Pressure treated wood

[Miss M]

My husband has some extra pressure treated plywood (the greenish kind) he was considering for a new hutch for Thumper. Can you safely build a hutch from this material, if you make sure edges can't be reached for chewing?

Aluminum flashing could be used on exposed edges, I would think, and he has some of that, too. They can't really chew on a flat wall surface, right?

 

[avdpas77]

It should be OK as long as it can't be chewed or touched against directly. If it is fresh from the lumber yard and still "wet" it should be allowed to dry before you put the rabbits around in case of any fumes. It contains copper arsenate or some similar chemical, so you don't want to chew on it either

I once had some hutches that were framed with it (on the outside) and although I am not a big hutch fan, it held up well where the urine etc hit it. While rabbits can't really chew flat surfaces, it would be preferable that they can't lick CCA lumber. Also, rabbits can chew right through aluminum flashing if it has a corner or edge they can get to.

 

[MaggieJ]

I'd be very hesitant to use it on any surface that the rabbits can brush against or - horrors! - lick. It might help to paint it with a non-toxic paint... not sure about that.

 

[Miss M]

I hadn't even thought about licking... bunnies find the weirdest things yummy... I never imagined that rabbits would consider chewing through metal! Yikes!

I showed your advice to my husband and he'll figure what to do from here. You can't paint the stuff for six months, either, so that's really out too. He's totally switching gears now... not going to use the pressure treated wood. Shame, since it's free, but oh well!!

Thank you both for your help with this! I had thought that what he had in mind was safe enough, but apparently not... y'all are such a huge help for those of us just starting out, don't know what we'd do without this board!!

 

[ladysown]

oh...can they chew a flat wood surface, not sure.

I DO KNOW that sharp bunny claws digging at wood walls can cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time and that leaves wood shavings (Clawings perhaps) all over a cage floor.

the pressure treated stuff would be good to make legs from or used as a support for a wire cage.

I just wouldn't want it actively near the bunnies.

 

[lyndseyrk]

They can't really chew on a flat wall surface, right?

YES, THEY CAN. Or, they'll scratch and dig at it until there's an uneven spot, and then have a place to chew. I wouldn't do it. Unless it was for the legs of a hutch.

 

[Miss M]

WOW! Amazing... my husband has already changed his plans, but that's just amazing. Good extra info for filing in the brain. Thank you!