Help Make Your Home Safe for Your Pet Rabbit

[AJE]

Help Make Your Home Safe for Your Pet Rabbit

There is no way around the fact that rabbit’s chew and dig, they have teeth/nails, which unlike ours is constantly growing, and in need of wearing down. In the wild they have access to all sorts of goodies for teeth/nail trimming but not indoors. This past week I was reminded about how hard it is to bunny proof your home, my bunny died of electrocution. I was terribly upset because I tried hard to be cleaver about outwitting the chewer in my living quarters. But still in the end it didn’t help for this little one. So my lesson is hard learned but as the ‘ol saying goings what one man has to learn may save another so I thought I’d pass along some advice to those whom are dealing with the same chewing dilemma with the house buns.

Each rabbit is different and you’ll need to decide how much freedom your bunny will have. This might depend on your bunny's age, training, and the level of supervision you can provide. Remember not all rabbits chew and some only chew on selective items so be observant when allowing freedom during out-of-the-cage time. Even if you want to give your bunny full access to your house, you might want start off confining him or her to a single room until bunny is litter trained and you have gotten a handle on chewing and other undesirable behaviors.

:arrow: Get Down To Your Bunny's Level
One of the most helpful ways to identify what might attract your rabbit's attention is to get on your hands and knees and look at the house from that perspective. From there you might spot hazards and spaces that you normally wouldn't notice.

:arrow: Electrical, Cable and Phone Cords
These are seemingly irresistible to many rabbits. Because of the risk of electrocution to your rabbit and your home's fire safety, it is imperative that electrical cords are out of reach. It may be possible to arrange the furniture in your room to hide most electrical cords (but don't run them under carpets due to fire risk). Any that cannot be hidden should be covered. Plastic tubing works with a slit down one side to encase the wires. You can also get hard plastic wire channels that attach neatly to the floor or baseboard. For determined rabbits you might even need to go to PVC tubing to protect wires. My rabbit squeezed under the dresser where I had electrical wires hiding and chomped enough to become fatally zapped.

:arrow: Houseplants
Houseplants are considers fair game for the bunny that eyes out the greens. They should all be kept out of reach to prevent rabbits from indulging or digging away a mess in the soil. Make sure your houseplants are non-toxic; even if the plant is out of reach, leaves may fall where your rabbit can eat them. Check the following list for poisonous plants and remove any that are of concern.

*Remember never hesitate to seek medical aid if you think a person or animal has ingested a poisonous substance.

Agave (leaves)
Amaryllis (bulbs)
Apple (seeds)
Azalea
Bird of Paradise (seeds)
Bloodroot
Buttercup (leaves)
Black Locust (seeds)
Boxwood (leaves/twigs)
Buckeye (seeds)
Buckthorn (berries)
Caladium
Calla (rhizome)
Castor Bean (seed)
Christmas Rose
Cone Flower
Crown of Thorns
Daffodil
Daphne
Delphinium
Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia)
Eggplant (plant)
Elderberry (unripe berries)
Elephant Ear
Flowering Tobacco
Foxglove
Holly (berries)
Horsechestnut (nuts)
Hyacinth
Iris
Ivy, Boston & English (berries)
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Jerusalem Cherry
Jimson Weed
Jonquil
Lantana
Larkspur
Lily-of-the-Valley
Lupine
Mayapple
Mistletoe (berries)
Morning Glory (seeds)
Mustard (root)
Narcissus
Nicotiana
Nightshade
Oleander
Philodendron
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy
Potato (green)
Privet (berries)
Ranunculus
Rhododendron
Rhubarb (leaf blade)
Rosary Pea (seed)
Snow-on-the-Mountain
Sweet Pea (seeds)
Sweet Potato
Skunk Cabbage
Tansy
Tomato (leaves)
Tulip
Virginia Creeper (berries)
Water Hemlock
Wisteria (seeds/pods)
Yew (berries)

