Bun proofing tricky wires

[LyraTheBun]

We are currently bun proofing our new flat so our wee bun has the full run of the place! She has a cage but we just leave it open and she has a whole bun proofed room in our spare room at the moment but we really want to just give her the run of the house so that she can come and see us as she pleases. We’ve gotten cord covers that are hard plastic runs that attach to the wall and they have helped with most of the wires. However we have got one that we can’t use them for as it sticks out away from the wall. We would just not use it if we could but it’s our only Ethernet cable port and we can’t even just hide it behind anything because it’s on an uneven bit of wall. I’ve attached a picture below – any advice would be greatly appreciated by both myself and my bun. Thank you.

(Can’t work out how to upload the picture on here so here’s a link to it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kMfN6iDpbtTgwgAnJwm3PhFq9yfjWPZL/view?usp=sharing)

[Gordo and Janice]

I already deleted the pictures of my protected cord examples off of my computer so I’ll just refer you to this thread that was recently discussing best cord protection.

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/167269/Default.aspx

The pictures are closer to the bottom of the thread. Should be easy to find. Since the your internet cord is pretty important and thin, I would double wrap it like the first example with the fan cord. Use the 1/4 inch spiral wrap and then wrap that with the 3/8 spiral wrap and you should be good to go. It should be flexible enough to work around that corner too.  That would be my suggestion anyway. Hope it helps.

[MooseMouse]

I saw someone once use garden hose as a protector for their wires it isn’t as flexible and haven’t tried it myself but just another idea

[LuigiTheBunny]

Thin flex tubing (flexible PVC) would work. Look for some that’s just wide enough for you to slip that internet cable in. The socket itself doesn’t need proofing. I use flex tubing with a larger diameter to bunny proof my power (not internet) cables. They are flexible enough but also made of an extremely tough material that’s virtually impossible for bunnies to chew through. This is how the back of my TV looks. The long and wavy one is our internet cable, and the other black and grey cables are the HDMI. This whole area is blocked off by suitcases and a wooden plank, but I chose to bunny proof the power cables anyway, in case my bun ever jumps over.

[Q8bunny]

IKEA has great wire protection tubes – cheap, easy to use, and effective

[Willa's Human]

I’ve found that local hardware stores (or Ace Hardware or Home Depot) tend to have flexible, ribbed, pre-cut, split tubing that is excellent for covering my trickier wires. The tubing is pretty cheaply sold by the foot and can easily be cut to the length of the wire you’re covering. Ask about it at the front counter.

[Wick & Fable]

Great recommendation Willa’s Human. At least where I am from, that type of tubing is called corrugated loom, and it’s what I initially had to cord-proof for Wick. I haven’t tested it though because Wick is not a cord rabbit, but it’s good to hear some positive experiences with it!

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Coco]

I covered the wires, but they split on the Internet wires. And as they go upwards to the router, they drop down & don’t cover. That is where my problem lies, going upwards and where they split.

[Gordo and Janice]

Look at this thread Coco…

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/167269/Default.aspx

There are some in depth explanations and some pictures. Maybe some of that will help.

[Bam]

I have secured endings with electrical (elastic) tape like in Gordo&Janice’s excellent pictures. Some cables I have bundled together with zip ties (Obv cut off the long end of the zip tie or they wont fit) before putting them into the cable protectors (Ikea’s rabalder) or around the rabalder so they dont split open. Rabbits can technically chew through, so if you have stuff that doesn’t have to be plugged in all the time you can switch off the switch on the block of electrical sockets when you’re not home. That minimizes the risk of the bun targeting the one cord that actually is live. This is impractical for some things though, but I have that type of sockets in my kitchen because coffeemaker and toaster etc don’t have to be powered continously.

Thin wires are the most attractive for buns and they are difficult to protect with normal cable protectors. If you like crafting, this type of

wire-proofing is popular among cat owners:

: 

[Q8bunny]

I find that between IKEA covers, the odd zip tie, and a piece of tape or two, I’ve never had a wire pop out – thick or thin, heavy or light, flat or coiled or trailing down. You just have to tackle it like a math problem. There’s always a solution.

[Coco]

Gordo & janice, the link does not open. Sure wish that it did! My bun chewed the smaller cord running to the router twice! I had it blocked off, but obviously she had been working ways around that. So I thought I had it blocked off better, but at 2 am she had figured this one out too. I have a single sheet of boarding propped up now, will have to secure it to the wall soon, as I know she will find a way behind it if I don’t!
To think that I am outsmarted by a rabbit?!! She is no longer free range, until I can fix this.

[Gordo and Janice]

Just copy the link (technically…address) and paste it in a new window or tab address bar. It will take you right to it.

And those bunnies are smart…and persistent….  No doubt about it.

[Coco]

Posted By Gordo and Janice on 10/24/2018 5:02 PM

Just copy the link (technically…address) and paste it in a new window or tab address bar. It will take you right to it.

And those bunnies are smart…and persistent….  No doubt about it.

Thanks! Will try it tomorrow. Currently petting my bun. Recent spay, and she is just now out for some loving. I need loving as much as she does!

