# Bandit: rabbity antics



## Azerane

Hello all,

I've been reading through a few blogs lately and thought it would be fun to start one about my new bun, Bandit. Today has been a tale of highs and lows, but I'll begin with when I first brought Bandit home, which was only a few days ago.

Bandit is a Smoke Pearl rabbit, who I got at about 16 and 1/2 weeks of age. I picked Bandit out from his siblings because he was a male, not that I was bothered by it either way, but as we're renting, when I let my rabbit out in the exercise pen on the lawn, I didn't want a female digging divets all over the place. After a haphazard start which involved me getting 2 minutes away from the breeder's house before getting a phone call that I'd taken the wrong rabbit! (She'd accidently mixed the cages up when moving them to get some hay out for me), so back I went before driving home again with the 'right' rabbit. Funny thing is, as it later turns out, it may have been right the first time...

*Day 1* with bun was interesting. His hutch is outdoors, he spent about an hour in his hutch while I went out for a few supplies, before getting to spend the whole day inside in the laundry (which is quite large) as it was too hot out for him. Which worked out because it enabled me to spend some time with him, I left him alone for a little while I washed dishes so he could get settled and then tried to tempt him with varying treats, with little success. Though I discovered that he absolutely _loves_ pellets, so I put some in a treat ball. Turns out, he's super smart too and figured out how that worked in about a minute. My previous rabbit who I had for about four years, couldn't figure it out.

On top of the treat ball smarts, he seemed to almost toilet train himself! What bliss. I set up a box with wood shavings and hay in the corner of the laundry and when he did his first couple of poos outside the box, I put them straight into it. About two more poos followed outside the box (which I quickly deposited into the box) and after that, not a single one. Everything was done in the litter box.

*Day 2 and 3* involved lots more free run time in both the laundry and the exercise pen on the lawn, he quickly learned how to best make the use of frozen drink bottles and tiles, and very much enjoyed nibbling away on the lawn. In addition, his laundry litterbox talents seem to be transferring to his hutch litterbox use, even though the litter box is a quite small corner one, he still somehow manages to get his little bottom on it!

*Day 4:* today. It seemed that Bandit was definitely becoming more relaxed around me, I could go out to his hutch and open it without him running into the sheltered part. He would stay where he was and even not shift away when I pet him. He had a vet appointment scheduled for the afternoon, and since it was raining, I brought him inside for play time in the laundry again. It was a happy time of many binkies, which was great to see, because I hadn't seen many of them yet. I thought I also made progress with bonding too, although it was hard to tell.

At half past 4, we loaded up and headed off to the vet. Bandit was unceremoniously coaxed from his crate and onto the exam table. Unfortunately, there's a huge low point for me here. I was holding onto Bandit, who was very scared, and he got free of my grip, before I knew it he was making a jump off the table. I tried to catch him but to my horror only ended up making his landing on the floor worse. I was beside myself for hours after the vet appointment and cried. I felt like such a failure to him. After his leap for freedom, we scooped him back onto the table for his exam. The vet poked and prodded and poked some more, ummed and ahhed before informing me that Bandit was in fact a girl! A big surprise to me, I was a little disappointed, but not overly worried about it, I mean, I'm already attached to the dear little thing! So, after a check of _her_ teeth, and a jab against Calici, I was sure that Bandit absolutely hated me.

When we got home, I brought her back inside (because I felt so guilty) and simply set the crate down in the laundry, opened the door, put some fresh basil leaves at the entrance and let her be so she could relax. About an hour or so later, I sat down in the laundry with her, at first she wouldn't come out but I think her curious nature got the better of her (my shoes seemed to smell funny). I pulled out the bag of pellets (knowing she loves them) and started coaxing her towards me with them. I feel like we made huge progress here, because at first she was just putting her front paws on my legs and reaching for the pellets, then at one point she was sitting completely on my lap eating pellets while I was petting her. I was so grateful that she seemed to forgive me for what happened (the power of the pellets) and it helped me to feel not so guilty about it. It was also good to see her happily eating and moving around after her fall and calici virus vaccine.

So it's been quite a dramatic day today, but I know as a whole that we are making progress. She's trusting me more, being much less shy and generally seems to be happier than when she first arrived.

Here's an image for those who may not have seen it in my re-introduction thread:


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Wow! What a beautiful bunny she is. I can't wait to hear more about her and will definitely follow this blog!


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## Loopsy

She's so pretty. Looking forward to reading more about her.


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## Chrisdoc

She is so gorgeous. Glad you decided on the name, it does suit her and I´m sure she´s forgiven you already and the main thing is she was fine afterwards and she seems to be settling really well. 

I will look forward to reading more about her and her new home.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. Thanks for getting through such a long first post.

*Day 5: Taste preferences.*
Here I was, trying to be a good person. I went out of my way to get some bok choy for Bandit to try. She's never had it before, and I want to slowly start adding some more greens to her diet. So I pull off a nice juicy leaf, give it a rinse and take it out to her. She has a sniff and seems quite interested. Then she has a nibble, gives me a funny look and has a smaller second nibble. That must have done it because not a moment later she's trying to thrust it away with her forehead and push it to the furthest corner of her hutch. It's like she was trying to tell me something...

I get the feeling my Bandit doesn't like bok choy. :laughsmiley: Still, I left it in her hutch so we'll see if it's still there in the morning.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Lol, Ash doesn't like Collard greens, I guess every bunny has to have one food they don't like,


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## Azerane

Haha true. We had some success this morning as I tried putting another bok choy leaf in the food bowl, and amazingly, it was the first thing she ate! Put another one in this evening without any luck though! Just temperamental I suppose, getting used to the new food. Probably just mad that I didn't take her out for playtime today, but I'm going to make up for it tomorrow.


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## missyscove

She is a beautiful bunny. I'm not aware of any differences between males and females in their digging habits. My two live inside but occasionally go out into the yard on a harness and leash and my boy is actually the only one that does any digging.


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## Azerane

Thanks, I suppose I'll find out whether she fancies it or not as she gets a bit older.

When I went to pick her up out of her hutch today, she actually nipped me, not hard at all. I'm assuming she just didn't want to be picked up, but I persisted anyway because I was picking her up so that I can let her have some time in the play pen on the lawn.
I've had her for exactly a week now, so I figured it was time to celebrate with some more pictures!

Relaxing on a warm day with frozen bottle and tile. Didn't take her long to figure those out.





More relaxing:





And playing in the pepsi box!


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## PaGal

She's a very pretty bun! Thumper is funny about trying new veggies. The first time I give him a new veggie he gets a small piece and over time I slowly increase the size. The first time I give him a veggie I have to put it in his food bowl. If I try to hold it he will sniff but refuses to nibble. After he has tried the first piece out of his food bowl, after that I can hand feed him a piece if I choose to. He's silly!


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## Azerane

*A gender-bending update:*
So I decided that today I would have a go at sexing Bandit myself, since there seemed to be some conflict between the vet (girl) and the breeder (boy). It's been a long time since I had done it and wasn't sure if Bandit would tolerate it, but we fared quite well. I picked her up, held her upright against my lower chest/stomach, sat down in the chair, then lightly held her scruff while I slowly leaned forward to tip her back onto my legs. It worked really well and Bandit handled it like we were both pros (thank goodness). I had a look around, couldn't find any testicles, but to me s/he seemed to have a round opening, not the slit like on a female. I didn't want to overdo the experience for her so I sat her back up, gave her some parsley and put her back into the play room. This afternoon, after doing a bit of extra research in what to look for in terms of the shape, I gave it another go. Bandit didn't relax quite as much as the first time, but still easily let me tip her back to have a look. Again, when applying a little pressure, the thing that popped out looked all male to me, then just as an afterthought, I had another look for testes. 'Lo and behold, I found one. Which is good news for two reasons: 1- I have a boy like I originally wanted/thought I had, and 2- it means I do have some idea of what I'm looking at when trying to sex rabbits from their genitals! Yay!

So from now on, I officially have a boy! Which means that whole last paragraph is incorrect where I'm calling Bandit a 'she', lol.

It could also be bad news that the vet didn't know what she was looking at, but I will double check when I ring to make my next appointment that I get their best rabbit vet, as I know they have a few there that see rabbits, but some may obviously have more experience than others.

In regards to the bok choy, he seems to be on and off with eating it, one day he will the next he won't. I'll put it in his bowl with his other greens and he'll go crazy eating everything else, and an hour or two later he'll come back to eat the bok choy. He's silly.


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## Chrisdoc

Glad you´ve managed to figure our the sex...it is sometimes difficult but I remember when I did it with Bandy, I pressed and his the thing that popped out was definitely all male so I was really sure...gave me quite a shock but there you are.


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## Azerane

Thanks, it is good to finally know for certain.

I bought a bag of meadow hay yesterday and have started adding some to his oaten hay so that I can transition him to it. I also bought a wire ball to stuff hay into, it seems to keep him more occupied than simply eating a pile of hay.

I also bought him a new toy yesterday that I've just tried on him today, it's like a more complicated version of a treat ball. He seems to like it so far. I had to get him some new things because he started being destructive to his tunnel. A tunnel which I had for four years with another rabbit and he never once bit it. Now there's already a whole in it after two and a half weeks with Bandit, lol.


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## Azerane

Day... something or other. Almost two weeks in any case 

I've started transitioning Bandit to meadow hay, instead of the oaten he was being given. As it turns out, I'm super allergic. So that's a fun fact. Tell you what though, I love the smell of the meadow hay, it's much stronger than the oaten. Probably why I have so much trouble with it. I'm hoping I can pick up some zyrtec tomorrow and be done with the allergies to it. My rabbit fur allergy isn't too much of a problem, really only at moulting, but this meadow hay is something else. If it doesn't make Bandit a super rabbit or something, I'm claiming damages to me, lol.


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## holtzchick

HE is a gorgeous boy!  

If you have allergies to the hay, try Orchard Grass Hay... it's got a good rep for people with allergies


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## Azerane

Thanks for the tip, though I'm not really sure it's available here. Taking allergy meds seems to work really well though. I had been sneezing up to 20 times within 10 minutes of dishing out his hay. After taking a zyrtec the day before, I sneezed once, then two days after I sneezed twice and had to blow my nose a couple of times, so really not bad.


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## MILU

Awww he's so sweet!!! Cool Pepsi toy house you made for him!
I had the same question about my MILU, he switched from being a male to being a female to being a male back again. Then he stayed male... hahah


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## Azerane

Well, can't say I made the pepsi toy, it's just the box the cans come in and I widened the hole on one end. He made the hole big enough on the other 

Captain's log: Stardate March 14, 2013. xP
I had Bandit out in his pen on the lawn today (supervised time only), it's a really good set up. Yesterday when he was out there I was thinking that I may need to invest in some taller panels. Today, he had already been in there for a couple of hours when he suddenly decided that one particular corner looked quite jumpable. He didn't make it, got his front legs over the threshold but then didn't have anything to push off on with the back (thank goodness!). Gave me a real fright and am definitely going to have to look for taller panels or a way to extend mine. After his near escape, I brought him inside to run around in the laundry instead. He threw a complete tantrum when I put him in, lol. Threw his toys around, tipped his box over, I stood it upright, he tipped it over again etc. He seems to have settled down now.

Otherwise though, we had a nice moment outside, I was sitting in his pen with him and he came over and lay down against my back, he's never done that before, so that was nice. I've discovered, that he also seems to get a kick out of putting his wire hay ball into his water bowl, sometimes when there's no hay left, sometimes when there is so he ends up with green water


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## Tauntz

Bandit is a beautiful bun! Has good taste too, I prefer Pepsi myself! lol Love reading about your adventures with Bandit! Oh, I'm a Star Trek fan too!


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## Azerane

I'm not really a Star Trek fan, the saying just popped into my head and I felt I had to use it 

The box-tipping from his tantrum the other day has turned into quite a fun game, he seems to quite enjoy tipping it repeatedly over now. I also sexed him again, because although I know he's a boy, I just had to double check again (gave me a chance to just check him over too), and also, I want to make sure I'm still able to hold him and tip him onto his back like that should the need arise, so I feel like it's good to do every so often to keep him used to it and to keep my confidence up in my ability to do it.

Cute bunny time! Here's a photo Bandit's breeder sent me of when he was little. He's so cute and adorable, it just makes me want to squidge him.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Ooo, what a cutie he is. That picture of him as a baby is adorable.


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## Chrisdoc

He´s a lovely boy now but what a cute little baby bunny...makes you want to squeeze him and cuddle him.


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## holtzchick

Hard to believe that was him as a baby!! How adorable!!  

Yeah, the pens my two have are SUPER tall!! I realized both could jump a baby gate without actually even pushing off of the top... I've been super paranoid about it ever since! 
It's nice to hear that you're taking bandit out I bet he really enjoys that!


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## Kzbun

Adorable! I think I'm being smothered with adorableness today!!


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## Azerane

Thanks so much everyone.  Now that he's bigger, it just means that there's more cute to love too!



holtzchick said:


> Hard to believe that was him as a baby!! How adorable!!
> 
> Yeah, the pens my two have are SUPER tall!! I realized both could jump a baby gate without actually even pushing off of the top... I've been super paranoid about it ever since!
> It's nice to hear that you're taking bandit out I bet he really enjoys that!



