Sammy’s chair – need advice, please

[RabbitPam]

I’m getting frustrated. Samantha has dug a hole under my livingroom chair by chewing through the thin fabric, so I stuffed a throw pillow under it to keep her away from the hole. But of course, she now goes under all the edges and seems to be trying to start a new “project”, as I expected.

I put the overturned basket next to it with paper to shred for her to choose instead – no interest whatsoever.

I’ve already nic cubed off the couch, but am thinking I should use the last of my nic cubes and block off the chair too.

This would be good for me, but what about her? I feel like I’m rearranging the apartment so it’s just wide open spaces, toys she ignores, and her cage are her only options for play. She is staying in her cage all day when I’m at work, not excited to see me when I get home, and not interested in any toys I’ve bought her. I feel like I’ve discovered she’s a cave digger/project girl, but I would be taking away her only interest at the moment. If you think it’s important for her health (and mine) to block off the chair until she’s bigger and can no longer get under I will. But am I going to make her hostile or depressed? Please help. Will take pix. Here’s the chair from the other morning.

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[jerseygirl]

I can’t believe she’s able to get under and be able to chew! Does she lie on her back on a mechanics dolly?

The only thing I can think of is to create a baseboard for the chair using thick cardboard. If you use one long strip, you could wrap it all the way round using the legs to create the corners i.e.the baseboard would be inset. You could secure the ends together at the very back using cable ties.
She may attack the cardboard, but it’d take some time and you could check it routinely. Sort of gives her a project.

Do you think she’d like something like the maze haven?

[RabbitPam]

Here’s more pix of chair. That’s the pillow underneath, not Herself. I hate a cluttered mess.

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[RabbitPam]

jerseygirl, that’s a thought. I was wondering if I could turn the chair over and staple a board of some kind across the bottom.

Actually, after reading about other buns I thought she might like a Maze Haven too. But she might not come out also! How do I get her out of it when I need to go to work? Does the top pop off?

[jerseygirl]

I don’t know, I can only view them from afar . You could staple board on the base. Sounds simpler. I had thought do something similar with a NIC grid but thought it might be too small.

Edit: Ohh, so in the 1st pic that’s her lying next to the pillow you put there to stop her from getting under!

[RabbitPam]

jg,
Oh, duh. You mean a baseboard that blocks her from getting under completely, right? Not a board that allows her to squeeze under it. I guess the NIC cubes idea was the same with holes – they’d block off the chair and I would zip tie them to the legs. Either way, am I just being goofy for worrying about depriving her? (Meantime she’s sitting in a corner of her house while I type and ignore her. I have a virus, so I’m a mess this week also.)

[jerseygirl]

Oh that’s no good – hope you feel better soon. Yeah, I meant like a strip of cardboard. Sort of like kick boards you have on kitchen cabinetry. But again, stapling a square to the base sounds easier!

[RabbitPam]

Posted By jerseygirl on 02/01/2009 5:58 AM

Edit: Ohh, so in the 1st pic that’s her lying next to the pillow you put there to stop her from getting under!

Yes, that’s the pillow. LOL about the mechanic’s dolly.  I suspect that the chair has much more room underneath, and she only has to squeeze past the base of it, then can stand up again. (meatloaf)

[RabbitPam]

…oooo….I just let her out and I hear a noise…she’s in the upside down basket shredding paper! Yay!
I cleared out most of the paper to give her room, and have it in a bag to replenish it. Cross fingers!

[Beka27]

i had the same thought Pam, maybe staple-gun a very thin board to the bottom. it won’t be visible from the room. my husband recently got 1/8th wood sheets for shelves (long story) and it is very, very thin. the home improvement store, cut it down to the measurements he needed. then if you don’t have a staple-gun, if you can borrow one from a friend or family member, or have them come over, and help you staple it in place.

you could try a sheet of cardboard instead of wood, but that might just entice her more… ;o)

[Balefulregards]

I found that it does take some time to re-direct. Rabbits have a heck of a memory for what they WANT to do.

What has worked best for Coco is those Oxbow Timothy Hay Bungalows – she has both sizes and she shreds them to pieces. I always have an extra on hand so I can replace it as soon as she finishes with one!

I have found that if Coco doesn’t have a chew project …that is when she gets in trouble.

[RabbitPam]

Beka,
Thanks, I’ve noted the thickness and can get one cut to size later in the week. I used to have a staple gun (for like 20 years) but I think it finally broke so I’ll borrow my Dad’s.

Baleful, it does take time, and usually she redirects after I’ve lost patience. However, she spent a very long time under her basket just now, and even stayed in it while I was getting ready for work. I put in fresh paper to keep the shredding new. She didn’t leave it for the chair once she went into it.

*sigh* the Timothy Hay hut, large, by Oxbow is sitting next to the blocked bookcase right here. I was SO excited to see those that I bought one immediately. She goes in, comes out, ignores it for days. My peeled willow tunnel – won’t go in it. And the hay ball toy my brother gave her is so small now she can only fit her head into it. I really wanted that Oxbow hidey hole to work! argh.

[Beka27]

if she likes the overturned basket, i bet she would like just the regular triangle unpeeled willow tent. it’s still pretty open so i don’t think they feel too “closed in”.

[jerseygirl]

haha! I was going the opposite way, perhaps she likes the closeness. Like the lower the overhead space the better. Try put someof the diggy box paper in the timothyhut, wedge it up the top if possible to lower the “ceiling”. See if that’d entice her.

[MimzMum]

I would recommend a diggy box (cardboard box filled with shred-able paper and maybe a few treats for her to forage for) or one of those timothy woven ‘bunny nook’ baskets to keep those idle toofies busy. Don’t feel like you’re depriving her of chewing on the chair. Destructive behavior is no good for anyone to engage in if they are bored. And I’d be more worried about what she’s swallowing when chewing that chair.

You’ve only had her for a few months and if you are at work all day, then she may not feel she has much time to bond with you when you do get home. I would give her more time to get used to you, keep up with your current routine (which she will eventually appreciate) and hang in there…you’re doing everything possible that a good bunny mama should do with her baby! ^_^

[MooBunnay]

My bunnies also really like to be in those enclosed areas – what I do is pick up cardboard boxes at work (the xerox boxes that reams of paper come in are the BEST!) And I cut one hole for an opening on one side of the box. I don’t cut the hole very big, just big enough for them to squeeze through, and then they usually take it upon themselves to expand the opening all on their own This gives them that nice closed in feeling somewhere OTHER than your couch.

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