I don't have those issues with my rabbits, but only because they were SO naughty that they got their free-range privileges permanently revoked and have to live in a massive x-pen setup (the final straw was when I discovered they'd peed on
everything belonging to our cats and the cats never wanted to leave our bedroom because the bunnies had made the living room such a hostile environment). I did, however, have the trashcan issue with our older cat, Roo, and the "almost busted my a**" issue with both cats every freaking time I was in the kitchen... until I started building thwartation devices.
Trashcan solution, made with 1x2 and 1x4 lumber from the clearance pile at Home Depot (cost me < $3 to make):
But it turned out that wasn't enough... and actually caused Roo to start STAKING OUT the kitchen, laying on the floor and glaring at that trashcan all day like he was trying to get around my thwartation device. Between that and both cats constantly tripping me to the point that only quick reflexes saved me from serious injury, I decided it was time for a new thwartation device.
It cost me $1 for a magnetic latch, < $2 each for the two cabinet handles (there's one on the back side to close it with as well), around $2 for a pack of two cheap hinges (screws included), two 2x4x8s at 96c a piece and one damaged 1x4xsomething out of the 70% off pile for < $1 (cut in half lengthwise; two more 1x2s would work just as well), about 50c worth of staples (6 mm is ideal, though 8 mm will work... 10 mm won't go all the way into the wood) and some window screen (it's
$7 for a 3'x7' roll, though I opted for a
3'x25' roll for $15 so I could make multiple thwartation doors; "pet screen" is heavier duty but a good bit more expensive - I opted for cheap and don't regret it
). I seriously did just join all the joints in the door with a buttload of staples, btw, and both doors I've made have stood up to a LOT of abuse - less messy than wood glue, no drying time, no worrying about splitting the wood with screws/nails and no need for specific tools to make a more complex type of joint.
Cost: < $20 per door (cheaper if buying screen for 3+ doors and/or if you get your wood from the discount pile); Tools needed: drill, any type of saw (even a $6 hand saw (or a dremel) can cut 1x2s, so it's not like you need a power saw) and a $10 staple gun that, in retrospect, I don't know how I ever managed to live without because it's so freaking handy. Result:
(The curtain was there so I could have the repair jerk fix the garbage disposal without him tattling on me about the screw holes - he's proven himself to be a total narc.)
Just noticed you're in the UK... still, I imagine the raw materials for a thwartation door are equivalently cheap there.
An even cheaper alternative that doesn't involve holes in the walls or tools of any sort is a
$10 baby gate from Walmart that's 2' high... but stepping over it was annoying and the younger cat can hurdle barriers at least as high as 36'' so it only half solved our problem.
Regardless of what you use, I definitely recommend finding a way to completely deny them access to the kitchen, for both their safety and yours! Also, it's hilarious in a mean sort of way to see sad (and naughty) little faces looking at you through a thwartation device
.
As for the fact that your bunnies are fiends, well, you'll probably just have to learn to live with that once you've exhausted your options for thwartation devices. Roo is a total fiend, too. He begs for food when you've just put food in the bowl. He's *always* looking for treats. He's fiending for treats even when he's EATING treats. The problem with fiends is that it doesn't matter how much you give them - they always still want more!
