Question from the Audience: Bunny Boredom

A question from Eileen R. in East Meadow, NY:
Q: I am a first time rabbit owner. Over the past year and half that I've owned Cannoli, I have learned a lot about rabbits. I have a few problems. He chews the bars to his cage even when he's not enclosed in it! He has full range of my bedroom with the cage open for his litter, water, food and hay. At 6am he will get into his cage and start chewing the bars for no reason! He will have food, water and hay in his cage so there is no reason for him to be making such a ruckus.
I know I shouldn't leave him out while I'm at work, but he is just so hard to get back in the cage! He is also extremely smart. If he is in his cage eating or drinking and sees me walking towards it, its like someone put a fire under his butt and he runs out the cage and to the other end of the room thinking I'm going to lock him in there! Any advice would be appreciated thanks!

A: Rabbits, being the highly intelligent creatures that they are, get bored easily if they are understimulated. And it sounds like that is exactly what Cannoli is trying to tell you: he wants attention!
Here are a few ideas to spice things up and keep him entertained:
1) Cannoli is probably craving interaction with you. Spend some time on the ground with him. Pet him, talk to him, offer him a piece of an apple. Try teaching him a new trick! If you're just watching TV, forgo the couch and sit on the floor with Cannoli.
2) Invest in a new toy or two. Since he obviously likes to chew, chew toys are a great choice. There's also some great baby or cat toys that work for rabbits too.
3) Let Cannoli explore a different room in the house. You'd be surprised how exciting this is for them. New smells, new objects, new view! Just watch out for new trouble and rabbit-proof beforehand.
4) Set up an exercise pen outside and let him explore the garden. If you have a very calm rabbit, you can even use a harness and leash, provided you are careful. Always supervise your rabbit when he's outside-- birds, domestic cats or dogs, raccoons, etc. can attack at any moment.
5) Set up a destruction corner, as I like to call it, with a big basket stuffed with newspaper, hay, cardboard, toys, etc. and allow him to make a mess. You can set up a destruction area outside with potting soil where he can dig around. It doesn't get much funner than that!
6) Consider adopting a friend for Cannoli. Bonded bunnies entertain each other and don't feel as lonely or bored. Remember, busy bunnies are less likely to cause trouble.
7) Note that rabbits are most active during dawn and dusk, which explains Cannoli's high-level of activity at 6am!
8) If Cannoli hasn't been neutered, get that done. All those adolescent hormones make for a crazy, rebellious troublemaker. Rabbits grow much calmer and more well-behaved after the surgery.

Don't worry too much about Cannoli's feistiness. He's still young. As rabbits grow older, they tend to calm down and behave better. Right now he's still filled with energy and is overactive, which, just like children, oftentimes manifests itself in destructive behaviors.

Cannoli says, "But look how cute and innocent I look!"

In regards to Cannoli's cage aversion, try making his cage a positive, fun, safe place to be. Try to figure out why Cannoli would have developed such negative feelings toward his cage. Perhaps it's not big enough and he feels uncomfortable there? Maybe he finds the cage boring? Fill it with hay, toys, an ice cream mineral chew, dangling cat toys, fun-to-chew carpet squares, and hidden treats. Make sure the cage and litterbox are cleaned often; rabbits have sensitive noses and don't like being subjected to strong odors.

Cannoli is extremely smart for running out of the cage when he can tell you are planning to lock him up. Decondition this response by casually walking over to his cage several times a day and closing him in only one out of every ten times. Reduce the severity of getting caged in by sometimes letting him back out 5-10 minutes later. Avoid chasing Cannoli into his cage, as this will correlate cage time with punishment, or something he is forced to do. Instead, coax him in there with a treat, so that he views cage time is an option or a choice of his own free will.

The Importance of Hay

The most important part of a rabbit's diet and health is hay, which should compose the main part of your rabbit's meals. A plentiful, hay-centric diet includes nutritional, medical and psychological benefits.

Nutritional
Besides its delicious taste, hay is full of the necessary fiber, minerals, and vitamins your rabbit needs. It provides perfect nutrition—rabbits bodies are meant to live off entirely of hay and vegetables. The type of fiber in hay is critical in maintaining healthy digestion. Digestive problems, such as gastric stasis and diarrhea, are the most common ailments in house bunnies. The answer is often simple: more hay!

