Hey there I am having some trouble and I am not sure where to start…or what to do.
Sticky has been doing well health -wise. Just discovered he has coccidia but I am not overly surprised considering where he came from. He is currently being treated for it. Hair is finally growing back in on the back of his neck. He is eating well and litter box habits are perfect. However…
Behaviorally he has become a nightmare. He is in his xpen when we are not home or while we are in bed; otherwise the door is open and he can come and go at his discretion. From day one, when out of his pen he has tried to chew cords and rip up carpet. We do not allow it (of course) and have just constantly corrected him and shooed him away from whatever he is doing and he would stop and go on to something else. He might try again a little later but we would just correct again and carry on.
We have provided toys for him but they are largely ignored. Seagrass mats, seagrass carrot toy, wood to chew on, small paper bags filled with hay and treats to rip up, cardboard tubes filled with hay and treats, wicker balls, paper to shred, carboard boxes with holes cut in them to play in or destroy, etc. None of it seems to be anything he enjoys. We did make him a ‘dig box’ and filled it with shredded paper and hid treats in it. He liked it for about two days and he now ignores it. He does like towels or blankets but since he pees on them immediately, he isn’t allowed to have them at this time. He has played a bit with the cardboard boxes.
The last few days he has become a terror. When he is let out of his pen, he immediately….and I mean IMMEDIATELY starts doing something that isn’t allowed. Example: he has begun jumping in the tote that I keep all of his supplies in and trying to rip everything open. It is a large tote that holds his litter, hay, pellets, etc. Obviously this is not allowed. I keep all of his stuff in this tote because I don’t want it available to him on the floor. Because we go through so much litter, I have to buy a huge 40 lb bag and of course those pellets I got came in a huge bag as well. I have hay in large amounts and so on. I don’t have a lid for the tote unfortunately but I have now covered it with a very large towel and put a box on top of it…and he simply knocks the box off and digs at the towel. When I clap my hands loudly at him and tell him NO! he just looks at me so I actually have to shoo him away. That is fine but he immediately goes and does something else that isn’t allowed, i.e. grabs a cord or begins ripping at carpet. I clap my hands loudly again at him and again he just looks at me so I go over and shoo him away again.
I can’t stress this enough: when he is out, he is constantly doing things that are destructive and not allowed. As I have typed this, I have gotten up 4 TIMES to stop him from trying to get in the tote with his supplies. The minute I step away, he just does it again. He has been trying very hard to get under my son’s bed and under the couch lately too which cannot be allowed because he just tears up the carpet when he is under there.
I am not sure what to do anymore. We have regressed in our relationship…he won’t even allow me close enough to pet himanymore because I am constantly clapping and correcting him. The only time I get close to him is when I am in his pen to feed him or clean. He will take treats from me (he loves the Oxbox papaya tablets) but he just takes off as soon as he has it. I hate to lock him up in his pen all the time because he just ignores all toys and I am afraid he is just bored.
Before everyone says ‘Well, is he neutered?’, no he is not but he was just born in march and his little boys parts have not made an appearance yet. As soon as they do, they are being removed because if he is like this before hormones kick in, I don’t think I will be able to handle him at all once they do.
Any and all supportive and constructive help is appreciated.