Digging help 2 1/2 yr old bun

[KatP]

My female 2 and a half year old spayed bunny has just started to use one of her litter trays as a digging pit but I have no idea why! She is an indoor bun and has never been a digger before so I have no idea where this behaviour has come from? Any ideas? She is spending around 2hours a day digging and seems to be having great fun. She has loads of toys and masses of space as has free range of our living and dining room. Just interested really as to why she maybe doing this?

 

[tonibun]

I have seen single bunnies do this before and have come to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that they are thinking if they had babies then they would have company or at least doing something rabbity. My other rabbits which have a friend don't do this so this is why I have come to the conclusion. Otherwise, she has found something fun to do!

 

[norseofoz]

Bunnies dig holes for many reason apart from instinct. for safety, shelter and too nest. With our 2 (1 male REW & 1 female - sadly gone) The female was the main digger with the male usually getting involved when she was underway. He seldom digs on his own......that we have seen anyway. Our female wasn't fixed early and would dig like crazy in the backyard all year around, after she was fixed she would still dig but not as much and mostly in Spring. We have a 2 level hutch outside with a nesting box and she would also fill it with her fur which she would pull from her chest even after she was fixed. We eventually gave the bunnies a raised garden bed outside to play in and they loved digging there, the earth is softer and it has better quality grass (kentucky blue). Sadly the female is now resting there

 

[tulsi]

When I had my two belgian hares, the mum (Autumn) would always use one of her litter trays as a digging box. Her son wasnt interested at all.

My lovely Peaches would always make lovely cosy looking nests in the hay (no fur just a hay tent kind thing). Yet the two does in the quad of rabbits that I have now are not really keen diggers unlike the bucks who love to empty out their large flower pot of compost by digging vigerously.

Glad your girl is having fun with her new found skill!

 

[tulsi]

Double post ooops

 

[KatP]

Thanks for the replies.

She is definately enjoying herself and on the plus side it is fun watching her dig all the hay from one side then spin round and dig it all back again.