Freedom for Bun

[Jenni]

Gretchen is about7 months old and was spayed almost a month ago. I let her out of her cage for several hours everyday. She is confined to our large living room, the kitchen, the stairs, and 2 hallways. The areas are bunny-proofed.

She is a very good bunny--always uses her litter box (unless she gets on the couch, which is off-limits)--but she has chewed on a few base boards here and there and pull off some wallpaper so I have to watch her like a hawk. I have put Ivory dishwashing soap on "no no" areas, which seems to help. I also use a squirt bottle to train her away from certain areas (like the couch) which works well, but the squirt bottle requires constant vigilance. I also have lots of boxes and baskets places strategically around for her to much on.

I read of people whose bunnies are free roam 100% of the time or are allowed to run around while the slaves are sleeping. Are these buns just allowed to destroy things or do they eventually learn to control these destructive habits?

How often do I need to apply the soap for it to work?

Should I get an X-Pen ($$$$)? Will I have to use it forever? Gretchen can jump a 3 foot flat board and she climbs, so my x-pen woulf have to be about 4 feet tall.

I love my bun. She is adorable, but I guess I just need a little encouragement.


A link below of Gretchen and some of her chew toys:

http://pics.livejournal.com/gretchenbun/pic/0000240d/g2

 

[Jenni]

Bump

 

[Pipp]

Mine get too much freedom. The all have free-run of theirvarious areas, with Dill and Sherry having most of the house. They can go everywhere but the guest room (Radar and Darry live there) and mine and Pipp's bedroom. And as noted in another thread,the little :censored2just took a chunk out of my good couch! (It was a reminder that I've been slack about getting them more dried apple tree branches).

My place is decorated with NIC cube panelson every corner, every door jam, etc, which works well. You can see one cornerof it in thisvideo still:



In case you haven't seen all the bunny proofingsuggestions:

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12079&forum_id=17

I've just been too lazy to follow most of them. :lookaround



sas :grumpyand mobile teeth quintet:bunny17:bunny17:bunny17:bunny17:bunny17

 

[Jenni]

Thanks Pipp. I didn't realize that someone just posted about this. I was a little frustrated today because she chewed some of my door jamb.

I am going to check out the bunny proofing page. Thanks for the link.

Also, I think I am going to order an X-Pen for her. That way, if I can't watch her as close she can exercise in that.

 

[Pipp]

I just use the NIC panelsas an x-pen as well. I keep picking them up and reconfiguring them as needed. They're amazing things. May have to build yours three-panels high, though.

Good luck with it!

sas et al