BunTastic!

[Wabbitdad12]

Great pictures, they are very cute.

 

[Fancy77]

They buns r looking great!!!! Nice pics with an iPhone

 

[Torchster]

So I have had my kids for about six months or so now, and I thought that I would take a moment to reflect on life with my kids.

As a single guy living alone, the old condo had been a little on the quiet side for a few years. I thought that I really wanted to get a pet. Somehow I found bunnies, and it was a really good decision. I've taken some flack from people, but I really don't care, I love my Bert and Petunia. Do I wish my Petunia didn't seem so scared of me and let me pet her a bit more, sure. Do I wish my Bert didn't shred carpeting as much as he does, sure. But in the grand scheme of things, those things don't really matter.

Of course the first time that Bert wasn't feeling well...well I FREAKED. I knew that it doesn't take long for a bunny to go from bad to really bad. He came thru. Every once in a while, I go to the Bridge, but usually I find it too sad to stick around. I know I should send a message of support to those people, but I just can't read those messages. I really do feel those people, but I'm worried about the day that I will be in their shoes.

God only knows how much money I have spent boxes and building little place for them to go. They each have their own tower, but spend most of their time together. I have converted some lamp boxes into tunnels they can get into behind the couch (so they can't get INTO the couch). I built them a nic cage. I even built them a stand with a ramp so the can get up to the window and see what is going on outside. How much have I spent, who cares.

There is nothing like when I lay down on the floor and Bert comes up to lick my shirt. He will spend as much time as I let him. I take this time to get out the brush, or i just gently pluck his fur. Sometimes he wants to go for a piggy back ride, so I take him around the room. Other times, I just lie on the floor next to him.

Now, I will admit that I have said that Petunia was a little more warm. But it makes those times when she will let me pet her head, that much more special. Those times when she comes running down the hallway, does a circle around the living room, and barrels back down the hallway that much more special. Those times when she comes over and nudges my foot, before hoping away...just that much more special.

My only hope is that my bunnies think that their life is better since I got them from the rescue (whom I am sure treat the bunnies as best they can). I know that my life is.

 

[TinysMom]

This is the first time I've read this blog and I love it.

I love both of your bunnies - but especially Petunia.

I'm so glad you enjoy your bunnies so much and I love what you've made for them. They're such lucky buns...

 

[Fancy77]

WOW u r such a sweet person. I know both your buns have it MADE with you and know they r special.

But if you ever feel the need to help spoil some one else's buns plz plz plz dont hesitate to ask. I will be more than happy to let you know what mine need and you can send it my way lol

 

[Wabbitdad12]

Well it looks like Bert and Petunia have trained you well as a bunny slave.

 

[Torchster]

I've been looking a lot into getting another bun. Perhaps I just need to window shop for awhile. Since Bert is so high strung, I doubt if I were to get a third I'd have any hope of bonding all three together. For some reason I've been really drawn towards a Flemish. It's seems weird, but it seems like that breed is more common up north. The farther south you go, the less there seems to be. Nothing really in the DC area. A couple of CraigsList, but I don't feel comfortable with that. Nothing really in any Rescue. I wonder why that is?

 

[Fancy77]

Flemish are so great..u wont regret getting one.

 

[kahlin]

It's hard to resist increasing the bunny family, isn't it? I've got Finley and Behr right now, but some day I'll get a French lop. Or any lop really. I'm drawn to them.

So if you're drawn to a Flemish, I think you'll get one somehow. It doesn't go away!

 

[Torchster]

Well, Bert isn't feeling well again. Probably Statis. I gave him some Little Tummys gas relief drops. Although he hates this stuff with a passion and giving it to him is a nightmare, he seems to be doing better. This stuff seems to work really quickly. I doubt he ever gets near a full dose. He just hates it so much. I might try and give him a follow up dosage. I'm not sure the stress is worth it.

I got him in march, and this is about the third time he has been like this. I kind of wonder if there isn't something that I am doing fundamentaly wrong in his care. Just last night I spent like a 1/2 hour plucking his back to help with his current shed.

I can't help but think that I am missing something.

 

[kahlin]

I think some bunnies are just a bit more sensitive. None of mine like the gas relief stuff, but I don't care if they don't like it - I'm going to do everything in my power to make them better.

Maybe it's something he's eating - like veggies or something?

 

[Fancy77]

I am no expert but could they have chronic stuff like this due to genetics?? that seems like a lot to me..wow and it sounds like u try really hard to avoid all of it.