Medical
With healthy digestion come various medical benefits. Besides ensuring regularity, good motility allows hairballs to pass naturally and prevents bacteria from overgrowing in the cecum. Along with healthy digestion, the high fiber of hay prevents obesity, which, as we know, can cause all sorts of problems. Hay is necessary for dental health as well. Chewing on the tough stalks wears down the constantly growing teeth and prevents molar spurs and other tooth-related problems.

Psychological
Chewing is a necessary mental activity for rabbits and they love to graze on hay— it's so fun!

Hey! That's my hay!
(Dawson is currently available for adoption at the Boston MSPCA!)

Types
Not all hay is equal. Different types contain varying concentrations of fiber, protein and calcium. High fiber, and low protein, low calcium grass hays are the best. Healthy types include Timothy (most commonly available), orchard, brome, and oat. Avoid alfalfa and clover, as they contain too many calories, protein, and calcium, and not enough fiber. All hay should be green, not brown, and smell fresh, not dusty or moldy.

Where to buy
Purchasing hay in bulk from a nearby farm can be cheaper and likely fresher and higher in quality. For instance, Sweet Meadow Farm in Sherborn Massachusetts provides an assortment of high quality products you can order online. You can also find hay in smaller quantities at most pet stores and through various websites.

Question from the Audience: Digging and Chewing

Of the seven or so emails I received last week, a whopping three concerned chewing behaviors, specifically carpet chewing. See Sarah L.'s question and answer here, and see below for the additional two:

From Tina S. in Maynard, MA:
Q: We recently adopted an unneutered 1 year old male rex rabbit. We let him have a few hours of fun in the evenings, but he keeps chewing the carpet up in one spot under our dresser. We have tried blocking it off with various things and he always finds a way to get it. I was wondering if you had any advice for us?

And from Allison F. in Arlington, MA:
Q: While my fixed male and female 1.5 yr old bunny pair have lots of a room to run and cardboard to chew, they still insist on digging and pulling out carpet
from time to time. Any ideas on how to discourage this activity?

A: Three primary factors influence chewing behaviors: age, hormones and personality. First, let's focus on the common denominator here: age. All three (including Winnie) are under 2 years old and therefore still in their teenage years. Younger rabbits not only have extra energy to burn, but tend to be more mischievous. Since all the rabbits involved here are still young, it should be reassuring to know that as rabbits grow older, the less trouble they will get into.

Getting your rabbit spayed or neutered is the single most powerful way to reduce their desire to chew and dig. Along with a multitude of health and behavioral benefits that come with fixing your rabbit, comes the lessened desire to burrow, dig, chew, and destroy. The change is most drastic in females, who might be chewing and digging in order to prepare for a (real or fake) pregnancy; however, a neuter surgery will calm a male rabbit as well, reducing a variety of destructive behaviors.

Personality is a large part of chewing and digging. Many rabbits are natural chewers and many are natural troublemakers and the combination of these two qualities can be perilous to your furniture! Here are a few rules and tips to decrease carpet chewing:

1) Strict supervision --> Consistent Discipline --> Smart discipline: Without strict supervision you can't have consistency in discipline. Your rabbit can get away with all sorts of shenanigans and since she will only be getting in trouble half the time, the message of "no!" won't get through clearly. Smart discipline is a large part of seeing results. If your rabbit is interpreting your negative attention (you running over to her every time she digs at the carpet) as play, your discipline is not only failing to get across but even serving as encouragement. Instead try a time-out (back in the cage!) for a few minutes. Time-outs work because they cut out the attention to negative behaviors, and they are less likely to get interpreted as games, thereby showing you mean business!

2) Distraction: Right after your rabbit has stopped the negative behavior, call her over for a fun game or treat. Positive reinforcement and distraction go a long way.

Distraction is the name of the game!

