Update on George and Gemma

All went reasonably to plan, although I couldn't find Sooz' father's house so George was handed over at Dorking Railway Station car park

I put him in a cat carrier, gave him some food and strapped him in - and then managed to go the wrong way down the M25 - I have absolutely no sense of direction!! George was throwing his food bowl around and scrunching up the newspaper in disgust, although I assured him we would be able to turn around - eventually!!!

The journey was uneventful after that although my back was very painful and I was extremely pleased to get home. Put him in his run and thought he would crawl through the tube into his box and go to sleep or hide there. Not George. He sniffed the tube and tried to eat it, then he had a long drink of water. He used his litter tray - I was Very Impressed. Then he had some spring greens and lifted the paper up in his litter tray and somehow managed to move the whole tray to where he wanted it.

He is incredibly inquisitive and has now been through the tube into his box but has come straight out. He is bigger than I expected and I don't think it will be long before he has got out of his run. I need to try and find a way of covering the top of it. He has let me stroke him and pick him up but I don't think he liked that much so I won't force the issue. He seems happier being stroked when he is on the ground.

He has had an incredibly eventful time since Friday and must be really confused. Hopefully, he will soon settle in and realise this is where his home is. I am not going to take him for his Myxi this week but will leave it until next week. My outdoor buns have been done and there are no flies or midges in the house anywhere.

I have sent Angie a picture of George on my mobile - not a very clear one - but George wanted his Auntie to see how he is doing and to know he is OK. He loves her lots and is very grateful for all she has done for him.

I am going to go and watch Wild at Heart soon and see what he makes of all the wild animals on the TV. He certainly is a little character

Glad it's all gone ok He sounds like a right character! I'm sure he'll be fine after a few days to settle, he's had an eventful few days.
Happy new George

That is wonderful news. I am delighted that George is settling in so well especially after a trip around the M25 the wrong way! What a nightmare for you. Looking forward to seeing him in his new home.

Ah he sound lovely,have you taken any pics yet? x

His picture is here https://happyhoppers.forumotion.co.uk/rabbits-in-rescue-f11/guylovely-single-bun-looking-for-love-t7549.htm

Brilliant, I'm so glad George is with you! He sounds like quite a character. Clever boy, using his tray and then moving it where he wanted it!

Looking forward to hearing how he is settling in.

NickieM wrote:His picture is here https://happyhoppers.forumotion.co.uk/rabbits-in-rescue-f11/guylovely-single-bun-looking-for-love-t7549.htm

Ah he is lovely,I remeber seeing his story and its so nice that he has a good home now

Yaaaayyy!!!

I'm so happy for you!! I can't wait to get to know George!! I'm glad to hear he is settling in okay!

Glad 'Gorgeous George', as we were calling him, has settled in well with you. He is a lucky bunny and you a lucky bunny mummy as he is scrummy .

I hope the two of you have many happy years together. Thanks for my lovely mug and it was nice to meet you, sorry it was so brief, my brother was shattered!

Delighted to hear that he has arrived safely.

I hope he continues to make himself comfortable and settles in happily.

I am so glad George has arrived safely with you - despite the detour on the M25.

Am looking forward to hearing more about him

Aww he's a beauty Welcome to HH Gorgeous George

Glad to hear the monkey arrived safely. Sounds like he is going to be quite a personality.

Really happy for you both. x x x

Well, George had a little cuddle with me on the settee last night but was happier exploring. I've put a rug in his run, but the bare floorboards in the rest of the room don't seem to phase him at all.

I felt mean leaving him alone when I went to bed. I thought he would sleep in his box where there is a nest of hay and a blanket but he flops out on the rug so I found him a cushion so he could be a bit more comfy. He loved his spring greens and polished those off and started nibbling carrot when I went to bed.

I got up this morning thinking he may have got out of the run overnight and my lounge would be chewed but he was still in there with an empty food bowl. I checked his litter tray and there is very little in it. Then I opened the lid of his box and he is using that as a litter tray That was meant to be where he sleeps and now the cardboard is wet. I've put some newspaper down and more hay and the blanket is still clean. Should I move the litter tray in there? It won't leave a lot of room for him to sleep, but he doesn't seem to want to sleep in there anyway.

He is now working his way through his spring greens. I had put some hay in an old cat food pouch box and he seems to like pulling that out, but hasn't played with any of his toys yet.

Have got to go to work shortly but he seems happy enough and I can come back every couple of hours today to check on him. I have promised him that if he gets lonely he will either be bonded with my outdoor three in the summer or I will find him a wife. So far he seems OK though, and is very laid back considering what he has been through.

That's great
Just a caution about the floorboards, and I'm only bleating on about this cos it happened to us, but it wasn't til Bertie turned 2 that we had a spinal problem, arthritis. It happened over a period of time. That said, it could also have been due to cramped housing before we got him.

Glad to hear he's settled in ok

Ahhhh thats fabtastic! Bless him.

