Scratching and biting

[Lati]

Hey guys!

So, I've been having and ongoing problem with my little fluffball of joy. However the problem is becoming more annoying and frequent, hence the post.

I have a four year old spayed doe, she is a lion head lop. At about two years old she began scratching our floor - not a huge problem because it's laminate so she can't damage it. But it's always in the same place, the door that leads to our bedroom. I know she wants to get in there, but she is not allowed. There are cables and she will get hurt or damage something so that area is out of bounds.

She used to run up there, do a quick scratch and bite the floor, then run away. However it has been happening more and more frequently, she gets herself into a right tizz and if we let her she'd go at it for hours, scratch, scratch, bite, scratch, bite, bite, scratch, scratch, scratch. We know she knows that she is being naughty, because whenever we stand up and walk over to her to stop her she runs away, she also binkies when she does this as if it is some game.

I love her and let her explore and do what she wants, she has the run of the whole apartment and a secure terrace, as well as plenty of things to entertain her and places to play. Why is she so obsessed with doing this? It's constant and so annoying. I come home from work exhausted and can't even sit down for five minutes.

She scratches, I stand up and walk over to her, she runs off, I go and sit back down, the second my butt touches that sofa she's back and scratching. It cycles around like this and can go on for hours. We've tried different things, clapping when she starts, calling her name, walking up to her and shooing her away, chasing her out to the terrace but it just keeps going on.

Any advice would help as my partner and I are at our wits end. We don't want her to be outside, we want her around us as much as possible but it's just becoming unbearable.

Why is she so obsessed with this? How can we discourage it?

Thanks!

 

[whiskylollipop]

I feel you! My bunnies are also not allowed in my room due to cables, and they ALSO always want to be in there. If I leave my room door open for a second, both of them will 1000% be found in my room and will never ever leave it, even with the whole house to explore. It's like they know what's forbidden and it only makes them want it more.

That said, the constant non-stop scratching at one spot seems a bit weird. Even my two give up after a while, although they do go back every so often to scrabble at the door just to make sure. Maybe she's grown bored of her toys. Maybe she just likes to dig. I would get a covered cat litterbox or plastic tub, fill it with clean soil, and put it somewhere appropriate where she can dig to her heart's content. Or buy her a long pet tunnel so she has a burrow-like toy to play in since she wants to dig one so badly.

Other things you can try are lining the door with wet soapy sponges on the floor, bunnies don't like getting wet and or the taste of soap. Or rub a white soap bar on the floor where she digs.

 

[Lati]

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely be trying the tunnel and tub of soil see if that helps her! If not then the soap! Would it hurt her though if she ingested it? As she likes to bite the floor and I don't want her to get soap in her mouth.

 

[whiskylollipop]

Soap is generally nontoxic (I forgot to specify soap for bathing humans only, not household cleaning detergents obviously), but to be extra safe use a soap with as few chemical ingredients as possible, such as baby soap or sensitive skin soap. I have heard someone say Dove soap is ok to use. Ideally she will only get one taste and be repulsed!

 

[missyscove]

How motivated is she? If you put an obstacle there would she try to move it? I'd definitely try giving her an appropriate place where she can dig. My Cricket likes to dig and bite her grass mats and it's fine if she destroys/ingests those.

You could try squirting her with a squirt bottle if you can see the door from your spot on the couch, but that doesn't work for all buns.

 

[Lati]

Extremely motivated. It's like her sole mission in life is to try and burrow under that door. I'll try adding some grass mats, see if that helps. Thanks!

 

[Blue eyes]

Soap is generally nontoxic (I forgot to specify soap for bathing humans only, not household cleaning detergents obviously), but to be extra safe use a soap with as few chemical ingredients as possible, such as baby soap or sensitive skin soap. I have heard someone say Dove soap is ok to use. Ideally she will only get one taste and be repulsed!

It is Ivory bar soap that is usually recommended.