:arrow: Chewing
Rabbits will try to chew anything. As mentioned previously, cords are a favorite target, but rabbits will also chew furniture baseboards, books, carpet edges, and anything else that appeals to them. Try to block access to any favorite chewing targets. Wooden furniture legs can be wrapped in heavy plastic or tin foil to discourage chewing. Carpets should be securely tacked down, especially in corners and at doorways. If your rabbit starts chewing, you can cover the carpet in trouble areas with plexiglass, plastic carpet protectors meant to go under office chairs, a piece of furniture, or untreated grass mats. Heavy slipcovers or blankets can be used to protect couches and chairs. Make sure books, treasured knick knacks, shoes, and other chewables are kept out of reach. My family has learned that to have chewable hard veggies like carrots, toys and cardboard assessable, which the rabbit will understand that these are ok. Now I bet you ask how, same process by which you litter train: punishment, reward and praise are used to teach rabbits not to chew.

:arrow: Digging
Rabbits love digging, and may do significant damage to carpets (trust me) or furniture from this activity. Favorite spots seem to be corners and under closed doors, although your rabbit may try to dig anywhere. Deal with digging behaviors in much the same way as chewing: block off problem areas, cover favorite spots with plexiglass, plastic mats, or untreated grass mats, and make sure carpets are securely tacked down. To keep house rabbits from digging up your carpet and other destructive behaviors, you need to give your rabbit something in which he or she can dig, and teach your rabbit what is off-limits.

:arrow: Provide Alternatives
Since your rabbit has a natural urge to dig, make sure your provide something in which your rabbit is freely allowed to dig. Make your rabbit a digging box out of a large, fairly deep cardboard box (cut one side lower or make a hole to allow your rabbit to get into the box). Make a thick layer of shredded paper, hay, or even soil in the box for digging. You can even hide a couple of toys or treats in the box for added interest. Smaller boxes or litter pans with shredded paper can also be offered for additional digging opportunities. Untreated grass and sisal mats are also great for satisfying your rabbit's urge to dig.

:arrow: Supervise and Redirect
Your rabbit doesn't instinctively know that it isn’t allowed to dig on your floor or furniture, so you must teach it. When you are starting out with a new rabbit, watch your rabbit carefully during playtime. Make sure you start this training as soon as you bring your rabbit home, so no bad habits get started. Whenever your rabbit tries to dig where he should not, say "no" firmly but calmly, clap your hands (or stamp your foot on the ground) to get bunny's attention, and then take your rabbit to his digging box.

:arrow: Have Patience
It will take time for your message to sink in, so be patient but consistent. Never hit your rabbit. If your rabbit keeps going back to your things instead of digging in her box, put your bunny in a "time-out" in the cage for a few minutes (they hate them). Another alternative is to use an exercise pen (collapsible, portable cage for dogs), placed on a sheet of linoleum to protect your floor, for at least part of playtime outside of the cage. As your rabbit gets older and settles down, digging should become less of an issue.

:arrow: Spay and Neuter
Spaying or neutering rabbits helps make them less prone to destructive behavior, including digging and chewing.

:arrow: Hiding Spots
Rabbits like to get into tight spaces. They like to hide under furniture and beds, but sometimes they chew and climb up into the underside of these items, so you may need to tack a piece of plywood to the underside of your boxspring mattress or use wood to block access to the underside of furniture. We never had a problem with rabbits I’d though to mention it since we did with other smaller pets. Appliances should be inaccessible, as rabbits can get under or behind them and become injured, stuck, or chew on the wires. Also block any other tight spaces in which your bunny could get stuck, and make sure there are no spaces throughout which your rabbit could escape.

Pet rabbits should have daily time outside of their cages for exercise and socialization. However, rabbits are curious and love to chew and dig, which can put both your rabbit and your belongings at risk. Don’t let my misfortune distaste you from giving a bundle of joy a good home, just follow these guidelines.