That adorable little bunny in the pet store seemed like such a good idea at the time, but now your house is a mess, and he bites you when you hold him. Before you give your rabbit to a shelter, try these tips to deal with your rabbit’s bad behaviors.
Chewing
Rabbits will chew anything. It’s a natural behavior for them and you will never stop them completely. The best thing to do is offer safe alternatives like rabbit toys, untreated willow or apple branches, cardboard, untreated willow baskets, and untreated grass mats. Next, you should rabbit-proof your home. Cover electrical cords with PVC pipes or keep them out of reach. Exposed wooden furniture and base boards can be covered with plexiglass covering. Finally, you should supervise your rabbit during play-time. When your rabbit chews on something that is off-limits, say “no” firmly and offer him an appropriate toy.
Digging
Burrowing is a natural behavior for rabbits, but they can do significant damage to carpets and couch cushions if they aren’t given an appropriate outlet. Put down plastic mats or plexiglass on problem areas and provide your rabbit with a digging box. Use a large cardboard box and fill it with shredded paper, hay or even soil. You can hide treats and toys in it to keep him interested. Untreated grass mats are also great digging toys. When you find your rabbit digging somewhere he shouldn’t, redirect him to his digging box.
The pet store probably told you that litter box training your rabbit would be easy, but now your bunny is pooping and spraying all over the house. Rabbits reach sexual maturity at 4 to 6 months of age and will start marking their territory by pooping and spraying. An unaltered male is almost impossible to litter box train. The first thing you need to do is get your bunny spayed or neutered. Next, look for the area that your rabbit uses most often as his bathroom and put a litter box there. Fill the litter box with bedding, shredded paper, or hay. Rabbits spend a lot of time lounging in their litter boxes, so make sure they have some hay in their litter box for munching on. If your bunny has access to the whole house, you may need multiple litter boxes.
Biting
Rabbits don’t bite just for the fun of it, they are trying to tell us something. Your bunny may nip you to tell you he’s had enough attention, your invading his territory, or he wants more attention. Rabbits will bite when they are scared and feel threatened. Children are the most common victims of rabbit bites because they are loud and not very gentle. Always supervise children when they play with your bunny.
Male rabbits will often bite from sexual frustration, so it’s a good idea to get them neutered. If you have a caged rabbit, wait to change food and water until he is out of the cage to keep him from defending his territory. Avoid petting your bunny around the face and nose because rabbits think that’s a sign of aggression. Put treats on the ground instead of holding them for your rabbit to avoid getting your fingers confused with food.
Sources: http://www.rabbit.org/behavior/index.html