Yeah, he comes out every day. I've had him for a month now, and he's been let out every day except two. So I think I'm off to a pretty good start considering you know I still have to go to work work, and friend/family commitments etc etc. He either gets let out on the lawn in his pen (which is usually less time 2-4 hours depending on how much stuff I have to do outside because he's under constant supervision out there), and when he comes inside to the laundry, which is where he goes most of the time, I usually bring him in between 12-1pm and he stays in anywhere from 4-9 hours. It's handy for me because he's inside so I walk by a lot and can go in with him anytime, but if there's other things I need to do I can still do that too (although it really restricts when I can do loads of washing, lol). If we weren't renting I would be trying to convince the other half about letting him have free range in more of the place, but we're not even supposed to have a rabbit indoors as it is 

He seems to be getting friendlier still, I guess we're still building up trust and he's still getting to know us. I've noticed the past couple of days he's been starting to develop a little bit of gas, so tomorrow I'm going to cut out a couple of things from his salad to see if that helps, then slowly start to reintroduce them to find out which one it is. I'm thinking it's probably either the bok choy or brussel sprouts, as I don't see parsley, romaine lettuce or celery causing too many problems.

For those who saw my thread in the behaviour forum, we also had a rough couple of days this week, because each time I brought him inside he was freaking out for up to the first 30 minutes. As he was scared, he decided to jump the gate, first he jumped the 65cm high one (3 times in a row), so I thought if I added more height it would dissuade him. So I added another panel at the top, making it about 110cm tall. He jumped once and fell back, then when he tried again he landed right on top of the fence. I was amazed and terrified at the same time and quickly picked him up off it. After that, I took the additional panel down to prevent him hurting himself, because if he really wanted to jump it, he would jump it either way.

Fortunately, I managed to figure out what had been scaring him (an ill positioned toilet brush on top of the washing machine) and I removed it and he has been fine since, no more frantic behaviour or gate jumping.

Also, when I find my adaptor cable for my point and shoot camera, I'll upload some pics of all three of his set-ups. Hutch, outdoor run and laundry.


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## Azerane

Rough day for my boy today, absolutely no poo or pee overnight so we took a trip to the vet. She gave subcutaneous fluids and metomide, Bandit got very stressed, while his mummy tried to stay calm  He's picked up a lot throughout the day though, eating plenty of hay, doing regular poops.

So now it's time for some ultimate flop, a photo from a couple of weeks ago (before I changed over from wood shavings)


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## holtzchick

Awh! Glad he's doing MUCH better from the looks of it! You should get some Smithesone (Sp?) or like infant gas drops. Many people keep those on hand for when they notice their buns are getting gassy to avoid making it worse


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## Azerane

That was also mentioned in the my thread about it in the infirmary, so I may just have to do that. Definitely a good preventative measure in future as well. At least now I have some critical care on hand should I need it in a hurry, may have to pick up some of that other stuff tomorrow after work. Thanks for the well wishes


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## Chrisdoc

Bandy, one of mine lays out like that, I just love seeing those legs spread out behind them. Yes, simethicone is good to keep in the house and you can give if you suspect they´re a bit gassy as it´s fine. It´s funny how different foods affect different buns. Mine love cauliflower leaves and broccoli and haven´t had any side effects yet.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Aww, such a cute pic! Simethicone would definitely be a good thing to have around.


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## Katielovesleo3

Azerane said:


> I'm not really a Star Trek fan, the saying just popped into my head and I felt I had to use it
> 
> The box-tipping from his tantrum the other day has turned into quite a fun game, he seems to quite enjoy tipping it repeatedly over now. I also sexed him again, because although I know he's a boy, I just had to double check again (gave me a chance to just check him over too), and also, I want to make sure I'm still able to hold him and tip him onto his back like that should the need arise, so I feel like it's good to do every so often to keep him used to it and to keep my confidence up in my ability to do it.
> 
> Cute bunny time! Here's a photo Bandit's breeder sent me of when he was little. He's so cute and adorable, it just makes me want to squidge him.


 
AHHH! Bandit is so darling! I want to squidge him too! I am loving the BUNNIES cut outs in the background. I want to be a carpenter I think.


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## Chrisdoc

Katie, I wish I could work with wood. There´s a place in the Uk that does some fantastic things for rabbits in wood but don´t ship abroad..houses, litter trays, enclosures, loads and if I was good with wood I could copy and make them myself but I´m useless at that kind of thing. I´m looking for someone over here who can do them for me. 






And they do toys as well, I love this one.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Those look great Chris! I wish I were a carpenter too.


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## Chrisdoc

They do some fabulous things and they are so cheap but only available in the UK...they´re even two big to order for someone to bring but gives good ideas of things to make. Mine have a little wooden house and love it so these would be great.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

If I had the right wood and if it were made in to boards I might be able to construct a simple bunny house. My father has power saws, hand saws, nails, hammers, and much more.


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## Azerane

I've seen similar things to that on amazon, if you search for rabbit activity zone you get a few things like this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067N74X0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## Chrisdoc

I´ve seen things like that but they´re so expensive in comparison and the hand made ones are so much sturdier and probably longer lasting. Just wish I was talented in that way.


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## PaGal

Simethicone is a must and I purchased some recently for under $4.00. I love that wood hut. I built Thumper a town as we call it out of card board boxes but the hubby and I were just talking about making him one from wood. We have the tools and know how to do that.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

It would be so cool to build a bunny castle! With lots of rooms, second floors, tunnels ect. I bet the bunnies would love that.


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## Chrisdoc

At this place, they built a bunny mansion, it was absolutely fantastic. 

This is the litter and hay tray that I couldn´t find yesterday.





And here is that bunny palace


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## Ilovemyrabbit

That bunny palace is amazing!


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## holtzchick

That is so cute! 

The only thing that I would be worried about would be if they chewed the house away.. well, they're bunnies, so it's expected!


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## Chrisdoc

Yes, that would be a possibility with mine but I just so love it. They do some fab things at this place for bunnies, love the chew toys but will to have a go at making them myself.


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## Azerane

^I've been meaning to make some chew toys myself. Bandit spent much of yesterday afternoon renovating his current cardboard home, apparently one of the entrances was too small  I've also recently put those foam mats down in the laundry for him to give him traction and a softer surface (he seems to like it, he can race around and do better binkies), but I've found that he's sometimes been chewing on them. Only once during the day, then in three spots one night (I had him inside for two nights when he had a bit of a stasis issue). He doesn't eat it, he's just been chewing on it and I'm worried he might accidentally ingest some, so if it continues, I'm going to have to figure out a way to prevent it. And I can only tell him off if I actually catch him doing it.

Otherwise, I feel we've been making good progress bond-wise. In the past couple of days he's just started lowering himself down sometimes, and lowering his head in that submissive/want to be petted pose. He sat for 10 minutes in that pose the other day while I just kept petting him, and I'm getting a lot more teeth purrs etc, it's really sweet. He's such a big cutie, he hasn't groomed me back yet, but hoping we'll get there. He does lick the floor though... 

Attempt number one at cutting Bandit's nails: Failed. xD He's just so wriggly, he doesn't like sitting still in my lap at all, so I move him into position, grab a paw and line up for the cut but he doesn't sit still for more than the two seconds that takes. Then he started getting annoyed so I think I lost. I might have to try leaning him onto his back to trim them, I could do a burrito, but can't see it being easy to extract a paw from there and I get the feeling he would want to nip me.


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## Azerane

We left Bandit inside overnight last night, all was fine when I left for work. I get home from work and it's like a war zone, pieces of foam everywhere! Looks like he had a great time shredding large chunks of his foam mats  We need to work on that, lol.

Not much else to report, tried giving him some simethicone with a plastic syringe, it went everywhere. For the second dose, I dribbled it onto a piece of parsely, offered him a clean piece of parsley, then once he went to take it, quickly switched it out for the one with meds on it, lol. It worked, and I rewarded him with the clean piece after. Saved him the stress, and me the chance of a nip.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

My bunny Ash would NEVER let me clip his nails either. I've tried he wriggles and squirms its no use :sigh:. I think I'll have to try the bunny burrito, and if that doesn't work I'll be forced to put him in a bunny trance or get a vet to do it.

Naughty bunny chewing on the foam. I guess you'll have to work on that . I'm glad you got the simethicone in to him, hopefully he'll feel better soon.


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## Azerane

I tried the trance, but he obviously wasn't properly tranced, because I had only done one nail and he wiggled himself out of it. I managed to clip a couple of nails later on, I let him run around for a bit to expend some energy and had some success in clipping, I also managed to clip one of his nails while he was DBF in his room lol.

I gave him two does of the simethicone last night, and cut out his salad this morning, he already seemed brighter last night and has been looking/acting good today and nothing but healthy poops! He also barely chewed on the foam at all today, wondering if it's just coincidence, or whether because he was feeling ill, chewing on the foam was an outlet.

I set up his run on the lawn today (for the first time in a couple of weeks) while I gave the laundry a proper clean out. He had a great time, and did lots of bunny 500's. When I was done cleaning and brought him back inside, I cleaned out his litter tray, first thing he does when I bring him inside is a giant pile of poo! Couldn't have done it _before_ I cleaned the tray!


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## JBun

He just wanted to show you how good his poop is looking now, in a clean tray so that you were sure to notice, haha. I'm glad he's feeling better 

I HATE clipping nails, and my rabbits are about due for their next clips too. I have one bun that is especially difficult cause she bites. I have to cover her head, pin her between my legs, and procede with caution. It's a trick to do her, let me tell you. It'a always nice, and a relief, when they're all clipped and done.


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## Azerane

Bandit is slowly becoming a more integrated house bun  We had him on our laps on the couch, then let him explore the couch and when he went to jump off we saw no reason to stop him. So now he's currently out on his second adventure in the lounge room. He does lots of binkies and 500's and seems to love it. Yet he also loves chewing the carpet, which I have been disciplining with claps/thumps/gently pushing him aside/substituting toys, in the hopes that he'll get the idea. All in all he's been pretty good though, no accidents, though he hasn't even gone yet. The good thing is, we can section off places where we don't want him to go, but he still has access to freely go in and out of the laundry where we usually have him. I'm hoping to use that to my advantage, and one time when he goes back on his own will, I'll just put the gate back. The last couple of days, he's also started making little grunting noises. I haven't a clue what they mean, but they're adorable.

I want to get him neutered soon, might have done it already had not his stasis, car repairs and the power bill (with those lousy connections fees) come as a bit of a surprise  Also, once I find my camera charger and clear space on the memory card, I'll take some photos of his set-up and try to film his happy lounge room binkies =)

At the fodder store today, I picked up a couple more bags of hay and asked them about their bales, cost and best way to store etc. So next time I get hay, I'll get a bale instead, $14 compared to $6 bag. Then I'm going to get a large plastic container, put some vents in it and store it in that in the shed.


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## Azerane

So... Somebunny escaped during the night, got past all my defences and found his way to the only thing he decided to destroy... My laptop cord. Thank god I've been religiously turning the power off at the wall since he started spending nights inside. I know this is only because we started letting him into the lounge room too. He never had an interest before. So I'll be back once a new power cord is acquired.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Phew, lucky that you had the power turned off. Once Ash was in his cage for the night and there was an extension cord laying across his cage. And he somehow managed to chew it but luckily nothing bad happened to him.


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## Azerane

It's funny though, because there's so many other chewables in the room but that is the only thing he touched. Still waiting on a replacement for it. I'm going to have to create him an elaborate cardboard castle, because all he wants to do now is get behind the couches, and I just don't see it going well  I've also had to resume putting him back outside in his hutch at night and when we're not home. I didn't want to, but he's been compelled to jump out of the laundry whenever he wants now, now that he knows the fun lounge room is just around the corner. I could close the door on him, but I worry that because he can't see out he'll just jump at the door and chew things etc, and I don't know if making the gate taller will discourage him since I already know he can jump much higher than he currently is.


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## holtzchick

Hmm, I don't think I'd be opposed to closing the door on him. I mean when I first found Phoenix I didn't have a cage for her since I had a bun at the time and couldn't keep them in the same room. I kept her in my downstairs washroom and just kept the door closed since I had a feeling she'd pee all over the baby gate (she wasn't spayed at the time!) and jump over. During the day I kept it open but at night in she went and she was always relaxed when I opened the door, plus that washroom never had a window in it so I wouldn't be overly concerned if I were you !


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## Chrisdoc

What a naughty Little bunny...mine used to chew the power cord but never got right through it so I was lucky. They did chew numerous telephone cables and mobile chargers and Snowy chewed through the TV cable but I fixed that. 

Mine love cardboard so will entertain themselves with that for hours. I was going to use the foam tiles but am not sure that they wouldn´t chew those so haven´t gone there yet. 

Good thing is they all now let me cut their nails with not too much hassle. A nice craisin is waiting for them at the end lol.


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## holtzchick

Chrisdoc said:


> What a naughty Little bunny...mine used to chew the power cord but never got right through it so I was lucky. They did chew numerous telephone cables and mobile chargers and Snowy chewed through the TV cable but I fixed that.
> 
> Mine love cardboard so will entertain themselves with that for hours. I was going to use the foam tiles but am not sure that they wouldn´t chew those so haven´t gone there yet.
> 
> Good thing is they all now let me cut their nails with not too much hassle. A nice craisin is waiting for them at the end lol.



