Buns in a dog pen

[Laura]

Just to give someone an idea.  Bambi and Cinnamon are in a dog pen.  Must be 4 feet high or they will jump out.  Bottom and sides are lined with a tarp, but they are starting to dig though the tarp.  They have a rug with a rubber backing so it doesn’t move. They have two litter boxes, toys, blankets, hay.  I let them out every night to run around the living room. (Window blinds are open during the day.)

[Beka27]

They look very happy!

Oh, I was going to comment on the litterbox, looks small for two buns, but I didn’t see the blue one in the other corner! Very good!

[Laura]

I clean the litter boxes twice a day!

[Elrohwen]

Whoa, twice a day! I only do it twice a week! Haha

[jerseygirl]

That’s neat how the tarp comes up around the sides. Thanks for posting pics. How are you finding the buns now that they’re house rabbits?

[angelicvampyre]

Oh I like that need to redo my bunny play area and condo maybe something like this would be good?

[Bren]

I love it! My husband made me a large pen by taking an extra large black dog crate and basically taking it apart and using the panels for the sides. The only problem…my bun”willie” has become an escape artist! ugh.  He loved his bunny condo, but I had to take it out since he was using it as a springboard. (my they grow fast huh!?) lol.  He is a flemish cross. He is now 6 months old and going to vet next month to be fixed.

For any of you who have read previous posts, we lost one after being neutered, so I am going to be a mess! But…I am working with the vet to boost education and change things around a bit, so I feel more secure than I did.

anyhow, I bought him something called fiddle sticks for xmas which is basically This:

 but….he now springs off of that and over the side so I am at a loss. I can’t leave him out because he is a chewer and chews on wood. (can carpet) so He has to be in there at night and during the day when I am not home.  He is allowed to come out when I get home and has free reign over the kitchen area where I am keeping all his toys now that he “springs off of” from his crate. Geesh..lol!   The large pen though works well, and I have another dog crate in there in which I have his food, litter box and we built a “loft” area with a blanket to kind of make the crate a two story.  so He has room  

 

So here is my question, where can I get TALL playpen sides that are not going to break the bank? lol

[Bren]

oops, one more thing…..Have any suggestions on what to spray or put on wood to keep willie from chewing it?  We are in a rural area and rabbit supplies are very scarce.  I want to be able to leave him out

 

oh…and since I have you..lol. sorry (on my break) One more question.  I have sofas that have the recliners on either end.  I want to somehow find a way to keep the rabbit from going under or around the back side of them, then he could play in the LR as well as we watch tv.  Does anyone have suggestions on that? It seems like a near impossible feat!  Wishful thinking I know. But to my defense….the couches were there before willie. lol

 

Thanks everyone!

[RabbitPam]

You could take some white vinegar and mix it with water in a spray bottle, then spray the wood lightly so it doesn’t soak it but leaves the vinegar smell on it. It will dissipate in the air for you, but bunny will smell it. Use those little plastic plant spray bottles they sell for a couple of dollars.

I have a couch and a chair, though not recliners, that I have made a fence around with one layer of NIC cubes. I just put them up tightly against the bottom and turned the corner around the sides, blocking access to the back with the wall. The seat cushion slightly overhangs the top, so it’s still comfortable to sit.

[Elrohwen]

I’ve read that bunnies really dislike the smell of citrus oils, so you can zest a lemon or lime and rub it on your furniture. I love the smell of citrus, so this seems like a good idea to me 🙂 I also saw some bunny no-chew stuff that smelled like lime, but it seems much easier to just buy some fruit and try it yourself.

I haven’t had much luck blocking off the recliner either. I kind of stuffed a towel at the back so my bun couldn’t get in, but any smart bun would figure out how to get past that in a second 😉 My bun is not so smart. Uhh … you could cut some cardboard to fit and then tape it on? Not as pretty, but I imagine it would work pretty well.

[Beka27]

I have boxed in our reclining sofas using NIC grids and zipties. They’re kinda wedged in there… but at an angle so we can still recline. We do not use the reclining feature when the buns are in the living room, just in case they zoom inside…

[Bren]

thanks for the suggestions!!  I definately have to come up with something!  I hadn’t heard citrus.  I like the sound of that, maybe I can use pledge with the lemon smell? Anyone had any luck with that?   I cannot find the NIC cubes (is that what it is?) around here   very sad, but true. I cannot believe how much they cost online and then to ship them. Walmart use to carry them all the time, now they dont. Not sure why.

[angelicvampyre]

Can I ask what size your dog pen is? I have been looking at the ones on line but unsure about what size to get?

[RabbitPam]

The dog exercise pens vary in price according to height. So it depends on how high your bunny likes to jump. Now that I know Sammy doesn’t jump at all, I would be fine with a height of 24″ or 36″. Some bunnies need the 40″ ones, or if a lower one is used, put a top on it. They make a tarp type of bottom that can double as a top with clips to hold it in place. Even a sheet would work, but if your bunny doesn’t jump or climb, you probably won’t need it.

DO NOT use Pledge with lemon. That’s just an artificial scent on some chemicals that I am sure are toxic to bunnies. There is a cleaning product called Nature’s Miracle which removes pet odors and is sold in most pet stores, so I would try that after trying the purely natural choices first.

NIC cubes were also sold, in metalic gray only, at Bed Bath & Beyond. Those were actually better because they were the smaller holes, just not as pretty. The larger holes between wires were sold in colors at Target. I’d check back with Walmart before ordering online, too. It is heavy to ship, and they may just be out of stock. They might also do ship to store, without a charge, so you could have them order some in for you.

[Bren]

Someone else had suggested perfume. I sprayed some body spray (like bath and body works) and Willie has not chewed since. I get the impression that you need to do this weekly. (at least that is what I have been doing) and it is working great!  Hopefully that helps someone else as well.  At the same time, the room smells great!

[Beka27]

While some buns don’t jump, other buns do… so I would not recommend shorter than a 36 inch xpen. An xpen is an investment, and if cared for properly, will be able to be used for multiple buns over the years. So even if your current bun does not jump, that does not mean you will not have a jumper later on. Or you may bond your non-jumper to a jumper later on… who knows what the future will bring, so I wouldn’t even spend the money on a 24 inch. I think it’s usually only about 10 bucks more for the 36 inch.

[angelicvampyre]

thanks for that will have a loot and see how much they are.

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