My rabbit keep biting and shaking her cage at 6 A.M.!

[CookieRabbit]

I have a rabbit and every morning at six she shakes, thumps, run around and makes noises. I don't know what's going on. And also, I want to get her out of the cage so she can have her freedom, but my parents won't allow that because they don't want her peeing and pooping on the carpet. How can I make her stop and how can I get her out of her cage without her pooping and peeing? HELP!!!!

 

[BobZ]

Hi, as far as I can tell she is just doing what rabbits do, they are most active at dusk and dawn, she just wants to run around and have some fun.

 

[CookieRabbit]

I guess but I just figured out that she wants to get out of her cage. I want to let her roam around my living room but my parents don't want her peeing and pooping on the carpet...

 

[BobZ]

Yeah, I'm sure she would love to get out for a bit. You can try potty training her, I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how. I'm sure someone on here can post up some tips.

 

[BunnyLove89]

She probably really wants out. It depends on the bunny, but it wasn't difficult to train my Weston. He has constant access to my walk-in closet and his cage and he really only uses his cage to eat and to go potty. Aside from the occasional misguided poop, he hasn't had an accident in over 2 months. When he is on my bed with me he is slightly less consistent but I lay down potty pads where he tends to go and that generally contains it. Once you learn to read when your bun has to go, training gets aot easier. Rabbit turds are really easy to clean up and unless your bun is sick and has runny poop it won't affect the carpet.
Dog potty pads can be costly so I get pee pads meant for people (i buy them at walmart). Another thing that I do for Weston is whenever I empty his litter box/cage I leave in just a tiny bit of poop and pee. He doesn't like it when I clean it completely.
I really hope you can find a solution for your bun. In the meantime, try putting a variety of boredem buster toys in her cage. You could also ask your parents if you can have her out in the bathroom. That would at least give her some freedom. Make sure you supervise and remove any rugs or things that she might want to chew on.

 

[sarah92lynn]

Yeah she's definitely wanting some play time. Can you let her out in your room? Or does any room have hardwood or tile floor? Putting them in the bathroom is a good idea too. They usually don't like slippery floors but you can put down an old sheet or something. I have a couple old blankets I put down over my floor for my buns.

Just watch your bun closely while she's out and make sure to stop her if she starts to pee. When a rabbit is about to pee, they usually stick their butt out a little bit and their tail lifts up straight..it's pretty easy to spot if you watch them closely Gives you a chance to bond too!

You could also buy wire storage cubes and build a play pen out of them, that way you could contain her in one space and put a blanket with some sort of plastic underneath her play pen. Then if there is an accident, the blanket will soak it up and the plastic will keep it from getting to the carpet.

 

[Hyatt101]

an x-pen attached to her cage would help tremendously. There are pics on the forum of cages like your with an x-pen attached.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

You can set up a pen so she can get out of the cage, but won't ruin the carpet. Get some tarps (try a dollar store for some cheap ones) and set them so that they extend past the pen. If you want, you can also use foam puzzle mats to give more cushioning, but still use the tarps underneath. You can put blankets, toys and other stuff in the pen so she has stuff to play with, a food and water dish are good too if the pen is not attached to the cage.

If space is an issue, then don't use the mats. You can then just fold up the tarp and fold the pen away when it is not being used. It is a bit of a pain to set up the pen every time, but sure saves space when the bunny is not using it.

I have found that if the pen is attached to the cage, the rabbits tend to still use the litter box in the cage (if they use the litter box). Even if they are running around in a room and have access to the cage, they tend to use the litter box instead of peeing and pooping all over. If they can't get to their cage, then some might use a litter box if one is provided, but some will just go where ever.

 

[missyscove]

If she's not getting time out at all then the above suggestions definitely apply. My two buns live in a dog crate in my room. I let them free roam in my room whenever I'm awake and at home. I don't wake up at the same time every day so I'm careful not to accidentally train them to wake me up which I did with one of my rabbits in the past. They don't get their pellets until I've been up for at least 30 minutes and if I wake up because they're making noise, I put my earplugs in and go back to sleep until I intended to wake up.

 

[Blue eyes]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

You can set up a pen so she can get out of the cage, but won't ruin the carpet. Get some tarps (try a dollar store for some cheap ones) and set them so that they extend past the pen. If you want, you can also use foam puzzle mats to give more cushioning, but still use the tarps underneath. You can put blankets, toys and other stuff in the pen so she has stuff to play with, a food and water dish are good too if the pen is not attached to the cage.

If space is an issue, then don't use the mats. You can then just fold up the tarp and fold the pen away when it is not being used. It is a bit of a pain to set up the pen every time, but sure saves space when the bunny is not using it.

I have found that if the pen is attached to the cage, the rabbits tend to still use the litter box in the cage (if they use the litter box). Even if they are running around in a room and have access to the cage, they tend to use the litter box instead of peeing and pooping all over. If they can't get to their cage, then some might use a litter box if one is provided, but some will just go where ever.

:yeahthat:

Tarps are a great solution for you. Tarps with an x-pen around the cage.

I forget... is Beatrice spayed? Have you tried litter training her? You could consider using a tarp or even an old shower curtain, and then putting a cheap-o rug over top. That way if she has any "accidents" your carpet is still protected. Configure the x-pen to surround that area and then make that new area her "cage." The bottom portion of your current cage can serve as her litter box. (as I'm typing, I'm remembering your situation) A bunny NEEDS exercise.

 

[Imbrium]

here's a good deal on a playpen - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H8YTJI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 and it's got free shipping, too. (one is good, two connected together is way better) I got an 8'x10' tarp at walmart for like $6, very easy to clean and big enough for two playpens connected together.