Really need some help with a carpet ripper!

[Flobun]

Hi there everyone, I apologise that I haven't had chance to introduce myself, I'll be sure to introduce myself properly! I really need your help with a very naughty rabbit. This might be a long one so I apologise in advance but am very grateful for any advice!

I have two house rabbits, one neutered male lop, Shaggy, who is the gentlest, soppiest and lazy bun who is perfect as a house rabbit . The second, Flo, is a very cute and loving mini female bun who has been a fantastic house rabbit until now... They are the best of friends and love each other to bits.
I rehomed both of them from separate people who didn't want them any longer and bonding them was relatively easy and they've been stuck like glue since.

Flo is about 1 years old now and was due to be spayed several months ago, a few days before her operation she horrifically broke her leg (it was awful, I watched her do it!) and went into the vets. In two days she went through two operations as unfortunately the first operation to save her leg failed very quickly so the following day she had a hind leg amputated. This of course immediately meant she couldn't be spayed as she was so poorly and withdrawn for a while and it took her a while to get used to her having only 3 legs.

Fast forward three months and she'll doing so well, she's fully mobile and is incredibly happy. Suddenly, she has gone back to that character she was, on the run up to the hopeful first spay operation. I forgot how on my toes she had me and the last couple of days she's hit her full on naughty mode.

We live in a rented flat and the landlady was incredibly kind allowing us a house rabbit so long as we had suitable arrangements and she wasn't to free range. Yesterday I came home to see the blanket in their pen dug back and a patch of carpet she had ruined. I could have cried! So I put mats under the puppy pen. Now, it seems as if she has a new found love for carpet ripping. I've caught her twice in the past day and she has made tiny bits of damage which wouldn't be spotted, but that's only because I caught her in time.

I know she needs to be spayed, but I'm quite protective of her going back in so early after her operations and am so worried about her going under again. We honestly thought she was a gonna and the vets couldn't believe how well she pulled through it all. It was their first amputation on a rabbit! She will be done, I had just hoped I could have given her a couple more months. Is that silly? Their cage is a big puppy pen in the lounge with a blanket on the floor that's held down by the pen and they free range for several hours to all day when we are in. I'm going to get more mats so she hopefully can't get to carpet at all when she's in her pen. She has plenty of toys, a best friend she loves, hay and greens.

I suppose I worried she will be an outdoor rabbit, I can't have her wrecking the flat. It's rented and they were so kind to let us have rabbits when they said 'no pets'. But I wouldn't want Shaggy to be outdoors, he's an indoor boy and he loves it that way. Worst case scenario could I split them? It would break their hearts and mine, but Shaggy would hate it outside and Flo might not be able to stay in?

I'm so sorry that's so long, I've lurked for quite sometime but knew I needed all your advice for this. Thank you.

 

[sierra*323]

My Finx was a house rabbit with a love for carpet in a rented place, so I feel your pain! She is now perfectly happy with her husbun outside, but if you want to keep them indoors can you get a massive off cut and lay it over the existing carpet maybe?
I wouldn't split them, they sound like they have a good bond

 

[fillygal]

Hi:wave:

I have had indoor bunnies for about 15 years and I'm incredibly house proud lol which can be exhausting with bunnies as they certainly like to keep me in a job lol

Have you got lots of things to keep them interested such as willow balls and tunnels etc I find distraction works well. I've also used pet chew sprays and also a gentle water sprayer if caught in the act but tbh given enough other stimulation I've only had to revert to that once.

Another thought is cud you section off an area of their own - sometimes the destruction can happen as they have lots of space all at once - both mine have their own dedicated space areas in which they can digg etc with all their toys so at least any destructive stuff is limited to their own area.

Note I use destructive term in a general terms as very often they are just enjoying showing natural behaviour lol.

Hope this helps

 

[Unconformity]

Could you perhaps cover the carpet under the pen in vinyl or similar?

 

[Flobun]

Thank you for all your replies

I've bought a big thick rug to go under the pen rather than their fleece which was too easy to make holes in. I worried carpet might give her even more of a thrill for pulling threads. The vinyl would be a brilliant idea, but with her being a tripod bun she slips quite easily. She doesn't mind slippery floors too much, but she's never on them for long.

It's so nice to hear of others in this situation, she completely took my by surprise because she's never done it before.
How do you guys make a digging area? In a cardboard box? How do you make it appealing to them to dig there?

Also, she's a real fuss pot and adores fuss, it's cuddle time all the time. I've been really busy with work recently and whilst I've been around she hasn't been getting as much fuss as normal. Do you think she might do it for attention? I did some clicker training with her and gave her lots of fuss today because I felt she was getting told off a lot and she's (touch wood) a lot calmer tonight.

 

[fillygal]

Lol x know what you mean about taking you by surprise x I just think I've got enough stimulation and then they throw something completely different into the pot lol

Re the digging area - there are lots of options from completely natural such as peat boxes to synthetics substitutes such as a soft quilt which is what I use and works really well bit depends if your bun is a chewer x luckily mine isn't so no risk of tummy blockages from the infill as she just enjoys a digg and re arrange of the quilt which I hope helps her natural instincts - just bought cheapest lightest summer quilt and it works a treat and great to play hidy hole too lol

 

[Flobun]

Thank you fillygal for the advice, I'll have to try and sort something. She's a digger and like to rip as well but doesn't eat it.

I spoke to early yesterday and wont let me relax with her out and I feel awful keeping her in the puppy pen but letting the good as gold Shaggy out. I've put her out in the run for a few hours as it's quite mild here. I really don't know what I'm going to do with her she has lots of toys which get changed around. She's being a nightmare! Shaggy is still in as he doesn't really like being picked up (not sure if something happened with his previous owner, he's wasn't looked after very well and has always hated it) and it really upset him when I was putting him outside for a few hours when we had nicer weather.

Sierra - did you change yours to become an outdoor bunny because of her love for carpet? How did you find the transition to change her to an outdoor rabbit was?

 

[Flobun]

So Flo has been keeping her irrational crazy bunny behaviour on full blast this past week!! The carpet chewing was curbed very quickly, but the mischief and scatty behaviour was kept on full blast! Today Flo has shown where her hormones are, as she's been very busy making a little nest for herself, grunting and getting slightly upset if Shaggy goes into it. So it looks like the little lady is going to have to go back to the vets in the very near future. A few months earlier than I hoped but if she made it through her previous visit I should hold onto the fact she's a strong bun! Thank you for all your advice - it's much appreciated and very welcoming