Chewing Bunny

[tazz1227]

Good morning. I hope someone can offer me some advice. I just got 2 lop bunnies a week ago....Taz and Baby. Taz is true to his name. He is so mischievous. He keeps chewing the carpet and it is driving me crazy !! Also, how much carboard is too much? He is content chewing this carboard box but I thought he would get sick so I took it and he is back at the carpet. Baby is so sweet. (smile) Also, they are constantly cleaning themselves and I want to give them a bath. I think they may be dirty from the pet store. Any advice. Thank you.

[zippy-kat]

Awww congrats on the buns and welcome to petTalk!!

I have a mini-lop, Sophie, her Christmas picture is down below!

I would think that as long as the bunnies were chewing/shredding the cardboard, they'd be ok. Are they just chewing it up or are they eating it too?

Bunnies groom themselves (and others) as a form of affection. However, if you want to give them a good washin' there's a shampoo specifically made for buns. It's called 'Bunny Bath.' Can't think of who manufactures it...maybe FourPaws? (I think it's VERY similiar to Johnson & Johnson's Baby Shampoo--smells just the same!)

How old are the buns? They sound like real cuties!

[tazz1227]

Hi Zippy...thank you for responding. They are eating the carboard and I took it away thinking they would get sick. The Pet store tells me that they were 7 & 8 weeks however, Taz is double the size of Baby. Matter of fact, Taz had to go to the emergency room Sat with a urinary tract infection. He is 3.2 pounds. I need to get them fixed but they say wait until they are 4-6 months, well...next month...OFF TO THE VET to get snipped!! Maybe he will calm down. He is such a sweetie...they both are. I was so upset when I had to take him to the vet. It's amazing how much you can love an animal in a weeks time.

[tazz1227]

How old is Sophie? How did yu get her to sit still with the hat on? TOO CUTE !!!! I will take pictures of "the kids" soon.

[zippy-kat]

Poor Taz! I hope he is feeling much better!!

I can't wait to see pics of your furkids! Here's a few more pics of Sophie:

Sophie as a baby bun~


Grown-up Sophie~


Santa Sophie~


Sophie is a yr old. She started out as a really sick baby but now she's a healthy girl! Bunnies are great aren't they?

re: eating the cardboard...I don't know if it would harm them or not

[Daisylover]

My rabbit specialist vet has said that it's not uncommon for buns to eat newspaper and cardboard and that a little shouldn't harm them...all that tearing makes such a wonderful sound to little bunny ears! It's in a bunny's nature to chew, it helps keep their teeth trimmed down, so give them something else to chew on such as branches from an pesticide-free apple tree. They also chew when they are bored, so you might get them some toys before they start on your furniture. There are all kinds of free toys that bunnies love...empty toilet paper rolls, a empty margarine tub, a golf ball, and empty cardboard box turned upside down...put in 2 doorways so they don't get trapped. Some cat toys work well too. Also check the House Rabbit Society webpage for all kinds of fabulous bunny-related issues (best food, health, behavior, etc) as well as a link to pet suppliers specializing in bunny toys, hay, and so on. By the way not all fruit tree branches are good for buns so don't give them just anything. Most pet stores sell wood chew toys but they are painted, which is not so good.
Bunnies groom themselve constantly, so what your little guys are doing is not unusual. I wouldn't bathe them unless they get incredibly dirty or soiled.
I have 5 buns and have volunteered at a rabbit sanctuary for 4 1/2 yrs now so I've pretty much seen it all...just in case you are wondering if I am leading you astray!
Good luck with your new best friends. Bunnies make incredible pets and, furthermore, you did the right thing by getting a pair so that they are company for each other. My very best wishes to you all.

[tazz1227]

Thank you so much for the information. Now they don't want the cardboard, they want the phonebook and carpet !! They are both scheduled to get "fixed" at the end of the month, I can't wait. Hopefully that will calm him down. She is an angel, and so loving. He is just wild !! But he can be so sweet at rest time. I just love them both so much. They have also gotten used to being out when I was on vacation so this morning they were chewing at the kiddie gate trying to get out. I felt so bad leaving them. But it has started to snow here so I am going home.

[Daisylover]

Another thought is that you might give them their own piece of carpet to digup/chew on. I have found that carpet outlets/Lowe's/Home Depot, etc., sell their carpet samples, or they have remanents at a reasonable cost. Daisy likes to sleep underneath my bed at the head so I give him (yes, HIM, the vet got confused then it was too late to change his name)a length of remanent the width of the bed (I have hardwood floors) and 2-3 ft wide.
Then Daisy has not only comething to sleep on but can get in a corner and pretend to dig to China without harming the floor underneath. If you have carpet that you don't want your friends to dig up/chew, try getting a remanent and heavy duty staple it to a piece of plywood (so it's heavy and will not move around easily) and put it directly over the carpet where the buns want to chew/dig. That way, you save your "real" carpet and when company comes you can whip the remanent out of sight. Works great.
Yes, do getyour buns neutered. Females are especially prone to reproductive cancers.
The male will calm down and if done at an early enough age, he (hopefully) won't want to mark his terriroty (your home) and the female as HIS!
Best wishes with your new best friends!

[tazz1227]

Thanks for the information but is it safe for them to eat the carpet? Won't they get furballs or something? Also, what is the remedy for chewing on the baseboards. If my bunnies didn't do those 2 things...they wouldn't drive me crazy !! I was going to buy them some of those kitty posts and climbing things. I was worried they would chew the carpet and get sick. The funny thing is I am just waiting for them to get older before getting fixed. The pet store said they were 7 & 8 weeks on Dec 8th and everywhere says to wait until they are 4-6 months. I am trying to wait. So the end of Jan or beginning of Feb is "fix time".

[Karen]

A little carper isn't bad. Just make sure they have hay and other nutritional stuff to eat, too. As for the baseboards - blobk them off. We have some white shelving that we used to block off Miss Hoppy's access to the baseboards for a time. It's funny, some sge never touched, while others we finally gave up and let her nibble - we just tell anyone who asks that that's a bunny-beveled edge. A little sanding and a little paint and no one would be the wiser!

[tazz1227]

You know Karen, I am getting to that point. Matter of fact I turned my back for a second and Taz chewed the fron of my entertainment center in my bedroom. But when I went to tell him "NO!"...he sat theer SO CUTE that I couldn't holler at him. But it is just a piece of furniture. I just hope that when they get fixed, some of this behavior will calm because all in all they are really good bunnies. They have full run of their room and they have run from their room to my room when I am home. I can only leave them unattended in my room during the day because that is their sleep time and they aren't mischievous. I am going to buy them some kitty toys..like the tunnels and stuff that kittys climb and scratch on.