Hi all
It's probably too soon to post a worried question about my bun's manic cardboard eating obsession, as it has only appeared today - but I'm sure you understand!
One of my two brother buns (both neutured), Magneto, has tonight displayed oddly obsessive cardboard box eating behaviour. He lives in a puppy pen at the moment, as we only got them a few weeks ago and we're slowly training them to free roam by increasing their time outside the cage each evening (as we are litter training them). Magneto is the chewer of the two - he loves willow sticks, but although he nibbles cardboard boxes he's never wanted to eat them before. We've got a big cardboard box in our living room full of packing paper which we hoped they'd use as a digging box. So far they've jumped in and out of it and Magneto's had the odd nibble, but haven't quite figured out what it's for.
Tonight when we opened their cage Magneto hopped over to the box and proceeded to munch his way through it, actually eating it rather than just chewing. He only stopped to go and sleep in his tunnel - another thing I've never seen before. After which he went back and started to eat the box again. It looked weirdly obsessive and we could only occasionally tempt him away with treats (really odd because you have never seen two such food motivated rabbits!) There is also currently a much thinner cardboard box and some toilet roll tubes in his cage which he just ignores.
He's currently asleep in his litter tray, all splayed out - he's been eating carrot, straw and hay and his poo is fine too. Beast, his brother, seems relatively normal although maybe a bit down/less energetic tonight too. We've been having really weird weather - storms, humidity and quite a bit of atmospheric pressure. Do you think this could be upsetting them? I have noticed that they seem a bit miserable when it rains (even though they're house rabbits). And should I remove the cardboard box while he's eating it? Not quite sure what to do - any help/advice would be appreciated.
It's probably too soon to post a worried question about my bun's manic cardboard eating obsession, as it has only appeared today - but I'm sure you understand!
One of my two brother buns (both neutured), Magneto, has tonight displayed oddly obsessive cardboard box eating behaviour. He lives in a puppy pen at the moment, as we only got them a few weeks ago and we're slowly training them to free roam by increasing their time outside the cage each evening (as we are litter training them). Magneto is the chewer of the two - he loves willow sticks, but although he nibbles cardboard boxes he's never wanted to eat them before. We've got a big cardboard box in our living room full of packing paper which we hoped they'd use as a digging box. So far they've jumped in and out of it and Magneto's had the odd nibble, but haven't quite figured out what it's for.
Tonight when we opened their cage Magneto hopped over to the box and proceeded to munch his way through it, actually eating it rather than just chewing. He only stopped to go and sleep in his tunnel - another thing I've never seen before. After which he went back and started to eat the box again. It looked weirdly obsessive and we could only occasionally tempt him away with treats (really odd because you have never seen two such food motivated rabbits!) There is also currently a much thinner cardboard box and some toilet roll tubes in his cage which he just ignores.
He's currently asleep in his litter tray, all splayed out - he's been eating carrot, straw and hay and his poo is fine too. Beast, his brother, seems relatively normal although maybe a bit down/less energetic tonight too. We've been having really weird weather - storms, humidity and quite a bit of atmospheric pressure. Do you think this could be upsetting them? I have noticed that they seem a bit miserable when it rains (even though they're house rabbits). And should I remove the cardboard box while he's eating it? Not quite sure what to do - any help/advice would be appreciated.
