Getting crazier!

[Bex&Bun]

My beloved mini lop Willoughby (un-altered girl). He has always been super active, zooming around the house, jumping all over the lounges etc. But he's always had a massive problem with scratching,digging and chewing.

We bought them a new cage and because it has no floor we bought some rubber mats to use as the base (easy to clean). Like these: http://www.oztrail.com.au/sleeping-mats/foam-floor-mats/ but minus the holes.

I saw him scratching at them without making a mark.. and laughed thinking i got the better of him.. but alas two days later there is a cratersized hole in the mats!

How can I get him to stop scratching and digging on our lounge, the carpet, his cage!

Thanks
Bex

 

[Runestonez]

How old is your bunn?

You said that she is un-altered...when bunns hit puberty they have an increase in destructive behaviors...such as digging, chewing, marking...neutering helps curb most of these behaviors if not stop them...

And I would suggest checking her nails as well...our nethie girl always becomes a digging fiend when her nails get a bit to long...

Danielle

 

[Bex&Bun]

We got Willoughby in January and they said he was 8 weeks old.. when is puberty? He had her nails clipped about 6 weeks ago. HOw often do I need to trim them?

 

[elrohwen]

Puberty for females is typically 4-6 months - I would say she's hit it. Spaying will help immensely (though most vets won't spay until 5-6 months).

Nail trims need to be done every 4-8 weeks, depending on the rabbit. Some get more natural wear and tear than others. For a longer furred bunny, like a lop, I trim the nails as soon as I can see them poking out of the fur on the feet.

 

[Runestonez]

I forgot to ask...what kind of toys does he/she have?
Bored bunnies are destructive bunns!

We usually trim our bunns nails every 4 weeks or so...
More with our Nethie! lol

Puberty usually begins around 3 months-6 months...sooner for some breeds.

Here is a link for our Toys section for some suggestions!
http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12433&forum_id=17

Danielle

 

[Bex&Bun]

They have a hay baller on the side of the cage, a little wood chew structure that he ocassionally chews and tosses around.. i've given him cardboard boxes before which he wasnt that interested in.. I haven't found really anything that they are mad about Daphne my other bun seems interested in nothing!

 

[Runestonez]

What about apple sticks...
a paper bag or papertowel tube stuffed with hay...
wooden blocks strung together with sisal...
baby teething rings
grapevine wreaths
wicker baskets or chew rings
sea grass mats
grass balls stuffed with treats
pine cones (must be oven dried)

just name a few...

I found when our bunns were younger they weren't interested in anything...but we just kept providing toysuntil we found something they liked...each of our furkids has a favorite type of toy! They all seem to be attracted to things that make noise! lol The more the better!

Danielle

 

[Bex&Bun]

THanks for that! Willoughby has two things he likes to do.. apart from digging and scratching. We put a pillow at the back of the lounge to steer him away from the back of the lounge and he loves to try and pull it out and scratch it, he's doing well and can almost get his head behind the lounge! Lol. He has also started to make a game of running around me in circles lol. he's such a cutie!

 

[elrohwen]

The running around you in circles is actually a bunny mating dance and it means he loves you! And that he's probably ready to be fixed

 

[Bex&Bun]

awww that made me feel good.. coz most of the time it feels like he doesn't love us.. that we are just here to feed him! Lol. We are probably going to wait another month before we fix him as we are going away a fair bit lately and its too much to ask my parents to take him to the vet.

I just made them a little fort out of two cardboard boxes and put newspaper in the bottom and treats hidden inside.. it was a fail They got the treats from around the box or reached for the top one but didnt actually go up the top level

 

[Runestonez]

Give it time! LOL
They will!


We have 10 bunns...I found these little cardboard castles for cats at Walmart and was all excited (cause I'm too cheap to order the cottontail cottages and pay mucho shipping) I busted butt getting hometo set them up and waited for the bunns to charge at them and tear them apart...I even had the camera for a pic of them scaling the heights...

If I had been holding my breath I'd be dead by now...:grumpy:
It took 4 days for them to CARE that there was a castle and 2 more for them toflip it upside down and chew the bottom...

Often what amuses humans...does not amuse rabbits!

Danielle

 

[Bex&Bun]

lol. Yeah im gonna keep trying! Honestly I think they are most interested in exploring the house, or Willoughby loves getting groomed by my guinea pig which is kinda odd lol.