Strange behavior

[luna21]

The other day I was sitting with Gizmo my 6yr old lop and caught him plucking a large amount of fur and then eating it. Ive never seen him doing this before and im concerned. Could it be stress related? He has not done it again since but im worried.

 

[SouthernNetherlandDwarf]

I've read about does plucking their fur for nesting material.

 

[luna21]

I know does pluck but Gizmo is a neutered male lol

 

[Azerane]

Boredom, stress/illness or even a lack of certain nutrients in the diet could be a cause. My first thought would be to check for redness or flaky skin where he plucked from. However it might just be a once off, keep an eye on it and if continues to happen there may be something that needs adjusting/fixing.

 

[luna21]

Ok thanks

 

[Janine16rouge]

Whenever I give my rabbit pepper toilet paper roles to chew he ends up eating it so I am scared to give it to him now. Is that normal?

 

[whiskylollipop]

Whenever I give my rabbit pepper toilet paper roles to chew he ends up eating it so I am scared to give it to him now. Is that normal?

It is normal for most rabbits to taste and chew on paper products, but eating it could indicate a need for more fiber in their diet. Does he get unlimited hay daily?

 

[luna21]

My other rabbit Hendrix eats paper towel rolls (the whole thing) and he gets unlimited hay so what might he be lacking? he is on oxbow pellets and hay

 

[whiskylollipop]

My other rabbit Hendrix eats paper towel rolls (the whole thing) and he gets unlimited hay so what might he be lacking? he is on oxbow pellets and hay

Don't let him eat the whole roll, take it out if you see he's starting to tuck into it.

It's possible he doesn't really like the hay you've got. Some bunnies have preferences, experiment with other hay types like meadow hay, orchard hay, oat hay, etc. Remember also that bunnies like fresh handfuls of hay, so throw out the old hay in his hay rack/litterbox and replace it with a fresh handful from the bag or bale at least once a day to encourage hay-eating.

Other reasons he may not like the hay you've got: is it moldy or damp? Is it stored in a stuffy area without air flow and ventilation, such as an airtight box? Hay needs to be dry and aired for it to keep.

 

[luna21]

Its very dry and i havent noticed any mold. He seems to like it as i usually have to give him more mid day cause hes eaten almost all of it. That said it is stored in a plastic bag in a huge box as i got it in bulk. Would a plastic bin be more appropriate to store a larger amount of hay? and other than mold is there any other sign the hay may have gone bad?

 

[luna21]

I dont keep rolls in his cage any longer so he hasnt been doing it anymore

 

[kenna219]

I make these toy/treat things out of the cardboard from empty toilet paper rolls and I stuff hay and treats in it and I just throw it in his cage. After I give it to him I don't ever see it again so clearly he is eating the cardboard. He has fresh hay an pellets everyday and I always give him fresh veggies. Is it safe to keep giving it to him? I only ever give the toy to him like once a month.

 

[ashleyxxpiano]

Kenna219, from what I've read it's fine for them to eat toilet paper rolls, one of my old buns loved munching on them. I primarily used it to keep her teeth down, since she refused to eat much hay.

 

[Courtney88]

I'm glad my Snowball isn't the only one who eats his fur! We had our annual check up with the vet yesterday and she tested him for parasites (negative, fortunately), but she suggested feeding him a higher fiber pellet. She thought he may know he is lacking fiber (he refuses to eat all types of hay!!) so he is trying to compensate by eating his own fur. Since your bun likes hay that's probably not the problem, but maybe try increasing the amount of fiber with additional hay or fortified pellets. She said that stress can also cause them to eat their fur. Anything stressful happening in your bun's life lately?

 

[Janine16rouge]

My bun likes to lick its pee and I don't know if he does not have enough vitamins or what but is that normal?

 

[Chester1_andblueberry]

Try googling it ^^