I don't know why but recently mine have REALLY gotten destructive and started chewing the tiles! Its making me ullhair: 
No but seriously, I need to get them more toys, they just destroy everything and it's weird because I think they're getting more out time than they ever have so they shouldnt be behaving so destructively


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## Azerane

Chrisdoc said:


> Mine love cardboard so will entertain themselves with that for hours. I was going to use the foam tiles but am not sure that they wouldn´t chew those so haven´t gone there yet.



I use foam tiles, he likes chewing up the edges of those too!

Ugh, starting to get so frustrated. Ever since we started letting Bandit out into the lounge room for short periods of time, he's been a nightmare. I'm not sure how much is hormones, because he's recently started grunting and circling us as well, but he's become quite destructive. But here's the problems I'm having, I like letting him out into the loungeroom, but he gets into these moods where he gets so set on pulling up the carpet or getting behind the couches (which we restrict him from because of cables and don't want him pulling carpet back there where we can't get to him). Since we started letting him into the loungeroom, I've done it every day, but I don't do it for too long because he often starts that destructive behaviour. Now, when he's in the laundry, which is where he's been kept most of his time with us so far, he's disruptive, constantly at the gate shaking it back and forth, trying to lift it up or push it away to get out. After we first let him out, he used to jump the gate onto the chair I support it with, but I turned the chair so that the back of it makes the gate higher. Now that he can't jump it, he'll sit there for 20 mins shaking the life out it. :banghead We even went to a different pet store the other day and found a couple of really cool bunny toys, great for chewing, and I had hoped he'd take to them instead of the carpet, but no.

For a while, Bandit was being kept inside 24/7, I'd seen no reason to put him back out in his hutch except to clean out his room etc. Since he started jumping out etc, I didn't trust him not to get out when we're in bed or not at home, so I started putting him back in his hutch during those times. He's ok at night, but during the day he's holding everything in. He eats, he drinks, but he will not poo or pee, it's like he's being stubborn and trying to prove a point. Yesterday, I cleaned his litter box at 9am, at 4pm, seven hours later when I got home, he hadn't done a single thing. I brought him inside into the laundry straight away, and within 1 minute he was on his litter tray, peeing and leaving a giant pile of about 40 droppings. :dunno: Aside from getting him neutered, which I'm hoping to do this week or next, I'm at a loss for what do do. When he decides to do something bad, he gets so focused on it that even if I scold him, push him away, scare him with a noise etc, he just continues or goes straight back to it like nothing happened. It's a pain because I want to let him out to run around, but we're in a rental and pulling up the carpet is a huge problem. :surrender In addition to that, since he's started getting let out into the lounge room, he's also started struggling violently any time I pick him up or put him down, we'd gotten to a point where he was always ok with it and never struggled with me, now it's practically every time again and it's upsetting.

:rant:

Ok, got that out of my system, how is everyone today?


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## Azerane

Bandit's big, big, big day is on Thursday! In other words, snip snip. I'm going to have a grumpy bunny on my hands after, I just know it. I'm also getting him microchipped at the same time and they're going to cut his claws for me. I can't wait for those hormones to settle down a little


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Good Luck! I'm sure everything will go fine, and I'm sure it comforts you that neutering is much less invasive than spaying and most bunnies make it through spays. I'm sure he will be less grumpy but it will probably take a month for those hormones to calm down. Good luck with the microchipping! And with the nail cutting! I hope he doesn't get very scared at the vets office.


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## Azerane

Ilovemyrabbit said:


> Good Luck! I'm sure everything will go fine, and I'm sure it comforts you that neutering is much less invasive than spaying and most bunnies make it through spays. I'm sure he will be less grumpy but it will probably take a month for those hormones to calm down. Good luck with the microchipping! And with the nail cutting! I hope he doesn't get very scared at the vets office.



Thanks, I know he'll pull through fine, will be nice to have his claws properly clipped, I managed to get some of the front ones done, but he's just too wriggly and his dark nails are tricky. I know it will take a little bit for the hormones to go away, but the sooner he's neutered, the sooner they'll be gone!

I know that he's going to be terrified. Since our first visit to the vet the first vet shook him out of the carrier, after that he was absolutely terrified and he got out of my grasp, took a bad leap off the table and split his lip.  I asked for a different vet the time after that, she was much nicer, gave me more of a chance to pick him up out of the carrier, though he was still terrified. The second vet is much nicer, friendlier, kinder, explains more things, asks lots of good questions etc. I'm going to ask for her every time in the future. I can't even believe that the first vet we saw would have done that, especially to a rabbit.


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## Chrisdoc

It is scary to do this but mine were all fine and back to normal in no time. You will notice some difference straight away but over the next month or so, you will notice a distinct improvement, I´m sure his hormones will settle down and they are much cleaner. It´s good that you´re more confident with this new vet and they are answering all your questions. I´ll be thinking of him Thursday and will be waiting for news.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

I know how scary clipping black nails are as Ash's nails are black too, I sure wish they were white. I can't believe a vet would even handle a bunny like that. I'm so glad you found a better one. I hope Bandit takes everything okay. Haha, when I think of the name Bandit it reminds me of the movie Smokey and the Bandit.


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## Azerane

It reminds me of that movie too, even though I've never seen it, I just know the name. It kind of works though since Bandit is a smoke pearl 

I just dropped Bandit off at the vet, the vet I really like wasn't in today (she was in monday but the time didn't suit), but at least I didn't get the one I don't like. It's good that they have several rabbit vets there, makes it easier to find a suitable time. So the vet we saw today was also really nice, she really only did a quick check to listen to his heart and lungs before taking him in. I had some of his pellets and a bag of hay, she said he could stay for a week on the amount of food I brought with, lol. I don't think Bandit will eat much at the vet, but he eats an incredible amount of hay every day, it amazes me too.

So here I am, worrying about Bandit while he's probably getting prepped for his surgery. He's going to end up with a tattoo in both ears, one for his desexing, and the other for his microchip. They said I can ring around lunch time to see how things went, but they wouldn't call me unless something went wrong or they had questions. Otherwise, I just go in between 4 and 6pm to go and pick him up. I'm probably going to end up calling, otherwise I'll worry too much 

In the meantime, since I just got a new power cable for my laptop yesterday (thanks again, Bandit) I've been able to transfer some more photos onto my laptop, so have some cuteness from Bandit to you. 

Chilling on the lawn.






Investigating the funny metal burrow that mummy accidentally left open. (sorry it's so dark, didn't want to flash him)





Couch bunny.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Yes, Smokey and the Bandit is a funny movie, I just watched two of them about a week ago it is pretty funny. 

I loved the pictures Bandit is SO cute! My favorite was the one of him in his little burrow . Good luck on getting him neutered, I'll be thinking of him tomorrow.


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## Azerane

Thanks, I love that pic too! His op was today, but I think I said it was on thursday and with time zone differences it makes sense. I just rang the vet clinic to check on Bandit, she said everything went really well, no problems at all and that's he's just starting to find his feet after the aneasthetic. Can't wait till I can pick him up this afternoon


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Oh yes, I didn't realise you were in Austrailia. Now it makes since . Glad to hear everything went okay! I can't wait until you can pick him up! He is so adorabe! Its 11:24 here, how many hours until you pick him up? If its soon maybe I'll stay up for a little longer to read the updates.


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## Azerane

At least another 3 hours yet... It's going to take forever.....


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## Azerane

So I just got Bandit back from the vet. He's a little woozy and his eyes are wide and glassy, but he's doing well. Came right up to the door of his carrier when I got there to say hi. And when I let him into his hutch he ate a piece of hay straight away and then went inside to start grooming. The vet said he did great, was really happy to eat and drink as soon as he could after the surgery. I'm annoyed that on his desexing certificate they got his date of birth wrong, when it's written on the form I filled out for the microchip, I just hope they didn't copy it wrong onto that either.

Only cost me $145 for the neuter, microchip and nail clip, pretty pleased about that.

EDIT: Phoned them and got his birth date corrected, all good. Bugs me to no end that it was wrong, not sure why. Apparently I'm particular with details. Like no matter how many times I tell them that his breed is Smoke Pearl and his colour is Marten, they keep writing his breed as Rabbit and colour as Smoke Pearl. In this country, Smoke Pearl is a breed, not just a colour!!!! Damnit!!


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## Chrisdoc

I do so love that color, he´s such a lovely looking bun. 

Glad to hear it all went well and he seems to be doing fine, I´m sure he´ll be back to normal in a few days, boys do recover amazingly quick. 

Love the photo of him in his new hidey place and I love the way his colours have come out in that first photo.


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## Azerane

Thanks. I felt awful last night because I put him outside in his hutch (because I didn't want him running around in the laundry and aggravating the injury) but it was so windy and quite cold and I just felt awful that he had to be out there in that after his op, so today I got creative with his fencing panels and made a temp indoor hutch. It actually turned out really well, measures roughly 125x60x60cm. It means I can watch him more closely, and he seems to have picked up a little since being brought inside, playing with some toys, throwing his food dish around, going to town on his seagrass mat etc. He's also eating and pooping well, which is good. I can tell he's getting better though, he's trying to shake the cage bars to get out, something he does to the fence panels when they're blocking him, and he can often lift them out of the way (bad bunny).

Here's the temp hutch.





And my little man


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Wow! That is so cool that you just built that! Crafty! 

I'm glad he is recovering well, pooping and eating is good news. He is such a cutie! I loved the pictures of him but the last one was my favorite he is so adorable.


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## Azerane

Thanks so much. The cage is working pretty well and he's got plenty of room in it for hopping and stretching out, causing chaos etc.

He seems to be doing pretty well, eating, drinking, pooping well. I managed to pick him up and look at the site yesterday, it looked alright as far as I could tell. Haven't managed to get a look at it today like I wanted because every time I try to secure him he freaks out (probably because he's in pain?) So then because I don't want him struggling and hurting himself more I've just let him go. It's a pain because the op prevents me picking him up the way I usually would by scooping a hand under his bum, which clearly isn't an option at the moment. But I'm guessing that because everything else is good, and he's not fussing with the wound at all that it's doing well. I might give it another day or two before I try another proper look. I mean to ask the vet about pain meds because they didn't mention any when I dropped him off. But when I picked him up I was so happy to see him that I forgot to ask. He doesn't really seem in pain (though I know they hide it well), the only time it seems to affect him is when I go to pick him up.


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## Chrisdoc

That last photo is lovely, he is so handsome. The cage looks great, for a quick fix, you did really well. Mine had pain meds after the op but didn´t come home with any and they did fine. If he looks uncomfortable, I´d ask but neuters are less invasive than spays.


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## Azerane

Thanks so much. When I came downstairs this morning and opened his cage to say hi, he was immediately very bossy and nippy. I could tell straight away that he was simply sick of having spent 3 days in a cage without any run time. We were out for lunch but after we got home in the afternoon I set up his toys etc in the laundry and let him out. He's been so happy doing lots of binkies and jumping here and there  I figured if he's jumping around a lot he can't be too sore. It will be back in the cage tonight again though, then maybe after a few more days I'll transition him to being back outside at night time.


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## Chrisdoc

Mine were exactly the same. They are feeling better and they´re not used to being cooped up and have nothing to do with all that energy. I let mine out after about 3 days as they looked fine and were chewing the cage bars and they were the same as Bandit...so happy and running around. it´s amazing how they bounce back.


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## Azerane

Yeah, he's come back really well. I haven't been letting him out for as long as I usually would, but I figured I'd slowly increase it back to what it was so that he doesn't overdo it.

Here's something interesting. I had been buying bags of hay (because I hadn't figured out what I do would do with a bale storage-wise yet) which cost me I think roughly $6 each, give or take 50 cents. These bag are the size of the one in the middle in the photo below labelled "Meadow Hay L" though as an example of the size, it's a tad underfilled because I filled it myself, but it's pretty close. Yesterday I bought a bale for $14, and today I bought a pack of three large garden bags for $6 (which is a set up cost only but I thought I'd include it). I filled one of the original hay bags and two of the large garden bags with the bale that I bought (minus a handful or two which was lost to the boot of my car or ground in the transition). Now given that the garden bags I bought hold probably 2.5 times as much hay as the original bags I was buying, I've come out with around 6 bags of hay, which buying individually at $6 would cost me $36, whereas here I've only paid $14. Incredible the money that can be saved with a little bit of planning. I was originally going to store the bale in a storage tub and cut some vent holes, but then I remembered you could buy bags like this as my hardware store (much cheaper than a storage tub big enough to fit a bale) so I bought a pack and voila. I didn't even have to buy the blue string to tie the bags up with, it was around the hay bale  Super glad to be saving money this way, it also saves me a tiny cost in petrol since I don't have to go to the fodder store as often to get more bags of hay!

In conclusion, everybody should buy hay in bales from fodder stores! Also, if anyone has a tidier way of transferring a bale into separate bags, I would LOVE to hear it.


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## Chrisdoc

Good on you, I love saving money on things and you´ve done really well there. Hay is really messy, don´t have any ideas there but I´m sure someone has found a tidier way lol.

Glad to hear Bandit is raring to go....yes, mine were out for less time for the first week after their op but they do bounce back so quickly.


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## JBun

I know! Buying hay by the bale, is the best way to go. As long as you can get decent quality. It's so much cheaper, especially longterm. When I pick up my bales, I use a tarp to put them on. Then any loose hay can be saved easily. You could try that next time you get a bale, and when you are transferring to the bags. Then any loose hay will be easy to gather up. But a tarp, or any large sheet will work.


