chewing

Question
my rabbit chews loads of things (apart from wooden furniture) wallpaper, carpet, books,sofa, fabrics. He is not neutered  and I put apple branches around the house so he chews that instead of the house.Is there anyway I could stop him from chewing up the house?

                                                  thanks  Al

Answer
Hi Al,

couple things.  Part ofthe reason they chew is nature.  It helps to wear their teeth down, as they grow about an inch a month.  Chewing is very important.  Part of the reason they chew can also be they are bored.

First, get him neutered.  It cuts down on hormonally-induced behavior. Excessive chewing can be reduced.  Realize it takes 4-6 weeks for his hormone levels to drop to their new, lower levels so you have to understand it doesn't happen overnight.

Second, provide acceptable chewing alternatives.  Dry twigs are okay, not fresh ones.  You can give him pieces of UNTREATED, natural pine board (I get mine at Home Depot) - trim pieces) and cut them into small rectangles and coat them with a little vegetable oil (safe) and let him chew these.  When he rounds off all the edges, trim them again to have a sharp edge and he will keep nibbling them.  Rabbits generally stop chewing on wood when there is no edge left anymore.

Other great things for him to chew:  from the pet supply store - wicker tents, wicker tubes, wicker balls, seagrass mats and balls, they have rabbit-safe chew toys they can nibble and toss around.

Make sure he has adequate hay all the time, as eating hay allows him to chew and wear down his teeth.

Third, bunnyproof the areas the way you need to.  If he's going after a carpet, buy an inexpensive 'sacrificial' cotton carpet (with loops preferably) and place it over the area of the good carpet he is going after.  You can find a cotton carpet around 2 ft by 4 ft at certain stores for about $10.  If it is in the corner of a room, you might try putting down a 12"x12" floor tile, rough side up, to prevent him from doing any more damage to the corner.

If there are places you don't want him getting into, you may have to re-arrange furniture so that he can't get into a bookshelf, or purchase some pet exercise gates and block those things off from him.

Make a 'diggy pile' for him.  Use cut up old (but clean and safe) cotton towels you don't use anymore, and make a pile that he can play in, he will dig and play and have a good time.

Lee