HELP!! Biting and moving her pen

[Daniella5191]

How can I stop my rabbit (14week female) from biting her pen and moving it around? The pen is attached to her cage and she has normal access to it most of the day apart from through the night. She has been really good with her routine for the past 5 weeks of having her, but now she makes so much noise to be out through the night and then once she is out she will bite the cage and move it around! I woke up one morning to seeing Daisy running around my living room because she had managed to lift the pen fence up and get underneath which I never thought was possible for her! I have tried the saying “NO” in a stern voice and also pointing her heard to the floor, which I feel so cruel in doing! The only thing which I can think of which may have upset her is moving her cage and pen roughly a meter to the left from where it would normally be. She has constant supply of hay, two different types mixed together. She follows the Burgess Excell Feeding Plan which I use 1week plus and dwarf rabbit feed (2x 30g), Burgess Excel feeding hay (2 big handfuls of fresh hay every night), Burgess Excel nature snacks (mountain meadow herbs, dried apple snacks and gnaw sticks- willow, apple and hazel) as well as this she has a ball, a rope with wood on each end, a sea grass tube and a gnaw accessory attached to side of cage and obviously constant access to fresh water.
I really think she is a spoilt bunny and has plenty to occupy her but she chooses to bite the cage and try to escape.
Any help would really be appreciated!
Thanks
Daniella

 

[Mariam+Theo]

The easiest option would be freeroaming her, but I understand if that is not possible. To keep her from biting cage bars zip tie cardboard to the pen. You do not want her to chew the bars because over time it can cause malocclusion.

 

[Diane R]

Did I read this correctly, you put bunny in the cage at night? They should have access to a 60 square foot space 24/7. Have a look at this page on indoor housing: Indoor Housing

 

[Preitler]

Rabbits are not dogs, acting wierd and saying No might deter them for a moment, but the second you turn your back they are at it again. They don't have a bad consience like dogs, what they do is right, per definition because that's what they do. That funny human not agreeing is just an inconvinience
Also, they don't play like predators. Rearanging stuff, gnaw toys or making them work for food like cardboard rolls stuffed with hay, yes, but playing for plays sake, not so much.

Once rabbits know that there is a path, they'll try to go it, and clear obstacles away, especially when they can see where they want to go. Being confined to a cage during their active hours can be frustrating.
That now, with puberty in full swing, she is more active than in the past weeks too is nt surprising.

If she's out in the pen at night and tries to get out of there, you could block the view from her pen by putting about 30cm high cardboard there. Or you can put fresh tree branches (fruit trees, willow, ash, forsithia, and many more) in her pen (mine don't gnaw dry sticks), deliberatly across of where she is used to go - she might get a liking to gnawing those instead of bars, and it's a healthy snack.
Frequently rearanged cardboard boxes with holes in it also can be a way to keep them occupied.

Young rabbits have a lot of energy, well, get used to it, imo it will become somewhat less of a problem when they grow up. You can direct it somewhat, and over time a routine will settle in. Free roaming pretty much keeps that issue at bay for me since they have their base in another room, but I reckon this isn't an option for all.

 

[Daniella5191]

I didn’t think rabbits could have cardboard because it messes with their digestive system, as my vet said?

 

[Diane R]

I didn’t think rabbits could have cardboard because it messes with their digestive system, as my vet said?

That's right, if they eat cardboard rather than just chew it, take it away. You could try Perspex/acrylic sheets to attach to the pen if you have to keep her in a pen.

 

[Preitler]

Most just shredder cardboard and don't ingest much. Cardboard boxes and tubes are common toys.
But right, as a divider it quite likely would get chewed up and wouldn't work that well.

 

[Seth B]

My bun also bites her pen some. I have tried to tell her STOP every time she does it.

 

[Blue eyes]

How can I stop my rabbit (14week female) from biting her pen and moving it around? The pen is attached to her cage and she has normal access to it most of the day apart from through the night. She has been really good with her routine for the past 5 weeks of having her, but now she makes so much noise to be out through the night and then once she is out she will bite the cage and move it around! I woke up one morning to seeing Daisy running around my living room because she had managed to lift the pen fence up and get underneath which I never thought was possible for her! I have tried the saying “NO” in a stern voice and also pointing her heard to the floor, which I feel so cruel in doing! The only thing which I can think of which may have upset her is moving her cage and pen roughly a meter to the left from where it would normally be. She has constant supply of hay, two different types mixed together. She follows the Burgess Excell Feeding Plan which I use 1week plus and dwarf rabbit feed (2x 30g), Burgess Excel feeding hay (2 big handfuls of fresh hay every night), Burgess Excel nature snacks (mountain meadow herbs, dried apple snacks and gnaw sticks- willow, apple and hazel) as well as this she has a ball, a rope with wood on each end, a sea grass tube and a gnaw accessory attached to side of cage and obviously constant access to fresh water.
I really think she is a spoilt bunny and has plenty to occupy her but she chooses to bite the cage and try to escape.
Any help would really be appreciated!
Thanks
Daniella

Could you post a photo of her current set-up?

Young or hormonal rabbits can be excessive in their chewing. You'll definitely want to prevent her from chewing the bars because it can misalign her teeth causing costly dental issues. It could be that the pen is too short/small (a photo will help). There are ways to keep the pen from being moved. They tend to pull on it (rather than push). Suggestions will be easier to make once we see the set-up.

Yes, cardboard is safe to use provided that bunny is a big hay eater. If a rabbit is a big hay eater (eating their body size in hay every day) than any ingested cardboard will get pushed through the gut. Putting a piece of cardboard (can be zip-tied in place) on the area of the pen she's chewing is a good deterrent. Plexiglass sheets can work too and won't get chewed.

As for the chew toys, some rabbits just aren't interested. Dried apple snacks -- hopefully she isn't get more than a single slice per day.

As others have noted, a rabbit isn't going to be "taught" to not do a certain behavior. They have no inclination to "please" their human. They do what they want (or are able) to do. We just have to work with that and prevent them from getting to or doing anything we don't want them getting to or doing.

[On a side note, I edited your title to make the subject clear. Vague titles like "help" are discouraged.]

 

[peanutdabunny]

It just means your rabbit wants to get out of there cage, I suggest making your rabbit cage bigger or giving her a room, some rabbits do just fine in cages, some really need to be freeroamed. In this case I think your best bet is to try to give your rabbit a room, or a bigger enclosure at least.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Hopefully get her spayed when she's 5 months old. We had two bar-biting buns. Medical concerns such as underlying heart abnormalities eventually were diagnosed.

 

[Kim2021]

I'm not an expert by any means but this is what I keep my bunnies in when I can't be home I have two cages

 

[Daniella5191]

So after all of this advice, my Daisy is now the happiest bunny alive! She free runs around the house in and out of any room she pleases and follows me everywhere. A lot of circling me and binkies are involved!! Luckily she doesn’t chew that often, only sniffing and does her wees and poos in her cage!! Thanks for the help