My rabbits eats everything he shouldn't!

I know this is probably a stupid question but is there any way I can get my rabbit, Edward, to stop eating things that he shouldn't?

He eats everything, and I mean everything! Cardboard tubes and boxes, the neoprene bottle cover, the corners of the hutch and the straw I use for bedding. He ate the ground sheet when I kept him indoors while Rosie was poorly. He also ate the newspaper I put down. He didn't just shred it, I watched him eat it. I even caught him with a rubber band the last time him and Rosie had a run about on the lawn. I'm not sure where he found it but he was having a good chew and he wasn't too happy when I took it off him!

He has a varied diet of hay, Excel pellets and fresh vegetables, he has plenty of toys, tunnels, places to hide, and he gets loads of attention from his wifebun Rosie, me and the kids but he always seems to eat things he shouldn't.

Is this just a rabbit quirk I'll have to learn to live with? Or can I focus his urge to nibble on something else?

He sounds like a funny little bun! I have never found a way to stop Ferg chewing what he shouldn't - I owe my mum a new wardrobe because he's eaten the bottom of it!

Paper and cardboard (and phone chargers) are a delicacy in this house but I worry about him eating them so only let him play with thee things when I'm there to supervise. Have you tried wicker balls/willow balls or Apple twigs/sticks? Those are really good for chewing and safe to eat.

Mine isn't that keen on Apple twigs but if you give him a willow ball thing it keeps him occupied til he's completely eaten or ruined it

But honestly, I think once a determined bun has chinned something sooner or later it's getting munched! I've just given up :lol:

I'd try and add more activities generally, which will hopefully mean less time for chewing - so things like a treatball, hiding food, toys. Fresh branches would probably be good too - they are a lot better than the dried out ones you get from pet shops.

The chewing isn't so much of a problem, it's more his choice of food. For example, if he has hay and pellets to eat and straw and newspaper for bedding then he will eat the straw and newspaper. If I give him a toilet roll tube stuffed with hay he will pull the hay out and eat the toilet roll tube.

I wonder if it's due to his background. He was a rescue rabbit and originally came from a pretty bad indoor situation where I'm guessing he had to find his own food, so he probably would have eaten newspaper if there was no other food. Now he has a healthy diet but old habits die hard and he actively seeks out things that he shouldn't eat. I don't suppose it helps that his wifebun will steal food out of his mouth! The poor lad was enjoying a dandelion leaf today and Rosie pinched it off him. I gave him another one to make up for it.

I'll give a treatball and fresh branches a go. They will keep him entertained if nothing else.

anaqi said:

The chewing isn't so much of a problem, it's more his choice of food. For example, if he has hay and pellets to eat and straw and newspaper for bedding then he will eat the straw and newspaper. If I give him a toilet roll tube stuffed with hay he will pull the hay out and eat the toilet roll tube.

I wonder if it's due to his background. He was a rescue rabbit and originally came from a pretty bad indoor situation where I'm guessing he had to find his own food, so he probably would have eaten newspaper if there was no other food. Now he has a healthy diet but old habits die hard and he actively seeks out things that he shouldn't eat. I don't suppose it helps that his wifebun will steal food out of his mouth! The poor lad was enjoying a dandelion leaf today and Rosie pinched it off him. I gave him another one to make up for it.

I'll give a treatball and fresh branches a go. They will keep him entertained if nothing else.

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Have you tried using hay rather than straw in their bed area? Then if he's eating it it won't matter when mine when through the eating his paper little stuff I ended up having to cover all of it with hay to stop him getting to it - might be worth a try covering all the newspaper and seeing that stops him eating that at least