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MISBEHAVING RABBITS
Managing Misbehaving Rabbits
One of the most common reasons pet owners give for surrendering
an animal is behavior. Part of our mission at Columbus House Rabbit
Society is to help owners understand rabbit behavior and help them
rabbit can live happily together.
neutered. Rabbits are territorial animals and will “mark” an area with
-
fective way to eliminate this behavior. Another behavior that causes
are also more likely to become aggressive – from cage aggression
(where they are protective of their cage or pen), to food aggression,
to general combativeness. Again, having a rabbit spayed or neutered
usually alleviates this instinctive aggressive behavior.
Other common frustrations include poor
litter habits, chewing on furniture, and
digging at carpet. Even among spayed or
neutered rabbits, these activities are not
uncommon. Litter habits are most easily
addressed by providing an appropriatelysized
litterbox (bigger is always better)
it with a grass hay such as timothy or
orchard. The more time they spend in the
box eating hay, the more likely they are
to develop good bathroom habits, too. If
a rabbit with good litter habits suddenly starts having accidents, an
exam with a rabbit-knowledgeable vet should be scheduled.
Chewing and digging behaviors can be redirected to rabbit-safe toys
go looking for trouble, so the more toys they have to keep them
just for digging and shredding.
with a house rabbit. For questions and advice, we can be reached
at help@columbusrabbit.org
or by visiting www.columbus-
us on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram.
Terri Cook
Columbus House Rabbit Society
www.columbusrabbit.org
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