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## Azerane

JBun said:


> I know! Buying hay by the bale, is the best way to go. As long as you can get decent quality. It's so much cheaper, especially longterm. When I pick up my bales, I use a tarp to put them on. Then any loose hay can be saved easily. You could try that next time you get a bale, and when you are transferring to the bags. Then any loose hay will be easy to gather up. But a tarp, or any large sheet will work.



Good idea about the tarp, I will certainly have to do that next time since when I swept up the hay this time it was obviously full of dust and various other ground goodies 

Bandit's personality seems to be changing a little. Whether it's due to his neuter or whether it has to do with the fact that he's been inside in the living area. But when I let him out into the laundry now, he's stopped shaking the fence panels blocking the doorway. He used to grab them and violently shake them to get them to move so he could escape, and he would do it almost constantly. Now, two days in a row he hasn't done any shaking of the fence at all!

The second change is that he absolutely LOVES head rubs. If I reach in to pet him he'll immediately sink down to the ground and just soak it up and he would just sit there for a half hour or more if you just kept petting him, he only stops when you do. It's really adorable, then if you go to move your hand away he'll crawl under it again or bump it for more rubs. And if you scratch the side of his head he'll lean into it, he never used to do that before, it's absolutely adorable. He's still not much of a lap guy, he'll jump into my lap for pellets, but that's about it. Have only picked him up twice since his op, don't want to risk hurting him or damaging anything, so I don't know if he's going to change in that regard or not.

Loving my "new" head rub-loving bunny though


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## Chrisdoc

I love it when they do that, you´re his groomer. 

Great that he´s out and about now and recovering really well. You will notice the changes in the coming weeks, it´s lovely as they settle back down to life minus the hormones lol.


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## Azerane

Super excited, I got my very first licks from Bandit today!  I had opened his cage door and let him hop to just outside of it and I was giving him lots of head rubs and pets and he was "purring" and then he gave me two licks. A minute later though, he wanted to explore the room beyond the barrier of my legs and he gave me a light nip when I prevented him, so much for the loving I had earlier! I pressed his head down and turned my back for a moment.

I also bought him a new toy yesterday, we're calling it his solar system because it looks like little planets, not sure if it's actually supposed to be, but this website calls it planets: http://www.mypetwarehouse.com.au/SUPER-PET-PLAY-MOBILE-PLANETS-p-14753 though the picture doesn't really do it justice. Bandit has nosed it a lot and spent a lot of time sniffing and I've even caught him standing up on his hind legs to chew the top wooden piece.


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## Azerane

So I'm in a pretty good mood today, despite the fact that it's now cloudy and windy it's a beautiful 25C out there, and since it was sunny this morning I _finally_ got to go birdwatching. Bird watching and photography is my absolute favourite hobby, it's what keeps me sane. Until today, I hadn't been bird-watching for over a month, which is a huge deal for me as I had been going once or twice a week. So it was just nice to get out there. Haven't perused my photos yet, but I think I may have a couple decent ones of some rainbow lorikeets.

In Bandit's world today there's been a lot of cardboard chaos. He dug and tore up part of the cardboard flooring in his temp cage and spilled water on it. Then when I fed him his pellets, he was very rude and decided to throw the bowl around, so then I had to pick them up from outside his cage and pop them back in. He's been very good since we got home from birding though and has been chilling out in the spacious laundry since then. I picked up some loose pages from the phone book, and on a spur of the moment, I decided to scrunch them up a tiny bit, and shove them inside his hidey box in the laundry. He either loved it or hated it, because there was a lot of movement, digging and shifting of crinkling paper, and then when I came by 45 minutes later, all of the paper had been shoved out of the box. Of course I promptly put it all back in again 

For anyone who didn't read it in my other thread, I've just purchased some oxbow pellets. I've made up 4 batches of transition food and have sprinkled a few pellets into what remains of his previous food (which isn't a whole lot so I bought the oxbow just in time). While it cost me four times as much as the old pellets, oxbow is at least twice as healthy, it has double the fibre, which is a fantastic start. So I'm looking forward to transitioning. Plus, the cost is pretty much irrelevant anyway seeing as how a bag will last me at least a month, maybe two, and $20 a month is nothing to feed an animal (plus hay of course but now that I'm buying a bale, I'm pretty much saving at least $20 a month from that anyway!). So everything is working out.

I'm trying to transition him to being outside again, the fiance and I lifted his temp cage outside yesterday and he spent a couple hours out there. The laundry is right by the back door so I've had the door open all day while he's been in there since the weather is nice. I'm thinking of having him spend the night outside today, because it's been a warm day it should be a fairly mild night compared to some of the quite cool ones we've been having recently and would be less of a shock to the system.

Anyway, to the point of this post... a cute picture!!
This is Bandit, curled up in his litter tray. Not sure why but he was feeling a little off yesterday, and whenever he feels off, for some reason he lays in his litter tray, he never does any other time. His face is all squished =3 Apologies that it's not very sharp, I had to have the shutter speed way down low to get enough light.


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## Chrisdoc

Oh that is a perfect picture of him, I just love his colours and the fact that his face is a bit squished makes him even cuter. 

Looks like he´s fully recovered now and getting back to his normal self. if it´s warm enough, I bet he loves being outside, you are so lucky, I wish I had somewhere to get mine out of doors.


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## Azerane

Thanks, he is quite the cutie. He's back to being outside at night now, as much as I would have loved to keep him inside, we're technically only supposed to have an outdoor rabbit where we're renting. Still, as soon as I get home from work he gets to come inside to play. We had a nice long play and bonding session yesterday which was sweet, he such a character to watch play too.

I started him on the first of the oxbow transitions yesterday. It seems to be going alright, his poops are staying good though I notice he has been a slight bit gassy, so I'm going to keep an eye (or nose) on that and hope it clears up. He has no problems eating it though and isn't fussy about it.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

I like to go birdwatching too! I have something called a birdsong identiflyer and I have 12 cards for it. I got them for a really great price! Normally for new cards its 10 dollars a piece, but I got 12 cards for 25 dollars. Sometimes you can find great deals like that on ebay. I have a bird field guide too. And I love to go birdwatching. I'll probably go out today as its getting nice and warm out. 

Bandit is adorable! I love that picture of him, he looks so cute all curled up in his box. It looks like he is in a nest, lol.


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## JBun

I love that pic of him sacked out in his litter box. So, is he still acting all affectionate, like he was right after the neuter? Just wondering if this is going to be an ongoing behavior resulting from the neuter. i have two of my boys going in for their snip today. I'm wondering if I'm going to see any behavior changes with them. Right now they are already pretty affectionate, but their pee spraying is driving me insane.

If it seems like Bandit is still feeling uncomfortable at times, you may want to try and sort out what's going on with him. I never see a rabbit having gas and feeling uncomfortable, as a normal thing. If my rabbits don't act excited at feeding time, are sitting hunched up, change postitions frequently, or are laying down and it seems abnormal(like pressing the belly to the ground), or they are squinting, then I know something is up, and that it's probably diet related, and something needs to be changed. You may either want to hold off on switching feeds right now, until you get his digestive issues sorted, or at least cut way back on the amount of new pellets, and start transitioning with a really small amount. Of course, if he is always seeming uncomfortable, it may be the old pellets causing issues. If you aren't feeding any treats or greens at this point, then it either has to do with the pellets, or he could have a parasite/bacteria causing the problem( I can't remember if you had his fecals tested for that or not). Rabbits really shouldn't have continuing digestive issues, unless they have serious digestive damage and are prone to it no matter what they eat.


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## Azerane

Ilovemyrabbit said:


> I like to go birdwatching too! I have something called a birdsong identiflyer and I have 12 cards for it. I got them for a really great price! Normally for new cards its 10 dollars a piece, but I got 12 cards for 25 dollars. Sometimes you can find great deals like that on ebay. I have a bird field guide too. And I love to go birdwatching. I'll probably go out today as its getting nice and warm out.
> 
> Bandit is adorable! I love that picture of him, he looks so cute all curled up in his box. It looks like he is in a nest, lol.



Thanks so much. Birdwatching is a great hobby. I have several field guides myself along with an app on my phone which has calls to help with field ID. When I bird locally I don't need the call ID so much as when I go to new places, it's easy to get out of practice with it though. I'd never heard of the birdsong identiflier before, it looks pretty nifty though 



JBun said:


> I love that pic of him sacked out in his litter box. So, is he still acting all affectionate, like he was right after the neuter? Just wondering if this is going to be an ongoing behavior resulting from the neuter. i have two of my boys going in for their snip today. I'm wondering if I'm going to see any behavior changes with them. Right now they are already pretty affectionate, but their pee spraying is driving me insane.
> 
> If it seems like Bandit is still feeling uncomfortable at times, you may want to try and sort out what's going on with him. I never see a rabbit having gas and feeling uncomfortable, as a normal thing. If my rabbits don't act excited at feeding time, are sitting hunched up, change postitions frequently, or are laying down and it seems abnormal(like pressing the belly to the ground), or they are squinting, then I know something is up, and that it's probably diet related, and something needs to be changed. You may either want to hold off on switching feeds right now, until you get his digestive issues sorted, or at least cut way back on the amount of new pellets, and start transitioning with a really small amount. Of course, if he is always seeming uncomfortable, it may be the old pellets causing issues. If you aren't feeding any treats or greens at this point, then it either has to do with the pellets, or he could have a parasite/bacteria causing the problem( I can't remember if you had his fecals tested for that or not). Rabbits really shouldn't have continuing digestive issues, unless they have serious digestive damage and are prone to it no matter what they eat.



Yeah, he is still pretty affectionate. He's gone back to rattling the fencing of the laundry room when he's in there playing, but he still loves his head rubs and often comes running up to the gate for love whenever we say hi.

I had had concerns about Bandit still being gassy at times. It could be because I've started the oxbow transition, though I thought it would be alright considering I used a weaker transition to what oxbow suggests on their packaging. Otherwise, the only thing he's getting is one tiny piece of parsley a day when I put him back in his hutch at night. I didn't have his fecals tested when I took him to the vet for GIS but he recovered well from that after I cut out all the greens. I've been giving the parsley for maybe a bit over a week now in just that tiny single serve a day and it didn't seem to affect him, perhaps the repeated eating of it over time. Wouldn't think parsley would be an issue though. Might cut it out again and see if that makes any difference. Not sure if he's been gassy today as I only just got home from work, he seems alright though. Will certainly keep an eye on him though, will cut the parsley again and then the new pellets if required. Next time I try to start greens again I might try basil instead.

Edit: Adding on to the change in his behaviour regarding his affection. We had a bit of a breakthrough, tonight was the first time _ever_ when I have been holding him on my lap, that he's settled in and just sat there and enjoyed having his head being rubbed and "purred". Never before has Bandit sat still in my lap or done happy teeth grinding while I've been holding him. But I must have rubbed just the right spot and he just settled right in and really enjoyed it for at least 5 minutes, then he suddenly snapped out of it and was his wriggling self again  It was a really amazing moment though. Love my little guy so much.


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## Chrisdoc

He´s such a cute little guy. Mine absolutely adore Basil, it´s their favourite of all. I got some yesterday in the market and they´ve eaten it between them in two days. The only thing is that it doesn´t keep very long and you can´t refrigerate as it discolours the leaves so, when I buy it, they eat it all really quickly and I give it as a treat as well. They also love dill and that lasts really well in the fridge.


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## Azerane

Whew, am I exhausted. So yesterday on my first day off this week, after a 40 hour week (when I'm used to doing 25 hour weeks), I got up at 3am! But it was for a good cause. I met up with some birding friends to go to Gluepot Reserve for the day. Gluepot is one of THE places to go near-ish Adelaide for arid birds, and it's beautiful. Trouble is, it's about 2 1/2 hours away and we wanted to be there by dawn, so hence the 3am start  Still, I didn't regret a single minute of it, we had an absolute blast. Got lucky with a few new species, got lucky with a couple of great parrot photos and a red-capped robin. Lighting was pretty terrible most of the day, but it was still amazing, I love the arid zone and mallee, it's my favourite birdwatching and camping habitat. So it was a pretty special day. We birded all day, then when it got dark, we left. I got home just before 10pm, and by the time I got to bed I'd been awake for over 19 hours on about 4 1/2 hours sleep  I slept great last night, lol.

Anyway, enough about that. I was told that Bandit was quite naughty while I was gone, constantly rattling his gate of his room, and apparently he managed to lift it up enough to get out while my fiance was out cleaning his litter tray. Fortunately, he came inside soon after and managed to see Bandit slipping behind the couch. The little devil. He sure is cute though.

I've noticed that Basil leaves do tend to discolour in the fridge a little, it's quite annoying. Next time I buy some I might keep in a jar with some water.


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## Azerane

Trying something new with Bandit at the moment, well not really new, just taking his seagrass mats away. He hasn't had much tummy issue, and he's not really gassy, but every now and then there's a couple of poos that just aren't right. Then yesterday since it was Mother's day and we were out, I didn't get a chance to take him out of his hutch and all his poops were perfect. So I thought that instead of the new oxbow, that perhaps it's the seagrass mats. If it is it's very strange, because when I first introduced them, I watched him very closely for any ill effects and there were none. So perhaps the prolonged nibbling on them is what's getting to him. He also seems to be accidently peeing over the top of the side of his litter tray, found a bunch of pee under the foam mats today, which explains why the room was really smelly after he was in there saturday, I thought it was just a smelly litter tray smell that didn't go away. But I suppose that's what I get for missing a day of cleaning up the bunny room. He just needs to fit his furry bum in the tray properly instead of hanging it over the edge


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## Chrisdoc

Mine used to miss the litter tray and hang their bottom over but haven´t done it for ages now as they have quite a large tray. Seems like Bandit wanted you to know that he was not happy being left so long lol.

