Bunny Proofing Tips?

[BunnyRabbitMania]

Hi! Well, as many of you know I was planning on getting a few rabbits! 2 boys to be exact, who I think will be named Rory & Wilbur, but we are still deciding. Anyways, today we are working on bunny proofing the rabbit room, but the WHOLE room is covered in trim. This room is our bonus room and in our bonus room we have half the room for our gerbils (who live on a shelf ) who will also be sharing the half of the room with Rory & Wilbur. They will have a cage, but when I get home from school every day they will be let out from 4-7 to stretch there legs. The other half of the room has a TV and a Large sectional leather couch. Would you just suggest blocking this of with N.I.C grids? The main concern is the rabbits chewing the couch. The rabbits can’t get to the TV because the room was designed where there’s a nook in the wall for a TV and a peice of furniture. Its hard the explain, but thats what it is..I know there is a binky bunny tab on bunny proofing, but it didn’t help much.

[RabbitPam]

Check out this link for bunny proofing tips. You may find many answers there, and to other questions in the Bunny Info. section:
https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/8/PID/940/Default.aspx

[BunnyRabbitMania]

That didn’t exactly help…..

[NewBunnyOwner123]

The link rabbit Pam provided offers great tips for common things bunnies like to go for. But I will say once getting your buns you will be adjusting bunny proofing every day lol you may think you have every thing covered and taken care of and they find something else that you sorta have to work around. My buns don’t really bother the base boards but some do. Some people have an xpen type thing lining the walls around the whole room. You can try chew deterrents but I’ve never been that successful with the bitter apple. Sally seems to actually enjoy the very terrible taste (yes, I tasted it and was gagging for hours!)

Anyhoo, make sure all cords are covered or out away. For areas with large amounts of cords like the tv, computer desks and such people like to just completely block off that area with nic grids. That’s what I did with the tv. My buns have a whole room to themselves. I have recently learned (yes recently learned even though I’ve had them for over a year… I’m STILL learning and always will be learning tricks) that they don’t like vinegar. They kept chewing the baby gate. So I spray the baby gate once a day with vinegar and that keeps them off of it. Sally always reminds me when it’s time to re spray the gate because she will resume chewing. Other people have had luck with perfume or ivory soap. Not me.

If they discover a particular spot of carpet they seem to enjoy digging at you will have to cover it up. Phone books works well. I place a phone book where the buns seem to dig at and instead of digging at the carpet, they’re distracted with the phone book. Be careful, sometimes they’ll just move the phone book and continue digging at the carpet. Like I said, you will always be adapting to what mischievous behavior they are getting into.

There are so many tips and tricks people can offer you but the truth is what works for someone may not work for you. So you just have to keep doing trial and errors for the rest of their lives. Sometimes it’ll work… For a few weeks and then the buns decide it’s not going to stop them and you’ll have to make a new plan. So just do the basic tips that link provides you and then adjust from there. It’s a great starting point. If you have any specific issues that need creative ideas then you can ask on the forum and we’d be glad to help offer ideas.

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By BunnyRabbitMania on 01/11/2014 02:06 PM

. The other half of the room has a TV and a Large sectional leather couch. Would you just suggest blocking this of with N.I.C grids? The main concern is the rabbits chewing the couch. 

I think blocking the couch with the NIC grids is a good idea in regards to chewing. Until they can be trusted this would be a good way to keep them  out of trouble.  Then when you have a chance to supervise closely, and if you notice them starting to chew, and/or pee on the couch, then you know that the NIC grids will have to be there while they are out.  The NIC grids can work well as you can get plastic zipties to connect them once you have the set-up down of how they need to surround the couch.  Do the zipties loose enough so you can fold them together and put them away easily when they are not in use. 

But you may still have to worry about them jumping on the couch (unless you make a taller pen with the NIC grids for just that area (not sure how you do that – I do think there are some examples of that in that link though) or use an xpen.    

[calipa_st]

My rabbit made himself a burrow under/inside my couch. We heard noises, didn’t realize he tore the bottom off and made himself a fancy couch nest. I have seen pictures of people who put some type of small gate up all around their furniture, and we thought of blocking his access to the back of the couch. But, I don’t know…he enjoys having his hide out and it’s not like we are getting a new couch any time soon.
I’d look into what you can to block them from getting under the couch. I’ve never seen my guy rip apart any other furniture (well, other than wood) except the bottom of my couch. He seems to like wall corners a lot to. When we move, I’m getting plastic corner covers because my entire deposit is apparently going to pay for damage he has caused (he rips up the carpet sometimes too, and has a million toys so it can’t be boredom! haha

[BunnyRabbitMania]

Thanks! I’ll measure the area to day and see if I’ll have enough grids!

[Beka27]

We can give general ideas, but like the others said, there is a lot of trial and error involved, and since no two houses/furniture arrangements are the same, what works for one house might not work for yours. Do the minimum bunny proofing right now and make adjustments as you need to.

[Author]

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