Chewing Hutch & Drinking a lot of water

Tally943 · Oct 30, 2013

Hello, I have 2 rabbits living together , indoor , in an outdoor hutch. They just got thier hutch about a weekago and they have been chewing like crazy. I have looked online and it said to give them toiletpaper rolls, boxes, and toys, so I did all of that and they are still going at it. I actually took the ramp out of the hutch because they chewed the top and it became weak , so I had to take it out so they would not hurt themselves on the nails. But, I am getting a new ramp because of my 90-day warranty and they seem find jumping up and down anyways.

My second problem , is that they keep drinking a LOT of watter , like I fill it up every other day , when it used to be a lot less.

And also, they seem to be domiance humping a lot too (neutered male & female) ever since thier new hutch. I guess I'm not used to it because they rarely did it before the hutch.

Nancy McClelland · Oct 30, 2013

Sounds like typical bunnies. They will chew on everything you don't want them to and ignore all the toys. About the only way to keep them from chewing things are to either block the access or remove it from their presence. Good luck.

funnybunnymummy · Oct 30, 2013

What is the hutch made of? I suspect ingesting all the wood is what's making them thirsty. But if the hutch is cedar or has a type of finish on it or somesuch, it could be affecting their kidneys, causing them to want to drink more water.

As Larry said, about the only way to stop them is to cover up the wood somehow (sticky tiles?) or move them into a different non-wood cage/hutch.

Hope that helps!

Rue

Tally943 · Oct 31, 2013

Thanks for your help! The wood is Fir Wood, which I already looked up before I bought it and its safe. What are sticky tiles? I just need to prevent them from chewing this one spot where their ramp is going to be.

Tally943 · Nov 2, 2013

Well I did not protect the wood but I did buy more toys and cardboard to keep them off of it and it seems to be working better now.

But my water bottle keeps dripping so I am going to use water in a bowl , I cant see to find any water bottle that works with my new hutch. I am worried about getting themselves wet, or them spilling the water everywhere (even through its in a glass bowl). Does anyone have any ideas about water or a water bottle that would really work & not drip? Thanks!

Bville · Nov 2, 2013

Tally943 said:
Does anyone have any ideas about water or a water bottle that would really work & not drip? Thanks!

I use a water bowl that attaches to the side of the cage. It helps prevent spills and the bunnies stepping in it. It isn't perfect, but better than having the bowl on the floor.