My bunny doesn’t like his digging box

[Nicole]

Hello! I have a 1 year old male neutered Holland Lop that is very stubborn.

I’m trying to prevent him from digging where he’s not supposed to. I’ve tried making a digging box for him but he just uses it as a litter box and won’t dig in it. It was made out of a cardboard box with pieces of shredded paper, cardboard, and hay inside. He won’t dig in it and instead digs down into his cage. It is a plastic bottom so he’s not getting anywhere so I don’t understand why he’s doing it. I’ve given him grass mats to dig into as well but he will just move them out of the way and dig the plastic flooring instead. I keep trying new toys but it seems all he wants to do is dig.

I wouldn’t mind him digging at the plastic but I have a second floor area for him that once had a cardboard floor that he completely destroyed. Now he can’t even go up there because all that’s left is the wire supports. I can see him running out of space as he eats the cardboard and he will just squeeze himself onto the little bit that’s left and keep ripping it up. It doesn’t look like he’s eating it because there are scraps everywhere and he will do it even when there is food available. I want him to be able to have the second floor space and not have to replace the cardboard every couple days.

His cage is pretty large for him to run in as its made from plastic storage cubes with a playpen attached. I try to give him as much time as possible outside of the cage but it doesn’t seem to help him from wanting to dig all day. He will dig the carpet outside of his cage but not as much as he does inside.

I need ideas for a bunny digging box to keep him from destroying his own enclosure… or ideas for the second floor that he can’t destroy and are safe for him.

[DanaNM]

Bun Jovi loves digging in the tile corner of his condo too, I have no idea why. It’s like a bunny treadmill. He even does it while he has free run, it’s very strange.

Really you need a different material as the support for your second level, as most bunnies will chew through cardboard. I use a piece of plywood, covered with peel and stick linoleum tiles, with a layer of fleece over the top. They dig a little at the fleece, but not too much as long as it’s stretched tight.

He did really like this mat that I made for him:
http://www.bunssb.org/buns-newsletter/september-2013/make-mat/

Didn’t completely stop him from trying to dig in the corner, but he had fun with it.

My other bunny that likes to chew the carpet really likes chewing and “digging” on cardboard cat scratchers, but Bun Jovi doesn’t pay much attention to them

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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