Constant Rabbit Digging

[Bribble]

I have a problem with my rabbit, and it's a recent issue. She's started digging and gnawing at the corner of her cage ALL NIGHT LONG! The sound is like nails on a chalkboard! She's done this before a long time ago but it wasn't this bad and she stopped after a day or so. Nothing I do has deterred her from chewing the corners of the cage, and there are actually holes in the plastic now. It's a pretty expensive cage she's destroying and I've not yet reached my monetary goal for building a newer and much larger cage.

I've tried keeping her occupied with paper (she loves to shred paper). She's got hay and greens in there, as well as a cardboard box and a baby toy or two to play with but she just insists on chewing the cage. It has kept me up at night and woken me up at 2 every night for about the last week. Since keeping her occupied didn't work for more than a few minutes, I've tried spraying vinegar and other foul smelling things (to them) in the corners but that also doesn't work. The cage door is always open day and night and they know they can jump out whenever(they've done it before), so I'm not sure why she insists on staying in if it's a lack of exercise problem. Just last night she's also had my other rabbit start doing it as well and I can't take it much longer, I'm gonna run out of coffee soon!

How do I stop this?? I need sleep!! The cage is too large to just move out of my room as well. And I would just absolutely LOVE for them to be able to have free reign of my room, but they can't seem to take up litter training and I can't afford to have them pee all on my carpet. And I definitely don't want to move them outside or to the garage. Any help is appreciated!

 

[JBun]

You said the cage door is always open, so is it that she is just choosing to stay in there? If so, is removing the cage top a possibility? It may just be that your bun has decided she needs an exit hole in the cage. Rabbits usually like to have two ways at least, to get out of a space, an entrance and exit.

If you can't remove the cage top, another thing you can try is blocking the corner with something solid. So like moving a piece of furniture or something solid in that corner. Or you could zip tie or attach something smooth and solid to the outside of that cage corner, or the inside of that cage corner, so she doesn't think it's a possibility to get through there. If you have room to do this, it might help to give her a digging box filled with pieces of newspaper. I'll usually crumple a few sheets to get my buns started. I would suggest not keeping it in there permanently, but to put it in a few hours before bedtime so that she will essentially wear herself out before bedtime. Don't know how much it will help, but it's worth a try.

As for a possible cause to the behavior, if you haven't made any recent changes to spark the behavior and she doesn't seem upset or nervous about anything, my guess would be spring fever. Even in spayed/neutered bunnies, the approach of spring can cause nesting and hormonal type behaviors like increased humping. Digging would also be related as it's their instinct to dig their burrows.

 

[Bribble]

You said the cage door is always open, so is it that she is just choosing to stay in there? If so, is removing the cage top a possibility? It may just be that your bun has decided she needs an exit hole in the cage. Rabbits usually like to have two ways at least, to get out of a space, an entrance and exit.

If you can't remove the cage top, another thing you can try is blocking the corner with something solid. So like moving a piece of furniture or something solid in that corner. Or you could zip tie or attach something smooth and solid to the outside of that cage corner, or the inside of that cage corner, so she doesn't think it's a possibility to get through there. If you have room to do this, it might help to give her a digging box filled with pieces of newspaper. I'll usually crumple a few sheets to get my buns started. I would suggest not keeping it in there permanently, but to put it in a few hours before bedtime so that she will essentially wear herself out before bedtime. Don't know how much it will help, but it's worth a try.

As for a possible cause to the behavior, if you haven't made any recent changes to spark the behavior and she doesn't seem upset or nervous about anything, my guess would be spring fever. Even in spayed/neutered bunnies, the approach of spring can cause nesting and hormonal type behaviors like increased humping. Digging would also be related as it's their instinct to dig their burrows.

Yes the cage door is always open. Even though I'd rather not have them running around my room (as I mentioned they are not litter trained) I always keep it open just in case but they choose to stay in there. The cage top was removed the second I got it. I actually had guinea pigs first and it was just easier to get to them through the top (as with the rabbits) and I just don't like keeping them mentally "confined".

I tried your suggestion of a newspaper box, filled it with some balled up papers and a little bit of hay for that extra "fluff" but sadly it didn't work for long. I did notice her nails grew out a little faster than usual so I will trim them when I get home today and see if that helps any. If not it probably just is spring fever. Thank you!