Bunny proofing for house rabbits, preventing damage to a Sofa

Sofas

In this article we show you how to bunny proof your sofa, bunny proofing can prevent house rabbit damage to sofas from chewing.

Sharing the sofa

Bunny's like most pets that live in your home and share you living room like to jump on to the sofa, often sitting in your favourite spot! With a little gentle encouragement it is easily to reclaim your place from them or get them to jump down, but where bunny's do differ from other pets is in the types of damage a bunny can cause to a sofa and the danger that your sofas and other furniture of this type can pose. Training or teaching your bunny to stop jumping on the sofa, getting under the sofa or chewing the sofa is practically imposable especially when your back is turned so bunny proofing is vital to avoid problems and ensure your sofa safe. Only having done this will you be able to sit back and relax safe in the knowledge you can successfully share your sofa without danger or disappointment.

What your rabbit thinks of your sofa

The best way to approach bunny proofing a sofa is not by thinking of the problem as the fault of your bunny, but by understanding the difficulties you have caused by introducing such a large object into there environment. It is important to understand the range of problems that are likely to develop are all natural reactions as your bunny try's to fit there normal behaviour around what is to them a quite unique and unnatural object. Its can be impracticle to block access to your sofa and still have access yourself so your only real option is to understand the many ways your bunny is likely to interact with your sofa and apply a range of bunny proofing solutions where they are needed.

The best design

If you are changing your sofa, choosing the right one can help avoid many of the problems and dangers furniture of this type can have for bunny’s. The most suitable type of sofas available are the type with exposed metal frame that have no moving parts that can be covered easily. The best place to find these are in modern designer furniture store such as Ikea. They can be more expensive then the types you typically find in sofa warehouses, these are typically made out of a stretched material over a wooden from, but if you consider the extra ware and tare your rabbit may cause and what modification you may need to make to it to ensure it is safe and you can see why it could be worth it in the long run. Avoid sofas and chairs that have reclining mechanisms or that fold into beds as these can offer tempting crawl spaces that can lead to your rabbit to getting trapped inside. You may also unwittingly trap you rabbit in these mechanisms causing great harm to them.

Sofa placement

Sofas are typically positioned around the edges of your room which has the unfortunate effect of placing them directly in the path your bunny who will naturally want to skirt around this space. This can make it a target of constant attention as it presents itself as an obstacle on a regular bases. Its important to pay close attention to the tempting crawl spaces which can form between your sofa and the wall or other pieces of furniture which can be extremely dangerous if your rabbit gets stuck exploring them and hurts itself trying to escape If your sofa cannot be pushed tightly against the wall its best to either move it slightly into the room to avoid any narrow gaps or find some way of blocking off access to this space. This can be best achieved by pushing an object up tight up against it like a cabinet or heavily ornament. If this is not possible you may want to consider securing a small panel of sheet wood over the hole. Avoid using cardboard as this will not prove a permanent solution and may only prove more of a temptation.

Dangerous undersides

The underside of your sofa can be an incredibly dangerous place if your bunny. Bunnys have a natural tendency to want to maintain crawl space by clearing obstacles and the thin layer of material which is typically used to cover the underside of a sofa can be shredded in seconds and a serious problem can occur if you rabbit gets in there. Not only are you going to have to literally take your sofa apart to get you rabbit out your bunny is also likely to really hurt itself in the process of trying to escape. Always block of access to this space. Either turn your sofa over and cover this surf with some solid sheeting or better still block the temptation off by filling the space in, down to the floor.

Safe alternatives

Damage caused by your bunny to your sofa by chewing, digging and shredding can be hard to stop and can leave your sofa looking worn and tatty. Providing save alternatives to act as a distraction is the best method of avoiding excessive damage and preserve your sofa over time. Keeping a supply of new and exciting chew toys will make your sofa seem a lot less appealing to your bunny, and regular objects such as cardboard tubes and cardboard boxed can be used just as effective as bought toys and are a lot cheaper to replace on a regular bases. Using some throws can also cut down on the damage done directly to the surface of your sofa.

Think ahead

Some rabbits more then others like to jump on and off surfaces and your sofa is an easy target for this. If this is the case make sure you don’t leave anything on the seats there that be dangerous such as a plate of hot food or sharp objects. Always remove items that could be dangerous if eaten or that you don't want damages like your TV remote control or phone. If you do have a rabbit that dose likes to jump on and off your sofa make sure its as save as possible for them by avoiding leaving loose objects like cushions or clothing that can cause them to slip if they miss judged the landing. Also if your sofa is on a hard surface offer a soft landing by pulling a rug along side.