You can´t keep basil leaves in the fridge as they go brown, I learnt that the hard way after buying fresh basil and doing the same. I read that if the leaves aren´t slimy, you can still eat them but they don´t look very attractive. I usually just put mine in water in a jar but they never last more than a few days so I try and use them up quickly. They are my threes absolute favourite. 

Hope you'll put some of your pic of the birds on here, sounds like you had a fantastic time.


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## JBun

Yeah, digestive issues can be so tricky to figure out. If there isn't an immediate reaction or downturn after eating a certain food, then you just have to make guesses and start eliminating things one at a time, until you HAPPEN to hit on the thing that is causing the problem. Can be a little stressful and frustrating when you are dealing with a bun that may be sick or get sick. I hope taking away the mats has solved the weird poops. 

My buns do the same thing with the litter box, don't get in there far enough and pee over the edge onto the floor. I would change it and get one with high sides, but I have an older bun and it would be hard for her to have to hop over the high side of a litter box. Plus I have a feeling that even if she can do it, if it's too much work to get in there, she may just decide to stop peeing in there altogether, haha


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## Azerane

Thanks for the responses and helpful advice 

Bandit seems to be doing better without those seagrass mats. No odd squishy poops outside his litter box, and maybe it's just me but he seems a bit bouncier too. Will continue to monitor things closely and see how it goes. Looks like I need to find him another chewing outlet though, because now he's been going absolutely crazy on the foam mats again. It's like a war zone!

As requested, here's a couple of bird images from my day out.

Image 1: Pair of Mulga Parrots
Image 2: Striped Honeyeater
Image 3: Female Regent Parrot
Image 4: Male Red-capped Robin
I blog about some of my birding here: http://birdingbec.blogspot.com.au/ You can see more photos from the day and others.


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## JBun

That's so strange that the seagrass mats would cause digestive problems. Good you figured it out. You could try laying down pieces or sheets of cardboard over the foam mats, then he can use all that energy shredding the cardboard instead of his mats. Or lay down a fleece blanket or old sheet that he can bunch up and dig on.

Great pictures! Those birds are so pretty.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

I'm glad Bandit is doing better!

Oh, what beautiful birds! I like the bird in the first picture best. Its so pretty and colorful. Great photos!


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## Azerane

Thanks so much guys. It was 100% definitely those seagrass mats upsetting his tummy. No problems at all since I took them away for good. Only trouble is that he seems to be diverting that chewing energy to his foam mats :lol:

In other digestive news, yesterday we finished completely transitioning onto the oxbow pellets (can't believe it's been a whole month!). So I'm pretty happy about that, Bandit is doing well, he loves them just as much as the other pellets. It also means that I can super slowly start trying to introduce some greens again. 

Bandit is certainly a character though, we've had to stop leaving a gate at the laundry doorway to bar him and just close the door instead, because he was constantly rattling it and on occasion escaping. Now, whenever I open the laundry door he's right there by my feet, hoping to make a break for it I guess  He's really sweet though, loves his pets and head rubs. I gave him a new toy the other day, it was his dig box, but he had no interest in it, so I emptied it and turned it upside-down and now it's his favourite thing ever. He's constantly jumping up and down from it, and going inside (the front has a slightly lower side so it's like a little bunny burrow).

We've also made good progress in the cuddling department. I can hold him and carrying him around, but he seems to have a short patience tolerance for it, but about a week ago I picked him up and sat down cuddling him, and after a bit of petting him, he settled in and just "purred" as I petted him, it was such a great feeling to know that he was relaxed and happy in my arms, and to actually have a cuddle like that with my wriggly rabbit, for at least 15 minutes too! It was so nice


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## Azerane

Pretty excited for the long weekend... Bandit can pretend he is too 

He's been in the laundry 24/7 at the moment, because after a heavy shower of rain a week ago his hutch is still damp on the inside part. I have no idea how that water got in, as it's in a sheltered area, under trees and has a solid cover on top, but I guess I'll never know. With the temperature not being very warm it's taking a long time to dry, so he's been roaming the laundry, which he's loving. Tomorrow I have to sweep it out again because he keeps throwing his hay everywhere! We've also developed a cute little "game". When I take out his litter tray to change it, whenever I bring it back in he jumps onto his blue box and reaches up towards me to beg for a piece of hay, and he does that until I lower the litter tray to him, he chooses a piece to eat and only then am I allowed to put the tray in its proper corner, lol.

I also found my battery charger for my compact camera today so hopefully tomorrow I can remember to charge the battery so I can finally pull the photos off of it, I'm pretty sure there's some more of Bandit on there. I've been wanting to do a proper photo shoot with him for a while though, just not sure where to do it because our lounge room isn't very well lit and I don't want him on a table outside in case something should happen. Will see what I can figure out. This thread is in need of more bunny pictures 

Other plans for the long weekend include laser skirmish with some friends tomorrow, and some birdwatching/photography on either sunday or monday. Can't wait!


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Weird I wonder why rain got in. But like you said, you'll probably never know. Bandits game sounds funny. Ash likes to stand in his litter box when it gets refilled so it pours all over him that's his "game". I don't know why he likes it, haha. 

I'm glad you found the charger, now we can see more pics of Bandit.  I need a new camera the only thing I have for taking pictures with is an iphone and that doesn't take very good pictures and it takes bad videos. 

I hope you do some bird photography.


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## Azerane

I had this theory... Bandit hasn't been out in the lounge room for a while (mostly because he just wouldn't stop pulling at the carpet, trying to shift the gates etc). He always just wanted "out" into the rest of the room, or behind the couch if we blocked it. So I thought, if I just gave him access to behind the couch, maybe he would be less of a grump and stop pulling at the carpet and messing with the gates. The great news is that he's had more fun than I've ever seen him have and he's stopped messing with the gates. He still pulls at the carpet behind the couch when we're not looking though, lol. But it seems to be a little less than he did before. He's also put a couple tiny holes in the couch corner (but they were second hand) so I smudged some vinegar on the couch today to try to prevent that. Not sure what to do about the carpet though. I'm wondering if I put fleece down behind the couch he would play and chew on that instead of the carpet.

Anyway, I took some cute video today of some binkies 
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGTXjevcwvI[/ame]


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## JBun

I know some people will use those round cardboard concrete forms behind their couches. It gives the rabbit a tunnel and access back there, but prevents them from being able to chew on anything besides the cardboard tunnel. Here in the US, home improvement stores carry them. I don't know if it would be the same where you are.


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## Azerane

JBun said:


> I know some people will use those round cardboard concrete forms behind their couches. It gives the rabbit a tunnel and access back there, but prevents them from being able to chew on anything besides the cardboard tunnel. Here in the US, home improvement stores carry them. I don't know if it would be the same where you are.



Thanks, I have read that before, but I've never seen them here. I suppose the other alternative is just standard boxes, I do have some reasonably long ones. Only thing is they're not going to last as long as one of those forms would. Still better than pulling the carpet I suppose. Thanks


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## Azerane

Well I created a tunnel out of cardboard boxes to go behind the couches. It worked a real treat and Bandit loved it and have fun chewing it, but it's not going to work out. Firstly, he's not actually supposed to be inside anyway (rental) and the box creation was so big that unless I keep it permanently behind the couch (which is impossible) and there's no where to store it. So I've had to pull it apart again, which is a shame. So I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do, I feel awful giving him access to those places if I'm just going to block him off from it again, he's already desperate to run around the place every time I open the laundry door now.

I did today however buy him a harness. I already attempted some introductions to him with it. He was very interested in sniffing it, I suppose because it smelled like pet store. I made the loops extra big and while giving him head rubs slipped the neck loop around and clipped it on. I kept it on for about 30 seconds while continuing to love on him and then took it off. Then I tightened the neck loop a bit and repeated the procedure. It's going to take a different position and perhaps holding him to get the belly loop around him, because when he gets head rubs he presses himself right against the ground. But he's been really good so far, so I'm looking forward to hopefully being able to walk him around the yard and have that as an outlet to him as a replacement for play time in the lounge room. I also need to start getting him back into his hutch at night, as much as I love having him inside, he really does need to be out there and be used to being out there regularly. I'm just still waiting for it to dry off though I didn't check it today and it should be pretty close to being dry.


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## Azerane

Bandit had his first experience with children today. My sister and brother in-law came over with my nephew (4 1/2) and niece (1 1/2). I told my nephew that if he was very quiet while we were eating that I would bring my rabbit out to show him. He was quiet and well behaved so I picked up Bandit and took him in to show them. Bandit has been scared of strangers in the past, new smells and noises etc and won't accept food from them. I held him and I let my nephew pet him on the back. My niece was amazed, she was adorable. She loves animals and she was awed and didn't really know what to do, she just stood there quietly peeking out from behind my nephew, which is I suppose the best you can hope for since she barely made a peep when she could have been squealing in excitement. After a short petting session (in which rabbit fur went everywhere!) I put Bandit back in the laundry. After a trip to the playground I let my nephew into the laundry with me so that he could see Bandit hop around, he was reasonably quiet, no sudden movements, and didn't try to either pet him or pick him up. He asked lots of questions about all the rabbity things in the room. Towards the end he rolled Bandit's hay ball towards him and Bandit picked it up and moved it, my nephew was thoroughly entertained by it and laughed a little too loudly and rolled it again a bit too firmly and it was clear that Bandit was bothered by it so I ended session. But I'm proud of Bandit for not trying to dig or nip at my nephew's feet for being in the way and my nephew was very well behaved, not trying to pet or pick up Bandit without asking and not being too loud or active, just doing as I asked him too. So it went as well as it could have. I honestly expected Bandit to hide in his box while my nephew was in the laundry with us, but he hopped around curiously and ate some hay etc.

Because of the experience with children today I didn't try more harness introduction, I figured he'd had enough new things for one day  What a good boy I have!


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## Chrisdoc

I´m so glad the experience was good for all. I think it´s so important that kids learn how to interact with each different animal and it seems like your nephew was such a good boy and enjoyed seeing the best of Bandit. Rabbits are fantastic animals and I love it when kids get to see that and how clever they are. I hope he gets to visit again, sounds like he had a good time.


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## Azerane

Thanks Chris  I want to have Bandit experience new people and people of different ages, just so that if he ends up in a situation with lots of people around, I know he'll be ok and not freaking out from lots of new people. I mean, I'm not going to force him into situations just to do that, but if the opportunity presents itself like when my sister was over, I'll take the time to help Bandit adjust to new people. Apparently my nephew was very excitedly telling my brother the next day that I had a rabbit, and my brother asked what the rabbit's name was and my nephew was so disappointed that he couldn't remember.

Bandit's currently giving me a stern, disapproving look. He's out in his hutch for the first time in about two weeks (since we had a heavy rain and water got into it he's been inside while it's been drying out), he had to go in because we had parents of the owners of our rental come over to do some maintenance, so outside he had to go. I'm so glad bunnies don't hold grudges!

Edit: After four horrible grueling hours as a prisoner in his hutch (in his opinion), I finally was able to bring Bandit inside again  I devised a new plan for letting him run around the hall and kitchen, he's pretty happy, though furiously chewing and pulling at the towel which acts as a protector for the carpet border where the fence is sitting. He's also got a funny saddle pattern where his fur is shedding, it's pretty cute.

Ugh, does anyone have any idea how to get photobucket images to be bigger like they used to be? Because I am officially hating photobucket now... so insanely frustrating.


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## curiouscarrot

Bandit is gorgeous. I like my bunnies, but I wish I also had a rabbit with "proper" bunny ears, like Bandit's.


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## Azerane

That was one of my main criteria when I got Bandit, he had to have upwards ears  Thanks


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## Azerane

We had a play on the lawn today, now it's photo time 

Img 1+2: Binkies 
Img 3: His disapproving bunny face.
Img 4: Practicing the periscoping (I love those ears!)
Img 5: More Binkies
Img 6: "Just stretching mum, honest..." planning his escape 
Img 7: More binkies
Img 8: His cute face =3


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## JBun

NICE binky shot! That boy can get some air! And he is totally planning his escape, haha. His little body is stretched as high as he can possibly reach, trying to see if he can get over that top edge. Silly boy


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## curiouscarrot

Look, Mum! I can levitate!


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## PaGal

I don't know if it will work for you or not but we have a large sheet of wood, 4ft X 8ft leaning against a wall in Thumper's room. It's for a project we haven't started on yet. It creates a tunnel affect behind it and Thump likes to lay back there but at first he would pull the carpet. I cut a few long pieces of cardboard slightly wider then they needed to be and wedged them behind the wood so it's firmly pressed to the floor and wedged between the wall and bottom of the wood. that appear.

I haven't had a problem with Thumper trying to get at the carpet and every now and again I use the hose on my vacuum to get up any loose hair or the few poos . If you have no way to wedge a piece of cardboard then maybe you could use the couch legs to help hold at least one side down so Bandit can't simply try and move it out of his way.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Really good shots! I love them all! Yes, he's definitely trying to escape!


