Constantly Chewing

[bobbyv]

Hi All,



We have an 8 month old Netherland Dwarf and he has been a great bunny. He's been neutered and hasn't really been "misbehaving" until about 2-3 weeks ago. All of a sudden, he wants to chew on just about everything from the carpet to wood baseboards to our hutch. He also has really started to chew and rattle his cage a lot. He gets plenty of hay, timothy cubes, timothy tidbits along with chew toys in his cage and out. Why the sudden change in behavior? Is he trying to tell us something?

I've read that you need to give a bunny lots of chewable distractions, but maybe these are telling him it's okay to chew on other things.

He's very active and runs quite a bit with lots of binkies, so he's definitely happy. He has overcome coccidia, pin worms, and fur mites.

Any clues on what might be going on?



Thanks,

BobbyV

 

[elrohwen]

It could just be an age thing. Lots of bunnies under the age of 1.5 years can go through hyper periods where they're constantly into stuff - kind of like human kids and teenagers. I would keep giving him chew toys and changing them around so he has a lot of distract him.

Also, make sure you aren't giving him attention when he rattles his cage. It's easy to go over when they do this and let them out, or pet them, etc, but it's just reinforcing the behavior. Ignore him whenever he does it and as soon as he's quiet for a bit go over and give him a treat or a pet to reinforce being quiet and patient.

 

[fuzz16]

throw him some cardboard boxes to chew on...like said before could just be his age.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

bobbyv wrote:

Hi All,



We have an 8 month old Netherland Dwarf and he has been a great bunny. He's been neutered and hasn't really been "misbehaving" until about 2-3 weeks ago. All of a sudden, he wants to chew on just about everything from the carpet to wood baseboards to our hutch. He also has really started to chew and rattle his cage a lot. He gets plenty of hay, timothy cubes, timothy tidbits along with chew toys in his cage and out. Why the sudden change in behavior? Is he trying to tell us something?

I've read that you need to give a bunny lots of chewable distractions, but maybe these are telling him it's okay to chew on other things.

He's very active and runs quite a bit with lots of binkies, so he's definitely happy. He has overcome coccidia, pin worms, and fur mites.

Any clues on what might be going on?



Thanks,

BobbyV

rabbits will do anything to keep those constantly growing teeth at bay,..fruit tree branches/twigs work well with the teeth and gitract,,provided they have a steady diet of hay(70%) in the -daily-diet.//.they live on nondigestible fiber for most their maintenance.....people that free hand pellets daily threaten the well being of the rabbit,,in a very short time...sincerely james waller:wave::rose:

 

[juliew19673]

I must agree with James, if I've given my bun "free hand pellets" and have now stopped giving him pellets period (he's a healthy 2.5 year old). I do give him dinner salads a various greens and mixture of hay (timothy and orchard) and he has all the toys to chew on..

He is not now "chewing" on random things so much as he wasbefore, but has now started licking my couch with much more purpose - :?. Not sure what thats about, but he is losing weight and "food/pellets" he is not so obsevily driven by (well, other than the couch thing, which is new - trying to figure that one out).

I personally think the "constant" chewing could be just a "growth" thing and/or just a "Hey! are you paying attention to me", as was suggested in this string by others. Naughty buns.

I'm curious as toowhy this happens and your situation to this problem - so please post back what you figure out for yours...