Thinking of alternative flooring

[jerseygirl]

I have my 2 bunny pairs sharing a room with divider down the middle. Currently i have some wall to wall vinyl over the floorboards. I’ve always preferred something like this for easy of cleaning. 

I have noticed though, that when I bring Rumball or Ailis out into carpeted areas of the house, they’ll run around a lot more and do binkies and the likes. They just really seem to like the traction carpet gives. Carpet is not an option for flooring their area and it would get soiled badly, be too abrasive on the feet and likely torn up by sharp pointy teeth!

What other types of flooring would be waterproof, easy to mop but give good traction. So far I can only think of rubber flooring. My concern with that is if it would smell too strong but also, may not be that easy to clean. 

Can anyone think of any other alternative flooring materials?  

[Gina.Jenny]

I have a similar set up, each bunny pair has half the dining room, which has vinyl, and like yours, our buns do their running and binkying on the carpet during floor time. I’ve always put this down to having way more floor space rather than the floor surface?

[Vienna Blue in France]

Zou definitely does NOT binky either on the tiles indoor or the ones outdoor on the patio.
She DOES however binky for joy on the rectangular carpet rug I’ve got especially for her. (approx 2ft x 6ft)
I bought it second hand, cheap, and she can do what she likes to do it (well I don’t let her, but I don’t get angry or stressed or disappointed when she chews it!)

My Dad had a fit because it is a nice old fashioned woollen one and thinks it should remain so (! LOL), but it was not expensive. (came out of a little old ladies home) and I can roll it up and put it in the car when I take her to her holiday home and then put it out under her doggiepark-thingy.

Just a tip, if Zou sees the edge of the rug she WILL chew it – however, if the edges are hidden (under furniture or outside of a barrier, or under a long piece of wood that I attached to the carpet! …) then she doesn’t bother at all….

Another cunning plan to have traction for paws, instead of having one big rug could be to put little round rugs (I have an Ikea one) and they can hop from one to the other (do you remember my Zou ‘in flight’ photos?) in order to avoid the “dreaded” slippery tiles/wooden floors.

[jerseygirl]

Tim Tim, my single bunny does the binkys etc on a mat also. I had a big cotton one that was fine for him for a couple years. Then he just decided to start chewing it.  So I had to throw that one.  I have canvas-like fabric down with non-slip rubber stuff under it 

for him at the moment.

I don’t think I can do rugs. Ailís is a fabric and foam chewer. Now I’m thinking of some large rubber mats and putting some plastic edging on them. Hopefully that will prevent the edges getting chewed. Plus, I’ll be able to take the whole mat out when it needs a thorough clean.
I just need to find some that are reasonably priced and not have a strong rubber smell. I sniff test everything in the stores.

[jerseygirl]

G.J, I think it’s lack of traction for my guys. Especially when they’re moving in a hurry (ie startled). It’s almost like they do that cartoonish running on the spot until they get traction to take off.

[jerseygirl]

Maybe I should just bond the pairs. I’ve just pulled Goosey out of Ailís & Rumball’s area. 

I was right outside the door on the computer, so could hear something was amiss. Thank goodness., because Ailis was just about to take a chomp out of him. He must have climbed over the end that has a pen panel??? 

[cinnybun2015]

Hmm… maybe soft foam interlocking puzzle pieces? They’re wipeable and are also soft and won’t slip. As long as the buns don’t chew on the foam, I think it might work. They’re found at baby stores/kid stores/ amazon, I believe.

[Azerane]

I think rubber would be a good option, even if it smells in the store you can bring it home, hose it off and air it out for about a week outside and the smell should decrease a lot. I found that when I bought packets of the foam mats they absolutely reeked when I took them out of the packaging. I took them out, hosed them and let them sit outside for several days to a week and then they hardly smelled at all.

Though having chewers, you would have to make sure that it wasn’t rubber matting with knobbly bits, because those would certainly get chewed.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Jersey – I smile alot reading these posts – but rarely burst out laughing, which I did when I read your cartoon traction sentence !! Very funny !
Oh lordy – Zou would have a field day with rubber !!!! Anything rubber, plastic, you name it. I have a wet boots mat (mat with rubber bottom and 1 inch rubber edges) which ‘used’ to be just inside the back door… well it’s now at the front door!! Zou nibbled to her hearts content until I realised the usually straight edges were no longer straight !!!
My compromise is this special bunny bought rug and a wooden outerframe that I have added to it… she chews on the wood, which is fine…. to make it smarter I should really put the wood around the 4 edges, but for the minute I can’t be bovered !

[Vienna Blue in France]

So here is a photo (in full sun!) of the carpet rug…. I’ve cut the tassles off but she’s chomping on the edges anyway (as you can see)…. so I cunningly covered the long edge with a flat piece of wood. (attach it as you like, I’ve whacked a couple of carpet nails (:shock:  ) through the back to keep it in place – it works a charm, and although the photo doesn’t show it it is rather smarter than nibbled edges carpet mat….  (when do you call something flat on the floor a ‘rug’ or a ‘mat’  ??)

[jerseygirl]

Haha I couldn’t think of particular cartoon, but definitely something off looney tunes. : )
That rug looks in good nick tbh!!  She’s obviously an angel.  
I’ve had similar idea of lining edges with wood somehow.  I’m sure it’s would get to me when they are gnawing on it when I want to sleep though! 

The rugs I’ve used before are like dhurrie rugs? Flat weave cotton that you can throw in the wash.

I’ve also used outdoor mats that have a rubber edge but they chewed that. Edges are the crux of the issue. I either have to go wall to wall or an area rug/mat with edges protected. 

I might try some carpet protector off the roll (like below) and see how they do on that. I’ll have to tape the edges down. Even tape is not safe from bunny teeth though.

[jerseygirl]

It still looks rather slippery though…

Maybe I need put on my fluffiest socks and go test out some flooring! 

[Vienna Blue in France]

Edges are definitely the problem !! – I put the edges of the xpen inside the edges of the mat (!! ) and there was no problem at all – no chewing no digging.

[Azerane]

Yes those clear plastic hall runners can still be quite slippery, the grippy part is actually the little points, which I imagine would be quite sharp under a little bunny’s foot. It really depends how pronounced they are. Definitely put on some fluffy socks and try them out

[Vienna Blue in France]

Carpet tiles….. stuck down individually ? – if one is too spoilt, it can be easily replaced….

[Author]

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