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## Chrisdoc

Awwwww such fantastic shot with him mid air,he is so agile and a great binkier. I just love his colours, that light coloured belly is to die for. Mine bicky but have caught them mid air...congrats, he´s such a performer lol.


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## Azerane

Thanks everyone, and thanks PaGal for the advice, I will have to keep playing around with things to see how they work out.

Bandit really does manage to get quite a bit of air with his binkies, he is a _very_ good jumper which can get a bit worrying sometimes. Especially when he reaches up at the fence like that. I know he can jump over it, he has before, he just doesn't seem confident in doing so (which isn't a bad thing).

We were out all day today (went to Monarto Zoo which is an open range zoo), and Bandit was very cute and happy when we got home. Though apparently he didn't miss me enough to want to be picked up  He did let me brush him a lot while he sat eating some fresh hay though. He is shedding like there's no tomorrow!


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## Azerane

I'm still brushing Bandit, once or twice a day and pulling off a brush full of fur each time! It just doesn't stop falling off. And then even after brushing him, I'll go into his room and find a great big pile of loose fur in the corner. It's amazing he has any fur left 

He accidentally peed over the side of his litter tray again yesterday, I've noticed that I can actually tell when he's done this by smell, before I even see it. When he pees in his litter tray, because it soaks into the litter it doesn't get a smell. But when he pees over the edge onto the floor it has a very distinct smell. Then it's also a pain because I have to scrub the floor when usually I can just mop it every so often! The little rascal.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Ash is shedding pretty hard too. Every time I pet him I can see tufts of fur come off. What kind of brush are you using? I'd like to get something for Ash to help him shed it all off.

Ash doesn't ever pee over the side of his litter box. I'm glad he doesn't. Sounds annoying!


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## Azerane

Bandit doesn't do it too often, maybe once every couple of weeks, but it is certainly a pain. I think it's started happening because he's gotten bigger and because he has a habit of pulling his litter box away from the wall, his butt just hangs off the edge. Been meaning to get a high sided tray to fix that problem but I don't often travel the way of the pet store I know that has them for a decent price.

I use a slicker brush for Bandit, seems to work pretty well. http://www.whiteshepherdsaustralia.com/slicker brush.jpg


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## Azerane

Surprised at how good I feel today, went bowling last night for a work event, food and drinks supplied... I'm not a drinker, but I felt compelled to take advantage of the free drinks, lol! So I did. Was very tipsy by the end of it, felt a little ill but not awful. Woke up this morning feeling completely fine, which was great.

So we (Bandit and I) have been working more on the harness training and Bandit has been _sooo_ good. How he's such a little angel at the times when I really need him to be I just don't know. But I'll start petting him and he'll just lay there and soak it up and I'll clip the neck loop around. Then I'll keep giving him head rubs and lift up his front a little (something which he would never normally let me do) and slide the second loop under him then clip that on.

It's the first time I've had it on him fully, the other times we just practiced with the neck loop. So I put it on him, gave him lots of pets then took it off. A couple minutes later (after adjusting the loops as I'm still trying to get them right) I repeated the whole thing and put it on him again. Then I had to step away to get pellets as a reward and he decided to try moving and he didn't really like it. He did some funny hops which if he hadn't had the harness on would have almost looked like binkies, but you can tell they were just awkward hops, lol. I felt so bad, but I was really proud because although he was uncomfortable, he didn't hide or bolt from it, just moved a short way and stopped. I rewarded him with pellets then took it off again. About 10 minutes later I put it on him yet again and just let him eat pellets out of my hand while petting him before taking it off. So he's doing pretty well. I managed to get one pic of him with the harness on. I'm still trying to decide whether he is ok with the sound of the bell or not, though I suppose it's something he'll get used to. I'm just always trying to end on a positive and take it off him while he's relaxed and getting pets and pellets.

Have a pic


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## Ilovemyrabbit

That's great that the harness training is working well! I might have to train Ash to do it because every time I try to put it on him he runs away and acts distressed. But once its finally on him he acts like he's not even wearing a harness and he doesn't act scared. Good picture of Bandit! That's the exact same harness I got for Ash only its a different color.


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## curiouscarrot

Does a rabbit harness need a bell? They put them on cat collars to warn birds, but is there any need for warning of a rabbit on lead? It might be useful if he was roaming free to find him, but he'll be attached by the lead. Unless I'm missing something (quite likely), I wouldn't bother trying to get him used to the bell, I'd cut it off.


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## Azerane

The harness doesn't need a bell, and I really don't care for it that much. My reasoning for keeping it on there was that on the highly unlucky and unfortunate chance he somehow got away while wearing it, and ran behind/into something etc (or if for some stupid reason it was night time, though why I would have him outside on the harness then I have no idea!), I would be able to find him by the sound of the bell when he moved. So that's the main reason I've kept it on so far.

It's tough getting the sizing just right for the harness though, I keep having to put it on and off him and adjust it slightly. I can't figure out if it's too tight, or if he just looks uncomfortable because the harness is new to him. I figure at the very least I can start off a little looser until he gets more used to it and slowly work it tighter till it seems reasonable.


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## curiouscarrot

To me, it looks tight around the chest in the photo, but I know nothing about how to fit a rabbit into a harness or how much of that is his fur being compressed, not him.


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## Azerane

Yeah, I have loosened the chest one since that fitting. Though I could fit a finger easily under it, it still just didn't look right. I think it's just going to take some experimenting


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## curiouscarrot

He shouldn't be able to slip out of it, even if it's quite loose.


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## Azerane

Ok, time to post again  This week has been crazy busy, and it's completely exhausting. I don't like to have too much stuff going on because I just get exhausted from too much social interaction, unlike some other people I know who thrive on it, I'm the opposite. So that's been draining, add onto that the fact that I had to fork out $200 for a new car battery, stupid European car that takes a special battery here. That car has been nothing but a headache since I bought it! For once I'd actually had about $200 saved at the end of the fortnight after bills etc, and then the car battery just _had_ to die. It really upset me actually because we've been struggling with money a bit so it was nice to have been able to say that I'd managed to save some... but what can you do.

In good news however, about two nights ago I went and sat in with Bandit for a long time, petting him, feeding him pellets etc, and I got not only my second set of licks from him ever, but also my third and fourth set too!  It was really sweet. He came and laid down next to me, and was climbing on me too. Was a nice bonding session I think. I was worried when I got home from work today because I went into the laundry and Bandit was laying down in what looked like a bit of a funny position, and he didn't even lift his head or anything when I opened the door (which is very strange for him) and he hardly moved when I went over to him either. So needless to say I became a very worried bunny mum very quickly. Now however, I've let him out into the hallway and kitchen and he's eagerly destroying cardboard and fussing with the gate to try and get through. Standard Bandit behaviour! He's never happy with what he's got, always wants more, lol.


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## Azerane

A bit of drama here today. In less than 24 hours, Bandit has ruined both of his play time areas. Yesterday evening he destroyed the barrier preventing him from accessing and pulling at the carpet and he had already pulled up a tiny piece before I realised, so that has him banned from hallway and kitchen playtime until I can work out something else. So today, I set up the pen on the lawn again, he was pretty happy, hopping around, doing binkies and 500's. Then he raced and did another binky, and went straight into a jump after that which sent him clear over the 65cm high fence... So now he also has himself banned from outside pen play time! Which leaves me with the option of hurrying along with his harness and leash training. My other option is to also have a makeshift roof on the pen outside with a piece of shadecloth, I've done it before but it was for shade, not out of necessity  My boy is just determined to get into trouble, too much ambition!

I could also invest in taller fencing, but that's a lot more cost and he might still end up sailing over the top of that too!


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## The Frenzied Fox

oh Wow Azerane, Bandit is adorable! <3 Love his fur! I was popping on this forum to look for rabbit advice etc and saw your blog. I didn't know you had a rabbit--this is Frodo Lion from DA!  Good luck with the harness training!


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## Azerane

Oh hey there!  I've only had Bandit since February this year, hadn't had a rabbit for several years before then. The internet's a small place, lol. Thanks so much and good to bump into you. This is certainly the best forum for rabbit advice that I've ever come across.


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## Azerane

Really excited right now. The Night Parrot is a native parrot of which there have only been a handful of sightings since 1979 and a couple of dead specimens found. It has never before been photographed, until now!! They're still checking the authenticity of the photos, video and audio recording, but I'm really hoping here! It was only a matter of time before someone managed to find and photograph one, but this is really exciting. Pretty much an enigma, the holy grail of Aussie birds! I'm so excited it's ridiculous. lol.

In Bandit news, I've been gradually introducing him to greens again, we've been starting off with silverbeet and cos/romaine lettuce. He's loving both so far. I've also started working on some tricks with him. We've started with "up" where I get him to stand on his hind legs and today we tried "Spin". All is well so far, he's adorable!


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## The Frenzied Fox

That's awesome about the parrots! Sounds similar to the Ivory Billed Woodpecker being found a few years ago in the States! Let us know how the training goes--I've never trained Pipkin before but learning that you can... I'm a bit curious. Pipkin has learned years ago to beg when I'm eating though


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## Ilovemyrabbit

That is so great about the birds! I hope they do get some pics and vids of them! Reminds me I hope they get a video of bigfoot! Yes I believe that bigfoots exist. 

I hope Bandits training goes well. I've never trained Ash either but I'd like to. I'd like to train him to come ti me when called and sit when I pat on the couch. Basically I'd like to train him to do everything a trained dog would do.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, there should be more news about the parrots on either wednesday or thursday I hope 

Bandit's doing pretty well with his training, though I've noticed he's a bit like a cat with it. If he doesn't feel like it, he won't do it. Unlike dogs who are all about the food, Bandit is happy to have the tasty treat, but he's also happy to hop off and do something else instead of "Up" lol. Still, he does it pretty well. The harness training has also been going great, the other day when I put it on him I got him to do "up" while wearing the harness, and he did it, so he's a good boy  Still considering whether I should buy a clicker or not, I mean it's going well so far, but the clicker is that immediate confirmation that he did something right.

In other news, one of my wisdom teeth has been having a real go at me the last 3 days, just constantly aching and throbbing. Have to call the dentist tomorrow because it's just getting ridiculous.


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## Azerane

I got some great painkillers from the dentist today for my wisdom tooth  My mouth is still sore, but it's not throbbing like it was constantly before. So thank goodness for that.

Bandit spent sooo long licking my hand today, I spent a while petting him and then he just would not stop grooming me! It was absolutely sweet and adorable and really cheered me up, but it was also very funny that he just kept going. That little bunny tongue feels quite funny! Also, I'm not sure whether it's Bandit, or whether it's our washing machine, but there's a bit of a funny smell in the bunny room and I'm really hoping that it's not his scent glands... I really don't want to have to clean them, and not really sure I'll be able to. I might check to see whether it is them, but as for cleaning them out I'm not sure. If I leave it for a little bit is he likely to clean them himself? I sure hope so, lol.

Bandit also seems to be quite enjoying the training too, when he wants to do it, he does "Up" pretty much instantly. In conjunction with that I've also started working on "Down" and also "Paws" because sometimes when I hold the food he's been lifting his paws up to pull my hand down towards him. Still can't decide whether to get a clicker, it's not really necessary, but I feel it would help isolate the exact moment he does the right behaviour. I mean, it's not like they're expensive, will see how he continues to go I suppose


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## Ilovemyrabbit

I know! Their little tongues always feel so weird when they are grooming you, lol. Sometimes Ash would lick my pants to death and they would be soaked, lol. It is really cute when they do it though.

Hope the training goes well, it seems to be going good so far. I really want to train Ash to do some cool tricks too.


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## Azerane

I don't know whether the licking thing is a phase or not, but he suddenly seems so intent on it lately, could he perhaps be feeling like a bit of a romeo, even though he's neutered? Maybe something to do with that musky scent that I've been smelling in the laundry lately, although Bandit himself doesn't seem to smell.

We've been working on nail trimming yesterday and today. It's going alright, I'm not restraining him to do it so I've been rubbing his head while sneaking in a grab at his paw and trimming a nail or two at a time. The inside nails on the front paws have been the hardest to get to so far. But he's been fairly good about it, he's only freaked out once on a cut and that was when I cut one of his nails on his hind feet. The hind feet are going to be tougher because he doesn't like them being touched as much as the front feet, something we'll have to work on  But so I don't forget what I've trimmed so far and where I'm up to, I've drawn up a little diagram of rabbit feet with claws and cross out a claw once I've clipped it. Saves remembering which claw I'm up to especially when it's not always easy to do them in order.


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## Azerane

So, Bandit hasn't peed out of his litter box in forever. In fact, the only time he's done so is when his butt hangs over the edge which hasn't happened in at least two weeks. So today, I sweep out and mop his room. Within an hour of me putting him back in he's peed on the floor :vacuum: Why, oh why?!?! Also, I got it on my fingers.... not fun. Do you think the smell of the vinegar I used in the water made him want to mark the floor again with his smell?


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## Azerane

Another quick update, there will be more photos soon I promise!! More harness training today. I actually gave him a different reward for having it on today, and that was that I got everything set up to let him out to run around, then I went in and put the harness on him and then let him out as his reward. He was quite happy running around with it on, flopping out etc. I even put the leash on for a little bit which he didn't seem to mind, only when it brushed against his ear and even then he didn't chew it, just wanted to push it out of the way.

