My gf has a rabbit that is kept in a closet space. The problem is that the rabbit seems to love gnawing on the paint. It does have pieces of wood to chew on but the paint must seem irresistable to the rabbit (named Jack Bauer btw).
So, 1)just how bad do you think the paint could be to the rabbit?
and 2) anyone have any creative solutions??
2007-03-26 10:45:09 · 6 answers · asked by TheAnswer 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
The rabbit gets plenty of playtime outside the cage. It shouldnt even be called a cage because the closet space does not have a door. We put a baby gate in front of the closet so it doesnt get out. It has its own food, water, stuff to chew on etc....but still chooses to eat paint!
2007-03-26 11:02:22 · update #1
Of course I realize paint is bad for you or anyone for that matter...what I asked was: HOW BAD is it for the rabbit!
2007-03-26 11:04:36 · update #2
My rabbits have all done this until they were about... 4 or 5 years old. No matter how many nice toys, run around time, or cuddles I gave them. It's not about the paint per say. I bet once this bunny chews through the paint, he'll continue on through the wood just like mine have all done. I assume it's just part of their natural chewing and digging burrowing instincts.
Paint isn't good for them to eat obviously. My rabbits have never had any health problems related to eating paint, but I suspect that if the paint had lead in it, that would be a different story.
You want to deter the rabbit from chewing on the walls. It takes time to train them though. You can't explain "no" to a rabbit, you can only deter them from the bad stuff and encourage the good stuff.
In my experience, the bitter sprays don’t work. NONE of them deterred my bunns from chewing the baseboards of the walls. In fact, I think they took a liking to a few of them!
I even tried using the juice of a jalapeno once on the walls thinking the hotness would stop my rabbits. Apparently, my rabbit Owen LOVES jalapenos. He took one taste of it & chewed with more enthusiasm than ever before. I think he thought it was a treat or something. Go figure.
The best way to deter a bunny from chewing on something is to make it distasteful before they even get near to chewing it i.e. put something smelly on it. Rabbits have sensitive noses. They don't like the smell of chemically smelling perfumes and colognes etc. I sprayed some cheap icky cologne on the baseboards, and my rabbit would smell it, huff defiantly and hop away. NO MORE CHEWING!!! This has been the most effective method I’ve found for stopping them from chewing on the walls. You have to keep reapplying though.
Another thing to deter chewing is to spray them with water while in the act just like you would do with a cat. You have to spray them WHILE they are in the act though, otherwise they won't understand. Over time, my rabbits understood that they shouldn’t chew on the walls WHEN I WAS LOOKING. LOL. They’d see me come with the spray bottle & they’d stop and act all innocent. So cute =) It takes time.
This could also be a sign that your bunny needs more socializing. Rabbits are very social animals. Your bunny needs time when he or she can hop around in the places where the humans walk to interact with you.
2007-03-28 09:14:49 · answer #1 · answered by siddartha360 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Rabbit Paint
2016-12-10 19:08:15 · answer #2 · answered by hausladen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does the rabbit have daily playtime outside of the cage? This is really important for keeping them from boredom and destructive behavior. Also, he is probably unhappy about living in a closet. Rabbits are happiest when they are placed in an area where they can observe your daily activities, like the kitchen for example. If you put them somewhere out of the way they tend to get bored and lonely.
The only other thing you can do is block off the area he is chewing on.
2007-03-26 10:58:16 · answer #3 · answered by gobanana516 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I had a dog that did that. I think being in a closed space made them want to get out, and the only way they could think of getting out of the bathroom is to chew through the wall. they may have also been uncomfortable because their use to being out side, and rabbits tend to dig holes in the wield so instinct may have taken over
2016-03-17 02:40:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um, do you think it would be good for u to eat the paint? then its not ok for it to eat the paint. Why don't you buy it a good size cage and keep it in there instead of a closet, just making sure you let him out a couple times a day to get enough exercise.
2007-03-26 11:02:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
your rabbit is probably just gnawing at the wood and the paint coming along if the paint in not lead paint it wont hurt try hanging a salt spool in the closet or make a paste of cyane pepper and smear it on where he is chewing
2007-03-26 11:06:31 · answer #6 · answered by bullwinkle 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