Bunny Proofing Your Home

Before bringing bunny out to play we should take some precautions and provide a safe environment, a room or area that has been "bunny proofed". Not only do we want bunny to be safe we also want to protect our home. How much time do you think a pet rabbit would get outside of their cage if they began chewing the carpet and furniture?

Wrap Up Those Cords

Bunnies have a somewhat instinctive habit, a common curiosity that seems to beset them all.. Alas, the lure of electrical cords and phone lines. They chew them... they like it too! Not only can this be deadly, it can also be quite expensive for you. The computer room is usually off limits to my cord chomping herbivores.
Observe your bunny closely when they wander about the room. If you haven't already bunny proofed an area or item they are sure to point it out like a moth to a flame. I either tuck cords behind furniture or wrap them in a product known as Critter Cord protector. I limit access under furniture by using throw pillows. The older my boys got the less interest they had in wandering under and behind barricades.

Protect Electrical Cords

Caught On Tape (Videos on this site require Scripts/Active X be enabled on your browser) My computer desk is roughly 3 feet high. On this desk I had a small arrangement of roses. I came home to find a vase with stems but no petals.  Next time it happened I caught him in the act! It's hard to imagine a bunny jumping up on a desk but here's the proof, keep this in mind when considering how curious and creative a house bunny can be when left alone.

 

Dat bunny gonna get in trouble if you don't watch him!

Remove Poisonous Plants

It's usually best to simply remove all poisonous house plants. Even those hung from the ceiling become bunny accessible when dropping leaves!  Take a quick inventory of your house plants and check to see if there is any danger. Here's a list of Poisonous House Plants.

Sadie On His Tip Toes Trying To Nibble On A Non-Toxic Pepperonia Plant

Preventing Bad Bunny Behavior

Observe Bunny Closely & Learn His Habits

Along with cords and plants some bunnies may find wooden furniture too hard to resist, the same goes for grass mats and other rugs. Don't put it past a bunny to take a little nibble out of a piece of furniture, edge of a door, baseboard, area rug or whatever else he finds tempting. Knowing just what may interest your bunny may take a bit of time but they are sure to let you know when you least expect it.
Sometimes it takes a bit of patience and forgiveness on your behalf. With time you'll know what areas or items have to be off limits to your rabbit.

Boxes & Tunnels I Often Rearrange To Keep Bunnies Entertained

Keep Bunny Busy & Entertained

Some bunnies are prone to digging and chewing, bad news if you cherish your home as I do. Luckily my 3 boys have shown very little interest in tearing things up. This may be partially due to the fact that I make sure they have got plenty to keep them busy. Toys can help keep bunny from getting bored enough to start destructive habits, or at least you may be able to "steer" their destruction towards those items made just for them to chew.

Common household items that make great bunny toys.

• Paper Cups

• Empty toilet paper/ paper towel rolls stuffed with hay

• Cardboard boxes (if this was all my boys had they'd be completely content)

• Newspaper and telephone books that can be torn and shredded

• Small wooden or hard plastic items that can be picked up and thrown

• Balls that make noise and are easily tossed

• Towels, scarves, cloth they can rearrange

• Stuffed animals (these are often groomed by bunny)

• Untreated wicker baskets

• Dried Pine cones
   

And of course there are sites on the web that offer all kinds of great bunny toys. Our all time favorite is the Cottontail Cottage we purchased thru Cats & Rabbits & More and the Critter Castle we got from The Busy Bunny.

Links To Bunny Toys Bunny Bytes    Leith Petwerks    BunnyLuv     Bunny Bunch Boutique    The Busy Bunny    Cats & Rabbits & More

What To Do When They Misbehave

If your bunny just can't seem to stop going back to an item, like a spot in the carpet or the edge of a piece of furniture you may wish to try some deterrents.

While I've heard others mention Bitter Apple spray I have never tried it. I have also heard of people spraying perfume on a paper towel and then using that to rub over the area that they want the rabbit to loose interest in. If you were to spray perfume directly on the item you would also have to smell the strong scent.

I personally like to use a water bottle to deter certain behaviors. For instance, when Bailey first came home he was small enough to squeeze beneath the sofa, somewhere I do not want him. Once he got bigger he could no longer fit, as a result he began digging in front of the sofa as though the ground were going to give way and make it possible. After rushing over to shoo him away countless times I decided to opt for the water bottle. I use one that squirts a nice long stream and I do not let bunny know that I am the source of punishment. All I want them to know is that when they do "this behavior"...they get wet. Luckily none of my bunnies like to get wet. I don't yell or swat them. I simply send a stream of water across their body and once they equate a certain behavior with a soaking they will usually make other plans. YMMV

When Sadie was young he was full of adventure, hopping and climbing to places one wouldn't ordinarily think was within bunnies reach. I have pictures of him on the back of chairs, on top of my computer desk, hopping up on our pillow topped mattress which is quite high (see my picture/video pages). This brought bunny proofing to a whole new level.

If your rabbit can't seem to keep himself out of trouble you may wish to use a pen to limit his play area or as a blockade. Blocking off one susceptible area may then make the other part of a room safe for bunny. Most homes have a great deal of wires behind the audio/video equipment and behind the computer, two spots that should definitely be off limits to bunnies.
 

Disciplining Your Rabbit With all this talk about safeguarding your home, litter training and bunnies getting into mischief one would certainly begin to wonder about disciplining their rabbit. CAUTION! Rabbits do not respond well to being punished. If you swat your rabbit it may take a long time for him to begin to trust you again. Rabbits are not like dogs. Punishment will instill fear in a rabbit that may be hard to overcome.

* Some bad bunny behavior can be the result of hormones. Read more on that here.

Now let's get them using a litter pan like a big boy...