Two bunnies to a new home (bunny proofing questions)

[Yali]

Hey, im Kim and i live in Newengland! Ive rencently come across two rabbits from a local pet-store and i wanted to purchase them for my apartment. I do not live alone, im with my boyfriend and my best friend, and we’re all around the ages of 20.

Being the young adults that we are, we love computers and other electronics, but i have heard of the dangers of keeping rabbits around electrical cords. The only room we stay in is our bedroom, which isnt too large but could be big enough for a cage/condo and room to run behind my desk. The only bad thing is that the space behind my desk is also where the TV, air conditioner, and computer cords rest. Thats ALLOT of wires….

I was thinking of sectioning off their cage into a pen area for them during the early weeks, but eventually i want them to be able to venture around the room. Do you think that grates of aluminum shelving around the backs of the computers and TV would be enough to keep their mouths from reaching the wires? Im not sure how far away they would need to be from the wires, or any electrical outlet.

Also, my bed is just two futon mattresses on the floor, its perfect bunny-height but i would want to try and keep them from urinating on the bed. Do they usually pee wherever they want or should i be pretty safe?

 

When i get these bunnies ill take pictures of them, and what i have done to keep my house safe.

 

[Lucy]

you might want to bunny-proof first and then get the bunnies- and do a a lot more research.

You can litter box train rabbits, though, if they can jump on your bed, it’s going to be difficult to keep them off.. There are other members on this site who have problems with their bunnies pooping on the bed, so they might be able to help them out.

What we do it get wire organizers for our computers and tv stuff.. (my bf and I also in our 20s) here’s what they look like:
http://cableorganizer.com/wire-loom/colored.html
I got mine @ true value.. they work really well.. go over this site’s bunny proofing site under bunny info.

Also, you want to make sure the bunnies have lots of room… the tighter places they are in the more crazy they get- if mine are cooped up they start to chew on EVERYTHING!!

also.. think about adopting. If you buy two bunnies, you need to get them both fixed- I got one bunny off of craigslist and it cost me $350 to get him fixed- my other bunny I got at a shelter for $100 all ready spayed and litterboxed trained.

Bunnies are awesome- just make sure you really want them as they live for about 10 years. also… since you are in a realationship/roomate situation.. whose bunnies are they going to be? Once two bunnies are bonded, you shouldn’t seperate them. It can cause great depression. So in my situtation, if anything happens with my bf or I, I end up taking care of the bunnies.. think about that also.

[Theresa Moan]

Hi, Kim-
Where in New England do you live? I am also from the area and I can recommend a good rabbit charity network. That is where I get my bunnies. (I have three right now.) They come fixed, and the network people are very knowledgable.
It is about 60 dollars per bun, or $110 a pair of bonded bunnies.
-Theresa

[Hedi]

Welcome Kim!

You came to a great place to learn about rabbits. Also check out http://www.rabbit.org which has more info than you can imagine.

I also agree that a bunny rescue is the best place to get a rabbit. For each rabbit bought at a pet store another bun in a shelter could lose their life…plus buns from petstores usually come from bunny mills…

The best thing about getting buns from a shelter is if they are a little older then you know what personality you are getting. With babies they are so little and could end up being little brats. So getting buns a little older (even just 6mth old) you know what type of bun you are bringing home.

Also, bonding rabbits can go smooth or be very frustrating. Getting a bonded pair from a shelter that is already fixed and bonded saves you time and frustration.

The cord covers is what we use in our home. We also block off behind the tv with Organize it cubes that can be found at Target. We also block our couch and kitchen with them as well. http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-8/qid=1183932271/ref=sr_1_8/602-8472064-9035861?ie=UTF8&asin=B000LRFO4Y

A box is $15. You can also use these to build large rabbit condos for much cheaper than buying one.

You have to remember that rabbits can be like little mice, if they want to get somewhere really bad they can squeeze their guts and fit into places you wouldnt think they could go. I have a 2.5lb dwarf that sqeezed into a one inch space-tight fit!

