Why rabbit digging in cage

You might also offer a dig box for your rabbit. Crumpled paper, heaps of hay, clean dirt, small pieces of fabric that lack any nap, and biodegradable packing peanuts are some fillings to consider.

Be sure to keep the box clean, removing any soiled items and completely cleaning it regularly. Curiosity, boredom, stress, fear, wanting attention, seeking a cozy spot to lounge in — any of these and more could be some of the less common reasons why a rabbit digs.

Has anything changed in the environment? Have there been any changes in the household — more people or less, more pets or less? Are you interacting with your rabbit a lot more or a lot less than usual? A young rabbit is more likely to chew things, dig, and spray than an adult rabbit. Although rabbits are hard-wired to dig, people who share their lives with them might not be fans of the behavior. If you want your rabbit to stop digging, what can you do? It is very important for rabbits to be housed with other rabbits never guinea pigs as they are a social species who crave the company of their own species.

Chewing Chewing is a normal rabbit behaviour. How to prevent problem chewing: Provide safe items for your rabbits to chew. You can buy wooden toys that are specifically marked as safe for rabbits. Untreated wooden branches such as Willow, Spruce and Apple are safe for rabbits to chew. Make sure that the hay is clean, free of mould or dust and is placed off the ground to avoid soiling. If your rabbits come inside your house, remove items that you do not want your rabbits to chew. Hide or remove electrical cords under carpet or mats etc or cover them with plastic tubing to reduce the risk of accidents.

Place houseplants in an area well away from your rabbits. Search Advanced search…. New posts. Search forums. Log in. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.

Thread starter windryder Start date Apr 9, Help Support RabbitsOnline:. My female rabbit has in the past week developed an incredibly irritating habit of digging in her cage all through the night. It's making a huge mess in her cage she's totally ripping the hell out of all her newspaper and flinging it everywhere and, more importantly, keeps my fiance and I awake throughout the night.

We thought it might be that she suddenly didn't like the dark, but leaving a "nightlight" on didn't help. I really cannot afford to have her spayed right now, so I'm hoping someone has another idea. No, I don't believe she could be pregnant either. I've had her for almost a year now, and the only other rabbit she's been around is a neutered male. The newspaper isn't that noisy. The problem is that she goes straight through it, and then scrambles against the plastic bottom of the cage.

Can't do much about that I'm thinking about putting some aspen bedding in there so she feels super comfortable and doesn't feel the need to make a mess MiserySmith Well-Known Member. Maybe instead of paper, use a blanket in her cage so that when she digs it isn't super loud? I was hoping to avoid the chore of cleaning a blanket s on a regular basis. Thank you both for your ideas I look forward to hearing more from people. I suppose it's possible.

Like I said, she isn't incredibly well litter trained. Her cage would still have to be available to her, and she'll dig in it even if she's allowed to run around the room all night.

But maybe I could get some carpet samples and use it on the bottom of her cage. It'd be super messy, but maybe better than nothing. That's a tough one my bunnies are old and out of that stage yes they do stop at some point but I remember those days. Try giving her another place to dig to get it all out of her system. LakeCondo Well-Known Member. Does she do this during the day as well? Could you try wearing her out in the evening so she won't do it as much overnight?

But the long-term solution might be getting her spayed, if she shows other hormonal signs. Digging is an important, instinctive natural behaviour. Rabbits need to be able to express this to have good welfare, but we need to direct it appropriately so the rabbit does not escape. What is the behaviour? Digging is a natural behaviour. Digging opportunities should be provided for pet rabbits. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.