Chewing mats? - Guinea Pig Cages, Care, Store, Photos of Guinea Pigs and More Forum!

**leyley904** · #1 10-09-09, 07:38 pm

** I have had post moved many times, and I finally (I'm a little slow sometimes,

) figured out that anyting about rabbits goes in the RABBIT section! Crazy, huh!? (<-sarcastic) But, I'm a little hesitant on this one, because its about bedding and I don't think it matters whether its about rabbits or pigs..... But I bet I'm wrong, haha****

Okay, so for the past few months, I have been thinking (mostly to myself) that I had the best behaved rabbit ever! No chewing. Litter box trained. No noise. Super clean and neat. No biting or any agressive nature. The perfect rabbit! Well (he is still a perfect rabbit, don't get me wrong) he all of a sudden started chewing on the mats which I use for floor. I had some carefresh bedding at first but it made him sneeze, and since he was litter box trained, I just got the cheap little door mats from target and put them on the bottom of his cage. He seemed to be much happier! (I do have fleece for him to dig in and sleep in, though) Part of the mats curved up just a tiny bit on the side and he didn't seem to notice. But the other night I heard him making noises and I checked to see what was going on. He had chewed off a good 5 in. by 5 in. section of the mat in just a few hours! There was a lot of peices sitting around, so I don't think he was eating it, but it still makes me nervous. I love the mats because they are so easy to clean. So what do you suggest? Should I cut off part of the mat so it doesn't curve up, and just check it often? Or should I find a new bedding/flooring just incase? I can't cover the bottom with fleece, which is what I would love to do, because of his wonderful cage decorating skills. haha. He has lots of toys, but pays no attention to them. Does anyone have any good homemade toy ideas? Not just the toilet-paper-roll-toy, but like, ones that could be a project for me to make, and a project for him to destroy

? I want to get him a girlfriend, I'm in the long process of convincing my parents! Any suggestions? I want whats best for my bun!

And if you have any good ideas for homemade rabbit toys, please keep in mind he is 2 pounds, teeny weeny!

**Silverbeat** · #2 10-10-09, 05:05 pm

If your rabbit is anything like my two, once they find something they can destroy, they do not rest until they do. My advice is to get a grass mat [check The Busy Bunny Home - they have great toys] and/or replace the flooring with cardboard. You want everything inside of the cage --except for the litterbox-- to be ingestible, because unlike guinea pigs, rabbits can and will eat/chew up anything.

**leyley904** · #3 10-10-09, 06:56 pm

Okay, thanks! I've switched the mat around, and he doesn't seem to notice it anymore. But, if there is just the slightest nibble again, I will definatly get those grass mats! Actually, they look pretty cool, so I will probably get them either way, haha!

**jam224** · #4 10-20-09, 03:09 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by leyley904

I want to get him a girlfriend, I'm in the long process of convincing my parents! Any suggestions? I want whats best for my bun!

The grass mats are a great suggestion for alternative, safe flooring and as for getting a companion for your bunny, I would caution you. First, you should definitely be prepared to neuter and spay both bunnies, so keep the cost of 2 surgeries in mind. Other than the obvious reason why, it also takes their hormones out of the equation, for (hopefully) a smoother bonding between the two. Second, unless your bunny meets and "picks" his own girlfriend (rabbit rescues usually offer this), be prepared that the two bunnies may not get along and may NEVER bond. This means you will have to provide a second cage and litterpan in a separate set-up.

If you can accept those realities, getting your bunny a friend is a great idea because rabbits are social creatures. Bonding is usually a gradual process and can be time-consuming, so you will probably want to do some research first. If you Google "bunny bonding" or "rabbit bonding," you can probably find stories of techniques that other people have tried (too many for me to list here!).

Honestly, the work of caring for 2 rabbits isn't much more than caring for one, but considering you're still living with your parents, I would probably just take on the responsibility of caring for the one bunny you have now. You sound like you care for him a lot, so he's lucky to have you!

**leyley904** · #5 10-20-09, 03:41 pm

Thanks Jam224! Funny, I actually did EXACTLY that! We brought my bun to a rescue to see who he got along with best. Now I'm 'fostering' the new bunny for a week, but things are getting worse. I'm willing to work with them, though. I'm discussing all of this with the rescue owner, so everything will be taken care of!
Thanks for the last little part!