Two of the most common rabbit behaviors are digging and chewing. While both of these behaviors are completely natural and normal for your bunny, they can result in your bun becoming a destructive machine around the house — digging through couch cushions, tearing up your carpet, or chewing their way through electrical wires!
Sometimes, these behaviors can become such a problem that owners think there is no solution but to give up their rabbit because they can’t control them.
However, while you can’t stop your rabbit from chewing and digging, you can prevent your furniture from being completely destroyed. Below are some of our top tips to get control over these behaviors and save your house!
Digging
Digging is a very common behavior for rabbits. In the wild, they dig to make burrows, escape from predators, and to give birth to their babies.
Therefore, you can’t really prevent your rabbit from digging, but you can offer them things to dig at, so they don’t focus their energy on digging at your carpet or furniture!
Solutions To Rabbit Digging
Give Your Rabbit Digging Spaces
Providing your rabbit with designated spaces to dig can prevent them from digging around your house and causing destruction.
We recommend you give them a digging box, which you can make at home. This is a box (either cardboard or plastic) big enough to fit your rabbit in, filled with hay, newspaper and a few of their favorite toys. Your bun will love to sit in this box and dig around in the hay and newspaper until their heart is content!
Another great option is to provide your rabbit with some old towels or sheets. You may have noticed your rabbit likes to sit on your bed or couch and “arrange” bedding or blankets. They may bite, pull and push the material around, which is known as “bunching”.
Giving your bun some old material that they can bunch around will keep them entertained and satisfy their digging needs.
Keep Your Rabbit Entertained
Rabbits are intelligent and sociable animals that need to be kept busy. When bored, your rabbit can become destructive out of frustration, which can lead to unwanted digging. This is a sign that your bun is asking for something or someone to play with!
The best solution to this problem is providing your bunny with a friend of their own kind. Having two rabbits ensures your rabbit is never lonely, as long as they bonded properly.
Other solutions to boredom include lots of quality time with you, and different toys and puzzles to play with. If you are out of the house every day, make sure you not only spend time with your bun in the evenings, but also make sure they are entertained during the day with toys, too.
Also make sure your rabbit isn’t kept cooped up in a small hutch for the whole day. Rabbits need space to roam, and will become frustrated and start digging if they feel they are trapped. Learn about housing your rabbit indoors or outdoors here.
Give Your Rabbit Places To Hide
Providing your rabbit with places to hide will help to mimic burrows and hiding spots they would find in the wild. As rabbits are prey animals, they need places in which they feel concealed and safe, even when they are domesticated.
Give your bun tunnels and cardboard boxes to hide and play in, so they don’t feel like they have to dig underground to find a safe space. If they don’t seem interested in these items, you can hide treats inside to encourage them to use them.
Desex Your Rabbit
Getting your rabbit spayed or neutered can help in a number of ways. Firstly, your rabbit will be less likely to try to dig out of their enclosure to find a mate. You can also then keep your rabbit in pairs, which will provide them company and prevent boredom.
You will also find your rabbit is less frustrated, which may mean less destructive behaviors such as digging.
Chewing
Rabbits teeth are constantly growing, and chewing helps to keep their teeth filed down and prevents them from overgrowing. So, you can’t really get mad at your rabbit for chewing.
However, it can be frustrating when it seems like your rabbit only wants to chew your things! Take a look at some of the solutions below.
Solutions To Rabbit Chewing
Give Your Rabbit Things To Chew
Rabbits need to chew to help wear their teeth down, so it’s your job to provide them with safe things to chew on.
First and foremost, they should have access to plenty of fresh hay. This is a very important for their diet, and the best thing for keeping their teeth in check.
You can also provide them with wooden toys to chew on, or untreated wooden branches such as willow, spruce and apple.
Chew toys are another good option. There are many types of chew toys out there that can help to keep your rabbit entertained.
Keep Your Rabbit Entertained
Just as with digging, your rabbit can sometimes begin to chew on things when they are bored or frustrated. If they are not mentally stimulated and spend their time on their own, without interaction from you or another rabbit, they can become destructive.
Provide your rabbit with lots of toys that you can swap around and switch out, so they always have new things to play with. You should also spend time with your rabbit, playing with them and giving them affection. You could also think about getting a second rabbit.
Rabbit Proof Your Home
Giving your rabbit things to chew and making sure they aren’t bored are great ways to stop your rabbit from chewing on your belongings. However, you shouldn’t tempt them and leave important and precious things lying around that your bun might want to chew on!
It is a good idea to hide wires, important documents, houseplants and anything else dangerous out of sight. You can use puppy pens to block off certain areas of the room (such as around your TV where there are a lot of wires) so your rabbit can’t access them.
Read our article on rabbit proofing your home to see how we recommend you make your space safe for your furry friend.
Reward Your Rabbit For Good Behavior
Rabbits generally respond much better to being rewarded for good behavior, than being scolded for bad behavior. If your rabbit decides to chew on their toys or something else you have provided for them, show them they are doing a good job by giving them a treat or a pet — whatever they enjoy.
This way, they will associate that behavior with being rewarded, and will be more likely to do it again.
