone, as they get attention from me throughout the day, but I think they'd be a bit lonely if I worked outside the home. Try leaving the telly on for him maybe, and getting him a teddy bear, if you haven't room for another rabbit? Watch he doesn't eat it though! My first rabbit died from a blockage caused by eating stuff he shouldn't have :(
 
have you tried putting his food in a treat ball?..it was the only thing Leela would ever play with.
you could also tie fruit tree branches to his cage. my buns would spend hours shreding them.
have you tried the 'burgess forage'? mine refused to eat hay but gobbled up every scrap of the dried grass i gave them! :wink:
 
Dan_K said:
I have started trying to hide his food in things but he shows no interest and then as I don't feel safe leavinghim out while I'm asleep I have to put him in his cage with some food so he doesn't starve!!!!

If you can find hay he'll eat then you could leave him with just hay at night and hide his food around when he's out loose. Rabbit's can lives quite happily on a mostly hay diet so it won't do him any harm, would be good for his teeth & tum :)

Tam
 
Thanks for everyones tips most appreciated. I've put some extra hay and bits of food in the 2 boxes he has for digging plus some extra in a treat dispenser and it seems to have had an effect already. I think it is a case of him being a bit bored and frustrated, I don't think being neutered with his teenage hormones still raging helps. I'm sure he'll calm down soon.
 
elve said:
aww - he's obviously an intelligent bunny :)

I always find the more destructive they are the more intelligent they are! ..... blimey! I must have a couple of mini genius's :shock: :lol:
 
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