Carpet Pulling

Ok so Lucy is trying to pull at the carpet. Not at the carpet edges just anywhere she happens to be sat or laying, she will start to nibble and pull at it. Is there anything i can do to stop her doing this as we are in a rented flat. She hasn’t been spayed but i do need to book her in would this stop the carpet pulling!? We have to have our eye on her all the time now, where as before she was fine.

It sounds like she is frustratingly bored, has she got plenty of things to occupy her? is she locked in a cage or hutch all day?

Speying wonn't nec stop it Emma, it's the texture - they pull grass and leaves out of the ground, and carpet is a similar thing - something to pull out of the ground.

Try spreading her food around over the floor (veges and pellets) for her to eat whilst hopping around, and maybe try a treat ball too, works wonders with mine. We did an article on this in Hopping Mad! - look in the reviews section - treat balls, what are they good for?
Also, have a look at these vids on destructive house bunnies





And/or get a water spray bottle, and when she starts, say 'No' loudly, then a short sharp spray, not near her ears.
I have a terror at the moment, he's he; bent on destruction, all the above have worked for me, good luck

Daisy does this too the little monster!

I try and distract him. the current fave is to give him a T-Towel and he digs and plays with it for hours.

Luna does it too! I feel your pain, I worry when we move out of my parents house cause obviously we will have to rent D=. She knows it's naugthy though as when I call her name she runs off and binkys, so I think it's a game to her, Thistle barely ever chews the carpet strangely. I don't think it's because she's bored because otherwise Thistle would do it too, they have the same things to keep them entertained. It is good to give them something to distract them when they start doing it though, like a toilet roll tube stuffed with hay or a treat ball as jay suggested!

Snuffie used to when he was younger. He was a proper little interior designer and at one point and seem to think that everything, including carpet was there to play with. This is a bun who has never been in a hutch in his life and has plenty of toys. Needless to say, we have vinyl on the floor now.

I hope you problem is solved shortly dear.

Jo xx

No this is when she is OUT of her cage. She gets a lot of out time but i just cannot sit and watch her all day. Our carpet is flat so i don’t know why she's pulling at it and as i stated in the other thread she doesn't know what to do with toys. It happens to be when she lays down she just starts nibbling the carpet. She never did this before but then i suppose that was due to everything being new to her. If you shout to stop she will stop and then start again and she binkies off if you approach her and will still do it again. Very funny game but i can’t play it all day!

Thanks for the info guys...i will check out those videos and try and get some dummys arranged!

She looks adorable in her pic!

I rent too, and spend a lot of time filling in burrows and purchasing topsoil!

Keep us updated on her, she's a gorgeous bun.

I had buns that did this too and they were free range in the house all day. Try some of the tricks Jay has recommended and I am sure it will right itself. It is a natural grass pulling behaviour, so distraction is the way forward.

Ah yes, Lilly if I remember rightly?!

My Snuffie used to run away binkying when he was told not to do something!!

Jo xx

Could she maybe have a planter with turf growing in it that she could graze from? Might be more appertising for her than the carpet!

Its almost like she wants something to do when shes laid down. But sometimes she will do it where i can't see her like under the table! I suppose buns in groups groom one another where as she pulls the carpet. Its a ticky one because i can't put a toy near her when she lays down other wise she runs off and lays somewhere else. Agh!

She sounds a proper little character; please give her a nose rub from me.

Jo xx

Aaaaaggghhhhh! I can't stop her chewing the carpet. I have tried just about everything. Even me sitting on the floor isn't working. As said above its when she lays down. Is there anything i can do? I don'r know why she is doing it as its not an easy carpet to chew.

I understand what you are going through love but I have to say that my Mr Snuffles never got out of it, no matter what I did, which is why we now have vinyl. Having said that, the advice from our very experieced friends on this forum will probably work for you. Snuffie is one on his own and not a typical example of a bun LOL!! Good luck sweets.

Jo xx

[b]We are about to put laminate in the hall and on the landing for the same reason with my last bunn Jake we had two new rugs in the lounge but could not stop him best of it I got the blame I have never bitten a rug in my life (well not whilst sober anyway)

I'd try a water spray bottle, a short spray with a loud 'No'. The give her a willow tig or similar instead, When she chews on that, reward her.

Rob, I'b be careful with laminate, you may still need to put rugs down, buns can easily injure their backs on slippy surfaces, as they can't get a grip - it;s not a surface they experience in the wild. Some don't seem to mind it, but if they get spooked and leg it, it can cause lag/back problems, which can turn into arthritis later on.

[b]yes the rest of the house is laminet its only Ruffin in the house now and she dosn't do anything quickley but yes the skiding is a problem

Yes, we have rugs down, sorry love, I should have mentioned it.

Good Luck!!

Jo xx

Roo went thru a phase of this...I followed Jays waterbottle advice, and it worked a treat...Generally she only does it now when she wants my attention, pretty obvious as she also binkies off when I tell her no, practically laughing! its almost like she gets entertainment from it!

My Snuffie did that in his younger days. If we caught him chewing the wall or something else essential to the building of the house and said "no" he just froze, waited a minute than carried on. After a firmer "no" he ran off binkying and you are right Yodelphine, it was as if he was laughing. We just ccouldn't be cross with him and wow, did he know it LOL!!!!

Jo xx

Try putting a handful of hay in front of her, over the carpet she is pulling.