Thumper AKA fuzzy butt!

[PaGal]

Maybe I'll look into getting some sort of scoop.

I love those. I saw something similar somewhere online and thought it would be great to build something like that. I would not paint it although it is cute like that. I would just leave it plain would for the buns safety. I showed hubby and he thought it was a good idea which I was a little surprised at as I thought he'd think I was just a little bit crazy.

 

[PaGal]

I also thought of doing something like that but with plastic storage boxes and such. Those would be easier to keep clean.

Last evening I cleaned the girls cage as it was due plus someone peed on the upstairs. Before I went to bed again somebun had peed on the second level so again I cleaned it and this morning I ziptied a piece of coroplast over the opening so they cannot access the second floor. There has been no pee outside of the litter box on the first floor.

I'm not sure if the hormone surge is causing Shirley to mark territory up there or if one of them is just being too lazy to go to the litter box. I don't want it to become a hard habit to break so I'll try limiting their in cage space for a while. Nobunny has peed outside of the cage either.

 

[whitelop]

When Ellie is feeling sort of hormonal, she marks different places in my kitchen. Thankfully shes been really good lately. I think shes about to insane, but no pee on the floor yet!

I think limiting cage space is the best thing!

 

[Chrisdoc]

I am definitely going to find someone to make at least one of those hideaways. Houdini sometimes pees outside the box inside the play cage. I have moved the litter box in there to the other corner and he is peeing in there now but sometimes his little bottom hangs over as he likes the very corner. I have put some newspaper under there just in case to soak up. Shirley sounds like a lady with purpose

 

[PaGal]

So far so good. There has so far been no urine outside the litter box on the first floor.

The girls favorite place to dig and tear up the carpet is the corners formed on each end of the cage from where the cage and wall meet. On one corner I had some boxes to give them something to dig and tear at and to block the corner. Thumper has taken to marking with poos in this area but on the outside of the Xpen. I realized that there was a little urine on the boxes from the spraying on the second level of the girls cage. I got rid of the boxes yesterday and replaced them with a nice, new box. He's still pooping there though. At least it's just poo. I can deal with that.

We let Cloud around his mom and sister yesterday supervised. He appears to have no more interest in mounting but not so much Pepper. Poor Cloud seemed confused as all he wanted to do was play.

 

[PaGal]

I don't know what's up with Thumper. I have been letting him have free run of the bun room, dining room and den. The kitchen is open as well but he never goes in there. I think it's just too much hardwood for him. He hasn't been coming into the den or dining room much though. Usually he'll come in when I first take down the baby gate that keeps him in the bun room. He'll run around, jump over the dog or at least go up and sniff him, chin different things and get some pets from me but after a little while he'll just go back into the bun room. He used to love being in the den. I have caught him a few times eating hay so maybe I just need to put some in the den.

I had the girls out during the day. It was during the time they will at least rest some. I did that the other day and it has been the only time in the past week they have been quiet at night so I thought I would try it again. Luckily it usually doesn't bother hubby so he's not mad but it does keep me up. I also connected their concrete form tunnel to a box just to make it a little more interesting.

I have been wanting to get them some cat ball treats to put their pellets in but haven't found any at the stores I have shopped at. I have to go to an area I really dread going to get to a petsmart. Too many people and too much traffic, mostly it's the people though. Ha!

Cloud is no longer interested in mating after his neuter so for the past several days all of the cats have been together on one side of the garage. Our one cat I call Mama is grumpy and will growl, hiss and swat at everyone else if they get too close. She keeps her nails in though but it's so funny watching Cloud and Pepper mess with her. Especially Pepper, she just loves stalking her. Mama deserves it as she's so grumpy. She's also a greedy cat, always first to the food bowl.

Pepper would be great for training. I think she's just really smart and she's always doing something. I think she's just trying to work her brain. Any time I call they come running. They also like to play in their water bowl. Isabelle loves sitting on our shoulders, Cloud only likes being held on his back like a baby and Pepper will lay on your lap or you can pick her up.

