Malocclusion Correction

Question
My rabbit had malocclusion, she seems to have corrected this by chewing on the bars of the cage.  Therefore my question is: Will she stop once the malocclusion is fully corrected or is this a behavior problem signalling she wants to be let out of the cage?

Answer
Dear Ashley,

It's possible that she yanked her teeth back into alignment by pulling on the cage bars if she was young enough, and her jaw bones were still forming.  However, I would still keep an eye on the problem, which might not go away permanently.  You can read more about dental problems and their treatment here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/dental.html

Is your bunny constantly caged?  If so, that's the main problem.  Rabbits need as much free running time as a dog or a cat, and caging one constantly would be cruel.  Rabbits are highly intelligent and social, and they need LOTS of interaction with the family.  If your bunny is yanking on the cage bars, she's not trying to correct her dental problem (that would be a lucky side effect).  She's trying to tell you she wants OUT and that she's bored and wants affection and playtime!

Our rabbits are never caged.  Once the house is fully rabbit-proofed, and the bunny is litterbox trained, there's really no need to coop her up where she'll be bored and feel frustrated.  You can read more about litterbox training and spay/neuter (a must for reliable training) here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/training.html

and

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

And all you need to know about rabbit issues (health, care, behavior, etc.) here:

www.rabbit.org/

and

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/rabbithealth.html

Hope that helps.  Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana