Why Is My Rabbit Digging?

The small rodent creatures have digging habits and they keep on digging on the bedding of their cages and soil when left on the ground. This digging habit often creates a ruckus in the house of the rabbit owner. At times a well-landscaped area gets ruined due to the digging habit of the pet rabbits.

Why is my rabbit constantly digging?

Rabbits that are digging all the time and on all kinds of surfaces are expressing their sufferings due to stress, anxiety, or depression. It is not a very healthy sign as rabbits, even when kept indoors, do not dig all the time. Also, rabbits when kept for long hours indoors get stressed. They should be kept in the open air, as that is healthy for their body and mind both.

The indoor life is safe for the pet rabbits but the happiness is also necessary to keep any creature in a good state. So if your rabbit is acting destructively then you must let it run in the open backyard so it can get over the stress or anxiety that it is feeling.

How do you stop rabbits from digging?

There are several products that can prevent your rabbit from digging. Plexiglas is one such item that will not let the rabbit dig the floor. Also, plastic floor mats are available which lets the rabbit keep calm and not dig the floor. There are other ways to protect the furniture from the digging of your rabbit. You can cover the furniture with heavy throws or blankets which cannot be moved or harmed by the rabbit’s claws.

Why does my rabbit keep scratching on the floor?

Digging is a natural habit of rabbits. They do this to sometimes protect themselves from their enemies, sometimes to get some relief from the scorching heat outside, or sometimes to just keep some food hidden. They are natural diggers and they use their paws for this digging purpose. This activity keeps them happy and also makes them comfortable.

When they are tamed and kept at home, they do not have any real purpose for digging the floor. However, they can still like to dig and for that, they can start scratching the floor of the house. They can also show this scratching habit when they are bored. Rabbits always need some reasons to be excited.

They are jolly-natured creatures who prefer to stay active all the time. When they do not find any reason to be active or any partner to play with, they just start scratching the floor.

Why is my rabbit digging at the night?

As we have already mentioned, rabbits can dig when they are feeling stressed or bored. This can happen in the middle of the night. When you feel tired and go to sleep, do not expect the rabbit to take a rest as well. Sometimes the rabbits feel restless and they do not go to sleep. Rather they move around in the whole house, if they are left free, or else scratch the floor noisily with their sharp claws just to get out of their boredom since no one will accompany them at that ghostly hour.

Should I let my rabbit dig a burrow?

Rabbits are habituated to digging and making burrows on the ground. So they will dig the soil anyhow and whenever they get a chance to do it. You cannot prevent them from doing it. So the best idea is, to let the pet rabbit act as per its wish.

It will be happy by digging burrows in the ground of your backyard. If you have a well-maintained landscaped backyard then it is better to let the rabbit roam in other parts where the area will be rabbit-proof.

But stopping the creature from digging burrows will not work as the pets prefer to lead their regular lifestyle even when they are in captivity.

Why do rabbits dig blankets?

This is a much rather behavior of the pet rabbit. The experienced rabbit owners are quite aware of the fact that their pet rabbits will dig the blankets that are laid in their cages. Also, they can dig the blanket that is spread on the floor of the living room.

Another reason for the digging of rabbits on the blanket is, that they chose the spot where they will sit and before sitting, they will dig the spot. This is a quite natural habit of the pets; they do not actually make a hole but just practice the activity of digging and then sit there. This also happens when they are in the open ground. They dig a spot before sitting and resting there for a while.

How do I stop my rabbit from digging at night?

If you are getting agitated by the sound of the digging or scratching on the floor or the area that the rabbit digs is getting harmed, then you can block that area at the night so the rabbit cannot dig it while you will not be there to prevent it from such activity.

There are also other ways to keep it diverted from the exact spot of digging. Keep some toys like the chewable toys or the toss toys which will attract the rabbit so it will not dig the place when you are not around.

Do rabbits dig holes to have babies?

Rabbits have certain habits which help them to survive in the wilderness. This is necessary to keep some defensive mechanism ready when there are predators ready all the time to pounce upon.  Rabbits dig holes sometimes in the jungle to keep the babies safe from the enemies.

The babies of the rabbit are most vulnerable and they are quite insecure in their own ways. So the mother rabbit always seeks protection for them. Thus keeping them hidden is the only way to ensure their safety. Also, it serves the purpose of privacy for the babies and the mother. The hole that they dig is not the usual ones that rabbits make to sit inside; rather these ones are spacious and deep so the babies can stay safely inside.

However, some female rabbits can be seen digging holes when they are about to deliver their babies, out of their genetic habit, even when they are inside the cage.

What does a rabbit hole look like?

In case your pet rabbit has dug a hole in the backyard garden, you must check the place. The burrows or the holes, which are dug by the pet rabbits, are usually surrounded by dirt or some random shrubs, leaves, or such thing. This is to camouflage the area so humans or other creatures do not get interested in that place.

If it is a shelter of wild rabbits, created in the backyard of your house, then it will be a complicated and complex one. It will lead to some underground chambers and also it will have a long tunnel-like shape. It usually will have more than one entrance, which is created by the rabbits to ensure their safety. If their home is attacked by predators then they will come out of the burrow from some other path.

How big a hole can be dug by the rabbits?

The burrow or the hole of a rabbit is generally an extensive one. It is 10 to 15 cm in diameter and it will lead to 46 m in length. The hole will be much below the ground, which will be around 10 ft below the surface. Rabbits usually do not make their holes at a lesser depth as they want to be assured of their safety when they will be inside their shelter.

How long do the pet rabbits stay in the burrow?

If your pet rabbit has dug a hole in the backyard garden and is living for a few hours every day there, do not worry about the safety of the creature. They can stay inside the hole for the time being and then when they will feel like coming out, they will do that and will come back to their original home which is shelter.

Rabbits prefer to sometimes stay in the open area inside their holes. They are genetically designed to live in the open area and thus, when they get the chance, they tend to make holes for spending time inside it. But that will not be their permanent address and eventually, they will return to their cage.