How To Stop Bunnies Chewing Cords

It is important for your bunnies health and happiness that you share lots of time together, time often spent relaxing at home watching TV or surfing the web with your bunny freely roaming in the room.

Unfortunately, the cables and cords that power these electrical devices use can be extremely dangerous, even deadly to bunnies that seem to find chewing them irresistible.

The soft plastic insulation offers no protection from a bunnies razor sharp teeth that are made for slicing through tough roots and shoots and if your bunnies wet mouth touches the wires inside, they can burn their mouths and receive a severe shock.

The materials power cords are made from can also be harmful to your bunny if digested causing tummy problems and often an expensive trip to the vets.

The only safe way to share your home with your bunny is to fully bunny proof all the exposed electrical cables and, in this guide, we teach you everything you need to know.

The only safe way to share your home with your bunny is to take the time to fully bunny proof it

We show you some of the straightforward ways to make a room safe by simply rearranging your furniture and using fencing made from sections of pet pen to keep power cables safely out of harm's way.

And have a guide to installing permanent protection by covering power cords in split length tubing or installing box conduit so you never have to worry again.

We also have some notable examples of how people have gone about blocking off the crawl spaces behind their TV which can be especially dangerous for a curious bunny.

Lastly, we look at some ingenious ways people have found to keep phone and laptop charges safe while still using them.

So, do not take the chance, learn how other bunny parents get this important bunny proofing job done correctly so you can relax with your bunny roaming freely without having to unplug everything first.

Quick and straightforward ways to conceal power cords from your bunny

Before you let your bunny roam free in a room it is essential to make sure all the power cables are safely out of harm's way. Bunnies are expert chewers, and it only takes your back to be turned for a second for the damage to be done.

Fortunately making a room bunny safe can be easily achieved by making some simple changes to the way your furniture is laid out to hide the cables.

With the addition of a few bits of fencing to cover the spots where power cables are left exposed you can bunny proof a room without much effort.

The first thing to think about is how to best arrange your furniture and electrical devices together so you can limit the amount of exposed cable your bunny can reach.

Move furniture with lamps or other electrical devices directly in front of plug sockets so you can lead the electrical cables from the plug to conceal them. Make sure you push the furniture up against the wall as bunnies like to explore these gaps.

You can also trail cables behind and over the top of furniture by pushing pieces of furniture together. By doing this you can stretch cables across the room to where you need them while keeping them safely tucked away.

Another uncomplicated way commonly used to bunny proofing cables is to simply fence them in. The best way to do this is to break out some sections of pet fencing or smaller wire grids from storage solutions and use these to shield an area where plugs are located or along a wall.

Wire fencing can also be used to block access to crawl spaces that lead to plugs under furniture or behind an appliance. Low sections of fence can be easily made using sections of wire grids taken from office storage solutions which can then be lashed around the base of sofas beds and other furniture.

An uncomplicated way to prevent chewing in areas with lots of electrical devices such as a computer desk or shelves can be to simply fence off the whole corner or part of a room with sections of pet pen. If you set this out in a zigzag pattern this can even be free standing, or you can lash the ends to some furniture using some cotton string to make it more secure.

If you choose a pet with a gate section in it this can make it a lot easier for you to get in and out of the enclosed space if you still need access.

Another great trick can be to install a baby gate across a door to a room with lots of electrical equipment such as a utility room to block off access and still allow you to nip in and out whilst keeping an eye on your bunny.

Remember, bunnies are good climbers and can jump high when they want to, so always do a quick check to make sure they cannot find an indirect way to get to a no-go area.

We would also recommend you avoid using cardboard as fencing as bunnies have a habit of chewing their way through this in tile which if anything could encourage them.

Lastly, it is worth bearing in mind that for bunnies, foraging for new things to chew and exploring places of shelter are natural behaviors that make them happy.

As you limit the spaces your bunny can go to as a part of bunny proofing a room remember to provide lots of safe and acceptable alternatives so they can still have fun.

