CORDS!!!

[Patrick]

How on earth do you get a bun to stop chewing on cords? Patrick has been sawing through cords like a chainsaw in a forest… He’s been really good until this week, he has stuff to chew on, but he has destroyed my phone charging cord,… twice, the vacuum cord and my radio charger for work… 

I can put up all cords, so how many of you have tried something to break the furry chainsaw to stop ripping through cords.

[LBJ10]

Small things like chargers should be kept out of reach. Things permanently plugged into the wall can either be blocked off or you can buy plastic tubing to go around the cords.

[Stickerbunny]

It’s a natural instinct to chew cords, as vines are a hazard in the wild. But, if you can’t put all cords up, you can COVER them with vacuum tubing (available in bulk online, or at car places since it’s used to cover car wiring for protection) or clear plastic tubing and it protects from chewing. Or, NIC cube squares make good protection for corner cord areas. 

[Bam]

I agree, tube cord covers are a must. I would literally not survive without them. Not extremely pretty, but they do protect from death by electrical fire and save the bunnies from electrocution. I buy mine at IKEA. They’re this type, very easy to use: http://www.d-line-it.com/products/products-in-the-office/cable-tidy-tube

A bunny can chew through them of course, but mine lose interest in cords once they’re covered.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Just block it off-no cords in reach. It’s natural to them, as they would chew roots in a den. So you have to either sheild them with heavy duty plastic or block them off with cubes/wood or just keep them out of reach. I had a close friend who’s rabbit passed after chewing through a cord and hitting the hot wire, so it’s very dangerous and something you want to address seriously and quickly! It’s a big job so maybe one room at a time?

[Bam]

I should add: if you provide lots of chewable stuff like apple- and willow twigs and branches, the likelihood that the bunny leaves the cord-covers alone probably increases. A bored bunny is a mischievous bunny!

[Megabunny]

Those tidy tubes look great and affordable. I always get the clear plumbing tubing and cut the slit and battle to get it around the chords. I love that Tidy cord.
Blocking it off works for a lot of people. Doesn’t work for Gus. He figured out it he grabs the blockade and yanks it sideways, he could get enough space to squeeze through, chews a bit on the cables behind the TV and then lays down amongst them like “I’m just hangin’…didn’t do a thing!”

[Little Lion Head]

These have worked great for us!

http://www.amazon.com/Cord-Protector-CritterCord-Protect-Hazardous/dp/B000EH2I5O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1431286348&sr=8-2&keywords=critter+cord

We also have cords that are bundled up with twisty ties and taped to walls behind furniture~ !

[KatieP]

We used Critter Cord for about a week or so before we were almost driven out of the house by the incredibly strong “citrus” scent that it is made with. Oy. Probably doesn’t bother some people but it took over our whole house and we did not appreciate it.
I went to the electrical section in Home Depot and got clear plastic tubing instead which from what I can tell is the same thing as Critter Cord just without the scent.
I agree that providing a lot of chew options will help…who wants to chew a boring cord when there is a smorgasbord of better things ha!

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Watts-3-8-in-x-10-ft-Clear-PVC-Tubing-SVIG10/202309818

[Megabunny]

Because all those other toys are OK to use! Electric ones are off limits, so they’re the best LOL
Actually, one person told me a theory I’ve never seen anywhere else about the current running through it being an attractor. Makes me wonder because Ive taken old cords and put them around like decoys and my Gus won’t bother with them. Weird

[Little Lion Head]

Thats a good point though MB….I don’t think I ever saw Boston chew a non plugged in cord…

[Patrick]

I don’t think patrick discriminates when it comes to cords, the vacuum cord wasnt plugged in and he would pick it up and tug on it, and then my phone charger cords were and with a single snip it was in two, then the piece that landed on the floor then was in two, I guess the head off the snake wasn’t finished. 

In the wild, rabbits will defend nests from snakes, rabbits will chew a snake in half to defend babies, if you get on youtube, you can see a rabbit chasing a snake and the snake climbs a tree to get away. 

SO I wonder if the cord chewing is a natural mindset to snakes, I did a research projects on rabbits in college and it was interesting to see the similarities between wild and domesticated rabbits and i’m no professional by far lol.

[ZoeS]

I don’t *think* it’s a snake thing, but who knows what goes on in their heads! Mine are more interested in the casing and generally leave the cords themselves alone. Unless they are mouse cords and those are just delicious apparently.

For cords I can’t hide or block off, I use black tubing I got at home depot and just cut a slit in it. For corners and heavy cord areas (like my couch side table which has lights and an air filter and my laptop etc) I use wire storage cube parts to enclose the area.

[Sr. Melangell]

I have cords in the corner under my desk blocked by pillows old quilts, my bunny chews everything at the moment, including fingers, there is some spray you can get in England, its called ‘Keep off’ I don’t bother with stuff like that, out of sight and mind is better and if its free or only a few £s or $s.

[hiskatey93]

I can’t help you here. Cash doesn’t go near cords. Doesn’t chew them. ((I’ve always taken precautions, but one day I found him nestled in my box in my spare closet. He was just all snuggled in them, and not a single one chewed!))

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