Dolly still chewing her hutch!

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Tally943

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I have 2 rabbits in a hutch, inside of my office. I posted earlier about how my rabbits keep chewing thier hutch and I did everything everyone told me to , but I still have the problem. First, I got them some new wooden toys, 3 , a rolling one with a ball, a hamburger one and a rubric cube with a ball in the middle. They seem to like all of the toys and play & chew them all of the time but at the same time , they are chewing thier hutch. It seems to be mostly Dolly now, she is the younger one. I also have been looking online and someone said to try giving them sugar cane , so I did that and they really love it but again, they are still chewing. Lastly, I just read online now to rub a hot pepper & soap on there? I'm not sure thats such a good idea.

I just really would like them to stop chewing because I just paid for this beautiful brand new hutch and I am worried they are going to destroy it in less then a year.
 
My girls chew the heck out of the coroplast floors in their condo. I've tried soap (needs to be Ivory soap or another brand with no dyes, perfumes, etc. in it if you try that). I've tried no-chew sprays. I've tried hot sauce. Nothing works for more than about a day (if that). Rabbits are ridiculously determined little naughties!

The only thing that truly works to thwart naughtiness is to block access completely. For the inside of a hutch, I recommend something like chicken wire or metal hardware cloth. Imo, hardware cloth is better because the holes are much smaller (you can get it with 1/2'' or 1/4'' holes - 1/2'' should suffice). If you ask a hardware store employee where the hardware cloth is, they probably won't know - instead, ask them where the chicken wire is, as the metal hardware cloth is always in the same place. Cut it to fit the inside of the hutch (pressed up against the wood).

As for securing it, I would use wood screws. I recommend 1''-1.5'' screws unless the hutch walls are thinner than that, in which case use the longest screws you can that won't go all the way through. For particularly thin walls, bolts may be a better way to go as they don't have pointy ends and are secured with a nut on the far side of the wall. Either way, you'll need washers - you can find ones that are around 1'' in diameter that have a small enough hole to accommodate a #8 screw or bolt. They don't necessarily have to be THAT big, though - as long as the diameter is greater than 1/2'' (ie larger than the holes in the mesh), you'll be fine.

Place the hardware cloth how you want it positioned on the wall, drill a very small pilot hole in one of the squares of the hardware cloth (assuming you're using screws; for bolts, an actual hole all the way through the wall that's big enough to slide the bolt through), place the washer on the screw/slide it to the head of the screw and then screw the screw into the pilot hole so that the washer keeps the hardware cloth pinned down. Repeat around the outside of each hardware cloth piece (3-4'' intervals are probably best).

Now if a bunny tries to chew the wooden walls, there's a mouthful of metal mesh waiting to thwart them :D

Oh, and don't forget to make sure there are no pointy edges around the outside of the hardware cloth squares (where you've cut it) that could poke a bunny - if need be, you can use a file to smooth things out.
 
Thanks Imbrium!

I wish you could come over and help me! But, thanks for your help! I will ask my dad if he can do it for me! Great Idea!
 
I was going to say the only way to prevent that behavior is by blockade as some are just persistent. Hardware cloth is a good solution, but, just make sure it is a heavy rather than a lite guage.
 
I never updated this thread:

I did cover it in hardwire cloth, and it did work , for a while at least. But, over time they kept finding new spots to chew and I couldn't really avoid having them chew it, so I decided to put the hutch outside and use an x-pen and dog cage for a new home for them. Basically , they are house rabbits and have a large area filled with toys and boxes that they love to play in , as well as a cat littler box which makes it so easy to clean. The dog cage just has their food and water in it , as well as an extra litter box for emergencies , in case I have to lock them up, but most of the time they are free to run around. The hutch outside is just so they can get some fresh air and chew grass when its nice out. So far, I haven't been able to take them out since its been raining like crazy here, but once I do , im sure they will love it.


Recently, I got a new rabbit, Rupert. (there is a thread about him) I now keep him in the dog cage (and took it out of the x-pen) until he is bonded with the other two. And, I also have another back up cage (lol, I have too many cages laying around) incase something happens.

The rabbits are a lot happier then they ever have been in their new home. If anyone is reading this and is wondering the best way to house your rabbit, I've done it all , and house rabbits or in an x-pen is the best way to go. The pet store cages are too small, and your rabbit never gets exercise and is unhappy all of the time. Hutch's seem great but they get chewed constantly and you end up wasting your money. It is easier to clean, cost a lot less, and most importantly, gives your rabbits the space they need to live a happy and long life.
 
lots of wooden toys! lots of hay... i also notice if my rabbits have an unlimited amount of hay, they do less chewing on wood because they're too preoccupied eating their hay...
also, try spraying vinegar on the wood... vinegar is a pet-safe cleaning product and i have done this before with my buns chewing on stuff they weren't supposed to... with success!
 

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