Why are rabbits gnawing wooden cages, what to do, how to wean the animal from this activity? This question more than once puzzled both experienced farmers and owners of decorative breeds.
Why do rabbits gnaw on wooden cages?
Modern rodent cages and pens often contain many wooden parts. The floor, corners, and sometimes the entire rabbit house is made of organic material. Despite all the advantages of wooden cages, there is an extremely serious problem that most eared owners face. Rabbits begin to grind their teeth on the wooden parts of their home.
Why do rabbits bite wooden cages
I would like to note right away that this behavior of a rodent, when a rabbit gnaws a cage, is natural and normal.
There are many reasons why pussies chew on a cage. The most common is that the animal has itchy teeth. It is no secret that the eared pet incisors grow throughout life, especially actively at an early age. If the pet does not have to grind its teeth, he will have to look for a way out of this situation himself. The solution will be ordinary logs, sticks and twigs. The main thing is to change the sharpening wood in time, and then the question of how to wean the rabbit from gnawing the cage will not arise. A thin twig of fluffy one tooth, so it is important to try to prepare the wood in advance.
List of trees, branches of which can be given to a rabbit:
- acacia;
- Rowan;
- maple;
- grapes;
- an Apple.
Wood in a pet's diet can be either fresh or harvested from the summer. Cutting branches is best in June. In no case should you give an elderberry fluffy, it is also important to be careful with fruit trees: some of them can ruin the pet's teeth, others can cause serious poisoning.
Another reason rabbits gnaw on a cage is hunger. The Fuzzy must be provided with a constant supply of food. The diet should include cereals, corn, dried peas, seeds and fresh herbs. If the animal’s feeder is empty, it may begin to gnaw at the wooden parts of the aviary to attract attention.
The reason is vitamin deficiency
Water deserves special attention. Hunger is not as dangerous for an animal as thirst. If the rabbit is restless, rushing about in the aviary and actively nibbles everything that he comes across, you should check the drinker.
Sometimes the rodent's body lacks mineral salts, and this is another reason why the rabbit gnaws on the cage.
You should take a closer look: if a fluffy gnaws at the place of the cell where he goes to the toilet, thus he tries to replenish salt in his body. Mineral-salt stone, which is sold in any pet store, can help in this animal. The same goes for vitamins. Check to see if the pet has fresh hay. You can add a couple of drops of lemon to the water: perhaps the animal lacks vitamin C and is trying to get it from the tree.
Sometimes the problem lies in puberty. What to do in this case? The animal organism very often depends on primary instincts. If the rabbit is still young and constantly gnaws not only wooden parts, but the iron bars of the cage, this may be a signal that it is ready to mate. If you are not going to breed rabbits, then you need to distract him during this period with delicious food or wooden toys.
The reason is the state of the aviary
If everything is in order with the pet's food and health, then most likely the problem is in the cage itself. First of all, the brood owner needs to thoroughly clean it. Very often the rabbit just doesn't like sitting in a dirty cage. If this does not help, then the pet probably does not like the location of his house or the cage is just too small for him. If possible, it is worth trying to rearrange the rodent's dwelling to another place.
The last, and most banal, reason is that the pet is just bored. Do not forget that rabbits are quite active animals. Their daily movement rate is higher than that of dogs or cats. You need to caress the animal, pick it up or let it out for a walk around the apartment. If possible, it is imperative to bring the pet out into the street. But it should be remembered that a rabbit can only walk outside the house after all vaccinations. If you have a private house, then you can make a rabbit an aviary in which he can walk freely.
How to stop a rabbit from chewing on a cage
Many rabbit owners do not complain about damage to wooden parts, but about the noise level at night.
If the rabbit’s cage is completely in order, he’s healthy, but continues to gnaw at the bars of the cage, most likely this is a bad habit for him. The decorative rabbit is a nocturnal animal, and its peak of activity falls at 3-4 o'clock in the morning. Naturally, the sounds that the animal makes when it chews on the cage interfere with sleep for the whole household. How to make sure that the rabbits do not gnaw the cage at this time?
The solutions to the problem are very simple:
- Fill the animal's feeder and drinker at night.
- Ensure there is a fresh log or grindstone in the cage.
- Increase the amount of cereals, corn, and dried legumes in the rabbit's diet.
- To accustom the rodent to the schedule: let it go for a walk in the evening and drive it into a cage just before bedtime.
- Add chalk, salt and bone meal to the rabbit's complementary foods to replenish the necessary minerals.
If all these methods are powerless, the pet continues to spoil the cage, then it is advisable to use a folk remedy - grease the wooden parts with an onion or malt paste. The rabbit dislikes the onion taste, and this will help to wean the pet from biting its house.
As a conclusion, it can be noted that gnawing the wooden parts of the cage is a natural activity for a rabbit and laid down by nature. It is possible to wean the animal from this only by giving it an equivalent replacement. In emergency cases, the cage rods can be greased with onions, but this does not always help, and the animal may experience stress. The rabbit itself stops gnawing on the cage when nothing bothers him.
Do rabbits bite the cage? Exit! Verba!
Conclusion
The best way to solve the problem is to regularly supply wood and solid feed. Alternatively, you can pamper your rabbit with grain sticks. If you hang a treat for the night in a cage, then, most likely, the rodent will be busy and will not interfere with sleep. Also, don't forget about minerals, green fodder and gentle handling. In extreme cases, if, after eliminating all the reasons, the rabbit continues to gnaw the cage and worry, you should contact your veterinarian. Your pet may have a problem with its teeth or gums.