Bunny behavior question

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massie777

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Someone adopted a baby bunny from me about two weeks ago. The bunny is a female and around 10 weeks old. She learned how to jump on the bed and is starting to chew on the owners comforter. I was wondering if anyone as any suggestions on how to get her to stop? She is a free range bunny in the owners bedroom. thanks
 
I have a boy who is a chewer/buncher as well. I have not had any success with getting him to stop, apart from removing whatever he is excited about tearing holes in.

You could spray with a strong smell like bitter apple (blaugh), but that may encourage bunny to mark over the scent (my Evie would piddle on it).

A squirt gun/hand claps of "NO" in conjunction with a dig box full of shredded fines may work.

Apart from all that, this bun may not be able to be free range until the behaviour issue stops. As you know, ingestion of fabric is quite dangerous, and can lead to death/hefty vet bill very easily.

I would see what the bun is like after speutering... Mind you, I will never be able to trust my guy with anything fabric, so he simply has a lg. xpen. to play in, rather than be free range.

Any particular reason why a 10 wk old bun is free range? (All the time free range??) Seems a bit young for it... they are so rowdy when they are small :p

 
yeah she just adopted the bunny from me. I think it has a cage but she lets it free run when she is home and only in one room. She has she is already fully litter box trained her only bad behavior is that she jumps up on the bed and trys to chew at her down comfitor which is expensive. I will tell her about maybe getting a pen to keep her in till she learns not to chew it. thanks
 
Spaying/neutering may help. I don't know how she should go about correcting the behavior. Whenever I don't like something Kirby is doing I thump on the floor (or bed, or whatever furniture is around) with my hand or foot so I'm telling her in her own language that it is "dangerous".. She usually doesn't believe me but sometimes the sound scares her away.
She should get a fleece blanket to lay across the bed when the bunny is out.
 
massie777 wrote:
Someone adopted a baby bunny from me about two weeks ago. The bunny is a female and around 10 weeks old. She learned how to jump on the bed and is starting to chew on the owners comforter. I was wondering if anyone as any suggestions on how to get her to stop? She is a free range bunny in the owners bedroom. thanks
rabbits are consumate chewers,and groomers,..teeth are constantly growing and chewing helps keep them under control//hay a water/more hay,,try offering fruit tree branches/twigs,,blackbery vines,,for chewing a nd gitract,..seems i saw somewhere the rabbit was nuetered to try and control him,,but don,t think it worked,,nuetering is for aggressive behavior,,,we lost allot of computer,headphone cords,,the 120ac extension cords can be deadly...sincerely james waller:wave::rose::bunnydance::pinkbouce:
 
Just put a different *chewable* old blanket/quilt/comforter over the bed and bedding and take it off when company comes (or the bunny's in lockdown).

Pipp is my only cloth chewer, but everything I own is 'air conditioned' for me. She's so... helpful. :grumpy: She has let up, though, now she just digs a blanket I keep on my lap.

Distractions like dried fruit tree branches and cardboard boxes will redirect their chewing habits.

Best I've found it to build a really interesting 'bunny burrow' out of cardboard boxes, that's usually the best bet.

The boxes do best in a fixed position where they can't move around. Tape or cut several boxes together. Cut an entrance and small exit, throw a phone book in there for shredding, and/or go for a box-within-a-box, all that stuff gives them incentive to 'renovate' and nest.

I'd also suggest a basket or box with another old blanket in it so she can dig and chew, but that might put their laundry baskets at risk if she doesn't differentiate.


sas :bunnydance:
 
I imagine the bunny may just need to grow up. Young bunnies can be luck puppies and get into all sorts of things. I would keep her confined when the owners aren't around so they can make sure they are catcher her and stopping the behavior when it starts. If it becomes too much of a habit, it may be impossible to stop her.

I agree with the other suggestions about providing other outlets. However, some buns will always go for the things they can't have. When my guy wants to chew on something, he first goes for my magazines, then the board game box, then when I've shooed him away from those he goes for his own toys (phonebook, kleenex box, etc). They like the challenge I guess!
 

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