Training House Rabbits?

Question

My partner and I have two house rabbits which are about three months old now. Unfortunately, they have destroyed most of our furniture through chewing. I have given them lots of wooden toys to chew on but still they go back to the furniture, is there anything I could put on the furniture which would repel them? Also, recently they have become very skittish and do not like being handled at all. I would like to go back to the time when we first got them when they would come to us to be picked up and cuddled. I realise once that we have them spayed they should calm down a bit but until then how would we go about calming them down and letting us handle them again?

No, I've never hit them but I have lost my temper and shouted at them and then shut them back in their cage which they hate. I have seen a cat scratching post with a little house attached to it, would this be suitable as a chew tpy/hideaway for them?

Answer 1

Do you keep them in a coop/cage when you are not around? You really shouldn't leave such young rabbits unsupervised in a house. There is so much danger and trouble they can get into. If they are cooped, you can put a litter pan where they usually go. You should use litter made from recycled newspaper like "Yesterday's News" or Kountry Kritters". They are at the right age to start "litter training", but you have to make sure they know what it's for. Locate the pan where ever they pee. That will be the first thing get control over (the "poops" control will come later).
Chewing on your furniture can make them sick. Furniture wood has oils and finishes on it that is not good for a rabbit. Give the bunnies an area that you have "bunny-proofed". Maybe a playpen area. We use puppy "X-Pens" that fold up when not in use.
Try sitting on the floor with a treat and let them come to you for the treat. Don't chase them or grab them. Sit and pet them, let them run away and come back... They have to come to trust you. (It could take several days... be patient.) They are getting to the age where instincts take over. Their first instinct is to run away. Spaying will help, but you have to work at it. Watch the treats, don't spoil them or over do it. You can use Cheerio's (oat cereal) as a treat for such young bunnies. Have patience. Certain breeds are more "nervous" or high strung than others. But all will respond to kindness and consistancy. They are creatures of habit, so follow a routine (feeding, play time, treats, brushing/grooming, etc.) and they will get used to it.

Answer 2

Sadly, my rabbit started chewing MORE right after she was spayed. It takes a while for the hormones to level out though, and I think she was a little mad at me....
She chews under my couch. I tried putting wooden toys under there too which she sometimes chews on, but more often she goes right for the couch. We put double sided tape on the part where she chewed the most (I need to get more to do the other parts) and she does chew less. I don't think she likes getting her whiskers stuck to it. Since she likes to hide under there I gave her an alternative by throwing a blanket over an ottoman/stool and put toys and things under there and not under the couch as much.
As far as getting them to be more friendly, let them come to you. When I spend time on the floor she is more likely to come up to me and let me pet her. If I walk to her her instinct is to get out of there.
I hope this helps a little bit! Best of luck. The bunny in the picture looks adorable!

Answer 3

I have a rabbit and i never really got her to stop chewing... i would move your rabbit where ever there is the least amount of furniture ect. my rabbit never really got into chewing on the wood blocks, but she loves to chew on like paper towel rolls. also i dont know if you spank your rabbit alittle when they chew on the furniture or not, if you do that more then petting them and loving on them they will get skiddish of you. my rabbit got skiddish of me for a while cause i was spanking her when she was chewing on things she wasnt supposed to more then i was petting her ect. But ya i hope this help alittle.

Answer 4

there is no way to stop them from chewing your furniture. some ways you can try to make them less skiddish is to hold them more often, talk quietly around them, and when holding them be sure to support their back feet.