Wall fillers - dangerous?

Hi guys!

I'm Laura! New to the boards.

I am planning on adopting a rabbit. I grew up surrounded with animals, but since moving to NYC 6 years ago, that hasn't been the case because, well, landlords. I live in an old building, and the landlords don't allow dogs, and I am extremely allergic to cats. Not being able to share my life (sounds so cheesy, but come on, it's true) with an animal for so long has really taken a toll on me. I had thought about getting a rabbit before, but after spending a couple of days at a friend's house out of town, and her pet rabbit, I realized this could actually be what I have been looking for.

ANYWAY, I am doing my research and doing my best to be prepared to when I finally get the bunny home and having it bunny proofed, as well as assuring myself that it's a good idea. So here's where I need some help and advice. I would have a cage/habitat for the bunny, but I would also want to allow it to leave the cage and roam around my room freely. Since it's a very old building, the floors are kind of warped, and that creates a gap between the floor boards and the walls in some places (Yey! Brooklyn!). The gaps are small, but we used to have a mice "problem" (this has been fixed now), so I had filled those gaps with steel wool to prevent the mice from crawling through them. I realize how dangerous it would be for the rabbit to chew on them and maybe swallow a bit or getting a piece stuck in their foot (it has happened to me), but I also don't want to risk having a mouse crawl back in and moving in with the bunny.

Talking with my landlord, he suggested he could put some foam filler inside the gaps. I am not very knowledgeable in building/home improvement topics, so I wanted to consult with rabbits owners and experts on this. Is foam filler safe for the bunny? Is there another type of filler we could use? What other options/solutions are there? Has anyone been in a similar situation, what did you do? Any other advice?

Thank you so much in advance. I am really looking forward to bringing the little creature home!

Will wait for your replies!

Any foreign object ingested can be dangerous for rabbits. Only thing I can think of is to cover it with something hard like linoleum, tiles, or wood. Or if it isn't too large of a gap, seal over it with silicone caulk. You might be able to use the foam filler as a backing, as long as it was covered over with something like the caulk. Though you would need to be sure your rabbit doesn't try and have a go at eating the caulk.

Blocking off the areas where the gaps are is also a possible solution.

Providing that the filler is flush with the wall and floor I don't see how a rabbit could get his/her teeth on it to chew at it. I don't they would be inclined to have a chew anyway but it is best to be safe.

View attachment ImageUploadedByRabbit Forum1441506260.556582.jpg
I recommend having a nice size enclosure in your home that they can run around in, but be protected from chewing on things that could hurt them. I have my rabbits in here all day with their own box fan and music (they like Hawaiian music best-haha) and then when I home to supervise they sit out with me. They are my favorite pets.