Safe bunny repellant for my poor furniture?

[whiskylollipop]

Merlin's such a pain in the arse. I could believe he was put on earth to test us mortals, because everything he does seems specially calculated to piss us off.

For instance, Rose's list of hobbies include eating everything, hiding from people, searching for more things to eat, being a lump, and honing her psychic food detecting skills (it's very impressive. Hide food anywhere in the house and Rose will find it within the hour. Try to sneakily force feed that slow-eating runt Merlin secretly, two rooms away, Rose will come zooming in with her food radar going *bingbingbing*).

Merlin's list of hobbies are like: Binkies, running around like a crackbunny on acid, and EVERYTHING NAUGHTY THAT MUMMY DOESN'T WANT ME TO DO. You should see him right now. I just opened up a new pair of shoes, and went, "Oh Merlin look, a nice box for you to play in, and paper in the shoes you can shred! And cardboard!" He proceeded to attempt to eat the plastic foam inner padding, and is now determined to sneak a bite of the tape dangling off the side of the rubbish bin.

He only wants the non-rabbit safe stuff, because he's hardcore like that.

I won't go through all the other bad, bad bunny stuff he does, but the thing that concerns me right now is the tattered state of our house from 1 foot down. Furniture legs, wall skirting. It's bad. The bunnies have 4 wooden chew toys, 1 loofah one, and one of those colourful log tunnel things from pet stores. But his majesty Merlin will file his royal chompers on nothing less than authentic quality human furnishings.

Boyfriend suggested spraying household cleaner or detergent on the chair legs and such, but knowing my dumb arse bunnies, they'll probably try to have a taste anyways and end up poisoned. Does anyone know anything I can use that tastes super nasty to bunnies but won't harm them? Please, please share.

 

[missyscove]

Some folks have had luck with white bar soap (e.g. dove). Personaly I just don't let my rabbits have access to anything I would be upset if they chewed on (this is why they're in their cage while I go to school, they've learned to climb up on my desk!)

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We considered all furniture in the family room to be "sacrificial". We did use cardboard to wrap some things with to block out the little buggers and boxes as blockades. If it isn't blocked off or wrapped up, it's chewable. Our Doberman, Dogzilla was like that too--if he could fit his mouth on it that meant it was chewable.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

plain vinegar. That is something that doesn't taste very good to them. Don't dilute it because then it doesn't have the same affect. I have never used it myself but I hear a lot of people do use it.

If you use apple cider vinegar and dilute it. Then it can actually taste good to a rabbit and it has great health benefits.

 

[LeFuzz]

I tried Ivory soap on my baseboards and so far it has worked. I bought 3 bars for $1.15 and the rabbit is still alive, so I'm calling it a win.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:woohoo

 

[whiskylollipop]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've got some malt vinegar, I'll give it a shot...if not it looks like I'll have to get me some bar soap!

 

[2mindless]

