Diggin to get out!

[BSAR]

My english lop Mississippi, or Sippi is used to getting out of his cage every morning while we do the morning chores. Well now when we are in the rabbitry and we don't let Sippi out he chews on his cages and rattles the door. Our cages are made of wood and so Sippi's bottom of his door is really chewed on. It almost is like he is cribbing, which is what horses do. Is there anything we can do to make him stop? We don't want him to ruin our cages any more than he has.

So far right now whenever he does that we tell him no and sometimes give him a sharp tap on the nose. He is also only around 6 months old so could that be the problem also? We are just having a hard time taking him off the habit of getting out that much because we knowif we let it go on it will be even harder for him to stop. But it isn't working,because when he does that we have to let him out sohe won't annoy us.

Please if you have any advice/ideas letus know. Thank you.

 

[trailsend]

Hmm.. I'm not sure. It sounds like the only reason he is doing it is to get your attention - not because he's bored or has a chewing addiction lol. He clearly knows if he does it enough, you are going to let him out. And that behavior is reinforced everytime you do let him out because he is chewing and banging. Can you put something over the bottom of the door? He can't chew his way out can he? I've had a few males here that have really chewed the bottom of my hutch doors but nothing major... hopefully someone will come along with more help. My only advice is not reinforce the behavior - I know it's hard though.

 

[BSAR]

I don't know if there is anything that we can put over the bottom. No he can't get out. We wouldn't let him chew that much. When we first got him he didn't do it so I think it is just to get our attention. Plus you know how EL's can be! Whenever I try to show him his wooden chew carrot, he just chews it for a minute for pure anger and then tosses it out of his way and goes back to chewing the cage.

 

[trailsend]

You know what, none of my buns like those carrots and apple wood chews. I don't know why, they just couldn't care less. They'd rather tear up paper towel tubes or boxes. Ah, yes, the EL ego. A lot of buns like that lol. It's the oversized ears If he didn't do it before, it's likely all to get your attention. Just like a puppy!

 

[trailsend]

BTW I have a horse that cribs- you want to talk about destruction! I've had three cribbers, love em all, not a huge deal. She wears a Miracle Collar, but is currently eating my goats house right before my very eyes!

 

[maherwoman]

Sounds like he's throwing a bit of a fit at not being able to come out and play!

I haven't quite figured out how to prevent this, except to go ahead and let said bun out to play...but you could try giving him lots of different kinds of toys (like those wagonwheel toys that have bells in them, balls with bells, things they can throw around, etc).

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

maherwoman wrote:

Sounds like he's throwing a bit of a fit at not being able to come out and play!

That's exactly what it seems like he's doing! Lol. He also hates it when we put him back into his cage! He kicks his feet and nips us! And this is his "bunny tantrum." HIs best friend is a cat - who ALSO throws the worst tantrums I've EVER Seen! lol. Of course, we've been trying to punish him and he's grounded this week for trying to kill himself (he was trying to jump off the grooming stand and when I wouldn't let him he would shove me and nip me and just be a huge bully!)

He HATES not getting what he wants! He sure does! And, he is like an Evil Knieval/Spy in training! He wants to kill himself (by jumping off a grooming stand, well at least trying too) and then he watches you when you clean his cage to make sure you do it "The way he wants". And, you put his litter pan in the middle of the floor while he reeks havoc everyelse, and he'll come and sit in it and bounce in and out of it until you fill it with fresh, clean litter. It's so hilarious. lol.

He's 7 months old tomorrow....:shock:

Emily

 

[MsBinky]

Have you tried spraying the area with vinegar? I tried it with one bun who was doing it with the cage but I also dignored her so I am not sure if it's the vinegar or the fact that she just gave up on me

 

[BSAR]

No we havent tried vinegar.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

trailsend wrote:

BTW I have a horse that cribs- you want to talk about destruction! I've had three cribbers, love em all, not a huge deal. She wears a Miracle Collar, but is currently eating my goats house right before my very eyes!

You know that cribbing isn't really about the chewing right? There are horses that chew wood but they don't arch their neck and "suck in" - that is cribbing.