[Q8bunny]

Excellent prioritizing!

[Coco]

Thanks for tying to help, I copy & paste but it won’t open for me. Could you post a screen shot maybe?

[Gordo and Janice]

Coco, I just copied and pasted most of my post from back then. Hope it helps.

I used the things called spiral wrap. I think they sell it in store at Home Depot still, at least where we are in Texas. Gardner Bender is the manufacturer for what I have. I couldn’t find it at Lowe’s in store or Walmart in store. They are selling it on Walmart.com as a clearance item by a different manufacture I think. But they are selling it at a bunch of different diameters. Some humongous. You only want the 1/4 inch, 3/8 inch, or 1/2 inch, I would think, for it to be practical. But if you know what you are going to wrap with it, buy according to your needs. Not sure if you are in the United States. So not sure what stores you have where you are. They also sell it on Amazon I believe (what isn’t sold on Amazon, right?).

Back when I got mine they sold them 3 in a pack. 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch diameter pieces by 3.5 ft long. But now it appears they only sell them in a 2-pack (3/8 and 1/2), at Home Depot that is. On Amazon they are apparently only one diameter but much longer pieces. Anyhow, back when we bought it, we had to buy several because they were only 3.5 ft long. But let me tell you very worth it. Very versatile. The cords do not come out when you move or bend it. And because of the spiral they are very flexible. You don’t need tape to keep it closed or keep the wires from slipping out anywhere along the length. You can overlap them. You can cut them to length to fit. Cords can come into and leave the main bundle through the spirals at different points along the main bundle. Most of my cords that were exposed and needed to be wrapped and bunny protected were individual cords. Occasionally I wrapped two at a time and sometimes three. There are pictures in images on the internet where you see the cords through the spiral wrap to the point it looks like a rabbit could get to them, but our cords were never exposed. You just bunch the spiral wrap together and it stays nice with no cord visible or accessible. In the 7 plus years we had the cords wrapped Icey never chewed into or through it. And she was free roam 24/7. And she was definitely a cord chewer, like most. We lost two corded computer mice and a phone charger before we knew what was going on and who was to blame, back at the beginning of our sessions of being educated by our rabbit. Now every rabbit is different for sure. Some very focused OCD rabbit with its mind set on destroying that cable protector could do it for sure, no doubt. But what I noticed is Icey going over to the cord and trying to test it or get her teeth on it or mouth it and because of its nature (the hardness and smoothness of the plastic cord wrap as well as its tendency to roll around and slide around on the cord or cable) it wasn’t chew friendly or teeth friendly to get a good grab. She would attempt a couple of test nibbles and it just wasn’t simple enough or easy enough so she would just pause, raise her head up, and move on. She was also only 4.5 pounds too so a much bigger bunny may be able to mouth it much easier, you would think. I don’t know.

Also certain cords or cables that I felt were more vulnerable in their location or out of my sight I would double wrap which is another bonus of this design of the spiral wrap. The same size can wrap around each other because of the spiral nature. However I would make it easier and wrap the 3/8 size over the 1/4 size or the 1/2 size over the 3/8 size. Basically I used what I had however I needed. I believe they come readily in black and a kind of opaque to clear. There may be some colored ones but just black and the opaque were my choices in the store so I chose black. Probably the only drawback, if you try really hard to find one, is the initial wrapping of the cord. You have to wind it around and around and around and around. Each spiral. But once done, done.

Okay I think I have exhausted that subject. Now for the picture is worth a thousand words (fingers crossed).

[Gordo and Janice]

This first one shows how I double wrapped the cord.  I pulled back the 3/8 diameter cord wrap so you could see the 1/4 diameter cord wrap underneath.  Notice no exposed cord.  And even better is the double protection.

[Gordo and Janice]

This is the second one showing you how you can combine a couple or more cords using the cord wrap.  I used about a 6 inch piece on the yellow lamp cord and then wrapped both cords using the long piece starting at the base of the black cord and overlapping the wrap on the yellow cord.  Again flexible and no tape and no exposed cord and clean looking. 

[Gordo and Janice]

And lastly an aerial view so you can see how truly flexible the spiral cord wrap is.

[Coco]

Thanks gordo & Janice! I have most of the cord covers you mentioned. My problem is at the point where they split. I’d post a pic but am new here, so I don’t know how yet. But still, you have given me ideas with your photos! I will try to work on it tomorrow! Thanks so much for you help! Have to keep our friends safe!

[Coco]

Today is my first day off work since my vacation ended. So I simply blocked one part with a sheet of thin wood and stacked tall tubs against that. Works well until I have more time to do something permanent! She is out of her cage for the first time since her spay! Nice seeing her all bouncy again!

[Coco]

I think plastic tubs are going to be my new friends! As I type this, I can tell that she has found her way into the bottom of my chaise lounge! I am waiting for her to come out. I have several under the bed storage tubs waiting to slide under it to prevent her from getting in again!
It’s not easy outsmarting a curious rabbit!!! She is keeping me on my toes while wrecking my nerves. ?

[Author]

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