Rabbits are mammalian animals, belonging to the family Leporidae. They are playful pets and can be tamed and trained easily but they have an annoying habit of chewing on everything.
Most people have integrated rabbits in their lives like a constant thing but a lot of them complain of their annoying chewing habits causing death and destruction around the whole house.
There are multiple ways to either discourage, train, or completely stop the rabbit from continuous unwanted chewing. The most effective ways are; give them abundant hay, provide them with curious toys and intimate mates. Other than these some rabbits’ repellent like predator’s musk or urine can also be efficient. Owners can also cover the domestic surfaces with thick sheets or provide the rabbits with soft digging pits.
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HOW TO STOP RABBITS FROM CHEWING ON EVERYTHING:
The chewing habit of rabbits may compel their owners to completely part with them.
But do not worry, you would never have to send your rabbit away after reading the following effective ways to stop your rabbit from chewing on everything.
PROVIDE THEM PLENTY OF HAY:
The chewing habit of rabbits is quite beneficial for them, as it helps them attain food and to save their teeth from growing out of proportion.
Therefore, always provide them with plenty of herbs and hay to keep them busy, healthy, well-nourished and less destructive.
If your rabbit does not chew on the provided hay and still goes around destroying your house then you must change the variety of hay. ‘Timothy hay’ is considered to be the healthiest and sweetest hay as per the rabbit taste.
PROVIDE MATES:
Rabbits are social animals and are always wanting some company either of a fun-loving owner or of a mate.
The lack of both, human attention and mate may lead to their aggressive behavior, which they display in the form of continuous chewing.
So, take good care to either play with them or provide them with mates.
PROVIDE THEM WITH CURIOUS TOYS AND BOXES
Rabbit is a curious rodent and loves to play riddles and does exploring because it may lead to a reward, which is mostly in the form of food.
So, always provide them with plenty of toys and boxes.
The enriched environment will keep them busy and playful while keeping their aggression at bay.
The toys do not have to be expensive but just rewarding.
For instance, you can stuff a ball or box with hay and let the rabbit play with it. Attaining the hay after such a struggle even makes it tastier for rabbits.
RABBIT REPELLENTS
You can try some rabbit repelling sprays over the things from which you want to keep it away.
For instance, bitter sprays can be used over wooden surfaces but the scent of predator musk or urine is quite effective in keeping the rabbits away.
It is available commercially and one can easily get a hold of it.
Besides these commercial products, the smell of blood, ammonia, vinegar, garlic, and crushed red peppers are also intensely hated by rabbits.
SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR RABBIT
Rabbits are usually prone to developing cancers in the genitals. It is more common in old age.
This problem leads to the release of hormones in a disoriented manner, causing high temperaments and resulting in more chewing.
So, always spay or neuter your rabbit to avoid excessive chewing.
REINFORCEMENT
Rabbits can always be trained using a reinforcement mechanism, which is a behavioral control of the habits of an animal either through punishments or rewards.
Both negative and positive reinforcement can lead to stopping your rabbit from chewing, but the latter is more preferred.
For instance, you can yell at the rabbit when it is chewing on something unnecessary but the effect would be more if you reward him with more hay when he avoids chewing unnecessarily.
PROVIDE THEM WITH DIGGING PITS
Rabbits are explorers and they love to dig up new grounds.
If your rabbit is digging up your new carpets then you must provide them with a bit of a playground, a digging pit, sandpit, or a soft blanket to keep them busy and cherished.
COVERING THE SURFACES TO BE SAVED FROM CHEWING
As a pet person, you must accept it as a living organism with needs and requirements.
As far as a rabbit is concerned, chewing is intrinsic in its body.
You cannot ask it to stop nibbling around completely because it is designed as such. The thing you can do is to cover those domestic surfaces that are in danger of getting chewed by the rabbit with plastic sheets and storage tape and you can cover wires in split tubing or conduit.
Most of these products are available locally, if not, you can easily order it from online shopping sites like Amazon.
Why do rabbits chew on a lot of stuff then?
Rabbits have a habit of chewing on everything edible or non-edible.
Rabbits have sharp in-scissors, which they use to obtain and chew food mainly consisting of herbs.
Other than the food, they start nibbling at everything they get their hands on. Here are some of the reasons of their chewing on everything;
CONTINUOUSLY GROWING TEETH
Biologically, rabbit teeth grow in a continuous manner throughout their life.
They must nibble and chew on to wear them down, if not then their teeth might grow very sharp and out of proportion.
After some time it would start digging into their tongue and may lead to mouth ulcers, so to save themselves of the self-inflicted injury, they are genetically designed as such.
BOREDOM
Rabbits are very social animals; they need company from time to time. When locked inside their hutch and left alone, they might feel a bit left out, so chewing will seem to be the only thing of amusement. They would start nibbling on the hutch to entertain themselves and to free themselves of captivity.
SEEKING ATTENTION
Rabbits would chew on things to get the attention of their owner who might be busy doing some stuff.
Even sometimes, they may chew on the clothes or stuff off their owner as a show of love and affection.
CRY FOR COMPANIONSHIP
Solitude is like a nightmare for rabbits, they dread it and always seek companionship from either playful owners or mates.
They should always be kept in pairs, otherwise, they would show their aggression through continuous chewing.
DIGGERS AND EXPLORERS
Rabbits are considered to be the most curious mammals, with a sharp sense of smell and hearing.
They would continuously chew, nibble and dig to explore something rewarding. That is why they are mostly experimented upon to study animal behavior.
AGING FACTOR
Chewing may also vary in rabbits with growing age and the production of hormones.
For instance, the young energetic rabbits chew more than the older ones, so do not stop your rabbit from enjoying its short energetic adulthood.
CONCLUSION:
The chewing of rabbits is a most serious concern for pet owners. Chewing, other than for food, by rabbits, is destructive in many ways.
They are prey animals and are hyper-alert towards their predators but they have no sense of danger from non-living things.
For instance, they might start nibbling wires and get electrocuted, they might chew some hidden rat poison or they may nibble couches and furniture and wear them down to mere rabbles.
For the love of rabbit, you must learn to stop it to chew on everything.
All the rabbit owners have to do this to understand the behavior of their pet and to train their pet as per their wishes.
You must take all the important points mentioned above to master your rabbit more effectively.
Reinforcements are scientifically proven to be the most effective strategy to rid of pets’ annoying habits.
I hope, the nibbling of rabbits would be a nuisance for you after reading this blog.