There are lots of great tunnel toys, tents and chew toys that you can use to enrich their environment. Alternatively, free toys such as cardboard boxes or some old toilet-roll tubes can be just as much fun.

How to permanently protect exposed wires from bunny chewing

Sometimes it is hard to avoid wires that stretch across your room or to your appliances on a shelf or furniture however, making sure these cables are bunny proofed is essential before you let your rabbit roam freely in a room. Bunnies are natural foragers and it is likely to be only a matter of time before they will chew into them unaware of the danger this can bring. Unfortunately, you are unlikely to put them off this behavior with bitter sprays or by scolding alone so the only real solution is to find some way of protecting them. But do not worry this is something that lots of veteran bunny parents have done before and here we show you many of the ways they have discovered og going about this vital task.

A simple, convenient, and cheap way of adding protection especially for short bits of exposed cable is to slip them inside a length of plastic piping. We recommend using a tough solid pipe commonly used for plumbing that can be purchased from home improvement or plumbing stores rather than a thinner more flexible material as some bunnies parents have reported that their bunnies have been able to chew through this.

If you are wondering how to fit adapters and plugs through the pipe, the trick is to split it down its length end to end so you can then slip the cable inside without having to take the plugs off. This can be done with a bit of care with a sharp knife. This is often called split length tubing.

Another more permanent way to protect wires is to install conduit along the walls around the edge of the room. The tough strips of boxing or piping can be mounted on a wall above your baseboards and electrical cables that would otherwise lead around the edges of the room can be hidden away inside, keeping them safe.

Make sure you not only fit them around the room but also lead them down from any plug sockets and back up the wall to where electrical devices are located leaving no cables exposed.

Conduit is designed for this job and can be installed yourself with a minimum of effort. It is cheap and can be found in most home improvement stores. The soft plastic can be easily trimmed to size and these systems typically come with a variety of corners and junctions that make it easy to assemble.

How to stop your bunny going behind your TV

Bunnies love to explore and no amount of saying No! will keep them out of forbidden areas like behind your TV when your back is turned. It is best to always block this area off securely so the nest of electrical cables they contain are permanently out of harm's reach.

If you can position the TV up against a wall and in front of a plug socket so you don't need to trail any cables up to it, it is then just a matter of covering any gaps to block access behind. The corner of a room or tight-fitting alcove is an ideal place as this will create a natural space behind to put all the plugs and cables in that is blocked off at each side.

A few well-placed ornaments of pieces of furniture can often be enough to prevent access where needed, alternatively, you can use a couple of sections of a pet pen or the wire grids from office storage cubes to fence this space off around the edges or under a cabinet.

If you do have exposed audio cables or power cords then the safest way of protecting them is to hide them away. Wall mounted conduit for doing this is available at home improvement stores which you can fit yourself. Elsewhere split ling pipe can be used to protect sections of cable.

It can help to keep all your TV and audio equipment together in a cabinet. Cabinets with glass doors are ideal as this will let you keep the doors shut and still use your remote controls.

It's best to avoid using cable tidies or cardboard as a way of protecting your electrical equipment. Bunnies can chew through these materials and come to harm.

Wire grids

How to stop your bunny chewing your phone charger and other loose cables

We tend to give our phones and other devices a lot of attention and your bunny will be very curious as to what they are when we put them down or leave them out, and by curious, I mean give it a quick chew to see what it is.

This as most bunny parents have discovered at one time or another can lead to a lot of scratch screens and broken charger cables.

Really the only good way to keep them safe is to move them out of harm's reach and get in the habit of not leaving them out.

To help get in this habit it is best to set yourself up a charging station somewhere completely out of reach like a kitchen worktop or a study room where your bunny does not have access and make your gadgets permanent home when they are plugged in.

Lastly, never rely on telling your bunny off or using bitter sprays to stop your bunny chewing electrical cables. It will not stop them. Only hiding away the cables will make it safe.