[Jess]

Yup, Smudge is going mental again.


Most of you know how I have his enclosure set up: My closet has been transformed into a giant bunny cage, and I have a gait that I put on the front of it at night so that Smudge doesn't get out (There are no closet doors, just a curtain).
Well, Smudge discovered that he could jump over the 18" gate. He had done it before a couple times when I didn't bring him his food fast enough, but he never jumped out for the sake of escaping until a couple days ago. One night, he literally jumped out 5 different times, and I had to re-capture him and put him back only for him to escape again a few minutes later. When he escaped, he didn't even do anything- He laid down across from my bed, and watched me sleep LOL.


So I attached some NIC panels to the top of his gate, so he couldn't jump it. Well, there is a 2-3" gap between the NIC panel and the wall because the NIC panels just weren't quite big enough, and now he is trying to squeeze through that. Last night I witnessed him jump up on the gate, hang on it for a second, and fit his head through the gap before he fell! I'm worried he will hurt himself. He is completely obsessed with trying to jump over his gate right now. I thought he was too old to be doing this, but apparently not...


Does anyone have any new gate ideas for me? The opening to my closet is 4 ft wide, and I would need something more than 2 ft tall.

 

[Kgleek27]

I use baby gates. They adjust to any size doorway and if Smudge can hop over one you could maybe stack two (although neither of my rabbits have ever tried to jump over them).

 

[Nibbler]

what if u put 2 baby gates one on top of the other ?

 

[Dragonrain]

I think I mentioned this before...but I have to use two baby gates one stacked on top of the other to keep my rabbits in my bunny room. For a very short time I used just one, but it didn't take my two larger rabbits (4 - 5 lbs) very long at all to figure out they could jump over it.

So yeah, I've been using 2 baby gates since. It's kind of a pain but it keeps them from escaping at least.

 

[Purple-Hops]

I'd vote baby gate. It's pressure mounted and therefore #1. I love my baby gate although now it's used less for bunny and more for Coco but anyway. . . Your Smudge is some bad! lol He's always up to something!

 

[Jess]

I have a babygate on the door to my bedroom that he can't jump over, but I haven't been able to find one that expands big enough to cover the 4 ft entrance to my closet. Otherwise I would get one.


Do you guys know of any gates that will expand to be that wide?

 

[harminygrits]

I use one by Safety1st for my kitchen(about 3 1/2 feet wide entrance)--Millie did jump over it 1 time and just sat there looking at me like NOW WHAT...i promptly returned her to her space and she hasn't tried that again--I'm not even sure she actually planned it... Would he wreck the place if he weren't confined to the closet while you were asleep? My bunnies sleep over the vent in my kitchen-maybe Smudge is gettin hot in his closet!

 

[Jess]

He is usually pretty well behaved, but I don't want him to chew up the blankets I kick off of my bed. Otherwise I would let him run at night too. I'm thinking about trying to get a pen, and putting it around the entrance to my closet so he would have some extra space, maybe? I'd have to find a used one for a decent price though.

 

[Nibbler]

He is usually pretty well behaved, but I don't want him to chew up the blankets I kick off of my bed. Otherwise I would let him run at night too. I'm thinking about trying to get a pen, and putting it around the entrance to my closet so he would have some extra space, maybe? I'd have to find a used one for a decent price though.

Thats a pretty good idea but it would have to be taller then the one you have right now. what if for now so he doesnt get hooked on the top part of ur door gate, you put a flatt box on it. i know they chew but this way he wouldnt be able to get caught on the gate till u figure something out ?

 

[Purple-Hops]

To stop Acacia from jumping out her pen 2 yrs ago when she had her accident (-_-) I built the NIC 2 up and then cable tied one on top flat (like the box idea from nibbler) . She couldn't jump over it then bc she would have just fell.

 

[Jess]

OK, thanks for the idea guys! He didn't try to jump it last night, so I hope he figured out that the NIC addition is un-jumpable. I'm looking for a pen on CL right now. I'm going on vacation in a week though, so if I can't find one before then, my mom is going to help me make my own pen for him with with some of that wire grid/fencing stuff so that he won't escape while I'm gone.

 

[Purple-Hops]

You're always going on vacay!

 

[Jess]

Only to see family! I have no relatives in MN, so we have to travel if we want to see anyone. People hardly ever come to our house LOL.

 

[Purple-Hops]

bc of your insane zoo?!?! They're afraid of the wrath of Smudge

 

[Jess]

LOL, sometimes I wonder...

 

[litlebunnies2]

What I did with my bunnies was to make a tall "gate" with wood and wire. I used those gate hooks and eyes to secure it to the wall/door frame. when I wanted it up. It was at least 3ft high. and they could not jump over it or chew through it.