It's the whole sucking in of air - they latch onto the wood, and suck in air and get like a rush.... like a drug. It's also considered to be obscessive behavior.

Miracle collar works well.

AS far as SIPPI...... he's trying to dig his way out so he can run away from home to Indiana...... :whistling

 

[Revverress]

I've noticed my 9 month old EL buck getsthrows a tantrumwhenever I'm not paying him any attention. I had him out the other day while I was on the computer, and he hopped over and tore down the curtains over the screen door. When I went to pick them up, he flopped down on my feet to be picked up. XP My guess isSippi just wants attention.

I got my mini lop out of the chewing habbit using this method- Whenever the rabbit starts chewing, clap your hands and say NO in a loud voice. This will startle the rabbit and make it freeze, in which case you need to praise it; bascially, this will over time teach the rabbit that stopping the behaviour will get it the attention and praise it wants. You could try it on Sippi and see if it works.

I've heard of people having luck with spraying Bitter Apple spray on objects the rabbit likes to chew- I've never tried it, but maybe you could give it a try?

If all else fails- I would try rotating toys in and out every few days. My ELs love the cardboard moving boxes- They climb in them and chew it from the inside out. :biggrin2:

Also, when you're putting him back in the cage, wait until he stops kicking before you put him down. This will keep you both safe, and will teach him that he only gets let down when he calms down. Nothing like a bunny kicking you in the face after she jumps from your arms into the cage.

 

[trailsend]

Vinegar might work because of the strong smell - never used Bitter Apple for buns only for dogs, but it could work too. Try the vinegar and see what happens.

Oh, Bo, I know cribbing is not about chewing. This is the third cribber I've had - all are rescued Thoroughbreds. A friend of mine runs a Horse rescue for Thoroughbreds and told me about the Miracle collar, because the old devices are horrible. So far it works well. She had 20 cribbers come into her barn all at once! So swears by them.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Racehorses that were in stalls all the time! cribbing from boredom!

We are amazed that my horse isn't a cribber - he was almost 3 years old in a barn full of mares - all the time - and not gelded. Instead, he had ulcers.

 

[BSAR]

Thanks for all the help. We will try some of those things. Sippi is "grounded" from coming out of his cage in the mornings and afternoons, he can come out for exercise and all just not out wandering the rabbitry while we are do the bun chores. This afternoon we got home and found that Sippi hadn't eaten his food in some sort of protest to not getting let out this morning. We didn't let him out this afternoon and he surprisingly wasn't that annoying.

We will try that vinegar thing some time this weekend.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

trailsend wrote:

BTW I have a horse that cribs- you want to talk about destruction! I've had three cribbers, love em all, not a huge deal. She wears a Miracle Collar, but is currently eating my goats house right before my very eyes!

You know that cribbing isn't really about the chewing right? There are horses that chew wood but they don't arch their neck and "suck in" - that is cribbing.

It's the whole sucking in of air - they latch onto the wood, and suck in air and get like a rush.... like a drug. It's also considered to be obscessive behavior.

Miracle collar works well.

AS far as SIPPI...... he's trying to dig his way out so he can run away from home to Indiana...... :whistling

Well I think we'd notice before he was that far! Lol.

Revverress, yes we usually tell him to stop kicking and hold his legs until he stops, then we place him in his cage. We do that with all our bunnies; we also hold them football-style and turn around so we're not facing the cage, then they just can easily walk into their cage...that is the easy and safe way, but Sippi's cage is right on the floor (well about 5 inches off) so yeah.

 

[Richard0600]

haha my rabbits do that too the second you lure them back in the cage you give it about an hour or two they start running around and rattling the cage and tearing the plastic (we tape a garbage bag under the wood pellets so that its easier to clean)...my rabbits are out and around the house for a good 16-20 hours a day we only put them back in their cage before we go to bed...but these bunny tantrums keep waking us up at night and gets quite annoying at times...but as for tapping them on the nose...it really doesnt do anything you cant punish a rabbit like a dog it wouldnt understand why he's being hit...what probably works better is spraying the bunnies face with water from a squirt bottle....or as others have suggested spray the areas they like to chew with vinegar or better yet just tape it so they cant get at he wood...