Reminder: Bunny Proofing Your House

[Pipp]

I see on another list that a bunny was electrocuted when he got into an unbunny-proofed room unsupervised. :tears2:

And on a personal note, Radar and Darry, who were not known to be wire chewers (they prefer mattresses), managed to jump the low fence my new roommate put up around his computer this week and chewed through his audio system, mouse, keyboard, microphone and a mystery wire right inside his computer. :shock: (They managed all this while he was taking a nap).

Lucky for meI did warn him about the potential problem and suggested wire guards instead, so I'm off the hook, and lucky for the bunnies, they hadn't made their way to thepower wires, although it appears they were just starting on those when he woke up.

So folks, a very serious reminder! Wires and rabbits don't mix!!

Here's the Library Bunny 101 files with pics and links on how to prevent this.

Bunny Proofing Your House



sas :?

 

[JimD]

This is something thatI shared with a close member, but I wasn't going to post it on the open forum.
Now I think it's something I should share with everyone....

Last week I could have lost one of my bunnies due to my negligence.
Ididn't securely latch her cage after feeding her.
Ididn't check on her before I went to bed.
That night our dutch doe, S'more, managed topry apartsome of the NIC grids and escape....because I didn'tzip-tie the grids.
She got back into the corner where all of the electric wires are....because I didn't put up the baby gate.
And she chewed up the cord to the lamp...THAT WAS PLUGGED IN!!!
Only God knows how she didn't electrocute herself.
I NEVER EVER EVER EVER would have forgiven myself.

I now have a NIC enclosure around the electrical area, and the wires are enclosed in a PCV tube.
I'm also checking and rechecking on the buns constantly.

Just look at their faces! They trust us to make sure their world is safe!
"If those cords are out, then it must be okay to chew them up!"

 

[MsBinky]

Yeah, I really need to fix mine as well... Wiggles has been feeling the urge to chew. I never had a problem with her until this year. :?

 

[Gordon]

oops, double post.

 

[Gordon]

Yep, bunnies are persistent with their "projects".

Regular plastic wire guard tubing is no match for my two little guys. Iwrap all wires ina heavy duty material that is basically thick gauge metal mesh screen, that is flexible, but impervious to bunny teeth. It's called "hardware cloth", and you can buy it by the foot at most mom n' pop hardware stores, and probably the big places, too.

 

[rabb1tmad]

I think quite a few of us have had some lucky escapes with this. Starsky managed to get behind the TV once. He was only there for about5 seconds before I caught him and put him back. BUT, in that time he managed to chew through a wire of an adpator which had thankfully been turned off just moments before. He didn't chew the wire to eat it he grabbed it with his teeth to move it - that's how strong bunnies teeth are and that's how quick they can get into trouble.

I don't have any tubing on my wires but when my buns are out I block out every possible exit to wires with cardboard boxes, box files, whatever I can lay my hands on.

Great reminder Pip.

 

[JadeIcing]

Are wires are mostly covered. Only one section isn't cause we can't also it is only one cord. Though it is visible to us if they tried. Mind you none do so far. Ringo as a baby did.

 

[Michaela]

:nicethread

Luckily Maddie isn't a chewer of wires..chewer of clothes, books, wallpaper, shoes, beds...:rollseyesBut not wires. (My room is bunny-proofed anyway, obviously.) Ebony on the other hand, would chew wires if given the chance. I'll have to be extra careful if I ever manage to get her as a full time inside rabbit.

Check, re-check, and re-check your wires etc everyone, a little simple thing like that can save a bun's life.

 

[undergunfire]

When I let Marlin out to play, I use a NIC fence to put around the computer and the television stand. I make sure that it is secure.

I had a HUGE scare one time. Mallory had jumped onto the bed and OVER the NIC cube fence and got behind my new flat screen television (that cost me a bundle :grumpy...and he chewed the plugged in wire while the television was on.

He got lucky because when I found the wire, it was sparking. Ryan managed to fix the wire...and Mallary lived.

Arg, why wires....our bunny loves?


Marlin, on the other hand, prefers my shoes and purse .

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Pipp wrote:

I see on another list that a bunny was electrocuted when he got into an unbunny-proofed room unsupervised. :tears2:

And on a personal note, Radar and Darry, who were not known to be wire chewers (they prefer mattresses), managed to jump the low fence my new roommate put up around his computer this week and chewed through his audio system, mouse, keyboard, microphone and a mystery wire right inside his computer. :shock: (They managed all this while he was taking a nap).

Lucky for meI did warn him about the potential problem and suggested wire guards instead, so I'm off the hook, and lucky for the bunnies, they hadn't made their way to thepower wires, although it appears they were just starting on those when he woke up.


sas :?

Thank goodness they are ok! Sorry to hear his stuff got bunnytrashed!

I actually do a recheck everytime we let Bo out completely loose. He usually is the only one to get to do this since Clover will try to go into other rooms. Bo won't go near the kitchen floor and the other areas I can block.

Heidi hasn't been let out without the Xpen yet either.

I just never know if someone has a cell phone, cd player, battery charger for some tool, or whatever - hooked up in that room so I just go over it each time to know for sure Bo is safe!

 

[Pipp]

Bo B Bunny wrote:

Thank goodness they are ok! Sorry to hear his stuff got bunnytrashed!

Nah, he's a 20-year old slacker

they were just teaching him a lesson.

(Well, they knew he wasn't listeningto me!)

At least the way they design electrical cords helps...at least I think it does. The bunny has to bite intotwo wires at once on a power cord for it to be life-threatening I think.

I've heard of a number of bunnies with 'mysterious' sore mouths and singe marks, though. I think it happens more than people realize. :shock:

sas

 

[Munchkin]

I'm pretty sure that Gizmo gave himself a small shock from chewing the end of my TV wire, which incidentily is covered by a cable tidy - but he nibbled the exposed bit at the plug. He drank so much water after but thank god seems to be ok now.

Flopsy has eaten through unplugged wires after her escape plans when I'm sleeping. I'm sick of replacing telephones, camera wires, mice etc but it is my own fault.

I read on her a while back about crittercord and have ordered 2 of them - they come in 10ft packs, to try it out. It is supposed to repel them so they don't go near the wires. Anyone here tried it?