my rabbit wont exercise!

Question
hello! i have a 19 week old netherland dwarf bunny and he's just so lazy to exercise. everytime i see him, he's just sleeping! i used to let him run around this empty room until he began pulling out the carpet fur. he hasn't eaten any, so thank god. but the problem is that i'm currently in a rented house, and cannot afford to keep paying for the carpet that my bunny pulls out!

soo.. 2-3 weeks back, i bought him a 6-panel playpen which connects to his cage, so that he could run in and out as he likes and run around his playpen with space. but he's just not running around! i'm thinking about getting an 8-panel playpen to connect to the one i currently have, so that my bunny would be more encouraged to exercise.

however, in the meantime, what  can i do to encourage him to exercise? i can't let him out again because my mother already is really angry about the carpet! and do you think getting another playpen to make the current one bigger is a good idea?

thanks a lot!

Answer
Hi,

yes, get the extensions.  Most rabbits want to have a long run that they can zip back and forth in.  

I would suggest also buying some inexpensive cotton carpets (not dyed, and no rubber backings) from a TJ Maxx or similar store as 'sacrificial' carpets.  Put them over the areas he wants to nibble on the carpet.  The bigger the loops (or fringes) on these sacrificial carpets are, the better.  But they need to be cotton and they should not be dyed because they could be harmful or fatal to your rabbit.  Don't trust anyone at the store - they have no idea.

Also give him a diggy pile at the far end.  Basically you put a sacrificial carpet there, then give him a pile of cut up, clean cotton tshirts and towels to play in, toss, dig up, etc.  All you need to do is give him an acceptable outlet for his normal tendencies.