[Gpdd] HEALTH:Behavior Problems

[Martha Coburn]

Hi Merle and Lucky

 

I don't know why they start chewing the dickens out of things but I hope
that someone on the digest has an answer too. My Sally, who normally is not
much of a chewer, started doing this as she started to feel better but was
not yet in top notch shape. Sheets and towels (which she is bedded on) were
the victims for about two weeks, once she was back to health no more holes!
To a lesser extent cage bars, cuddle cups and coroplast felt her wrath. The
quite acceptable cardboard boxes and tubes were also not ignored. As I said
this went on for about two weeks and then all but stopped except for the
chewing on coroplast. I found out afterwards that every time she would chew
on the coroplast my husband would give her a treat. Talk about encouraging
behaviour! Took a bit, but we have this stopped as well and now she just
looks at us with pleading eyes when she wants something special. I must
admit that in addition to the normal things that can be done to change
behaviour I wiped a bit of vinegar on the place where she was chewing a lot.
So if it is the same "I'm starting to feel better and am in control of my
domain" type behaviour that Sally had there is a good chance that it will
subside but in the meantime you may want to piggie proof your furniture!  Oh
and I should mention that I did distract Sally to a certain extent during
this chewing phase with some wood medallions (slices of wood with a hole in
the middle) that I would hang around her pen and timothy hay cubes. This cut
down a bit of the towel destruction. I hope that Lucky is just going through
a phase and will stop soon.

 

All the best,

Martha, Sally, Poppy, Holly & Miss Otis