Correcting bad bunny behavior?

[DottieNLiz]

So I’ve had my female English Spot for about a month and a half to two months now and she’s reach a lovely stage where she’s been nibbling on the woodwork. She’s not spayed yet (will be in early June, which can’t come soon enough). I’m working on putting up cardboard barriers around her room to keep her from destroying it in the room she has free roam in during the day, but when I let her out in the evenings to hope around the whole upstairs is when it becomes a problem. I can’t line the perimeter of the entire upstairs with cardboard.

When I catch her starting to nibble I’ve been making a loud sound to startle her, which works for a few seconds, then she gets over it and goes to nibble again. After repeating this about 5 times, she gets bored/maybe confused? and hopes away to get into something else. I’ve gotten/made tons of toys for her to nibble and play with, and for now it more seems like curiosity nibbles rather then full fledged chewing.

My question is what is the best way to redirect her/ keep her from nibbling the baseboard when I catch her in the moment? Continue to yell HEY! loudly to startle her? Get up and shoo her from the spot she’s sitting in nibbling? Make a high pitch screech noise (I do this when she tries to nibble me)

I haven’t had her for that long and although she doesn’t seem scared of me or her surroundings at all, she seems to have absolutely zero interest in me or being petted, I think I’m just the bringer of food that is to be ignored at all other times to her. (I just want her to love me and want her to snuggle with me and want petted!) So I don’t want to do anything to make her scared of me or ruin what tiny bit of the beginning of a bond there is between us.

What’s the best way to redirect her behavior?

[LBJ10]

Redirection is usually the best option. Mine get a sharp NO and I will physically turn their body to face the other direction and give them a little nudge to get them to move on. This is especially true for Leopold since he is deaf, I have to be a bit more hands on when it comes to redirecting. Wooly will usually stop whatever he is doing if he hears me say NO. I know you want her to have room to roam around in the evening, but if she can’t be trusted then it might be best to wait until after she is spayed to let her roam around. It sounds like you have the woodwork protected in her room, so having her contained in there would not be the end of the world.

You could try bitter apple or other chewing deterrent. To be honest though, it had absolutely no effect on Leopold. He would get a taste, lick his lips, and then continue to chew. LOL

If she likes stationary things to chew, have you tried making something stationary that she would be allowed to chew?

[Linette]

I have had no luck with bitter apple or cayanne for deterring chewing BUT, my bun does not like strong peppermint smell.

We use it around the outside doors to keep mice and chipmunks out of the house, it’s a natrual deterrent.

You can buy essential oil of peppermint at health food stores and online. It might stain woodwork or remove the finish, so test an area first. It does have to be reapplied, but you might be able to use it for just a couple weeks, break the habit, she gets used to chewing on other things and she might not go back to chewing baseboards.

It won’t hurt her, but the scent might drive you buggy.

[DottieNLiz]

Thank you LBJ and Linette!

I appreciate the suggestions and the heads up about the sprays not having much of an effect. I think I’m going to try a combo of a loud verbal no and physically redirecting her like you do with your Leopold and Wooly. I feel like my loud No’s and Hey’s are becoming more and more ignored lol.

I read somewhere about maybe using spray bottles? Has anyone found this to be effective? Or just confusing/scary for bunnies?

I will see what I can do about getting a stationary object for her to chew on. All of her chewable toys are smaller ones that she can also pick up, so that might help. She doesn’t seem fixated on the baseboard chewing, more like little nibbles here and there… but even the little nibbles add up. lol

I’m hoping she calms down a lot after being spayed. I’d like to transition her into being free roaming through the whole house eventually, but figured it wouldn’t be a great idea till she’s spayed. She’s so curious and just constantly on the move.

I might try using green pepper juice since she seems to hate the taste and smell of green peppers.

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