X-pen help...what can I do?

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DaisyE

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I have a little room under the stairs that is only used for junk & I had a great idea to turn it into my bunny's new home! I've cleared it out & theres nothing that can harm him & I have a baby gate in the doorway as well as the door that closes [for when I'm not able to supervise, at night etc.]

My bun will have SO much more room & freedom...hes currently in a critter nation single unit cage & even tho he gets let out daily, it seems like he gets frustrated sometimes? The cage is pretty big compared to most bunny set ups...but I'm sure the more space, the better.

ONLY issue is the floor in the room is carpet & we're renting [have paid a pet deposit tho]...what can I do?
I've never had an issue with him messing with our carpet when hes out...but I'm sure once he realizes this new space is his, he may decide to um modify it lol.

Also hes litter box trained in his cage...but because this area is MUCH bigger do you think he will pee everywhere?

I am REALLY wanting to put him in there like tonight! But all I have to cover the carpet is a big sheet...=/

Please help! What do you think?
 
A tarp or even a plastic table cloth can work to keep liquid from getting to the carpet. You can then put blankets on top to keep him from going at the plastic. If he is one to try to chew and dig, then you could get a chair mat (goes under a computer/office chair so it can roll easier) and put blankets on top of that. Foam puzzle mats can work as well, but some rabbits like to chew them, it is good to have a tarp underneath too. Carpet, rugs or something else could also be used to protect the carpet.
For using the litter box, it really depends on him. Some rabbits will just use the box and others might want to mark the area. When you put him in, put in his litter box as well. It should be somewhat dirty so he has the smell of where to go.

I would wait until the area is fully set up. It doesn't take long to for a rabbit to do damage. Make sure things do go to the corners as that is where many rabbits like to dig.
 
If he hasn't yet gone after carpet, he may not. I would guess there's a good chance that he won't if hasn't yet. I would try him out and see how he does. It's likely he'll do some territorial poo droppings though.
I would suggest that when you put him in his new space that you do NOT put a cleaned, fresh litter box, but one that he has already gone in. He should be fine in returning to it if it smells familiar.
Could you put his cage in that room and then just open the door so he can hop out? That way he's familiar with the cage and just has some new roaming room. A box can be used as a step between the opening of the cage and the floor. OR just remove the legs from the CN and put it directly on the floor with the doors open. I think that would make the easiest transition and increase the likelihood that he'll return to the cage to use the litter box.
 
I'd invest in a piece of linoleum a little bigger than the size of the floor, so when it's set in place, the lino goes up the wall a few inches (you'll have to cut a V into each corner so it fits neatly). Then I'd silicone the corners so no liquids can get under the lino and into the carpet.

You could just leave the lino bare or put some fleece blankets or carpeting over top.

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
Oh, and I agree about putting a dirty litter box into the space so he'll know where to go. You could put one in each corner if you're overly worried about it.

Generally, most bunnies are pretty good with the box once they've been trained to use it. We've bunnysat a few times and all the bunnies go straight to the box to do their business, even if they've never been here before. :)

Hope that helps!

Rue
 
Thanks for all your ideas...gives me a lot to think about & a lot of options! I guess I should be patient & get the area set up first before putting him in there & risking damage!
I'm excited for him :)
 

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