If it were me - I would put the litter tray wherever he is messing (but im not an expert and can no longer hold daisy up as a shining example!) Thats what we did with daisy and it seemed to work.

they are all so different arnt they, those buns.....

Sounds like he is properly settling in now though! Brilliant! Looking forward to meeting him next weekend.

K x

Sounds as though George is settling in fine Lovely news!

As for the sleeping/pooping. It didn't take me long to realise that the places we assume a bunny will want to sleep in are generally ignored. 'Bedroom' areas are quite often picked out as toilet areas for buns I would put the litter tray where he has chosen to poop!

As for blankets, cushions and vetbed, all of my six shun them - unless you count weeing on them and shredding them

Jay - is it floorboards in particular or hard floors generally that are a problem? Downstairs is all lino or floorboards with a big rug in the kitchen. No point having carpet with 8 cats who all go outside. My outdoor buns are in a paved area all winter and only go in the lawned garden in the nicer weather too. I am getting worried now. Having said that none of my buns have had arthritis and some have been quite old when they went to the Bridge.

I have arthritis in my knees though Maybe I need to get some carpet for me!!! When George is in his run he has a rug to bounce on so he won't be on floorboards all the time.

Very few of my rabbits use their covered area to sleep in, most use it for toileting like George is. Infact the only one who uses a litter tray in the open and sleeps in cover is Juno....my wild rabbit.

My domestic bunnies all have litter trays in their bedroom area so if that is where George is toileting then do move the litter tray in there for him. The fract he is sleeping flopped in the open (and boy does that bunny like to flop) is a great sign that he is feeling safe and relaxed.

Thanks for that Sooz. I have just been in to check on George (I should be at work - good job I have flexible hours) and he is flopped down on the rug. He has now somehow moved his food dish into his litter tray (not an easy feat as it was on the opposite side of the run and there is a tube in the way).

I thought it was a bit cold in the lounge, although my heating is on, but just low, but George's ears are warm and when I stroked him he seems to be moulting. He also goes very flat when I stroke him, although I don't restrain him in any way and am very gentle. Maybe he is just not used to me yet. He has eaten most of his greens and some pellets.

I am turning into a neurotic bunny mummy but I just want him to be happy. Will move his litter tray into the box and his food where the tray was - where he has put it himself. Maybe that will make hiim happy.

I must go to work now. Will come and check on him later.

Rhianna wrote:Jay - is it floorboards in particular or hard floors generally that are a problem? Downstairs is all lino or floorboards with a big rug in the kitchen. No point having carpet with 8 cats who all go outside. My outdoor buns are in a paved area all winter and only go in the lawned garden in the nicer weather too. I am getting worried now. Having said that none of my buns have had arthritis and some have been quite old when they went to the Bridge.

I didn't mean to get you worried Rhianna, sorry The paving surface outside isn't a smooth surface, it's stone, so it's fine for them. The biggest problem is laminate floors, vinyl and bare floorboards. Are your floorboards varnished?

I'm not saying that all buns will suffer, cos they won't, but if they can't get a grip as they run, it can make their legs splay and injur or cause problems in the spine. If they have a bad experience on the floor surface it can make them scared of going on it.
I'm only letting you know, cos I wouldn't want him to come to any harm, and it may be worth thinking about putting some sort of grip surface on the floorboards at some point. You don't have to carpet the entire floor, just runners, or carpet tiles on the bits he uses, that kinda thing
(The same applies to long legged dogs on laminate/polished floors - when they run, their legs can't grip, so go all over the place).

sounds like he is happy to me bless him. Rearranging his stuff and flopping down are def signs for a contented boy if you ask me.

when he goes flat when you stroke him hes just saying ...awww dont stop ... he will lay like that forever as long as you keep stroking him ... its not cos hes scared..its cos he likes it

i told you he was a chilled bunny ... sounds like hes settled already

He is moulting, it was floating about in the car yesterday

Thanks everyone - I feel more relaxed now! Anyone would think I have never had buns before - I am so worried about George.

I'm glad he is happy when I am stroking him. He isn't restrained so he could have moved away if he didn't like it. Bless.

I felt a very mean Bunny Mummy earlier as I caught him urinating on his cushion. It's an old cushion but I want him to use his tray so I can let him free range eventually. I said 'No George' firmly and lifted him up and put him in his tray. He bounced out but when I came back with a cloth to wipe the floorboards down he was in his tray again, so hopefully he has got the message. He did look forlorn and I felt awful. I have to be strict with him though or I won't be able to let him out if he isn't trained. I expect he wishes he was back with Angie now

I just got in from work and he was sleeping in the box in his litter tray!!! Now I have moved his tray in there he has decided he will use it as a bed! Odd bunny sleeping in his toilet!

I think he has forgiven me for earlier - I bought him a treat to nibble and got him some cabbage too in Asda earlier. My outdoor buns don't like cabbage but it was on the list of thing George will eat so I thought I'd try some.