Mats to go beneath pen and protect floor?

[Borya02]

Hey guys. My rabbit is a digger. I have just moved and in my new home is all hardwood floors. The last few days my rabbit has been in an oversized dog crate – you know the kind ? It has a hard plastic tray on the bottom. This has actually been great because the tray keeps her cool and she can dig all she wants and it won’t destroy the floor. Finally I got her an x pen I can set up. But now I am weary to have her directly on the floor. I wanted to get some sort of hard plastic covering to set beneath the pen that is both comfortable for her paws, she can’t eat it, and that she can dig on and it would protect the floor. Has anyone used anything like this ? Do you have any ideas or recommendations? Thank you

[Borya02]

Wow. I just looked and there is a nearly identical thread in this forum section asking this same question ! Very sorry I did not notice.before posting. The idea in there of linoleum is very good.

[BunnyLuv]

Has anyone used the puzzle foam mats that look like wood floor? I am really interested in getting them if they are a good option. My bunny (Buddy) is currently on cement floor in the basement. I am wanting to get him something softer to run and lay on. I want to make sure that they going to be helpful and good. I am super nervous about soar hocks. I have heard that carpet isn’t good because he can chew it and ingest it which could cause health issues. Any opinions?

[Sagicory]

Hi! I know this is kind of old but I feel like I can contribute to this if you are still deciding. Puzzle play mats, personally, don’t work alone for me. I had them for my two bunnies, and within the first two weeks they ate three entire tiles. They sort of dig in from the top and rip it apart. Then, when they used their litter box, they missed the box and peed onto the mat. I found out too late, and now there is a burn mark on our hardwood floor. We bought rubber chair mats (clear) to put on top, and they work great!

[Moonlightbunny66]

I’ve been using plastic shower curtains with memory foam mats on them, then blankets (all from the dollar store). You really need you make sure you tuck the plastic shower curtains under the mats then cover it with the blanket so they can’t shred it. Mine only do this when there’s a pellet outside the pen they’re trying to get. Pinky used to do it when he wanted to get out but I put the litter box in the front of the pen and he stopped.

You need to learn why they’re digging to try to prevent the destruction lol. You can put things like hay mats and bendy log houses in the spots too. You could also put the crate in the pen. And make sure you’re letting them out to play enough.

Foam mats can be good for flooring, just cover them with a blanket and watch to see if they try chewing it. You can do the same with carpet. And keep in mind that some carpets can be abrasive on their feet. I would still place memory foam mats around because I love them lol. They’re so soft and squishy.

Hopefully I’ve helped a bit!

[DanaNM]

A lot of people use the puzzle mats. I think if you make sure the edge sticks out past the edge of the pen they are less likely to chew it. My Bun Jovi tends to try to dig into them so I can’t use them.

Other safe options for diggers/chewers are cardboard, seagrass mats, newspaper mats (link on how to make here), and fleece blankets (watch to make sure they don’t eat them).  You don’t necessarily need the entire floor covered, but giving a range of textures and surfaces to stand on helps. Some bunnies like to stand on a bunched up towel or blanket because it isn’t just a flat surface, so the pressure gets distributed differently.

. . . 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.  

[prince dorian the bun]

I have a little digger/chewer, so for me cheaper seagrass mats & cardboard it is. I could see puzzle mats destroyed in minutes, but your mileage will vary! I found some seagrass mats with heavy rubber non slip backing on amazon and they have been wonderful. The grass is tightly woven so he barely makes a dent in it and can not get to the backing. I also have a heavier bath mat (non-shag), which he occasionally digs up and has left a some holes in, but works good enough.

[Bam]

When Vilde had an enclosure at my mum’s (he’s now free roam there), I used a vinyl table cloth (the type with a fabric backing, you buy them per meter or yard from a big roll in home improvement stores). The enclosure was smaller than the table cloth so the edges of the table cloth stuck out about a foot on all sides. Table cloths like that are pretty thick so they lie flat, and the backing prevents them from sliding around on the hardwood floor. They are also fully waterproof. They’re not pretty or snuggle-friendly, though, so you need sth nicer but easily washable on top. I used fleece blankets and a small rag rug. If your bun is a chewer, fleece is the better choice.

[NalaBunny]

Ya I think the puzzle mats would work great. Try to leave absolutely no exposed edges. This will prevent your rabbit from chewing the edges and corners. My rabbit is an extreme digger and has caused me a few problems.

To solve this I took a box and cut out the top with an entrance that she has to jump into (like a tall litter box). I filled this with cut up cardboard, ripped up paper, and pieces of old toys. She used this box to dig in and it’s solved a lot of her digging issues.

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