Friday, December 09, 2005

calling all bunny people

Does this Ikea chair look like it would be reasonably bunnyproof? Clearly the metal bottom is right on the money. But I haven't seen any rabbits living with leather chairs or sofas in person, so I don't know how they'll react to the leather. I *do* know we can wipe down leather easier than we can clean fabric.

I also know how rabbits react to leather shoes [they eat them], but shoes smell like foots, which has to be much of the attraction. Plus there will be no jutty-outty edges to grab on these chairs, like there are on the soles of shoes or tops of boots.

We have a tiny house with a tiny living room, so two chairs with ottomans [ottomen?] seem like a better idea than two couches that are 15 years old, rabbit eaten and recently peed on.

Comments:
Hi! If the bunnies can't get onto the chair, you're probably good. Otherwise, you're going to have to worry about nail puntures, and possible chewing. Take it from a vet student whose had lots of bunny experience!
 
I have yet to find a material that my bunnies won't attempt to chew...
 
The metal should be fine and there is enough of it to keep the buns away from the leather. My bunny Stu will nibble on leather but we have a chair like that and he does not make an effort to reach up and nibble on it. If it's not in front of his nose he won't go out of his way to get at it:o) Good luck!
 
I have this chair and because it reclines, I'd worry that your bunny would get stuck in between the back and the seat. Also, my cats find it very attractive for scratching... so your bunny may also. Best!
 
thanks, everyone, for the notes.

we're going to ikea tonight because we have to find SOMETHING. we'll watch for the potential bunny pinch spots. but we're at the point where we don't even want to sit in our own living room now, and that's gotta stop.

i also read on the HRS website [http://rabbit.org] that it's really okay to leave a bunny in its cage, if it's large enough, for most of the day when you're training it. we go one better -- we've got a huge dog exercise pen that sits around the cage, virtually doubling their square footage. so maybe we've just been giving them too much liberty and we need to ratchet back a little and work our way up to their full freedom when we're home, like noot had. and let go of the guilt.

we're also reminded of what it's like to have baby unspayed bunnies, because it has been 11 long years since we went through this last.

and one note to clarify: boeing is a chewer, but only when she feels comfortable enough to stay on the couch. most other stuff she ignores. squeeze is the big-time hormonal piss-marking freak who will chin a hand that's come to pet her before allowing the pets.

we're putting a lot of faith in the removal of hormones. february. seems like a VERY long time away.

[this is a long comment, isn't it?]
 
You should get in contact with Nanette at the Knitting in Color blog. She has lots of bunny experience.

http://knittingincolor.blogspot.com/

LaurieM
 
My bunny lives with leather furniture and doesn't touch it at all. Now the cat however, has marked it all up by just playing on it and extending her claws. *sigh*
 
Our guy, Max, is a big chewer. He even tries to eat metal, although, thankfully, unsuccessfully. He only hesitates at the big Restoration Hardware mission double bookcase and I think it's because he knows we paid a riduclous amount for it to protect our books from him. Perhaps bunnies respect new things and know it's ok to trash the old? When we had 3 at one time, I used to fear I'd come home to a huge couch shaped bunny with a head at one end a tail at the other =)

Good luck, amy!
 
I got no bunny help. But I do have puppy wisdom: Feel no guilt about setting boundaries when training your pets! Creating a happy home where you're not stressed or uncomfortable is important, and you and your bunnies will appreciate it. I sound like a PSA.

Have fun at IKEA!
 
Told ya leather was the way to go! Enjoy! They sorta have an Eames look to them -- how stylish are you guys?!
 
not stylish...DESPERATE.

but thanks. :-)
 
Sounds great! But what material are you going to choose for it.
 
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