As far as your bed, just dont let them on it at least in the beginning. If they jump up, just tell them no and place them on the floor. Dont yell  or hit because that doesnt work with buns and will just make them very scared of you.

Rabbits chew on any furniture that is wood and any cardboard or papers. So if you want to save something make sure it is up off the floor or blocked off.

Im attaching pics of how i used those cubes to block off areas in our home.

 One thing that is cheap that rabbits love is a Cement Tube that can be found at Lowes or Home Depot in the cement section. Its used for cement but perfect for rabbits-pic attached as well.

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[Yali]

Thanks everyone for all your help! I live in Lowell, Massachusetts and adopting some buns would be allot better than buying them from a store. I never really was ‘pro petstore animals’ in the first place.
As for the space they would have, its about 8 feet in length but 3 feet across, so i think that would be enough room for just their ‘pen’. Also i know they’ll have a nice place to stay if i have to leave, my friend is really into rabbits so she’ll take care of them until i can move them back with me.

[Gravehearted]

Yali – welcome to binky bunny!  It’s great that you’re taking the time to do some research and planning before bringing bunnies home.
I’m so happy you’re considering adopting buns.  The rescue  group I know in your area is http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/  I’ve heard great things about them and know one of their volunteers from online.

As far as bunny proofing goes – i use any number of things to keep my bunnies away from stuff. we use an exercise pen around the tv / vcr / stereo in our living room.  I also use empty boxes to cover cords too. rabbits are pretty sneaky, so it’s better to err on the side of caution, since many of them like to nibble on cords.

 

[Theresa Moan]

Hi Kim again –
I used to live in Lowell. (Went to UMass a few years ago).
I know someone from the local house rabbit network who has helped me out. She has so many cute bunnies in need of a home! Her name is Suzanne. If you want to contact me personally, let me know – I can give you my cell. I live in Nashua.
Theresa

[MooBunnay]

Hello Kim & Welcome!! I just moved out of Boston last year – I was living in Brookline, I have a couple good friends that live in Lowell so I have been out there a few times. I currently live in an apartment, so I have to be very careful about how the bunnies treat the apartment, so for the moment they live in an ex-pen unless I am home to supervise, and then I watch them when they are out. This would be a good set up for you, especially in the beginning. As far as the bed – for some reason, maybe because beds are comfy, or covered in sheets that buns like to dig at, or maybe because they smell like you, I have had several friends run into the issue of the bunny “marking” their bed (basically making a territorial poo or pee). When you let your buns have free run of the apartment unsupervised – you might want to put some thought into how you could protect your bed from them because you could run into a couple accidents in that area.

I also agree with everyone that adopting from a rescue is good – consider some older bunnies too, these ones you will not have to deal with the “terrible twos” with, are much more relaxed than young buns, and (at least in my experience) are a bit easier to train, and not so “into” everything!

As for the cords, I’ve found that bunnies really chew cords most when the cord is either 1) in their path or 2) in a corner they are trying to dig in. Because of this, I think that blocking them off with organize it cubes could definitely help.

[Yali]

Yay im so glad i have some newenglanders to talk too!

Theresa: Our house phone dosent work, so would exchanging emails be cool? I usually visit nashua once and a while.

Thanks for your help everyone! Ill be sure to pick up some organizing cubes before i buy the rabbits, and box some of the larger groups of cords up behind the computers.

[BinkyBunny]

You’ve gotten some great advice, and for more tips and tricks on keeping your place bunny demolition free check out the bunny proofing section on this site.

Also, a rabbit that is spayed/neutered already will be less likely to mark (urinate and poo) as much outside of his/her box.   And of course if you go to a rabbit rescue, they are already spayed and nuetered. 

Baby bunnies are messy and can become REALLY messy and stinky when they reach sexual maturity (3 – 6months). So if you’re worried about your stuff, then maybe an adult spayed/neutered bonded pair would be the way to go.  Also, I wrote a whole bunch about other benefits regarding going this route on your other post.

