Dillon and Arte's Big Nght Out

It was a lovely morning today, warm sunny gentle breeze felt lovely as i wandered up the garden to open Dillon and Arte up and let them out into the run....

Lifted the cover, opened the door... unusual, i thought, one of the bowls still has food in it, they usually polish them off between them. Oh well, emptied it out for the birds as usual as with any crumbs that get left. by this time i would have expected to have seen Dillon and Arte would have stuck her nose out oft he bedroom door, but it was strangely quiet... just at that moment Dillon appeared from behind me with a big nose bump hello and my heart sank   !

OMG I DIDNT DID I...?

yes, i had forgotten to shut their loft door last night, they had jumped out and as i leave the run gate open at night for the hedgehogs to go slug hunting they had got out into the garden...

The Garden is fairly rabbit proof, but not intended to be and there are possible ways out if you are rabbit sized, next door have a very large Doberman which would make a snack of a bunny... by now my head was spinning, all the thoughts on what a bad bun mum i was, how could i miss the door, how did i forget, how stupid was i, and i call myself a responsible bunny owner.... now Arte is out and nowhere to be seen, very skittish, and not people orientated and now i had let her get out and may never see her again.. probably in the garden, but also possible she had got out, would she find her way back, would i ever see her again, how would i find her....?

I had picked Dillon up as he wanted mummy time after his night on the tiles, and looked around, couldn't see her but too many hidey places to go to if she was in the garden at all...  

Then along came Osi the Hero (Bengal cat, fancies himself a cat/rabbit version of sheep dog and takes his responsibilities seriously)  'Osi where's Rabbit? Rabbit Os, where is she?' i asked him. He looked around, sat down and stared over into the bushes by the (dog side) hedge... so i wandered over to have a look, and there she was under the bush by the hedge.. she saw me and ran out and remembering her way across the garden back towards the Run, hotly pursued by Osi who told her she was very naughty for upsetting mum like that and slapped her about a bit until she was safely inside the gate!

So two very tired bunnies, the first thing Arte did was go to look for the food she hadn't eaten,(now gone to the birds) then both buns sat down together and had, what they felt, was a well earned rest and very pleased to be home again   ...

Loft door was very firmly shut then, and Dillon wanted extra cuddles, fusses and nose rubs to make up for his busy night on the tiles.    

Me, i'm just so relived they both came back in one piece especially Arte who isn't into people and doesn't know the outside the run world like Dilon does.  

That was lucky.
I know that sinking feeling. One winter night when I took Clawed her ten o'clock-bedtime treat I must have failed to get the door bolted properly and next morning the door was wide open and the hutch empty. I was in a blind panic... I live in a wood with NO FENCE to the garden. I was certain I'd lost my darling and screamed her name, tears flowing. And she hopped up to me with that casual air of ... "What's all the noise about!" and "Damn it, where's my brekkie!"
I had TWO more bolts added to that door before lunch ... belt and braises!!

That's why mine are indoors bunnies. I couldn't work all the bolts and notches out.
But gosh it must feel like ground is moving and pulled under you feet.
They got their brekkie. And what did you get? After rocked nerves.lol

oh Woodewench, that must have been so terrifying!
Yes, Hubby suggested maybe they had knocked the door open themselves as they were having a good thump about half the night. I would like to think it was them and not me, but i cant see how they could have rattled it loose, and the thumping was probably more because the loft was open...

it is Claudia, its such a horrible feeling when they could be anywhere.

Osi hasn't let it be forgotten that HE was the one who found Arte

Dillon hasn't let it be forgotten he was out all night without his creature comforts

Arte (Arte Miss Athena) was so tired and hungry tonight she was already in bed when i went out with dinner, and when i took bedtime treats out she almost took from my hand, then suddenly recovered herself and told herself not to be so silly it wa sonly food, she could wait a few seconds until i was gone... lol

goodness me I bet your heart stopped!!

Pair of little escapee monkeys! So glad that they are both safe and well. I can imagine them there as it got darker wishing that they hadnt made the escape attempt in the first place... but knowing buns, they'd do the same thing again lol

That must have been dreadful love,  I was reliving it as I was reading it.  Naughty bun.  Yes, Holly is indoors too and we have to be careful that we don't leave doors open.  Glad everything was OK anyway hun.

Hugs
Jo xx

What a panic I think I would have just cried

Watch the haven't shook the snip loose soundwave has learned he can do that in one of the pens so had to put anotger bolt on it

Xxx

Gemma - i did check in case it was them that let themselves out, but i cant see it was, i think it must have been me, also by the way and where it was. . Its a triangular bit that fits in the end of the loft and is held in by toggles, but they are (obviously) on the outside and quite stiff, far too stiff for bunnies to knock open.

Jo - yes, not exempt from possible escapees with the indoor buns either!

Katie - yes, so lucky. The garden is fairy safe, as i said, as we have done what we could to block holes to make it fox resistant, but i wouldn't, knowingly, leave them unattended in it, too many possible weak spots. When Dillon was on his own after Tia died, i used to let him out into the garden to 'help' me when i was about so he knows a little of his way round the 'outside of run' garden, but is never allowed too far away. Now Arte wants to come out of the gate as she said it was fun too!