Hi There!

I am new to the site and this is my first bunny. Eggo is a 10 month old neutered Lionhead, and I have had him since he was 8 weeks old. he has a pretty large habitat, he has his cage set up with a play pen around it and he has free reign in that. However, Eggo still likes to get out as much as he can. The first thing you have to know about Eggo is that he has a VERY strong personality. He has always been VERY ornery and sassy. Well lately whenever I let him out he doesn't run around, he hides under my bed and just rips at the carpet. I'm tried stomping at him, spraying him with a water bottle, and all I can resort to is putting him back in his run which makes me feel guilty. There is carpet, mats that I bought, in his pen but I have never seen him dig at those, only when he is out. That is the first problem...

The second problem is I feels like I don't have a very good relationship with my bunny because he is so ornery. He really just likes to be by himself and only likes me when he knows I'm letting him out or giving him food. You can pick him up and hold him, but do it too long and he bites you. Or every time after you pick him up he stomps his feet at you. Are there any ways to make my relationship with him better?

I also had the same problem of Yuki running under my bed- he doesn't chew up the carpet but its a safety issue for me. Anyway, I ended up purchasing one of the "critter cages" they make for small animals (should be able to find it at any pet store) and I lay it against my bed so he wont be able to go underneath it. You can also just try getting things from around your room and blocking the bottom of your bed off so he just wont go under there.

As far as the issue you had about not having a good relationship- all bunnies are different and a common factor among most bunnies is that they do not like to be picked up. Him stomping his feet on the ground is just a sign telling you he does not enjoy it. You can pet him while he's on the ground and most bunnies will sit still for you to do so. His personality might just be more "sassy" but stomping at you after he gets picked up does not mean he doesn't like you- he just doesn't like being picked up. 

A site I found very helpful in reading the signs Yuki gives me was:

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

Very interesting and eye-opening stuff! You should check it out when you have time :]

For under the bed what we did is we went to the hardware store and got thin wood paneling non-treated cut to size and tacked it up to the bedframe, to make a box bed type outside to the frame. Bunny can't get in. The only open side of the bed is against a wall.

As for picking up - most bunnies don't like being held. So interact with him on his terms, on the ground. If he won't come to you, ignore him and he'll get curious eventually.

When I first got Rory we had a bit of a rocky start - our carpet is new and he likes digging and chewing it, and refuses to chew any the towels and off cuts of carpet we have! As I speak he is now digging furiously trying to get behind the sofa! I generally call him "the most mischievous bunny there ever was" because even after all of our bunny proofing he still finds something to chew or dig at something.

For now we've got around it by calling him (we clicker trained him to learn his name) but it is a tough one! Our next step is to make him a digging box, lots of paper so he can chew and dig to his little heart's delight!

Rory also absolutely hates being picked up, so we herd/call him and he jumps up onto our laps and looks at us expectantly for treats! It took me a little while to warm up to the fact that he only runs over and jumps on for some treats, but then the other day he hopped up while I was napping and napped right on my chest, best bun moment ever! So don't worry, he will show you how much he loves you!

My bunny always went after baseboards, but what I do is apply stinky perfume to the carpet or baseboards. Some bunnies are brave and still will chew, but mine stopped.

Most bunnies are food oriented and will come to you when there is food around -- which is quite normal Just lay on the ground. Bunnies are very curious by nature. Some don't like to be handled. I only do it when it is essential -- for medication giving, nail trimming, and grooms. Otherwise, they love their 4 feet on the ground.

Sometimes the best solution for carpet problems is just to restrict the access for a little bit. As many people have suggested, blocking off the bed is a good idea. When I had this problem I didn't want to deny my bunny her favorite hiding place, so I bought 12x12" tile squares at the hardware store to cover up the spots. Pretty cheap solution, and it's easy to just have a few on hand to "fix" any problem areas that might arise. Just make sure to rinse off all the dust and dirt after taking them home.