 

[Torchster]

he is shedding pretty hard right now. I think tonight I am going to lock him in his cage over night so I can see how things are coming out. With two bunnies, it can be a real challenge.

 

[kahlin]

That it can be...it's so much harder to pick up on illness unless their behaviour is off too.

 

[Torchster]

Bert seems to be doing OK. I think that he is going thru a molt (isn't that like a massive shed?). Its weird, he is about 1/2 down, but seems to have stopped. He shed a lot of hair off the top of his back, but you can see where he has shed and not shed. It been the same for a couple of weeks. I work with him a pluck him every day, but I guess he decided to stop mid molt. It would seem that his legs, butt and belly are really warm, but his back must be kind of cold .

I kind of go back and forth on getting another bunny. Sometimes I want to, other times I don't. I think I will keep it to my two kids for awhile.

 

[Fancy77]

Happy to hear Bert is doing better, but that is odd about him molting lol

I would love to see new pics of your fur kids...it has been far too long since the last ones

 

[Torchster]

Instead of pics of the buns, I thought that I would take a few pics of the BunTastic play pen. I bunnies have free run of 1/2 a room while I am work durning the day, and that is where they sleep at night.

It take two pics to really get the feel for the main part of their room. I have converted some old Wardrobe moving boxes into 'towers' on either side of the old NIC cage I used to keep in the living room. They can climb up to the top of the box with some internal stairs that I put into the boxes. With small bunnies the boxes are very stable. Yet another reason not to get a Flemish.

Of course, if you are gonna do something, might as well over do it right? I thought it would be nice to make a way for them to get to the window so that they could see out if they want to. So I had a little ramp that I wasn't using and created a 'table' with PVC for them to sit on. The ramp and table are cover with carpet. What you can see on the side of the ramp, is the big ex-pen that I use to keep the bunnies away from the bunny supplies.

Now how do I keep the bunnies on the table and keep them from getting to the bunny supplies? Well, its darn near impossible to see, but its plexiglass. There are like 30 inch plexiglass walls to keep the bunnies safe. They can climb up the ramp, and see out the window, but the table top is enclosed with plexiglass so I can see them, if they are looking out the window. The plexiglass is secured to the wall (that is why there are those two wooden rods sticking out of the wall), so they can't get into trouble. They can't get under the table - so it give me more storage of bunny supplies.

Maybe if I stop spending so much money on bunnies, I can spend some money on a real camera.

And yes, I keep like 5 different litter boxes in their cage for 2 less then 5 pound bunnies. Some are a mix of litter and hay to eat (get changed and moved around every day) and some are just for doing their duty. They are pretty good about their litter boxes.

It used to be a lot bigger, but I took down the really high stuff. And there are cut outs that can't be seen, so in case I need to get a bunny out from somewhere I can.

 

[Fancy77]

Holy Cow what a set up u have!!! Bunny pics still wanted tho lol. Love the "table" idea, that was very creative.


"Maybe if I stop spending so much money on bunnies, I can spend some money on a real camera."
:roflmao:

"Yet another reason not to get a Flemish." hnoyoudidnt:

 

[Torchster]

Everything I have in my house is designed for my small bunnies. The big boxes wouldn't work because a big flemish would be too heavy, the small tunnel boxes behind the couch wouldn't work, because a flemish just wouldn't fit, and the plexiglass on the table would be too short. So many reasons not to get a flemish. I think that I will stick with my babies for now.

I must admit one thing. I though I find it difficult, sometimes I find myself reading some of the bridge announcements, or some of the threads about sick bunnies. Honestly, if I head read that stuff first, I might not have got a bunny. Now, my babies aren't going anywhere, and I love them to death, so don't worry about that. And I have to give some people all of the credit in the world for what they try and do for their bunnies! God Bless them!!!!

But some of the stuff that I see people going through, really does make me so sad, and so scared. Sooner or later I will have to go through the same things with Bert and Petunia. Actually, it makes me so sad, that I can't even talk about it right now. I think that I will just get back work.

 

[Torchster]

Right now Bert is playing catch Petunia...I think Petunia is playing bring it on punk. I took some pics of my babies..

Here is one of my baby Bert playing with a toy.

Petunia thinking...LEAVE ME ALONE

Here is one where I can hope ya all can see his shed/molt...which seems to have stopped. His back is done I think, but its just not coming off his behind and his sides...weird.