What kind of "chew sticks from the pet store"? Please tell me you are not giving him the small rawhide ones meant for dogs. Those can make him very ill.

I'm sure you know that a rabbits teeth grow continually and the way they keep them trimmed down is by chewing. He can have unfinished blocks of wood or very heavy cardboard (make sure he doesn't swallow the cardboard-----have you seen the critter castle at www.bunnyluv.com? It's adorable!)

As far as your carpeting goes keeping the closet doors closed will help but if he decides to go after carpeting in another area of the room or house (usually in a corner) I have a trick for you.... Have your dad get a good sized piece of medium to heavy-weight plywood (2ftx 2ft?) and heavy duty staple a scrap piece of carpeting to it and lay it over the spot where Julian wants to dig or chew. Then when company comes you can whip it out of sight until they leave.

Another trouble spot is door molding. I tacked up a piece of scrap carpeting or a thin furring strip over the existing molding. That way the bunny can't get at the original wood.

And you are quite right, you do have to be very careful that the rabbit doesn't ingest the carpet fibers. You are doing the right thing by keeping a very close eye on him. If he starts not acting like himself, especially if he quits eating and doesn't move and/or, stays hunched up, get him to a vet immediately. That's a sign of gut stasis which can quickly kill a rabbit if left untreated.

Hope this info helps. Give Julian a high five for being such a charmer.