We got ice and snow Monday morning so the kids and hubby have been home the past two days. There is a two hour delay tomorrow as well. Hubby tried going to work this morning but didn't make it far plus saw that someone took out the neighbors mail box and there were three cars stuck right down from our house. Crazy weather, it was in the 70's Sunday and Monday ice and snow and very cold. It went down to 11.

I think I'll go bring some hay into the den.

 

[PaGal]

I feel bad for Thump. I have started letting the girls out during the middle of the day. I used to try and let them out in the morning and then the evening. In the morning I noticed if I lock Thump back in the cage when I give him pellets then he will also munch on a bunch of hay. If I let him out he usually just goes and lays down. So since he's in the cage I let the girls out and I would let them out in the evening thinking they might burn off energy and be quite. Nope! Now that I have let them out during the middle of the day which is their laziest time although that's only in spurts, they have been quieter at night.

I have started letting Thumper have free run of the bun room, dining room and den at night since it is calmer so I can keep an eye on him and we can sit together when he wants and gets all the pets he craves but right now he is laying in his litter box. He never, ever lays in there. Not even when he was a young tyke. Now I know in the summer he almost always lays on the linoleum, in his cage or in front of our bedroom door where he catches a breeze from the AC. Also, right smack up against the vent in the bun room. So although the house has AC he likes it cooler. In the winter he usually lays on the carpet except when in his cage. It is cold out but the heat is running and keeping it warm. I guess maybe I will have to look for some fleece for him. When we first brought him home he seemed to not want to lay on anything in his cage but then it was warmer out then.

He doesn't really chew anymore so that's really not a worry but I'll still get fleece just in case. If there's one thing I've learned it's that you can never predict what a bun will do, not even based on past history.

 

[Chrisdoc]

Souns like he's maturing and calming down. Mine usually sleep in the afternoon and then have a run about and generally get up to mischief. If I let them out early, by 10.30 they usually go into their enclosure on their own, obviously ready for food. They are actually creatures of habit like all of us but yes, you think you know them but always expect the unexpected.

 

[PaGal]

He's been pretty calm and all for a while now. I had the girls out and caught Shirley on the upper level of the cage. She jumped there from the floor outside of the cage. Something Laverne has tried but always fails. Laverne now has a pretty good dew lap going on. The pic of just the dog was from a day a few weeks back. I was sooo tired in the morning and all I wanted was to get a cup of coffee once the kids were on the bus. Instead I walked in to find the dog had thrown up while walking. It was from one end of the bun room to the other side, out through the dining room and into the den. Instead of coffee I spent the next hour shampooing the carpets. He did something else after that he shouldn't have. This is the one and only time he has ever shown signs of picking up on anyone's feelings in the six years we have had him. He never sits there and only goes in the bun room when the girls and I are getting ready to walk out for the bus.

 

[kmaben]

goodness! "I was bad. I'm sorry!" Funny pup.

 

[PaGal]

Oh, I forgot to mention the worst part o that day. The most frustrating part of it all, the reason he got sick...he ate a lady bug!

Now he has probably eaten about 20 lady bugs, one at a time over the years and yes, each and every time he gets sick. So does that stop him from eating more? Nope! Not this knucklehead.

Yes, he gets plenty to eat and is not starving. In fact to make sure he was getting enough off and on over the years I will try feeding him a little more. He won't finish all of the fooid when I do, he just leaves it in the bowl.

 

[Chrisdoc]

With his head down he looks really sorry, lovely boy. Houdini escaped this morning, I knew he would jump in the end, just didn't know how long it would take him.

 

[PaGal]

So yesterday Laverne chewed a decent sized hole in the carpet. I did not have time to baby sit her plus she made me mad so in the cage they went. Of course, this meant they were noisy last night. There is nowhere else I can put them. Due to the noise bedrooms are off limits. There is not enough room for their cage and all in the dining room or kitchen and there is no way I'm putting them in the den with the new carpet.

Spaying might help but I can't afford it. Not now as we still have the two cats to get done.

I don't have the money for a hutch either.

