Help destructive bunny

[caitlint770]

hey guys, so lately my male bunny has been a little obsessed with digging and pulling at my carpet. He is neutered, does have a female companion (who doesn't engage in this behavior at all) and ive had him for about 3months now. When i first had him (before bonding and in a gated area), i did realize that he was a bit of a towel/blanket murderer, as he was constantly making holes in everything but it seemed to calm down a bit once he began free roaming and had company. Im at a loss right now on how to stop him from doing this because ive tried a paper dig box (which he turned into a litterbox), i alternate their toys daily and whenever i do catch him digging on the carpet- i rub an Ivory soap bar in the area (which stops him from returning to it for a while). He hasnt done extreme damage to the carpet yet, but it is slightly messed it up in some areas and im nervous of what will happen if it gets any worse. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

Hi,

It sounds like normal rabbit behavior my bun DESTROYS towels. Digging and Chewing is what they do in nature.

Some rabbits are more destructive than others, nothings wrong with him it’s in his instinct.

Usually rabbits go to a certain spot to dig at, cover that spot with a ceramic tile. So that he can’t dig there
Give him some cheap fleece and and let him dig at that
So that he doesn't attack your carpet.

(Also usually younger rabbits are more destructive than older rabbits because they have so much energy)

 

[Donna Standar]

They shouldn't be on carpet at all, that could create a blockage if he eats it. Just move him off the carpet. My buns only have the wood of their condo and tile on the bottom floor. They have a run area with a cotton sheet on the floor so they can be run and jump.

 

[Donna Standar]

They shouldn't be on carpet at all, that could create a blockage if he eats it. Just move him off the carpet. My buns only have the wood of their condo and tile on the bottom floor. They have a run area with a cotton sheet on the floor so they can be run and jump.

Run and jump

 

[caitlint770]

They shouldn't be on carpet at all, that could create a blockage if he eats it. Just move him off the carpet. My buns only have the wood of their condo and tile on the bottom floor. They have a run area with a cotton sheet on the floor so they can be run and jump.

Unfortunately my rooms are fully carpeted so i don't have that option at the moment. He doesn't seem to eat the carpet fibers though since i see the bits of carpet pulled out loosely around the area he goes at.

 

[caitlint770]

I've also been looking into various foraging mats/toys for them to allow them to still engage in their natural digging/chewing instincts, if you guys have any suggestions on different foraging activities for them- that would be awesome!

 

[Preitler]

Tree branches can occupy them quite a lot, and it's a healthy snack. Willow, ash, fruit trees like apple trees, forsithia etc. . Ot helps to put them right in the middle of paths they use.

 

[Blue eyes]

Is he focusing on any particular places of the carpet? The edges or corners? Or is it random?

You mentioned toys, but are they all small toys? Most of my rabbits ignored little toys. They preferred to have places to explore like large boxes with windows/doors cutout, tunnels, etc.

 

[JBun]

What about putting down layers of cardboard, then he can dig and rip that up instead. Though if he is inclined to actually ingest too much of it, that won't work. If cardboard isn't an option, blocking access is really the only alternative. So that would mean covering the carpet in some way. If it's just certain spots, sometimes putting down a few ceramic tiles will work. If it's all over, a cut of lino may be your best option. Foam puzzle mat may work if he won't chew at it too.

He could settle back down in the next month. Some rabbits get 'spring fever', or now it would be fall fever, where their natural burrowing, mating, and nest building instincts can kick into high gear, even with fixed rabbits. So they can sometimes get a little frisky or more active at these times, then it passes and they are back to normal.

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

What about putting down layers of cardboard, then he can dig and rip that up instead. Though if he is inclined to actually ingest too much of it, that won't work. If cardboard isn't an option, blocking access is really the only alternative. So that would mean covering the carpet in some way. If it's just certain spots, sometimes putting down a few ceramic tiles will work. If it's all over, a cut of lino may be your best option. Foam puzzle mat may work if he won't chew at it too.

He could settle back down in the next month. Some rabbits get 'spring fever', or now it would be fall fever, where their natural burrowing, mating, and nest building instincts can kick into high gear, even with fixed rabbits. So they can sometimes get a little frisky or more active at these times, then it passes and they are back to normal.

DIY linoleum flooring ( if you do decide to go with this option I suggest techtured lino, so they have friction )

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=-O4CRvL2rsU&usg=AOvVaw0yqV8bnVV3rhe8rYLlm9O7

 

[caitlint770]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I think im going to try making a diy linoleum flooring snd see how he reacts with that. He isn't a big cardboard fan and tends to push the cardboard away whenever i use it as a barrier (and i think he'll completely destroy foam mats so im kinda scared of trying that). As for the toys, they have a mix of small and large ones- they actually have a wooden castle and a couple of tunnels, but he mainly likes to just sleep in them rather than explore them. I noticed that in general he just really enjoys destroying fabrics, so im trying to see if there are any rabbit safe fabrics for him.

 

[Lucas the Bun 💕🐇]

Fleece is best because they can’t swallow the string like in towels, ect