Outsmarted AGAIN!

[MiniLopHop]

I have been outsmarted by my rabbits again. I got a message from my husband that Ghirardelli came up to say hi in the living room. Gary and Becky share our bedroom free-roam. I am trying to bond my two pair together, but so far it is hard because Cindi eats so fast and Becky just picks at food.

I have tried baby gates and NIC panels with various locks to keep the buns in their room. Cindi and Houdini has half the office with a NIC house. The whole house is rabbit proofed because they run around with supervision on the weekends. There is our bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen downstairs. The living room, bathroom, and two offices upstairs. I could potentially try to block at the stairs rather than at the room door.

The cats also love to play with the buns and try to break down any barriers. Gary in particular, loves to play with the cats too. I don't want to shut doors and keep them from each other. Andre is good at jumping over things. Victoria doesn't care.

Should I just give up and let them all run the whole house? It might get my husband to pick up his socks better LOL Gary is quite the sock thief.

If so, how do I make sure Becky gets enough food? How many litter boxes, and where, would I need (now there is one per rabbit room, but they are large)?

:? All suggestions welcome.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Perhaps you could separate Becky at feeding time so that she can eat without the others eating all of her share?

Besides that, do they all get along well with each other?

I'd put about one litter box per room so that they have plenty of options and won't have an accident if they can't make it to a litter box in another room.

They don't have access to the cats' litter boxes, do they?

Emily

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

I to think its a good idea to seperate Becky during meals. Muppet eats in her cage as she is a slow eater and were trying to get her to gain and Fraggles to lose. Your problem is you have an upstairs/downstairs. We dont have that and the buns are allowed in the living room,kitchen and hallway. The bedroom,bathroom and computer room are closed off. Fraggles is allowed in Jasons art room as long as he is in there. She usually just loafs under his drawing table. Muppet won't ever be allowed in there cause its already hard for her to navagate her current space. I don't know about giving your bunnies total free range but it might be time to refigure things.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Ours we're restricted to the kitchen, hallway bathroom and family room. We use baby gates and closed doors.

 

[MiniLopHop]

The buns all get along well. The girls get testy over food, but the four of them play together on the weekends.

The cat litter boxes are in the mudroom, which is tile. The buns HATE tile, so they just keep on hopping on the carpet. Somehow the cats know not to use the bun's boxes. I don't think they like the grate.

Unfortunately baby gates don't work. The cats help break out the rabbits, so there's a good deal of strength there. Gary apparently has also taught Andre to dig at the magazines on the gate (put up to keep him from pulling with his teeth), it's rather cute to see both of them going at the paper at the same time. LOL

I do worry about the rabbits going up and down the stairs themselves. It just seems like accidents could happen, even though they are carpeted. Gary is the only one that seems comfortable hopping up and down, but he is fearless.

For now I think I'm going to try to block at the bottom of the stairs and see what happens

 

[I_heart_Fraggles]

I know this does not help but Becky reminds me of a manatee in this picture

 

[LakeCondo]

Aren't there stronger gates, like those meant for big dogs?

 

[funnybunnymummy]

All I have to say is: AAAAAWWWWWWW!!!! Love your bunnies all cuddled up on the couch!!!! So cute!!!

Rue

 

[LakeCondo]

They are all so nicely color coordinated!

 

[MiniLopHop]

Yes, they do go nicely together. I love that I couldn't really get more veriety in four animals than what I have.

I went to PetSmart and found a sturdier gate. *knocks on wood* so far so good.

Katie, she does kinda look like a manatee. Perhaps that is why she's my favorite? My tattoo is of a manatee

I got props for Easter and I'm looking forward to their next photo shoot. Joshua thinks it is torture, but I figure as long as I give them treats they can "work" for less than an hour total. Then they get to play together

 

[Nancy McClelland]

"The usual suspects".

 

[qtipthebun]

Good luck with the gate. We tried a few types of baby gates for Smokey and she just bounced right out over them. I avoid that with Q by just shutting a door if I don't want her out of the room, or otherwise just assuming that nothing is going to keep her out of the rooms. At Cowgirl's, she'll bounce onto the night table to get over the gate. I hope you have better luck!!

 

[winniety]

MiniLopHop wrote:

The buns all get along well. The girls get testy over food, but the four of them play together on the weekends.

The cat litter boxes are in the mudroom, which is tile. The buns HATE tile, so they just keep on hopping on the carpet. Somehow the cats know not to use the bun's boxes. I don't think they like the grate.

Unfortunately baby gates don't work. The cats help break out the rabbits, so there's a good deal of strength there. Gary apparently has also taught Andre to dig at the magazines on the gate (put up to keep him from pulling with his teeth), it's rather cute to see both of them going at the paper at the same time. LOL

I do worry about the rabbits going up and down the stairs themselves. It just seems like accidents could happen, even though they are carpeted. Gary is the only one that seems comfortable hopping up and down, but he is fearless.

For now I think I'm going to try to block at the bottom of the stairs and see what happens

the pic isnice :big wink:

 

[Bonnie Lee]

:inlove:

 

[bunnychild]

I use those metal shelving units that snap together and put duck tape on weak parts. Willow for some reason doesn't chew on this and he cant jump over it. Checkers (cat) can jump over and greet willow but wont because she gets scared when willow thumps his feet on the ground (It scares my big dog too lol)

 

[Luluznewz]

This is just some advice in case the gate you got doesnt work. There are baby gates that screw to the wall and have a latch that sorta locks shut. There would be no way for the rabbits and cats to knock those over. If the cats for some reason can get the latches open im sure a snapping clip will do the trick. I have used those before for animals.

EDIT: I just realized something super silly. The screwed on baby gate I had wasnt used in a real doorframe, but rather an archway gap in the wall. I totally forgot that most people actually use baby gates in doorways. woops.

 

[MiniLopHop]

That's ok. I ended up getting a gate made for dogs that can screw in like mentioned. You have to have a thumb to open the latch

So far so good! *knocks on wood*

 

[LakeCondo]

That should do it, but time will tell.

 

[ZRabbits]

LakeCondo wrote:

That should do it, but time will tell.

lol. No truer words spoke Lake. Willard has figured out how to open his crate door. Got the combination down. Had to secure it with a latch as well.

We even have to watch when the top open. Willard will actually climb the bars to the top and try to get out. We now have nicknamed him "Monkey Boy".

They are smart animals and WILL figure it out.

K

 

[winniety]

I had meet this condition,confused me,

Watching them to eat and you stay side

i really no idearay:


Color Changing Kitchen Faucet

Please Conserve Water