Sigh. The buns got themselves into some serious trouble of late, and have been "relocated" into a shed outside. Before you protest (I did) I assure you it's a good size luxury bunny palace with all their usual stuff in it. Despite this I feel bad for them!
So what happened? We had a power cut, or so we thought... Until we flicked the fuse box and noticed that everything except the fridge/freezer came back on. At first we thought the power cut or surge had done something to damage the fridge and we were pretty annoyed, as it's only a couple of months out of it's warranty (typical eh?) and was quite expensive. But then we pulled it out and discovered... A severed power chord, and bunny teeth marks!
It's difficult to explain quite how difficult it is to get behind the fridge (it's built into a cabinet) and quite how naughty those buns were to get in there and reap this damage. They had to break through a cabinet, and really root around for that power chord.
And I can't believe they didn't electrocute themselves!!! Stupid bunnies. They are very lucky.
I feel frustrated; I was always so convinced that our kitchen was 100% bunny proof, and totally felt they would be fine there each night (and they were for 2 and a half years...). But I should know better... They outsmarted me :-)
The husband was fuming with anger. It cost a fair bit to repair the fridge, (although thankfully less than a new one would cost) and we had to throw away heaps of fresh and frozen food. He gave me an ultimatum... Either Bella and Buttons went to a new family, or they moved out of the house into the garden.
Oh I agonised. I couldn't bear the thought of not seeing their smooshy faces anymore, not finding a perfect home for them where they could be loved the way i love them! But I also worried that having been acclimatised to house living (the temperature plus the space) that they wouldn't be happy outside.
What a dilemma. In the end I just couldn't stand losing them, so hence the outside solution. I agreed they would go outside as long as they could have a shed, not just a hutch, that they could come in the house each day for a couple of hours of supervised playtime and that if it snows, they can come inside again for a few nights.
They seem to have adapted very well, and actually seem to enjoy that they now get to play in the garden more regularly (well, until it turns too cold/wet anyway), so they are happy and I'm just paranoid. They've been so spoilt as house bunnies. I just hope they don't hate me. Please don't hate me?
As I type this, buttons is sprinting around the baby toy obstacle course in the lounge, and Bella is snoozing in the door way... So not much has changed really!
But soon it's time for dinner and time to go back to the shed for the night ;-(
The husband may soften his opinion in time....we know you will do right by them <3
ReplyDeleteWe know you're doing the best you can under the circumstances and will be thinking good thoughts that hubby will change his mind--perhaps an indoor cage where they can go at bedtime and when they can't be supervised?
ReplyDeletePoor buns! I bet it was a mouse that chewed the cord! I hope the husband will change his mind when it gets cold!
ReplyDeletePoor buns :-/ They do wreak expensive havoc, don't they? Refrigerator. One more thing to put on my list of things to worry about.
ReplyDeletePlease do let us know how they're doing out there.
I would love to see photos of their new habitat. And I agree, maybe your husband will soften a bit over time - could they just be contained at night? That's what I do with my Henry!
ReplyDeleteOh what a pickle. They'll probably be fine! We used to have Baxter outside in a nice protected and covered area and he came in to a big cage if it got real cold - rarely.
ReplyDeleteIt was a mouse.
The newsroom at The Bunnington Post has exploded with indignance at this development. Katrijn suggests it is time for the waiter to live in the shed, while Haas and Delores are more than ready to share their expert tips on digging up the lawn.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle is not over!
They make barriers, and other equipment to bunny proof areas for them to be "safe' in.
ReplyDelete