The Play Pen

Florences play pen arrived yesterday. The plan is to set it up permanently in the near future, but I need to get some lino/carpet for it before I do that and have a proper measure, but so that she could have a go, I set it up temporarily for her last night.

Oh dear!

We set it so it was surrouding her current house, so she could jump in and out for food/water/toilet. She spent most of the time just jumping in and out what's daft is, we've left the door open on loads of occasions and she's never jumped out before, apart from a handful of times when she jumped on my lap. But this was a great new game, massive playpen and she wanted to just jump in and out of her house.

She then realised if she pushed her nose against the bottom of it she could escape. Ungrateful little girl! So it was adjusted so she couldn't do that

Once jumping in and out of her house got slightly boring she eyed up her house, and jumped on top of it! Then was sat up there. She got told off for that! Then we were back to jumping in and out!

This morning she kept eyeing up where it was and standing at the door I told her she can have it back later.

Originally I was planning on leaving her entire house in there, but now I know she can jump up on the roof of her house I think I'll have to just have the base in there. Its quite tall, although the pen is taller, but I don't want her jumping onto the house then using that to escape. Its annoying as I was planning on cable tieing the play pen to the house for security.

Hubby, a couple of times, asked why we didn't just get guinea pigs again I have to admit though, I much prefer having an indoor bunny to indoor guinea pigs. I adored my piggies, but Florence is more entertaining.

I think she was just a bit overexcited!!

And as much as I love my piggies they are much more smelly! My Florence would be on top of that house as well. I think it is something to do with feeling confined. Every now and again she gets a real cob on and you can see her planning ways to escape: she eyes up the 6ft fences in the garden, running back and forth seeing if she can work out an escape route!

Thinking about getting 1 of these to attatch to the front of the play houses, so at least charlie can get out when he wants, the wee 1s are still to young to be put together or would get 2 no point if they cant have access to it yet.

I'll post the ebay link to the one I got when I'm home, it was free delivery and tbh is a bargain for the price of it. Only annoying thing was I had to get gold as they had no silver in the size I wanted, but I'm sure that won't bother me after a while. It came with a net for the roof too, so when its fully set up I might have to use that. At the weekend I'm hoping to have a good measure and work out how its going to work, then hopefully get something to protect the carpet and she'll be sorted.

Oh yes, I forgot about piggie smell! Plus they seem to like to poo in as many places as possible!! The last two indoor pigs I had nibbled more wires than any rabbit I've had! How they didn't get electrocuted I'll never know Although nothing beat cuteness for when they were out and couldn't see each other so they squeeked and went running to each other

I think we'd just forgotten how detirmined bunnies can be. I've always thought of Florence as being a bit dim, you'll give her her filled food bowl and she'll still be at the front begging for example, but I'm beginning to think she is cleverer than I give her credit for. She just doesn't like to show off.

Well I just started to build charlies frame by myself, sore arm now with sawing lol, wood cut to size just need huge nails to fix the rest together, only had about dozen so used them on 1 side, will get angle brackets for extra support tho dont trust big nails. Then figure out how want the door to sit. I will have to duck to get in tho but have to duck to get to charlies house anyway I might make it a peak roof tho so gives me bit to walk straight through in the centre so dont end up with worse back ache lol. Oh things you have to do to get it started hubby no happy I started it but fed up waiting.

Carla,

Wish you had a vid of Flo doing the jumping bit. I'll bet she looked adorable!

icedancer wrote:
Oh yes, I forgot about piggie smell! Plus they seem to like to poo in as many places as possible!! The last two indoor pigs I had nibbled more wires than any rabbit I've had! How they didn't get electrocuted I'll never know Although nothing beat cuteness for when they were out and couldn't see each other so they squeeked and went running to each other

It is the lack of self awareness that makes me laugh. By the time they have figured out they need the loo they have done a pee!

icedancer wrote:Originally I was planning on leaving her entire house in there, but now I know she can jump up on the roof of her house I think I'll have to just have the base in there. Its quite tall, although the pen is taller, but I don't want her jumping onto the house then using that to escape. Its annoying as I was planning on cable tieing the play pen to the house for security.

