Flooring question.

[babybunnyhood]

Is the laminate/vinyl flooring too slippery for the buns ? I've seen a lot of people using it, and it's quite cheap...I'm liking the idea.
Then again, I've always wondered if they slip on Coroplast, too...

 

[kahlin]

It can be slippery...but would you be using it in a pen or in a condo? If you're going to use different levels that require jumping, you'll probably want to add something for traction.

I find coroplast is a bit less slippery of the two. I have one bunny on coroplast, and one on linoleum. Both are fine on it, but they do enjoy a nice little square of blankie when they can convince me to do so.

It also depends on the bunny. Behr doens't mind slippery surfaces, but Finley hates them.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I think laminate/vinyl/coroplast is a horrible idea. It provides absolutely no traction and the rabbit could easily develop splay leg (if all goes well) and at the worst, could end up with a spinal injury or broken bone. I see a lot of indoor house bunny people using it, and I cringe...it's a devastating situation waiting to happen.

If the rabbit is truly littertrained, some simple, washable, carpet-square flooring should be fine. If they're a chewer, use short carpet.

I also suggest wire flooring for inside a cage (*gasp* I know...) because you can easily put a litter box in, a carpet square to relax on, etc. But any bare parts provide enough traction that the rabbit will not be injured. It's also easy to clean, as everything falls through to the drop pan below.

That is just my opinion, but I think either wire or carpet is best for base flooring. The slippery stuff is a no-no in my house.

 

[tonyshuman]

Lino is ok if they're not on it all the time and their nails aren't too long--long nails can make them prone to sore hocks (on any surface) and reduce the amount of foot in contact with the floor (less traction). I use washable indoor-outdoor carpet, like what some doormats are made of. At the shelter, we put an old bath towel down in the cage. This is ok unless they like to eat fabric. They're easy to clean too and great if you have an old set of towels or two, or you could get some at the Goodwill store, etc. My guys like to go on the tile floor in the kitchen to cool off their bellies and don't have a lot of problems with it in terms of traction. They don't do very well on the wood floors, so we put down as many carpets as we can.

 

[Dragonrain]

I would think it would depend on the rabbit. We have laminate flooring in most of our apartment. My two holland lops will walk on it, but my lionhead refuses to so much as set a paw down on it. I went out and got a giant sisal rug to cover the floor in my bunny room so Barnaby can walk/run around the room. My cage has carpet over the plastic bottom for him too.

 

[aurora369]

I have linoleum floors in my cages. I use large grass mats (bought at Pier One or home improvement store) to cover floors along with fleece blankies or towels.

I love the grass mats for floor covering because they provide awesome traction, they are safe for nibbling bunnies and they are pretty inexpensive so if soiled, they can be discarded. Fleece is my runner up, because it is so easy to wash if soiled.

I love the lino because it is so easy to clean. Just spray with vinegar and wipe clean. Stains don't set, urine doesn't seep into cracks.

--Dawn

 

[kahlin]

For me, the choice would depend on a lot of things....how long is the bunny in the cage? How 'trained' is he/she? Is it a chewer? etc...

Finley is rarely in her cage. Behr is in his a bit more, but we're still working on litterbox training. I know he wouldn't learn on anything that could 'hold' the smell from his mess ups.