I mentioned some time ago I was reintroducing him to greens. Well he's now getting either half a lettuce leaf (romaine/cos) or a small silverbeet leaf every day. He doesn't have problems with either of them which is good. If only my parsley and coriander had grown into huge bushes I could introduce substantial amounts of those too, might just have to buy them unfortunately and use my plants for the occasional treat.

I still can't work out what the smell in the laundry is, I'm assuming it's from Bandit, though he doesn't seem to smell himself. He has been acting a little different lately, in that he's been grunting a bit more and more all over me than usual, so perhaps he's just a little frisky at the moment. Do neutered bunnies get frisky? lol


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## Azerane

Been a while since the last update, but there's not a huge amount to update on, and I still haven't taken any more pictures! It was amusing because we had some pet play pens at work, and they got reduced and I was waiting until pay day to get them. Pay day rolls around and I'm looking at the catalogues we got in the mail and I see the exact same play pens I already have, for $15 less than the play pens I was going to get from work! So I scrapped getting the ones from work and bought two from the other place, saving myself $30. They're pretty much identical, different packaging, and maybe 1.5cm shorter, but the design is identical, which means it's nice to have them matching and they'll attach together easier. So I'm pretty happy about that. So I now have 24 panels to work with, which is handy. While I was at the store, I also bought two small polar fleece rugs with paw prints on them. Bandit has a super bad habit of putting tiny little holes in his towels, but he doesn't seem to put holes in the fleece, he just seems to enjoy pushing them around and digging at them.

Today when I had him out running around in the hallway and kitchen, I accidentally knocked a glass jar off the cupboard. It was extremely lucky that Bandit wasn't in the kitchen or that part of the hallway at the time, and I'm actually glad the sound of it breaking scared him, because he went and hid in the box that he was next to (instead of coming to investigate). The first thing I did was rush over to lock him in the laundry. Then I began the tedious process of moving all his stuff and sweeping and vacuuming the whole area for shards of glass. I'm glad that's over.

I go into hospital on August 1st to get my wisdom teeth pulled, I'm not really looking forward to it, but it has to be done. And it will save any future awful pain. I only hope that Wendell arrives soon so that I'm not feeling horrible the whole time that he is here! Bandit and I are both looking forward to when he visits.


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## Azerane

So Bandit and Wendell have been getting along well, I won't post any pics of them together here as I think Wendell will want to post those in his blog thread  However, Soooska was kind enough to send Bandit and I some gifts along with Wendell. I got a cool Canadian keychain and Bandit got too very spunky bandanas. Bandanas for a Bandit, I like it  We're going to have to work on the whole getting them on him thing, but I draped this one over him just to show it off! I think they might actually work if I attach them to the harness when he's wearing that instead 

In other Bandit news, he's still smelly. It must be his scent glands, I don't really want to flip him over, but I might have to to avoid paying the vet to do it. Besides that, he nails the trick "Up" every single time, unless he just doesn't feel like doing it which isn't often if I have treats. And yesterday I really feel he started to understand what I want from him when I try to get him to "spin" as he did pretty good with it yesterday and ok today. We've also done a bit more harness training with the leash on, he doesn't really like the feel of it bumping against him, but he just has to get used to it. Once again I'm using his free run time as a reward for wearing the harness etc. I put it on him and then let him out.

Anyway, enough chatter. Have a Bandit. I swear he wasn't as terrified as he looks, lol. Wish the flash hadn't gone off but I thought I'd had it off. Nevermind.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Good to know you and got Wendell and some extra gifts. Bandit is so adorable wearing that thing. Sorry he's starting to smell, lol. Hopefully you'll be able to clean him yourself.


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## Chrisdoc

Great to see so much news from Bandit and love that bandana. Yes, those scent glands start to smell. They´re easy to clean but really smelly. I had to clean all mine a while ago. Nail clipping is something else that is tricky but with the right clippers, it´s not too bad and I think they do eventually get used it, mine have. 

You´ve got a jumper, it´s amazing how they find their way out of some places. The enclosure you´ve bought sounds great. I´m waiting for my local store to sell the same one I bought before so I can make mine bigger. 

Glad the training is going well, he´s one smart bunny, I think most of them are much smarter than we give them credit for and they learn things really quickly. 

Sorry, your wisdom teeth are playing up, hope the op to remove them goes OK.. at least the pain will be no longer.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, some days his smell is more than others. I tried to attempt cleaning the scent glands yesterday, but just couldn't get him to relax in my hold so I wasn't comfortable delving down there, lol. He is pretty smart though, he's really getting the hang of spin now and doing it faster every time. Though if I don't have treats he doesn't even bother, that makes him even smarter, haha!

I'm not sure what happened, but there was something wrong with Bandit today. When I went to feed him this morning, he didn't come running over, he was just sitting still in his box looking uncomfortable and grinding a little. He didn't want to accept any sort of food and didn't move when prompted. So needless to say I was super worried but we had to go out and I figured if he hadn't improved at all when we got back I would call the vet. I cleaned his litter tray before we left to make sure he was pooping. So we got back and to my great relief he was moving about and had eaten a few (though not many) of his pellets. There was only about 10 poops in his tray (in about 5-6 hours) but it was poop. He hopped around a bit which was a huge relief and my other half got him to eat some more pellets and hay. I decided to help him out with a bit of simethicone just in case which I'm proud to say I managed to squirt in the side of his mouth quite well. About an hour later there was a bunch more poops, mostly quite small but still good to see. He's hopping around more and eating again, but I still have no idea what caused it. It's a bit of a mystery if I'm honest. Hopefully he just continues to improve and it's a non-issue, but I really have no idea what I've done different.

The op for my teeth is next week, it should go pretty well. My mum's going to make me a batch of chicken and veggie soup and puree it so I can eat something delicious and smooth after my op and don't have to chew, lol.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Sorry Bandit is sick! That's so good that he's doing better! Good luck with your op. Its not fun but you'll get it over with, and after a couple of weeks it'll feel fine. Same thing happened with me!


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## Azerane

I don't know what it was that made him sick, but it seemed to pass reasonably quickly and he's back to his happy, mischievous self again.

Today was a pretty special day for Bandit, it was the first time that I've taken him outside on his harness, or really anywhere on his harness. We've only practiced inside. So I put his harness and leash on him and carried him outside and put him down on the lawn. We spent the next 20 or so minutes wandering around most of the yard and exploring everything. He was very good, took to it very well and even was so comfortable at times that he even groomed himself. So I think Bandit had good fun and I enjoyed it too. As soon as I brought him inside and took his harness off he just flopped down like he was exhausted. So it was nice 

I got another bale of hay today too, can't remember when I got the last one but it lasted a good long time and I wasn't completely done it yet. I couldn't get meadow hay because it's out of season so I got oaten instead.


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## Azerane

Well I knew Bandit was a good jumper, but two days ago I learned just how much of a good jumper he is. I was sitting in the lounge room when I heard this metallic banging from the laundry, usually I don't bother checking as it's often him just bumping into the laundry cabinet as he hops around or throwing something against it. But this time it just sounded a little different so I felt compelled to check what was going on. So I open the door and look to the floor but there's no bunny. It's then that I notice that he's sitting looking at me from on top of the washing machine!! Now, by the sound I'm 100% sure that he first jumped onto the edge of or into the laundry tub and then onto the washing machine. But the edge of the laundry tub is 90cm off the ground!!! And there he was, just checking things out from his perch on the washing machine. I couldn't help laughing. It was a little worrying since if we hadn't been home he may have either chewed the washing machine cord which is accessible from the top or he may have tried to jump down and hurt himself. But I just couldn't believe that he'd managed to get up there. I know I've underestimated his jumping abilities before, but I don't think I'll ever underestimate Bandit again! It's just as well I didn't invest in an "extra tall" baby gate for the laundry door, as he probably would have just hopped that too! This is why I really wanted to try and get involved with rabbit jumping since I'm sure he'd enjoy it but I haven't had a response from the person I e-mailed regarding it.

He's quite the character my bunny  Unfortunately I haven't spent hardly any time with him yesterday or today because I had my wisdom teeth pulled yesterday and have mostly been sleeping and trying not to think about the pain, which is nearly impossible to do.


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## Azerane

It's hard to hate something that's so cute, but sometimes he does make it easier. Yesterday I discovered that Bandit had chewed through the washing machine power cord. It's usually out of reach but it must have gotten bumped and fallen loose to be in his reach. No idea how much that's going to cost to replace yet...


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## JBun

The little stinker! I guess you are now in the 'I destroyed a major appliance' club with Morgan, but Bandit would have to destroy one more to be able to catch up to Ellie's tally of two. I'm sure you're hoping that doesn't happen. Yeah, I agree that they are pretty lucky they're so dang cute, or they would be in BIG trouble 

I don't know about Australian appliances, but here in the US, you can usually buy a replacement cord for around $25 and they are pretty easy to replace yourself.


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## Azerane

Little stinker doesn't quite cover it I don't think, lol. He had previously destroyed my laptop power cable, though I suppose that's more of a minor "appliance". He just seems to have this homing ability for cables. The ratbag.

We're honestly not sure where to pick one up from, we bought the washer second-hand from a guy who buys damaged machines and repairs and re-sells them, so we're going to ask him how much he would charge to do it. It it's a reasonable price it will save us the hassle of figuring out how to pull the thing apart to properly access the cable since it doesn't just seem to pull out from the back of the machine.

Also had to go back and see the oral surgeon today since I was having extreme pain still after my wisdom teeth got pulled last week. He said that I'd lost some of the clot in one of the sockets which was why it was hurting so much, so he put in this soft "filling" but it tastes something shocking! I think I almost preferred the pain, lol.


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## PaGal

If you need to you may be able to do a search on line for instructions to either take the washer apart for servicing or how to replace the cord. You should only need to know the make and model of the washer. 

You could also try youtube for an instructional video.


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## whitelop

I can't believe Bandit got the washer cord! Ellie chewed through the water hose on our washed and killed our fridge. Welcome to the "my rabbit destroys my stuff" club, its expensive and irritating. Its just so lucky for them that they have those cute little faces and those little whiskers. 
Bandit is so pretty though, how could you be mad at that for long? 

I hope your tooth-hole feels better. I'll be honest, I laughed when you said "it tastes something shocking!" I guess its the way you put it, but it made me laugh so hard. I'm still laughing. LOL Mouth pain is the worst pain too, it makes you feel so weak and ugh. I hope you feel better!


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Bandit sounds like a really good jumper! Ash has jumped pretty high before too. Maybe you should have Bandit fo rabbit agility.

I hope your mouth feels better soon. I'm sure getting wisdom teeth pulled feels a lot worse than getting baby teeth pulled like I had. I really hope you feel better soon. Sorry about the nasty taste from the filling.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, I really couldn't be mad at Bandit for long, he really simply is too cute. He's obviously been a bit neglected lately because I've been feeling ill from my wisdom teeth surgery, and when I picked him up yesterday and took him upstairs onto the spare bed to hop around a bit, instead of hopping around and exploring constantly, he just sat there for at least half an hour while we gave him head rubs. He was like a little sponge, just soaking it up.

My teeth are slowly feeling better, the only problem is I'm now getting sick, so I have a killer sore throat which isn't much fun. But what can you do.



whitelop said:


> I hope your tooth-hole feels better. I'll be honest, I laughed when you said "it tastes something shocking!" I guess its the way you put it, but it made me laugh so hard. I'm still laughing. LOL Mouth pain is the worst pain too, it makes you feel so weak and ugh. I hope you feel better!



lol, glad I could at least make someone laugh!


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Sorry you are getting sick. I'm sick as well. I woke up this morning with a plugged up ear. Not fun.  I hope you feel better soon.


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## Chrisdoc

Sure you´ll manage to get a replacement cord, they usually are quite easy to fit. 

I bet it was a shock seeing him sitting on top of the washer. What a rascal, that´s something Houdini could get up to if he got the chance. 

What a bummer about the tooth, I hate anything to do with teeth although they do heal quite quickly so you should be as right as rain in no time.


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## holtzchick

LOL awh Bandit sounds like a handful! I just recently replaced my laptop cord yesterday for the third time but I have yet to say Phoenix has chewed through anything else! 

Hopefully your teeth feel better, I know what it's like to have bad tooth pain BUT I have yet to feel the pain of wisdom teeth.... It must feel a 1000000x worse! 

Bandit looks gorgeous on your avatar photo by the way!!


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, I'm still sick which is a pain. I don't really feel too bad, just been trying to cough my lungs up all the time which results in not much sleep etc.

Bandit is still his cute rascally self, he's been making such a mess lately with his hay. I think it's because I had to switch from meadow to oaten due to meadow being out of season, and because he doesn't like oaten as much it just ends up absolutely everywhere, not even joking. But the meadow was kept much more contained and sensible-like 

A couple of days ago I actually took him for a walk in the park outside our house. It was a bit of an experiment to see how it would go and it went pretty well. I was really vigilant about keeping an eye out for dogs etc, but he was so relaxed and having fun than he stopped to groom himself and even did a few little binkies. I will need a longer leash though, it just doesn't have very good reach for when he starts hopping away and I have to keep up. When we got back inside he just flopped out like he was exhausted. He's so adorable.


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## Azerane

Bandit's mess-making must be to do with the oaten hay, he just throws it everywhere! And because he doesn't eat as much of it there's more left over to make a mess with. It's quite amusing though.

