Baxter! has an ad on craigslist.. So sad..

[mouse_chalk]

Awww, this is excellent news! I'm so glad you're going to give it a try! It really does sound as like he's very lucky to have a place with you, if he's in an NIC cage they're very roomy, and 3 hours out a day is quite a lot, especially when you compare it to the thousands of bunnies that probably are stuck at the end of gardens in really small hutches and hardly get any attention, let alone free run time. It's probably a lot more than we think unfortunately...

Also, I don't know if this would help at all, but if Baxter! was in an NIC cage during the day, when you let him out, if you can't put all your wires out of his way, you could make a large pen of NIC cubes. For his playtime, if you're going to be supervising him, it might need to only be one or 2 grids high, and that can sort of fold around your living room to the size you need it to be... I don't know if this is making any sense, but if you only cable tie the pen together, it will bend into any shape that fits the space you have, and can fold away really easily too. You can also make it big enough that you can sit in it with him to bond with him too!

Again, I'm soo glad you're going to give things a go with Baxter! and I really look forward to more pictures and tales about him! Plus, we'll all be here to help you every step of the way with any information you might need!

Jen xx

 

[ec]

Another thing you can do - for runaround time - is to either make a fence out of NIC cubes (you could fold it back, accordion-style, so that it will fold pretty flat when not in use) or else a dog exercise pen. That way Baxter could have free roam in the pen or fenced-off area when you're there to supervise, and - so long as there are no uncovered wires nearby - you'd be OK.

Also, it really *is* nice to have an extra bunny corral that can be moved from room to room.

 

[juliew19673]

Thank you all for "explaining" to me that Baxter! is living large... What is funny is - when I came home tonight and went out on the patio (its warm thankfully now here in Los Angeles so he can stay out there all day and night) and I told him this was going to be his "Forever Home" for better or worse - he did a DBF!

Now it might be that he had just been eating his nightly dinner salad (carrot, baby spinach, small celery stick, brocolli w/dried banana chips and a few cerrioes for the croutons) BUT - he did do it right after I told him. LOL!

I think some of these buns understand english - Lord help me if he does. I feel very good with my decision to keep him after you all told me how bad itmight be for him to be rehomed (thanks Flashy for helping me so much these last few days) and keepthinking of that story I read on someonesBlog of the "Briar Patch" and would be heartbroken if he had to relive being homeless again.. So Baxter! is now a permanent member of RO!

 

[Flashy]

Ha ha, I think some understand English too. Sounds like he knows when he's onto a good thing

And no problem, I'm always more than happy to help, and my PM box is always open too

 

[ec]

I bet he did understand what you told him - buns (and most other animals) are a lot smarter than we tend to think they are.

Just for fun (a bit of a threadjack, but not entirely), check out http://language.rabbitspeak.com/rabbittalk.html ; also Temple Grandin's (animal behaviorist) book Animals in Translation.

 

[slavetoabunny]

:great:YAY!!! I'm so glad you are going to keep Baxter!! I always say that they don't learn how to live with us, we learn how to live with them because we love them so much.

 

[mouse_chalk]

ec wrote:

Just for fun (a bit of a threadjack, but not entirely), check out http://language.rabbitspeak.com/rabbittalk.html ;

Oh, that site is GREAT! I love it! I can nose wiggle with Mouse for ages now... and it really does help you understand some of the crazy stuff that bunnies do!

 

[ec]

mouse_chalk, I think our buns are waiting for someone to given them an equivalent site, so that they can finally understand why we humans are so weird! (Only half-joking; I'm sure we do a lot of things that seem very strange to them!)

 

[juliew19673]

I have perfected the NIC cage setup (yay me!). Its 3 panels wide by 2 panels deep and has 3 floors, however Baxter has only figured out the first two. He seems rather upset by the the whole "jail" setup and I think he would be happier in the hall way, but unfortunately for him this is much more convenient for me and my BF (need to shampoo the carpet there tomorrow).

I'm keeping him inthe NIC"jail"overnight so that he can adjust to this and then tomorrow and he can go back out on the patio we're he has room to run around.