3) Alternatives: Chewing is an important bunny acitivity as rabbit teeth are constantly growing. Always make sure you've provided plenty of timothy hay- it's not only an essential part of their diet, it's necessary for tooth development.
You can try putting a spare piece of carpet or a cotton towel in your rabbit's cage to chew on (just make sure she's not ingesting the fibers), since it's likely the texture she's seeking. These mineral chews are also great. Most rabbits love them and the treats help your rabbit learn to chew only on acceptable items.

4) Repellents: Pet stores sell repellent sprays, such as bitter apple spray (though some rabbits actually like the taste, so test it first). Check out a hardware store for creative ways to block certain spots. Areas like under dressers or under couches are specifically prone to a good chewing because they mimic what digging would be like at the end of a burrow. Block these areas off by putting a large shallow tupperware under the furniture. Get creative!

Question from the Audience: Digging, Treats, Holding

And now, a three-part question from Sarah L. in Boston, MA. She writes:
Hi Rabbit Advocate! About a month ago, my boyfriend and I adopted Winnie from the MSPCA in Boston. She is doing absolutely wonderful. We love her so much and she is such a great bunny! However, we have a few questions:

Q: 1) Winnie loves to poke around and explore but sometimes she gets into the corner of the room and pulls and digs up the carpet! We've tried to clap and say 'no' when she does it and sometimes she'll stop, but sometimes she's pretty stubborn and completely ignores us and continues digging. Are there any other alternatives to prevent her from digging up the carpet? Or should we just continue to clap loudly and hope that she stops?

A: Unfortunately, this is a common complaint among rabbit owners. The chewing and digging instinct is very strong in bunnies, but it is markedly stronger in some individuals than others. I've lived with both varieties, and let's just say one is a little less stress-inducing than the other! So I can share in your frustration in this matter.
If the stern "no"s and clapping are being ignored (how rude!) gently push your rabbits nose away from the carpet and distract her with a game. Distraction and positive reinforcement are key. Rabbits also oftentimes view your negative feedback (clapping, verbal warnings, etc.) as a game. Discourage this, as it feeds into the bad behavior. Remove the rabbit from the situation or enforce a time-out to show that you're being serious!
Unfortunately, digging and chewing carpet is super-duper fun for rabbits. One option is getting a small square of carpet to put in her cage (unless she's ingesting the carpet fibers), thereby removing the novelty of the corner carpet. Or, if there's a specific place she consistently visits to dig and chew, move a heavy piece of furniture over it. Removing access to the spot may lessen the urge to destruct!
Lastly, as a note of reassurance, I am currently living with a former carpet enthusiast. After a long (loooong) time of repeated clappings and distractions, she rarely even notices the carpet anymore. Keep in mind that rabbits can be taught, but the process will likely not happen overnight.

Q: 2) I've read on a few websites that it's okay to feed your bunny cheerios. I've fed Winnie a few cheerios here and there and noticed that she loves them and gets extremely excited when she knows I have them in my hand. I just want to know if cheerios are okay to continue giving her.

A: I would recommend against feeding your rabbit any processed or high-carb human foods (Cheerios are both). You're right in questioning this snack. Of course, one Cheerio a week isn't going to kill your rabbit, but there are healthier alternatives out there, intended specifically for rabbits. Yogurt drops have a 100% success rate with every rabbit I've known and I've even been tempted on more than one occasion to try a nibble. (They smell delicious.) While these aren't on the health par with a cilantro bunch or basil leaves, they can safely be offered in half-servings. Or try small bits of apple as a treat. And if you do choose to keep on with the Cheerios, be on the lookout for diarrhea, or in the long-term, obesity. In these cases, cut the cereal.

Q: 3) Winnie loves to be pet but she absolutely hates being picked up. I'm pretty sure we're properly picking her up -- one hand under her bum and the other under arms and we when we pick her up, we hold her close to our body so she feels secure but she still gets really scared. Should we just stop trying to pick her up?

A: It sounds like you are picking Winnie up in the proper way. However, picking your bunny should be reserved for vet visits or other necessary times. Look back here for detailed advice on why rabbits prefer to be on the ground and alternative ways to interact with your bunny. Good luck with Winnie!

A picture of Winnie herself, courtesy of Sarah L. How festive!