Wrigley won't stop chewing on his cage door

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babybunnywrigley

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Location
, Illinois, USA
I can't seem to get my bunny to stop chewing onhis cage door. I know he is doing it to let me know that hewants to come out and play, but sometimes I just can't have himout. He does it when I'm sleeping, cleaning theroom. Pretty much whenever he's in his cage he is chewing andpulling on the door and I'm really worried that he is going to hurt histeeth. I wish I could have himout all the time, butthat's just not possible he would get into too much when I'm notthere. I've tried giving him lots of toys to keep himoccupied, but nothing seems to be working.

Anyone have any ideas to get him to stop? :?
 
Is it metal? I shouldn't hurt himreally, but you could try rubbing some vinegar on the bars.They don't like vinegar.
 
There are some 'anti-chew' sprays available inthe UK which give things a bitter taste when they try and chew them andare best on furnishings. I'm not sure whether I wouldrecommend them though as It's not always good to put synthetic productsnear your bun, I think I'd go with Bo B Bunny and try the vinegar whichis natural.

I think we all have a tendency to worry that if bunnies chew they arebored and we're not providing them with enough stimulus but my Benjaminis just the same. His run is 3 metres square with climbingframes, a hut, dangly things, wood logs to chew and all manner ofexpensive bunny toys and he still insists on trying to chew through thewire mesh! Some buns are just chewers!

Hope you get it sorted. xx

Rebecca:)
 
Thank you all for the advice. I thinkI'm going to try the vinegar on the bars. Wrigley's new thinghe likes to do is try to rip up the carpet. I've been havingto chase him around with a spray bottle. I don't even have tospray him anymore just next to him and he goes running. Allhe wants to do rip up the carpet when he is out and about.When he occasionally does chew on his own toys he obviously doesn't getsprayed so I'm hoping that he will eventually realize thedifference. I think he is beginning to think that beingsprayed is a game though because he runs away really fast and startsdoing binkies:?

I've ordered a bunch of new toys for him that should be coming this week so hopefully that will keep him occupied for a while.

He is a little nut :D
 
Be extremely careful about the carpet. They can get blockages from eating it and it's very very serious.

Glad he's taking off when he sees the spray bottle. I hopethe vinegar works. You might have to do it a few times untilhe stops.....
 
babybunnywrigley wrote:
Yup, I've been extra careful...I crawl around after him andmake sure he doesn't rip upthe carpet.:D
Guess what bo was doing this evening??? :X
 
Bo B Bunny wrote:
Is it metal? I shouldn't hurt him really, but youcould try rubbing some vinegar on the bars. They don't likevinegar.
Make sure its white vinegar. Rabbits tend to like Apple Cider Vinegar so that would beat the purpose.

Another idea is whenever you catch him in the act blow in the directionof thier nose. I was playing this game last night with a doe and Ifinally one LOL! She'd jump back and go to the corner of her cage. I'dthen stand back and she'd come forth again, chewing on the wire. So I'dblow on her nose AS she was chewing on the wire not afterwords. Thebest way to 'punish' any animal is to punish them in the midest of theact. Otherwise, they think they are getting punished for stopping.*shurg*

Just another Idea :) I'd try a mix of white vinegar and blowing in the nose when you see them chewing on the wire.

~*~Amanda~*~
 
Dwarf_Angel04 wrote:
Bo B Bunny wrote:
Is itmetal? I shouldn't hurt him really, but you could try rubbingsome vinegar on the bars. They don't like vinegar.
Make sure its white vinegar. Rabbits tend to like Apple Cider Vinegar so that would beat the purpose.

Another idea is whenever you catch him in the act blow in the directionof thier nose. I was playing this game last night with a doe and Ifinally one LOL! She'd jump back and go to the corner of her cage. I'dthen stand back and she'd come forth again, chewing on the wire. So I'dblow on her nose AS she was chewing on the wire not afterwords. Thebest way to 'punish' any animal is to punish them in the midest of theact. Otherwise, they think they are getting punished for stopping.*shurg*

Just another Idea :) I'd try a mix of white vinegar and blowing in the nose when you see them chewing on the wire.


~*~Amanda~*~


I tried the white vinegar and he doesn't seem to like it. Ithas stopped him from chewing for the time being. I'm justhoping he doesn't decide it's not so bad after all ;)

I'm going to try the blowing on his nose along with the vinegar and see how that goes.

Thanks for the advice!

