Waterproof and chew-proof flooring?

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L I Z

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Because my bunnies love to mark their territory, I need a slick, waterproof surface that will allow me to easily wipe up messes. However, I hesitate to use shower liners, etc. because many plastics can be toxic to animals. My bunnies also love to nibble on anything and everything, so I worry about them ingesting flooring materials.

Due to my wariness about plastics, I have tried using fabric whelping pads, waterproof yoga mats, etc. Unfortunately those are difficult to clean and seem to be great chew toys for my bunnies...

Which waterproof, easy-to-clean flooring options would you recommend? Is it safe to use plastic surfaces, such as shower liners, garage flooring, and office chair mats? What about linoleum? Is that waterproof and chew-proof?
 
I recommend vinyl. It is easy to find at a local hardware shop and they will most likely give it to you for free because they always have scraps! It works well for Holland lops, because they have very padded feet and it is super easy to clean even with a litter of babies haha.
 
office chair mats would be a good option and give them more things to chew on. are they litter trained?
 
Rolled linoleum or vinyl flooring can work. Just know that some rabbits can't get grip on these floors and don't like them (won't run or binky on them). The key is to be sure that they cannot access the edges of the flooring or they will indeed chew it. (Shower curtains only work for guinea pigs, not rabbits. The plastic is far too thin. Even their paw nails can put holes in it.)

There are some linoleum/vinyl flooring that has texture. Some even feel like the texture of an old brick. These would be ideal--still waterproof but not too slick for the rabbit. Remember rabbits don't have pads, just slippery fur on their paws.

Here's an old photo of a cage we had with the rolled lino on the bottom level. The edges of the lino were just beyond the cage wall so bunny couldn't get to those edges:
upload_2020-3-25_11-15-27.png
 
I recommend vinyl. It is easy to find at a local hardware shop and they will most likely give it to you for free because they always have scraps! It works well for Holland lops, because they have very padded feet and it is super easy to clean even with a litter of babies haha.

If it can pass the test with a litter of babies, it sounds like a great idea. I will check out my local hardware store today. Thank you for the suggestion!
 
office chair mats would be a good option and give them more things to chew on. are they litter trained?

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you know where I could find inexpensive office chair mats? Most that I've looked at are over $100 for a small rectangle.

Yes, my bunnies are litter trained, but they still like to pee in certain spots to mark their territory. Is that normal?
 
Rolled linoleum or vinyl flooring can work. Just know that some rabbits can't get grip on these floors and don't like them (won't run or binky on them). The key is to be sure that they cannot access the edges of the flooring or they will indeed chew it. (Shower curtains only work for guinea pigs, not rabbits. The plastic is far too thin. Even their paw nails can put holes in it.)

There are some linoleum/vinyl flooring that has texture. Some even feel like the texture of an old brick. These would be ideal--still waterproof but not too slick for the rabbit. Remember rabbits don't have pads, just slippery fur on their paws.

Here's an old photo of a cage we had with the rolled lino on the bottom level. The edges of the lino were just beyond the cage wall so bunny couldn't get to those edges:
View attachment 45948

I like the idea of getting textured linoleum so it's both waterproof and less slippery. It also sounds like the bunnies won't be able to chew on it if the corners are out of reach. Thanks for the input!
 
Have you decided? Sorry im so late! You can find them on Amazon. the textured linoleum is a good idea too!
 
Want to share my story he is neutered. He never peed outside of the liter box. I decided to move him from one area to another. He had chewed up his long colorful cat tunnel so I took it out to sew. He started peeing on the floor which always had a blanket down. Not understanding his behavior I moved him back to where he started since he was 3 months old. Took blanket out because he still was peeing on it. Sewed his cat tunnel then guess what he stopped peeing immediately on the floor. Now I will add his blanket back in. If their behavior changes look around and see what is different they might not be happy. I'm glad I figured this out their urine is very strong.
 

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