sn.valdivia
Member
My rabbit is 3 years old and has lived alone since I adopted her at 8 weeks. For about 2 years, she lived in my fenced-in backyard (safe, suburban area in south Florida; no predators) and experienced her first false pregnancy in Winter of 2018. All I noticed was that she had torn up the fire-pit cover and stashed it under the fire-pit along with a bunch of fur from her new dewlap and dead grass. It barely lasted a day. I think I saw her doing the same thing the following year, but only with hay. No nesting last year.
It's a lot more different this time around, though. I moved for college and now live in a small apartment. Here's a quick timeline:
1 1/2 months ago: She left a small bundle of hay on my bed
2 weeks ago: She was frantically running around with bundles of hay and trying to fit her pee pad and blanket in her mouth to take it to her nesting spot (right next to her litter box). Only lasted an hour or so. I cleaned everything up afterwards, no destruction.
3 days ago: I found a small chunk of fibers from her rug (it's a bath rug I place her food and water bowls on) under my bed.
Today: She's been up since 7 am (it's now 11:30) running around with even more hay. She's also tearing apart the pee pad from her litter box (I have 2 in there that are under the hay and paper pellets). She's tried to stuff my pants leg in her mouth as well as some laundry (she successfully took 2 shirts with her). None of this is that bad, BUT, she's decided to pulling at the carpet with all of the force her tiny body can muster. I think this stems from her time in the backyard where she would pluck grass out with ease, except these carpet fibers are a lot stronger. I try to direct her towards her bath rug (i could care less if she shreds that) but she just runs away to different areas in the room and tries to rip at the carpet there. I resorted to cutting up an old t-shirt into strips and tossing them in the litter box and although she's taken some of those, she keeps trying to rip out the carpet.
I'm already noticing some bald spots but I'm renting!!!! What can I do to deter her from this destruction??? Are there any other materials that might be more attractive? Please help!
Photo Caption: Her litter box and nesting spot. The big green plush is her favorite avocado that she brought over there to cover up the nest.
It's a lot more different this time around, though. I moved for college and now live in a small apartment. Here's a quick timeline:
1 1/2 months ago: She left a small bundle of hay on my bed
2 weeks ago: She was frantically running around with bundles of hay and trying to fit her pee pad and blanket in her mouth to take it to her nesting spot (right next to her litter box). Only lasted an hour or so. I cleaned everything up afterwards, no destruction.
3 days ago: I found a small chunk of fibers from her rug (it's a bath rug I place her food and water bowls on) under my bed.
Today: She's been up since 7 am (it's now 11:30) running around with even more hay. She's also tearing apart the pee pad from her litter box (I have 2 in there that are under the hay and paper pellets). She's tried to stuff my pants leg in her mouth as well as some laundry (she successfully took 2 shirts with her). None of this is that bad, BUT, she's decided to pulling at the carpet with all of the force her tiny body can muster. I think this stems from her time in the backyard where she would pluck grass out with ease, except these carpet fibers are a lot stronger. I try to direct her towards her bath rug (i could care less if she shreds that) but she just runs away to different areas in the room and tries to rip at the carpet there. I resorted to cutting up an old t-shirt into strips and tossing them in the litter box and although she's taken some of those, she keeps trying to rip out the carpet.
I'm already noticing some bald spots but I'm renting!!!! What can I do to deter her from this destruction??? Are there any other materials that might be more attractive? Please help!
Photo Caption: Her litter box and nesting spot. The big green plush is her favorite avocado that she brought over there to cover up the nest.