An excellent, harmless rabbit repellant that won't hurt furniture is LAVENDER. It's a natural deterrent to rabbits. I used to have lavender oil [from an essential oils collection for the bath] that I rubbed on the corner of bookcases & my sofa to deter my bun Sweetpea from gnawing corners...thing is it will leave things slightly oily but it won't hurt the furniture...you don't put alot, just a dab. Typically the bunny [unless very persistent/stubborn] will be repulsed by the smell & leave the bookcase, furniture, shoe...slipper alone. Or like a dog, give the rabbit a slipper that it can have to chew...just make sure Merlin doesn't INGEST it. That can KILL a rabbit! :O I have a new bun who was very BIZZY & inquisitive when he was a youngster [he's now 2]; he was in everything & liked to throw stuff out of the way, rutt it out of his way etc. Very much a bunny who wanted things HIS WAY & did not like stuff in his path. I had to CONTINUALLY supervise him while he was out in the apartment [he'd nibble, chew, pull & tug at things]. Rabbits can be trained to learn "NO". My current bunny BIZZ doesn't respond to "NO" but he sure knows a nose BOP...I give a gentle tap on the nose. Eventually it's been reinforced the behaviour is undesirable. My last rabbit sweetpea was SO vexed by a loud NO he would stop dead in his tracks...I trained him NOT to go in the bedroom [never shut the door] just by saying NO [and/or a loud slap of the hands together] & he'd scurry out of the bedroom or would do a 360 at the doorway & leave. I never leave things around, I've actually placed household items in such a way as to block places I don't want BIZZ to get into. Otherwise, I never leave him out unless I can watch him....as they get older, I find the rabbit becomes very patterned....they know where they can go, where they can't, what they can have & what they can't...they'll even beg for treats; they react to different intonations in the voice. In many ways my bunny is like a curious toddler & just like when my children were young-my daughter was the most challenging one as she wanted to see & do it all, she was constantly into stuff in the blink of an eye...I had toilet locks, cabinet locks, fridge locks, cord locks, to keep things fastened so she couldn't get in them etc. I had to supervise her every second she was awake. Eventually [just like my current bunny] as she got older & realized everything was the same & with alot of "REINFORCEMENT" she began to get the idea of what was permitted & what was not & could then integrate & adapt to becoming a more valuable member of the family & not be so much work.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

An excellent, harmless rabbit repellant that won't hurt furniture is LAVENDER. It's a natural deterrent to rabbits. I used to have lavender oil [from an essential oils collection for the bath] that I rubbed on the corner of bookcases & my sofa to deter my bun Sweetpea from gnawing corners...thing is it will leave things slightly oily but it won't hurt the furniture...you don't put alot, just a dab. Typically the bunny [unless very persistent/stubborn] will be repulsed by the smell & leave the bookcase, furniture, shoe...slipper alone. Or like a dog, give the rabbit a slipper that it can have to chew...just make sure Merlin doesn't INGEST it. That can KILL a rabbit! :O I have a new bun who was very BIZZY & inquisitive when he was a youngster [he's now 2]; he was in everything & liked to throw stuff out of the way, rutt it out of his way etc. Very much a bunny who wanted things HIS WAY & did not like stuff in his path. I had to CONTINUALLY supervise him while he was out in the apartment [he'd nibble, chew, pull & tug at things]. Rabbits can be trained to learn "NO". My current bunny BIZZ doesn't respond to "NO" but he sure knows a nose BOP...I give a gentle tap on the nose. Eventually it's been reinforced the behaviour is undesirable. My last rabbit sweetpea was SO vexed by a loud NO he would stop dead in his tracks...I trained him NOT to go in the bedroom [never shut the door] just by saying NO [and/or a loud slap of the hands together] & he'd scurry out of the bedroom or would do a 360 at the doorway & leave. I never leave things around, I've actually placed household items in such a way as to block places I don't want BIZZ to get into. Otherwise, I never leave him out unless I can watch him....as they get older, I find the rabbit becomes very patterned....they know where they can go, where they can't, what they can have & what they can't...they'll even beg for treats; they react to different intonations in the voice. In many ways my bunny is like a curious toddler & just like when my children were young-my daughter was the most challenging one as she wanted to see & do it all, she was constantly into stuff in the blink of an eye...I had toilet locks, cabinet locks, fridge locks, cord locks, to keep things fastened so she couldn't get in them etc. I had to supervise her every second she was awake. Eventually [just like my current bunny] as she got older & realized everything was the same & with alot of "REINFORCEMENT" she began to get the idea of what was permitted & what was not & could then integrate & adapt to becoming a more valuable member of the family & not be so much work.

I think this could work too! I have a family member that is part of young living with the essential oils and they can also be used to help cure rabbits from illnesses. (They have a big book for sale that I'm looking into investing in, it tells about all animals, types of illnesses and what oils to use and how to use them)
I'm haven't used this myself but it seems like it would work and it wouldn't harm the rabbit if they licked it.