Could you let her have her whole house, but put something across the top of the pen above it so she can't escape? Us bunnies love having different levels and sitting up high

icedancer wrote:I've always thought of Florence as being a bit dim, you'll give her her filled food bowl and she'll still be at the front begging

That sounds pretty bright to me, especially if it ends with you giving her more food

gentl wrote:Carla,

Wish you had a vid of Flo doing the jumping bit. I'll bet she looked adorable!

Ok! She's doing it now and looks a bit like a horse!! Bet once I get the video camera out she stops though!!!

Awwwww Sounds like shes thrilled with her new play pen! Bless her, she was even looking for it this morning!

I'm still trying! Whenever she sees me with the video camera she runs over honking and stands up! I've got a few of her doing that

Then she just escaped! Good job I wasn't filming that!!

Could you post the link Carla, I am looking for the same for his lordship for when we are out xx

Video -




Typically after I finished filming she went mad doing it, I'll try and get a better video of her tomorrow. I'm a bit paranoid about the door on her house, I need to take it off and get it to open the other way.

The pen is this one

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220885839047?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I got small in the end as I realised that if I got higher I wouldn't have been able to see the TV!!! In the video it hasn't got all of the panels on it, I didn't like to set it up fully after the guinea pig comment yesterday!

She is loving it, and it's great having her running about in the living room rather than having to take her to another room.

Awww Bless her

She is so utterly adorable! You can tell she has a sassy personality.

Thumper tells me that the reason she stopped hopping in and out when you got the camera out was she was wanting to discuss her close-up. Best ear forward you know!

Nice play area.

When I set it up later I'll have the camera ready to film her straight away. And hope she doesn't notice me!!

She is sooo wonderful! I her and her cheeky little ways x x x

I think I would take the door off hun, Id worry she could get her leg or something stuck in it and do herself an injury.

Katieb wrote:She is sooo wonderful! I her and her cheeky little ways x x x

I think I would take the door off hun, Id worry she could get her leg or something stuck in it and do herself an injury.

The door is going in one way or another, is partly why she's only in it supervised at the moment. I "think" with a pair of pliers I can remove it and have it open the other way, then tie it up. She's pretty good at jumping over it, but I am seriously paranoid about it. I might be able to remove the whole front section of the house, I haven't quite sussed out all of the logistics yet. I've had a manic couple of days!!

The pen is set up this evening so she can jump up and down off the sofa (hubbys idea). He's now dozed off on the sofa, with his legs in the pen, which she is using as a hurdle She's a bit calmer in there today, I think the initial excitement has worn off, although she does follow me around the room which is quite sweet. Spoilt bunny

She is very lucky to have you thats for sure!

icedancer wrote:

Katieb wrote:She is sooo wonderful! I her and her cheeky little ways x x x

I think I would take the door off hun, Id worry she could get her leg or something stuck in it and do herself an injury.

The door is going in one way or another, is partly why she's only in it supervised at the moment. I "think" with a pair of pliers I can remove it and have it open the other way, then tie it up. She's pretty good at jumping over it, but I am seriously paranoid about it. I might be able to remove the whole front section of the house, I haven't quite sussed out all of the logistics yet. I've had a manic couple of days!!

The pen is set up this evening so she can jump up and down off the sofa (hubbys idea). He's now dozed off on the sofa, with his legs in the pen, which she is using as a hurdle She's a bit calmer in there today, I think the initial excitement has worn off, although she does follow me around the room which is quite sweet. Spoilt bunny

I've just watched the video and I would take the door off yes, we take our door's off when they are playing out and put them back on at night when they go back in their indoor cages, just open the hingey bit with pliers or a screwdriver. There have been a few cases of rabbits trapping their legs and even breaking them so it's worth taking them off.

Do you put any toys in her play pen to keep her occupied , ours love muller light yougurt pots to toss about and I have log tunnels or those nylon tunnels from Pets@Home or toilet roll inners stuffed with hay.

I do apologise if you do Carla

Maybe you could use wire cutters to snip the door off?