Dangers of a Christmas Tree

[Suz]

How dangerous is it for a rabbit to potentially ingest our Christmas tree? We always put our real tree down in the family room where Muppet exercises. Because it's cold out now, she won't be coming in unless it warms up on a certain day, but I just want to know beforehand.

We're getting a frasier fir this weekend and I'm sure she'll be curious to want to check it out if she does come inside. I know she loves to munch on the long needles of the pine trees in our backyard when she's out on her leash, but I'm thinking these shorter needles could be pretty bad to ingest. And are they poisonous at all? If so, then she's definitely not coming inside.

 

[feather78]

I was wondering this too...Last year my bunny constantly ate the tree, and I never really stopped to think about it. This year, the bright idea came into my head that it may be bad. But, this website (http://www.rabbit.org/care/holidays.html) says that the tree should be ok as long as it wasn't treated with anything.

 

[Runestonez]

Every year we let our newest bunn help us put up the Christmas tree.:biggrin2:

This year it will be Samhain...it is his first Christmas with us...so while the other bunns are locked up he will have free run while we drag it in, cut it, trim it and put it up in the stand.
It's the putting in the stand where the probelms start! For us anyway! Mom lying on the floor trying to adjust the screws on the tree stand while a small insane rabbit binkys and runs under everyones feet! lol

As long as the tree is not coloured or treated it should be fine...our kids get a kick out of munching on a few needles here and there...the first year with our lionhead girls...while we were putting the cut on the bottom of the tree...they snuck up and chewed through a one inch thick branch...we looked up in time to see them running off under the diningroom tabledragging a two foot by two foot chunk of tree behind them.
Which as chance would have it was from the top, front of the tree. So we had to try to stuffthe holewith decorations...it never did look right...but the girls were happy! :rollseyes

Most of the danger from trees is with them being coloured to look greener or so they stay green...or flame retardant etc...if none of these things are present...bunn may as well have some fun!

Keep in mind too...decorations made of chocolate, electrical wires(you'd be surprised what a nosey bunny can reach! So keep them at least 3 feet up from the bottom branches!), silver icicle tinsel is a definite no-no!, we put only plastic non-breakable decorations on the bottom of the tree! Our kids like to chew the bottom branches and when they pull them down every once in a while a decoration will topple off...which they then nudge around the floor for a while!
If it is something you wouldn't let a kid chew, play withor swallow...either don't put it on the tree...or keep it up where it can't be reached!
Common sense!

My suggestion is if you have a tree...yes the bunns can eat some needles...but keep it realistic! Moderation! We use a 24" exercise pen around the perimiter of our tree just to be safe and to keep the nosey bunns from inadvertantly opening presents! lol

Just to amuse the bunns we hang jingle bells from the lowest bottom branches...our kids like to bump them with their noses and then go careening off doing the bunny 500 when they ring! LOL :biggrin2:

 

[Suz]

We go into the woods on a tree farm to cut ours, so it will be all "au natural!"

Thanks guys!

We always put ornaments up high anyhow due to a 4 yr old that likes to "play" with things.

 

[jujub793]

how do you keep them from chewing the light wires? i have a cord chewer and i am worried!!!!:nerves1

 

[Runestonez]

We trim our tree so we have 24" between the lowest branches and the floor.
We don't put lights in the lower 18 inches of the tree.

You still have to plug them into the wall...
So we wrapped a box in wrapping paper...cut out a hole at the back of the box and then we can put it up against the wall to cover the electrical outlet. We usually just put other boxes around it to keep it in place. Or you can use a bit of masking tape to secure it to the wall...masking tape can pull off without damaging the paint, etc...

If you have a christmas tree waterer...the kind you put the 2L pop bottle of water in and it syphons into the tree stand...
COVER THE PLASTIC TUBING TOO!

 

[feather78]

I keep the lights up where Houdini can't reach them and the cord is pretty high up between the tree and the outlet (I wish I could explain this better). Then I block the bit of accessible wire with my son's bigger toys. Poor kid, he can't use half his toys because I use them for blocking the rabbit from something or another. Anyway, I unplug the lights and drape the cord over the top part of the tree when I won't be in the room for a while to make sure he can't get the cord, which I would do anyway since I'm fire phobic. These bunnies are lucky we love them so much.

ETA: Plus, at the moment, Houdini is more obsessed with eating the tree and jumping over the train around the tree than eating the cord. He has been so happy since we put the tree up.