 

[x liddo bunny x]

i am 21 and i have many cables around my house. luckily my bunnies dont like to chew cables. ionno, they ever really found an interest in them but just to be on the safe side with my computer, what i did was put my desktop on top of my desk and everything up as for the multiple outlet thing i have it on the floor so what i did was bundle everything in one huge bundle and then let it rest against the wall and i built a rectangular thing to cover the front, top and sides so no matter what my bunnies cant get to the wires. =P the holes were too large for them to climb but small enough to keep em out.

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By xliddobunnyx on 07/17/2007 1:21 AM
 i built a rectangular thing to cover the front, top and sides so no matter what my bunnies cant get to the wires. =P the holes were too large for them to climb but small enough to keep em out.

What did you build it out of?  And do you have pictures of it?   That might be something I could add to the Bunny Proofing Tips section! IF I use a tip from someone, I post their tip with pictures of whatever it is and then send ’em a little "Thank You" Gift   

[x liddo bunny x]

sure, ill send it to you. its pretty simple to make. =)

[poopy]

I always say the easiest thing is a $60 dog pen from Petco ONLINE. Condo will cost you about the same to make plus its a pain to put together and take apart if you have to move it. Pen is portable, and foldable should you decide to let them free roam later on.

[x liddo bunny x]

for the thing to protect the cables under the table i used left over cubes =)

poopy – it was really fun to make the condo. it sure is not convient but it sure is a fun project and it is fun to watch the bunnies hop up and down =)

[poopy]

The condo is totally fun. I made one for Medusa, but it was too big and took up too much space. So i eventually just took it apart and let her free roam. Plus it doesn’t fit my much loved covered litterbox

[Lucy]

it’s for that reason that I do not like the covered litterbox. it doesn’t fit in the condo- and I would never want to take that away from the bunnies. They spend so much of their time on the third floor. We went through a lot of litter boxes and different types of litters- as I mentioned in a previous thread of “green litter?”

We are now using feline pine and a really high back litter box that was $6.99 at Target. It’s basically a covered litterbox, without the cover. It has been amazing! There have been no spills, no accidents, no nothing. The hay is kept to the side in a hay boy (a large cardboard box), whose idea was taken from wendyski, so the hay is always fresh, and there is very little waste.

With the condo, and this litter box, my bunnies and myself can’t be happier.

[x liddo bunny x]

really… hmm now i got to either find a covered one that fits to prove you all wrong!!! =P jm. i would like to put one in mine in the future hopefully they will come out with one that will fit.

poopy – lucky u can let medusa roam free. emo and mochi are not perfect at it yet. as for "bun bun" i dont think he knows what one is….. =/ been working on it all day today. improved an itty bitty bitty bitty bit.

[x liddo bunny x]

OK as promised. the picture of what i did.

sorry its a little blurry. and it also keeps my brother’s socks from catching on fire. i put stuff on top so they cant jump on either. on the other side of those cpu’s not being used is a book shelf. nothing on the bottom floor but its way up against the wall so they cant go behind the cpu’s. i am not so worried about the front because they cant bite it. as for my cpu that i am using right now it is on top of my desk.. i didnt take a picture of that because my brohter is preparing to go to UCLA and he has stuff everywehre. (weird…. i thought it was my desk…..) everything that has wires or anything i dont want the bunnies to get into is either really high or are in plastic storage containers. i usually plan where i would put it and measure and go find a container at walmart or target or something to put it in. as for the small cable box right there that u see that was from a box of chocolates. i washed it and now it is holding my usb cable and if the bun knocks it over they cant get the wire inside. =) even all my papers are in minicase drawers. and i dont want them going under my futon because i cant reach underthere, i bought flat ones and fit them all underthere so they dont have a way to get in. =)i even use those cubes to keep their food away from them. and to keep them from going out of the room or from going into any other rooms [my aunt’s room, she hates them =( ] while they are in the living room. happy bunnyproofing!!!! i surely had fun proofing my room, aside from cleaning by brothers junk all the time.. – -"

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