Doors and door frames

Bunny proofing a doors & door frame. How to stop a house rabbit from chewing a doors & frame. Prevent digging & chewing to carpet around a door

There are some areas of your home that you probably don’t want your house rabbit to have access to. Keeping the door shut is the obvious way of making a room off limits however if the door itself can become a focus of unwanted chewing and digging behaviour which if not adequately bunny proofed can lead to some extensive and costly repair work.

Reasons for behaviour

Chew the edges off the doors the door frames and dig up carpets around doors.
Damage can occur around the bottom of the door and door frame where the soft wooden edges have been rounded off by chewing. The bottom edge of the door can also have strips of laminate torn off. You may also notice damage to the carpet adjacent to the door from digging where it has been pulled up or shredded.

Why the problem occurs

Your rabbit may feel shut out by a door and be trying to chew and dig around it.
f a door is blocking access to a room and your rabbit becomes curious as to what’s on the other side or feels shut out of the door, this can make the door frame and adjacent carpet a focus of this attention. Rabbits are tenacious chewers and may keep chewing at the wood in hope of eventually gain access to the other side. They may also be eating the wood making the door a favoured spot to source digestive fibber. They may also try digging adjacent to the door and have strong front paws that can easily pull up the carpet.

Bunny proofing solutions

You can protect a door with a combination of bunny proofing measures.
This can be a run away problem if not kept in check and it’s important to keep up a variety of bunny proofing measures in place to prevent excessive damage occurring which can lead to some costly replacement work.

Door kick plates

Brass and chrome kick plates can be fitted to a door to protect it from damage.
Damage can be caused by you rabbit stripping off the soft wood laminate from the bottom edge of the door. This can be prevented by reinforcing the door by installing a 'Kick plate'. Although you will have to install these permanently which will require some DIY this will prove a tidier option then a badly damaged door and is in the long run a lot easier then having to eventually replace the door completely.

Corner reinforcement

Corner strips can be used to protect the soft wooden edges of a door or door frame.
The door frames and skirting board around the door which are made of soft wood can become rounded of by sharp teeth. A permanent solution to this problem is to install some protective corner strips along the edge to reinforce the wood. You can purchase these from DIY stores.

Shielding with tiles

Laying ceramic tiles up against the door and door frame protects it from chewing.
A simple way to provide some protection the soft wood of the door and door frame from sharp teeth is to lay some ceramic tiles up against the areas around the door when you bunny rabbit is roaming freely around them. These can then be packed away when not needed.

Mats and carpet tiles

Laying down tiles or carpet mats can prevent damage to floor surfaces around doors.
Another area where damage can occur is to your carpet or floor surfaces adjacent to the door as your bunny may decide to digging under the door. You can prevent this by laying down a door mat or some carpet tiles on the floor. These can be easily packed away when not needed.

Pet gates

You can restrict access without having to shutting the door with a pet gate.
Pet gates are a great way of restricting access to a room without leaving your bunny rabbit feeling shut out. They can also take the brunt of the damage and are a lot cheaper to replace then the door itself. If it is a room you enter frequently they can also be a useful safety feature preventing instances of you unknowingly opening a door onto your bunny rabbit which can hurt it.

Rattles and bells

Provide alternatives for attention seeking such as rattles or bells to crash around.
One of the reasons the door may become a focus of attention is because your bunny is trying to get your attention in a way calling ‘Let me in’ especially if it knows you are on the other side. To prevent this there are a number of products you can buy such as toys with bells on them or rattle that can be placed next to the door used to draw attention away from the door itself.

Chewing alternatives

Provide alternatives to chew on such as willow sticks, chew toys and cardboard.
The door and its frame may become a target of gnawing behaviour as bunny rabbits tend to seek out and chew on soft materials such as wood to help wear down there teeth and provide digestive fibber. To help prevent this its best to provide some safe and acceptable alternatives that can act as a tasty distraction such as chew blocks, willow sticks, wicker toys, and card board boxes. Remember to replace these frequently as they will loose there novelty and appeal.

Digging alternatives

Stop an area of damage from digging developing by providing acceptable alternatives.
Your bunny may develop a habit of trying to dig up or shred the carpet. To help prevent this provide some safe and acceptable alternative such as a cardboard box with an old phone book in it or some cushions or a towel that your rabbit can dig and nest in.

Bitter spray

Apply some bitter sprays to a door or door frame to help prevent chewing damage.
Bitter sprays can help make an area a lot less appealing to chew on. To stop the spray going everywhere spray some into a cloth then wipe the liquid directly onto the areas affected. Remember to keep reapplying the bitter spray regularly so it doesn't loose its effectiveness. Avoid home made remedies such that may be suggested to you such as perfume or chilly oil as these can be harmful.

Training and discipline

A quick blast from a water misters can help stop chewing and digging behaviour.
If the door becomes a focus of attention and nothing seem to work then keep a water mister to hand, you really need to catch your bunny rabbit in the act for this to be effective, alternative if each time you bunny rabbit chews on the door you shut him away for a short time then it will help reinforce the message.