I can't keep letting her out as long as she's bent on destruction. They have plenty of toys and boxes. All she is interested in is digging and chewing carpet or cardboard. They have boxes as well as pieces of cardboard. Today I dug out of the shed some 12X12 tile I had and put that in the corners where she has been destroying the carpet. She just picked a different area.

I'm so done.

 

[kmaben]

hmmm just open the door and who ever comes back gets to live the good life. I'm sorry they're such trouble makers Denise.

 

[PaGal]

Thanks, Kaley.

After Laverne pulled the very large piece of cardboard out from behind their cage she was apparently occupied with that and stopped the carpet chewing. Maybe I need to rotate cardboard and boxes to keep her from getting bored.

 

[Chrisdoc]

It's always a challenge with them trying to keep one step ahead. It is difficult when they are chewers. All three of mine are but luckily I have no carpet but it is hard work keeping from chewing the furniture and they also have tons of stuff to chew. Hope the cardboard keeps her occupied. Must go and check my lottery, you never know and that would solve all our problems.

 

[PaGal]

Chris...yah hitting the lottery would solve a lot of my problems. I just can't see keeping this battle up for the next 10+ years. I do plan on eventually replacing the carpet with tile but I have no idea when that will happen as we have to have the money for it first.

 

[PaGal]

I haven't felt much like talking. Been going though something dealing with one of the kids. She's fine just the situation really sucks.

The girls have actually been behaving themselves for the most part. I'm still letting them out during the middle of the day. They have now taken to spending some of the time resting, usually bunloafed but are still remaining quiet at night or at least quiet enough we sleep through it. The other night I cut a paper towel tube in half and stuffed each half with hay and placed them in the cage right before we went to bed. The next morning one tube was completely missing. Now I'm not sure it's a good idea to give them anymore. I don't want them having troubles from not eating enough hay because they fill up on cardboard.

Thumper is starting to enjoy his free time in the additional rooms. The other night I was laying on the floor giving him nose and cheek rubs while he slept. He then got up stretched then turned to face me, stepped over and put his nose right up against mine tip to tip with his whiskers tickling my face and bunloafed like that for some more pets.

Yesterday he gave me a bit of a scare. He's fine but as I was kneeling down cleaning his cage he squeezed his way to bunloaf between my legs and his open cage door. He does it every time I clean his cage. It's his way of demanding pets and I always oblige his highness. After petting him for several minutes I leaned forward to continue cleaning and I felt him fall over and then his legs kicking mine.

The thought that he must be having a seizure popped into my head in an instant. It took me a second to lean back so I could see him. Silly boy wasn't having a seizure. He flopped! Right there up against my legs and just kicked me when he did because there's not enough room really where he was to be bunloafed let alone flopped.

Last night he joined me on the chair as I watched some tv. Most of the time he laid with his front half on my lap as I rubbed his face although he did get up twice to climb onto my chest for a moment. It's a good thing he is not a bigger flemmie.

 

[PaGal]

I had all this stuff typed up and it disappeared. Why do I always have an issue when I first try to post pics?

The girls are enjoying some free time. They weren't out yesterday. Laverne seems to get bored if they are let out every day and then she focuses on the carpet. I don't know what else to do with them other than keeping them outside. I don't like that idea because it gets so hot in the summer, cold in the winter, it's always really windy here, we have to worry about tornados and hurricanes plus there are a lot of predators around.

I am working on making my daughter a big, stuffed giraffe. Yes, she's an adult but who doesn't like stuffed animals? She loves giraffes and I have been looking to buy one for a while but then I saw this one on pinterest. I did make my own pattern and all by going by pics of the finished product. I think it's adorable, I made it as big as I could and it will stand when I am done. All I have left to do is to finish stuffing the body and sew the opening closed. I ran out of stuffing or I would have finished last night. Lord knows how I will ship it.

Here are the presents I made for the girls for Christamas...

 

[Chrisdoc]

I love all these crafty people, those are wonderful, can't wait to see the giraffe.

It's awful when they get a fixation on something, you have to get her mind off the carpet and onto something else...easier said than done. Sometimes think they are much smarter than we are