Habitat flooring

[Chazz]

 I wanted to share the new flooring me and Larry the rabbit are trying out. It’s foam flooring. I got tired of using blankets and bamboo or straw mats to protect my carpet. He would only chew them up, or dig them up and then the carpet was exposed for him to pull at it to his heart’s content. I could of used tile but this seemed like it would be much easier to move around and pack up when we have to move. I was concerned he would dig this stuff too, and try to chew it, but he’s left it alone so far. I covered the corner he’s most likely to want to dig at with a thin clear plastic square I got from Hobby Lobby. It’s slippery and he doesn’t want to mess with it, so it works great. And this stuff sweeps and wipes up easily and it looks pretty nice. I bought it from WalMart.com.

Here’s the stock photo of it:

And my photos:

[Sarita]

I like the looks of that! It looks like you can just replace the cubes too as you need them and not the whole flooring.

[Chazz]

The kind I bought came in a 4 pack, each tile is 2 sq. ft. They also sell this kind of flooring for garages too; that kind is much tougher.

[Sarita]

How is his traction on these? They don’t seem like they would be too slippery since you mention the clear plastic section that is slippery.

[LoveChaCha]

I know what those are

[Sarita]

Also does this have a name so I can look it up?

[Chazz]

They are textured on the outside, so they have really good traction (the packaging suggests they are good for places like the laundry room or as exercise mats.) And it’s kinda springy, so it probably feels nice to hop around on and lay on.

[Chazz]

The stuff I bought from Wal-Mart was sold as “Norsk-Stor 240251 Reversible Recyclamat Multi-Purpose Foam Flooring, Black/Gray” ( it’s probably only available on-line) but if you did a search for “foam flooring” or “foam floor tiles” you’d also find lots of other options.

[Sarita]

Thank you – I found it on-line under foam flooring. It looks like they have 2 different kinds but I can’t tell right off what the difference is other than price LOL.

[kinleysmom]

I used carpet tiles from FLOR, but my bunnies just discovered they can unravel and pull at the strings, this is great, thanks for sharing!!

[KatnipCrzy]

I am not sure about using foam flooring.  Is it anything like the colored squares that fit together that is often used in kids playrooms?

I have seen dogs at work that have been around it for years and then one day decide to chew it up and have to have all the foam surgically removed from their stomach.

If your bunny is a digger or chewer I would be really cautious about using any type of foam.  Bunnies love certain textures like buttons on a remote- so if he figures out that he can chew it- he just might!  You could always put something on top off it so the bunny cannot reach the foam- like a piece of linoleum or a piece of vinyl that is sold at fabric stores.

[Beka27]

Katnip makes a good point. You just never know when a bun will decide they want to “sample” something. I would also be very cautious because the mats *just barely* fit under the pen. If he even flops too hard against the side of the pen, he will move it off the foam and might decide to tear up the edge because that is easier for them to get a grip on than a flat surface. Generally, you want the flooring to overlap the base of the pen by at least a few inches. If you did a piece of linoleum over the mats, you would still have the benefit of the cushy surface, but that would minimize the risk.

[Chazz]

That’s why I have the clear plastic along the edges. I haven’t gone all the way around yet, but I plan too. He’s not a huge digger/chewer. He does love to pull up the threads of the carpet. I’m aware of the issue of him possibly chewing it. This is stronger stuff then the kind they sell for kid’s playrooms, although that doesn’t mean he still wouldn’t be able to chew it. I needed a cheap portable option and this was one I was willing to try out.

[Beka27]

Oh good! I know the kids playroom foam squares are very squishy and soft, so if that’s stronger stuff, he might not even bother with it.

[BunBuns]

I am sooo glad you posted this because I have been looking for another option for flooring because my rabbit just LOVES to chew up my carpet.
If you place linoleum over the foam floor do you think it would be too slippery?

[LittlePuffyTail]

I had these same foam mats in my lops cage and he left them alone for a long time but one day got a hold of the foam where it connects and chewed one of the tabs off so I had to take them out. Just make sure you keep an eye on the floor to make sure it’s not getting chewed.

[Chazz]

Yeah, I’ve already caught him attempting to nibble at it. But I seriously don’t know what I could use that he wouldn’t attempt to destroy, besides cement.

[jerseygirl]

Posted By BunBuns on 08/21/2010 12:03 PM
I am sooo glad you posted this because I have been looking for another option for flooring because my rabbit just LOVES to chew up my carpet.
If you place linoleum over the foam floor do you think it would be too slippery?

You can get slightly textured kinds. I’ve used vinyl and put it in upside down as the back has a fine textured finish. You can pick up any remnants and use this way as the backing is normally a neutral colour.  I think the matts Chazz has are waterproof so you wouldn’t even need the layer on top. Do take care with what you put over carpet though because sometimes the backings discolour the carpet under it.

[Otti]

I have the same thing for Sammy. I actually think I decided to get it after reading this post… not sure if it was this post or a previous one.

He did a taste-test as soon as I put it down, but decided it wasn’t to his liking, and hasn’t attempted to chew it as of then. I think that having towels/bath mats/straw mats covering the majority of it helps with any possible chewing instincts.

[Author]

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