Suddenly Eating Our Leather Couch

[kuniklos]

My fiancee and I have had General Bismark since February. We had him fixed and he's loaded up with toys and treats. He's a free roam bunny and has plenty of space. He gets oodles of times with us ( at least 6-8 hours). He is wonderful with his litter tray, never sprayed and is really a great bunny. He took to the carpet for a brief period, but and evening in his cage changed his mind about it. But this time, time out isn't cutting it.

But for some reason he's taken a liking to popping holes on the side of our leather couch. He's never done this before, and I had to admit that I'm pretty miffed about him putting holes in our couch that was pretty expensive. He's never been a nibbler of furniture so it's really strange.

We can't really block off the area unless we buy a cover for the entire couch (which is sort of out of our price range at the moment). I have read that rubbing soap on it could help. Could you fine rabbit lovers give me other options to deter this sudden change of taste in him?

 

[Watermelons]

Products designed to keep ketts from scratching your couch should do the same thing. He is chewing at the couch? or Using his nails to poke the holes in it? Either way you can try the doubble sided stickey tape, or if its the chewing, you can try spraying bitter spray on a cloth and wiping it on a small unseen section of the couch, if it doesnt affect it, wipe some where hes causing the problems on the couch (however if hes like my guys, when i sprayed my wooden clothes pegs... they still ate the clothes pegs)

Queen sized fitted sheets turned sideways make great covers for 3 seater couches, but that will only protect the area you sit on.

Thats all I can think of at the moment.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We encased the Chairs and Couches with custom fit (cut and taped together by me) cardboard. We could still use them but they had to go thru cardboard to get to the back, side, and lower fronts.

 

[gmas rabbit]

you could try putting some sort of chewy stick down by the couch ( willow, apple, cherry ) maybe this will discourage him from chewing. Can also use those treat sticks. Other than that lock him out of that room when you are gone, that way you can supervise him for awhile and see what he does. Benjamin chewed a hole in my chair in my bedroom about a month ago, hadn't chewed for months, think he was just pissed off and bored about being left alone. Also try putting some stuffies down beside the couch, maybe that will entertain him.

 

[kuniklos]

I wish it was a matter of needing chew sticks. He has natural ones from our cherry tree, and a half dozen different kinds of wood bunny toys as well. He honestly never touches them, other than one with a bell he likes to ring. He's more of a hay ball sort of dude.

As for what he's exactly doing, he's nibbling on the frames until he can get a small grab of leather, and pops holes on a line down the side of it.

I will consider a bitter. I wasn't sure they were rabbit safe, but will look into them! I rubbed some dishwash soap lightly on the side to see if it works. I think it might have. He just went around the couch, I walked over, and he came right back. Or maybe he ran away because he got caught, and not because of soap tongue.

 

[elroyandjoann]

Elroy destroyed our leather couch. Luckily we bought it used. He liked to dig to get under it and rip off the leather at the same time. The only thing we found to even kind of work is getting the grids (like to build condos with) and standing them up around the couch. Our new couch is not leather lol.

 

[kuniklos]

elroyandjoann wrote:

Elroy destroyed our leather couch. Luckily we bought it used. He liked to dig to get under it and rip off the leather at the same time. The only thing we found to even kind of work is getting the grids (like to build condos with) and standing them up around the couch. Our new couch is not leather lol.

Yeah, we're really bummed. This was the only room we denyed him access, and he just got access over the last three weeks. Sadly the couch was new and a joint present from my family. I just wished he took a liking to my leather shoes instead! XD