Anger towards bunny?

[Zenabunxo]

I adopted my bunny Zena a year and a bit ago now and I understood that bunny’s are particularly ‘naughty’ especially when it comes to chewing things but my bunny Zena often takes it too far, she eats the carpet and materasses and often eats my chargers which is very annoying as I use my iPhone and iPad quite a lot and only the expensive apple chargers seem to work for them. I often get really angry with her and will lock her back in her cage and leave her until I am no longer angry at her.

I have often thought about re homing her to someone calmer but then I get upset knowing that my little Zena who I had since she was 8 weeks isn’t going to be there anymore.

But I am worried I my anger will be to prominent and strong that it will be unfair for Zena and I might hurt her one day, which in my right mind I would never do but I do have some anger issues which makes me 10x more angry that I know I need to be.

I wondered if there was any tips of how to stop this chewing or replace it with something, I’m still not sure how she got to my chargers because they were out the way but she’s clearly super crafty.

On a typical day she will eat drink do lots of sleep a little run to follow me when I go to the toilet and almost tripping me up under my feet but then she chews a lot of things she shouldn’t be which gets annoying and I’m a little stuck as to what to do?

[kurottabun]

Is Zena spayed? Female buns are notorious for being aggressive and “naughty” due to their hormones and it would usually be much better once they are spayed and the hormones have died down.

That said, sometimes even after being spayed the bunny would still chew and dig because that’s what they do naturally in the wild. You could get some cord protectors (the metal or very hard plastic ones so they can’t chew through that), or just barricade off the areas that you don’t want Zena to access. You’ll have to block it off properly as bunnies are pretty crafty like you said. If all else fails, perhaps you can consider housing her in a big pen instead of letting her free roam. Locking her in a cage doesn’t really work as bunnies don’t really see “punishment” the way we do. It may work with dogs but for prey animals like bunnies it’s generally quite ineffective and just makes them afraid of you.

Does she have chew toys? Apple sticks, willow balls, hay tunnels etc are popular chew toys for bunnies. These may divert her attention so she’s less likely to chew things she’s not supposed to Also make sure to have her teeth checked by a vet as sometimes excessive chewing may be caused by dental discomfort.

[Sirius&Luna]

It’s your job to stop her chewing inappropriate things. She’s not trying to be naughty. You need to create a safe and stimulating environment for her. Bunnies tend to chew excessively when they’re bored, or when they perceive things to be in their way.

Does she have toys and lots of interaction? Does she have a constant supply of hay and twigs to chew?

Put your chargers away in drawers when you’re not using them, and charge things on tables and places she can’t reach. Block bits of carpet that she chews with tiles.

[sarahthegemini]

If you actually think you might hurt her then yes of course you should rehome her. It doesn’t matter if it would make you sad – your rabbit should not be in an environment where her owner might hurt her.

You also shouldn’t lock her away or punish her for chewing things. Rabbits chew. It’s part of being a bunny. It’s your responsibility to ensure she can’t chew anything that may cause her harm and it’s your responsibility to keep things out of reach.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Bunnies don’t understand punishment, so please stop putting her in her cage when she chews something. Chewing is a part of being a bunny. It’s literally instinctual in them. It’s your job as a responsible bunny owner to bunny proof adequately either by blocking off areas or hiding certain things. My boys have chewed countless chargers, but it’s not their fault for chewing, it’s mine for leaving it out to be chewed. You can’t train chewing out of them, but you can help her redirect it. Get her spayed if she’s not, give her lots of hay and chew toys and grass mats, put tiles over the carpet.

[Bam]

I agree with what the others have said – if you feel you wont be able to control your anger, you should rehome your bun for her safety’s sake. It shouldn’t have to come to that though, you seem well aware of your anger issue and can probably work through it, since you do seem to love her. As the others also have said, it’s no use giving a bun a time out in the cage for chewing. Rabbits chew. I give my rabbit fresh apple twigs from pesticide-free trees to chew. Willow, both fresh and in the form of willow toys, is also popular with rabbits. It is very important that they chew, especially hay, because their teeth grow all their lives and must be kept in check through chewing.

As for the chargers – I know how frustrating that is! I have crafted charger cable cord protection out of big plastic beads. You cut open each bead, pry it open with the top of a pencil or whatever you can find that works, and insert the cord. It requires a little bit of time and patience, but it saves money and trouble. I got this tip from a cat owner I know, cats like charger cables way too much too. Here’s a picture of one of my Iphone charger cords:

The picture doesn’t really do it justice, the colors are much more vivid irl. 

[Meg]

You can also get aquarium tubing of different diameters for cords, and just slice them vertically. Some bunnies chew through those too, but it at least slows them down! That’s what I do for all the cords within my bunny’s reach, so he doesn’t get electrocuted by chewing through, say, a lamp cord.

But I agree with everyone who says that you should find her a loving home if you don’t have this in you. She’s a bunny and does not deserve anger, and certainly not harm, for just being her bunny self.

That said, it’s good of you to bring this up, and be honest about where you’re at. This is totally TMI, but I’ve chosen not to have kids partly because I don’t think I have the level of patience required for the kinds of naughtiness (or just tiresomeness) that kids can bring, even though they make other people very happy. A kid deserves more gentle loving patience than I could offer all the time (I get too annoyed) so I think kids and I are better off separate. Anyway, my point is that if you don’t feel you’re up for treating a bunny (and their chewing, digging, pooping, etc.) with gentle loving patience, that’s OK to acknowledge, and there are others who are up for it.

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