Haven't yet told the BF this is forever (going to try the - well I tried to get him adopted, but apparently its not that easy card) and hopefully in the interim, he will fall in love with the little guy; as he is the one that took the photos of him that I have on this site - while I was at work mind you - so I think it might be an easy sell.

Sorry for the long post - and thanks once agian to you all for your advice and support. But look for my many questions to come up Baxter! and our ongoing life together.

Julie, one very happy Bun owner.

 

[juliew19673]

Jade, on a seperate note, I completely copied yourNIC cage photos(thank you so much for posting). It gave me the "blue print" that was suggested on a separate page of this site and Baxter! now has whatdesign wasin my head. The zip ties were not working for me and the "connectors" that came has thus far worked well (2 hrs. and counting) Thanks again and will post a photo next week of what I came up.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Julie, I'm really glad to hear that Baxter! will be staying with you forever! Good luck telling your boyfriend, I hope he takes it well. It must be a little stressful knowing you have to talk about it and not being sure what he'll say. If it makes you feel a bit better, my boyfriend wasn't thrilled with the idea of getting bunnies, but he went along with it and now he likes them quite well (providing they don't bite him or pee on the couch, luckily these things are rare) and he says they have way more personality than he thouht they did.

And Baxter! is definitely an official RO member now because I have given him a nickname! He is Baxie@ now :biggrin2:

 

[Flashy]

Baxter! will adapt to his new setup. It's not a prison, don't worry.

Often, the connectors by themselves come apart, so you can use the cable ties along with the connectors to secure it further. That might work better for you than just cable ties, or just connectors

 

[JadeIcing]

juliew19673 wrote:

Jade, on a seperate note, I completely copied yourNIC cage photos (thank you so much for posting). It gave me the "blue print" that was suggested on a separate page of this site and Baxter! now has whatdesign wasin my head. The zip ties were not working for me and the "connectors" that came has thus far worked well (2 hrs. and counting) Thanks again and will post a photo next week of what I came up.

YAY! Glad that it helped. I have NIC coming out of my ears.

 

[kahlin]

I'm sure Baxter! will get used to it.

The first time we made a NIC condo, I moved the bunny from a too-small store cage, to her new 3 story condo. She was so mad about it. But she got used to it.

 

[kirst3buns]

I'm so glad you got the NIC cube cage thing figured out and that Baxter! will be staying with you. You really are providing him a wonderful home. Hope the BF and cat come around soon.

And we will continue to get Baxter! updates and pictures. I have one in a 2 panel by 3 panel with 1 level and it is just fine. He gets about an hour of run time in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening. I'm sure Baxter! will get used to this set up.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Hey! How's Baxter! doing today? Is he getting any more used to his NIC cage? I'd love to see some more pics of him!

Jen xx

 

[juliew19673]

Baxter! is doing great in his new NIC "jail". He actually seems pretty happy in there now - doing many DBF's.. Only down side is that the cat now likes to walk up to it and hiss at him - so trying to cover a corner of it so he can get away from her torment... Thanks for asking.

 

[MsBinky]

You can pop in a small cardboard box for him to use as a hidey house. I gave Annabel one, made a door (it has grid windows as well), and she loves it! She hides in it, lies on top of it, digs at it, throws it around when she wants me to pay attention to her, etc.

I am glad you decided to keep him. :biggrin2:I'd have been sad myself not to see him on the forum anymore, he's so adorable!

 

[juliew19673]

Good idea - will do, but I bet he does the same with it as yours and willl use at 7:00 AM to make noise with it to wake me up.. Don't even need an alarm clock anymore, Baxter! will start throwing something - which wakes up the cat - who in turn starts screaming at me at 7:00 AM; I prefer to get up at 8:00 AM, but apparently I am out voted each AM.. LOL..

 

[nermal71]

Not to hijack...but every night between 2 am and 3 am Mopsy decides to let us know her food dish is empty.....metal dish...ceramic tile bottom......from 3rd story to bottom. You get the idea