Jenn
 
All I can sayis: dear Lord I SO know what you're going through!!I swear Umbra (before and a little after he got neutered) thought thatthe only thing in existence were my carpet, my books, and his cagebars! Nothing stopped him from chewing all overstuff. And just when I thought that everything he could chewon was possibly out of his way, there I go and forget my Pink Pearleraser on my floor. Let's just say now my eraser is muchsmaller than it used to be... I tried squirting him, butsometimes I'd soak him with squirts and he wouldn't care abit. Luckily, over time he's grown to absolutely hate beingsquirted, and if he tries to go under my bed, all I have to do is pokemy head down there, say "Umbra!!" and he'll come racing out like he'sgotten squirted. It's kinda funny really.=)

Hopefully, Wrigley will soon come to hatebeing squirted too. =P Sometimes bunnies can justbe going through a weird phase of chewing. Umbra did that alittle while back when the weather was changing. Veryodd. And he's been neutered for almost a year now.Unfortunately, the bunny's always the only one having fun in thesesituations. Well, I'm glad someone can be happy while we allare ready to rip our hair out... ;)

--Melissa and Umbra
 
StickyBird wrote:
All I can say is: dearLord I SO know what you're going through!! I swear Umbra(before and a little after he got neutered) thought that the only thingin existence were my carpet, my books, and his cage bars!Nothing stopped him from chewing all over stuff. And justwhen I thought that everything he could chew on was possibly out of hisway, there I go and forget my Pink Pearl eraser on my floor.Let's just say now my eraser is much smaller than it used tobe... I tried squirting him, but sometimes I'd soak him withsquirts and he wouldn't care a bit. Luckily, over time he'sgrown to absolutely hate being squirted, and if he tries to go under mybed, all I have to do is poke my head down there, say "Umbra!!" andhe'll come racing out like he's gotten squirted. It's kindafunny really. =)

Hopefully, Wrigley will soon come to hatebeing squirted too. =P Sometimes bunnies can justbe going through a weird phase of chewing. Umbra did that alittle while back when the weather was changing. Veryodd. And he's been neutered for almost a year now.Unfortunately, the bunny's always the only one having fun in thesesituations. Well, I'm glad someone can be happy while we allare ready to rip our hair out... ;)

--Melissa and Umbra
LOL that is exactly like Wrigley! I know he doesn't likebeing squirted because he runs away when it happens, but that isusually just to a new spot to rip up the carptet. I have tohave the spray bottle with me everywhere.

He also likes to try and rip the comforter on my bed, the bedframe,the couch, and pretty much anything other than his owntoys.
 
Yep, they are little boogers!:X Bo is banished from the livingroom for the timebeing. If he can't keep from trying to destroythecarpet, he can play on hardwood.

He's had a bit of an attitude today also. I think he neededmore play time last night but he went back to his cage for hisbehavior.

I'm glad the vinegar is working. I hope he gets the message quickly!
 
One of the shelter bunnies is having the sameproblem. We've had to move four of the rabbits into the small dogkennels because we have so many right now. One of the buns is a reallysweet, really hyper little guy with one ear up, and one down :pAnyway, he really hates being cooped up and has started chewing on thechain link kennel doors :? I'll have to try some vinegar for him, andmaybe bring in a willow basket for him to toss around.
 
Iszy chews on her cage bars too. I think she does it to annoy poor Lenci. :D



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He seems to be destant for the life of a houserabbit. Hide the cords, get a baby gate and just keep him inone room. Why not just keep the cage leave the doors open andduring the day he'll probly just nap under the bed. Forinstance I have the top of the bed and Faye lives underneath.Just throwsome paper bags, cardborad, and he has a world to escape to any time hewants (its important to me to vacum under the bed everyday)

Peter


 
dr_peter_kraz wrote:
He seems to be destant for the life of a houserabbit. Hide the cords, get a baby gate and just keep him inone room. Why not just keep the cage leave the doors open andduring the day he'll probly just nap under the bed. Forinstance I have the top of the bed and Faye lives underneath.Just throwsome paper bags, cardborad, and he has a world to escape to any time hewants (its important to me to vacum under the bed everyday)

Peter
I would love to let Wrigley run free during the day, but he's goingthrough a really destructive phase. I had to put a sheetunder the entire bed because he kept going under there and ripping upthe carpet. I give him all sorts of toys and all he wants todo is destroy things that aren't his :?

I'm hoping that eventually he will decide ripping apart everything isn't worth getting squirted with the spray bottle.

Thanks for theadvice though! I think that onceWrigley gets a little older he will have more freedom :D
 
heehee, I just realized you are in Chicago and named your bun Wrigley :)

ok...... how's he doing with the cage now? is the vinegar still working?

Bo's been banished from the carpeted room.... he's not happy. :X
 

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