I'm quite relieved at the moment because we thought we had an inspection tomorrow, but as it turns out it's next week. So I'd been worrying about getting stuff tidy but now we have a whole extra week, which is really nice since I'm still sick at the moment.


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## Azerane

Apologies in advance, this is going to be long. But it's been 10 years, and I'm some days late and he deserves all I can give.

They say time heals all wounds, but I'm not so sure. I don't think they accounted for the hole in my heart in the shape of a cat. My cat, Furry. Perhaps I never allowed the wound to heal, perhaps it will only go away when I give my heart to another cat, or perhaps it will never heal. All I know is, you made a difference in my life, and I lost my dearest friend ten years ago.





I'm not sure of the exact circumstances in which you came into our family, all I know is that it was 1992 and I was about 4 and 1/2 years old. I remember walking into the lounge room to see two kittens sitting on the lounge chair on a fluffy blanket, with their legs tucked beneath them as they slept side by side. We do have a photo somewhere, but I haven't been able to find that one yet. I don't know how we decided between my brother and I which kitten was to belong to whom, but somehow you and I ended up together and your sister, Kitty, ended up with my brother.

Like all kittens, you were lively, curious, playful and loved boxes and I know we had hours of enjoyment from watching you play together and playing with you. The pair of you were a terrible duo, causing mischeif, chasing each other around the house, running up people's legs, climbing the christmas tree and pulling the clothes off the clothes horse.

Furry is on the floor, Kitty is in the box.




To the untrained eye, the pair of you were peas in a pod and many of our friends couldn't tell the difference, but differences there were. Not just in your coat pattern, or the triangle of three black spots on your nose, but in the feel of your coat too. Where Kitty's fur was soft and plush, yours was tougher and more hair-like, not that I minded of course. Your personalities were also worlds apart and I feel that somehow they matched up with us. At heart, you were an adventurous cat and loved the outdoors. We took walks together, watched rabbits together, climbed trees together and you trusted me to follow where I went. And yet, you were a loving cat, eager to come for cheek rubs when called and with a charisma above and beyond any other. If I was at school, you would walk around and "talk" to mum while she did things around the house. If mum wasn't home, you would visit the neighbours and stand in their garden talking to them while they did the weeding or some other garden chore. If we took you to the vet, and took you in a box, you would cry and shift and push and claw your way out until your head was poking out the top of the box, and once it was and you could see, you were fine.

You adored being held and sitting in laps, and would sit on a shoulder for as long as you could and dig your claws in and purr and drool all over whoever was holding you. I know when I was younger my lap was not often favoured as it was too small for you to sit comfortably on. But if I was sick home from school, instead of being outside all day you would sit on the bed with me, and at night time, it was my bed you slept on, my pillow you stole and pushed me off of, and my head you bit when I tried to take it back. We had a rule after that, no Furry beyond my shoulders in the bed. Every night you would start sleeping at my legs and slowly move further and further up the bed until you were standing on my chest, you would nuzzle my head and try to walk to the pillow, but my hand on your chest stopped you, and you would always apply a little bit of pressure to see if I would give in. You knew I wouldn't, you were just testing.





What a cat you were, and not a weird cat either. Kitty was a weird cat, she caught leaves and brought them to the back door pleased as punch, she also got grass stuck up her nose. Sparks is a weird cat, she used to chew through the plastic and eat the bread while we were out of the house and she swallowed a meter of string. But you weren't weird, you were a cat, but so much more than that. Your cat instincts were greatly alive and well, in fact you seemed to thrive on hunting and though you fought a bit, you were the King of Cats wherever we moved to. When we moved to a house backing onto a gully with a creekline, you regularly brought back rabbits (pests in this country) and left what was left of them on the door mat, the porch, the pathway, the lawn. You were an incredible hunter, even one day bringing in a full size, highly venomous brown snake, dead! I'm so glad you didn't repeat that hunting episode. It was lucky that Kitty survived her bite from one of those.

So when you weren't hunting, playing, talking to the neighbours or curled up in our laps, what did you do? You sprawled of course! On your back, often in the sun with all four legs in the air, or across a whole couch cushion. No cat ever looked more comfortable on his back. You loved being around people, and if I was reading from a text book for school or trying to write down my homework, you would sit on the book or my hand or wherever it would stop me from doing what I was doing so that I would pay attention to you. And how could I resist? You were a part of me. You grew up with me, lead me, taught me, helped me, listened to me and even gave advice. You were simply my closest and dearest friend, a part of my heart. Except you're still a part of my heart.





I remember the time leading up to before the accident. I was excited because my sixteenth birthday was coming up, and I was telling you about it and how we'd get to have fun once I turned sixteen. It seemed such a sure thing, to have you there for my birthday. Yet it seems it just wasn't to be. I still in part blame myself for what happened, for it was me that let you outside that morning. My best human friend was there because she'd slept over, and it wasn't long after I let you out, maybe 1/2 hour to an hour and I heard your cries. I had always been able to tell them apart from any other cat, and this time there was something about your cry that sent terror through my whole body. I raced to the back door to find you weren't even there yet, but I opened it and you walked in continuing to cry the whole time. It was immediately obvious there was something wrong with your back leg, I think it was the left one, but I'm afraid I don't remember anymore. You walked inside and I thought you would stop walking, but you kept crying walked through the dining room and kitchen, along the hallway, up five stairs, into my bedroom and jumped onto my bed and curled into a ball. How that tugged at my heart that you made that your safe space. Needless to say, we took you to the vet and left you there while they figured out what was wrong.

It soon became clear that there was nothing I could do to save you, I don't know what happened, but you tore all of the ligaments in your hind leg. To repair them would be hugely costly, to amputate was also costly and my parents argued that you wouldn't be happy, that at 11 years old you wouldn't adapt with three legs. I accused them of lying, I screamed, I cried, I promised to give up my student exchange trip to Germany at the end of the year if it would give us the money to save you. And yet, the decision was made, as it probably already had been for some time. And at night on August 10, 2003, they took your life, four days before I turned 16. It took me many years to forgive my parents for their decision, and I still don't think it was the right one, but in all fairness, they probably didn't have the money.

The two hardest things, being 15 years old and not being able to help you, to make that decision for myself. The second, was because you'd been in so much pain, they already had you sedated. In a way, it was like you were already dead, since the decision had been made and you were unresponsive anyway, I felt robbed of my last true duty to you. I was right there, and you were right there, but how could you have known? Is your last memory of being in pain and terrified at the vet clinic before they sedated you? I hope not. Still, I was there, they gave us time to say goodbye. When they came back in I kept petting you until after you were gone. You came home with us, we showed your body to Kitty, she seemed to understand. The next day when I came home from school, my dad had a hole ready in the garden for you. I petted you one last time, though it was strange without life in your body. We buried you, I planted a bottlebrush and daffodils over your grave. But though you were gone, the impact of your life was not and I cried for months and cannot think of you still without crying.

Furry was my heart and soul in a cat. To this day, I still don't know how I will ever fully give my heart to another cat without feeling that I've betrayed him. He was my buddy, my confidant, my partner in adventure, my dearest friend. How has it been ten years since you were with us? I miss you, always have.


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## Ilovemyrabbit

I'm so sorry! That was a beautiful tribute to a beautiful cat. It made me so sad. RIP little guy! I hope you have all the tuna and milk you want now over the rainbow bridge.


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## Chrisdoc

What beautiful memories they give us and how much they teach us. All of us who´ve had other pets who´ve grown old with us and have left us when we weren´t ready, we miss them every day. I'm sure he understood when you had to say goodbye and didn´t hold that against you. He had a good life full of love and affection. I´m sure he´s still hunting and curling up on someone else´s lap until he can happily sit on yours again.


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## whitelop

Its always so hard to lose them. They're never with us long enough. I have a cat that is 13 and one that is 12. I've had them both their whole lives and I'm scared that one of them will go soon, I've been trying to mentally prepare myself, but you just can't. 

Your tribute was beautiful. It made me cry.


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## Azerane

Thanks so much guys, means a lot. It's true I don't think you can ever fully prepare for it.


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## Azerane

I finally got a chance to use all those extra pens I bought a couple of weeks ago. Between bad weather, having my wisdom teeth out and being ill, I just haven't had a chance. But we had an inspection today for our rental so the other day I had to full-on clean the laundry since I haven't scrubbed it since before my op. As it was a beautiful day, Bandit got to play outside in the sun. He seemed a bit put out that there was a lid on the pen, lol, but it meant I could safely clean without having to keep my eye on him every single second. He seemed to have fun anyway. All the pegs are holding the lid together. As it turns out, I actually have enough panels to have made it an extra panel longer, but counted wrong at the time since there was still a panel hiding in our storage cupboard.

I actually felt really bad for him today, because the inspection was today and I left for work before 6am, I had to put him in his hutch last night. When I put him out in his hutch the weather was beautiful, calm and warm. Then the night turned, windy and gusty with rain pelting down etc. Made me feel so bad. Bandit was fine though, it's probably just me that's the big softy, lol.


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## Azerane

So, two good very good things and one very funny thing have happened recently. The first is that my good friend's husband fixed our washing machine cord for us for free!! He has his restricted electricians licence so no worries about it being a dodgy job at all, which is nice. I ran it today after I got home from work and it works a treat, it's so good not to have to hand wash clothes anymore.

The second good thing, is that he also made me some rabbit jumps. He's doing some sort of building course at the moment and is way ahead of everyone else in it so apparently gets bored, his wife (my friend) told him about how I was wanting to train Bandit to jump so he decided to make some for me. Which is super nice of him. So he dropped those off yesterday when he came over to fix the washer.

As for the very funny thing... well, on Sunday it was my nephew's 5th birthday party, and my mum gave him a dart board with suction cup darts. Later that night we set up the dart board, and my nephew stuck one of the darts to my forehead before pulling it off. Fast-forward a few hours and I have a nice big "hickey" on my forehead from the dart, lol. It's already been there two days, I'm hoping it goes away soon, lol. Still, it's a fun story to tell when people ask about it.

I got to try out the jumps today with Bandit, and having used them I would have made it so there could be more poles on it that fit closer together so you can raise the height in smaller increments, but I got them for free so I'm not complaining. I may even be able to add in some in-between heights if I really want.

Enough rambling, it's Bandit jumping photo time  (and also pushing over pole time, he seems to quite enjoy doing that. One time, he even jumped between the two orange poles without knocking either of them off!)


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## Azerane

Some slight updates on the jumping. Bandit seems to have picked up on it a little better after our second session and even though he's been jumping it before, it's like he now understands what I'm asking of him and he's jumping it a lot quicker and more readily. I even added the second orange pole again and he even attempted to jump it which was fantastic, though he started off a little close and knocked everything down, but the fact that he actually attempted the jump instead of trying to push through it was good progress.  We also did some claw clipping today, he's definitely due for it. I did all the main ones on his front left foot before he got a bit restless, I still have the little inside one on that foot to do though, as well as all the others of course.

I've also bought him two new toys recently, the other day I got him some bath stacking cups (they're bath ones because they have drainage holes in the bottom). They work great because I can put little treats between the different cups and because of the holes he can smell them and he has to work out how to get them out, so we had fun with that today as well.

Then yesterday my fiance and I went to the royal Adelaide show, which was tremendous fun and we stopped by the stand for the South Australian Rabbit Association and I bought him a giant cat ball. It's pretty cool and he's pushed it around a bit (when prompted with silverbeet!).

A really awesome thing that happened at the show was that there was a stand for a bird of prey place, I think they rescue birds and use them for demonstrations etc and they had a wedge-tailed eagle (our largest eagle) and I got to hold it and pet it!  Being the crazy bird-nut that I am, I was super excited and grinning from ear to ear. It was just magic, probably the highlight of my day. That and getting to pet a Somali cat (Best of Breed) and chat to the breeder about them, they're my favourite cat breed and I am definitely going to own one or several at some point in my life


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## Chrisdoc

Glad to hear he´s enjoying his jumping, looks like he´s pretty good. I love buying new things for mine but there´s so little in the shops here. When I go to the UK next month, I´ll probably go mad in the Pets at Home store and buys loads for them. 

I love eagles and birds of prey. I used to go to a hotel where they had a bird show with some quite large eagles, owls and they even had a kookaburra which used to sing on cue, I loved it and remembered the song from when school all those years ago about the kookaburra. They are such cute birds. 

Now, I´ll have to google a Somali cat, don´t know what they look like :shock2:


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## Chrisdoc

Just been check and they are absolutely gorgeous, what a wonderful tail they have and such lovely eyes. Hope you get your wish


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## Azerane

Thanks Chrisdoc  He's a pretty quick learner so hopefully it won't take too long for him to pick it up. They also had a laughing kookaburra at the show that I got to pet as well, and we were lucky enough to hear it call. They're relatively common around here if you look in the right place, but it's always special to hear them calling.

Thanks, I think I love Somali's because they have a bit of a wild look to them and they've got that fluffy tail and neck ruff, but they're not true longhairs. It's a good in between I think


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## Chrisdoc

I love the kookaburra, they always sound like such a happy cry, almost as though they´re laughing. I thought of you as I know they´re from Australia so they must be quite common over there. 

Do like the Somali´s as they have a look of big cats even though they´re just normal size. A lovely looking feline.


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## Azerane

Bandit is so darn adorable! No particular example, he is just super cute. You think humans are the smart ones, but I know he knows what he's doing when I go into the laundry and he jumps onto his blue box, because he knows that he always gets love and attention if he jumps onto the blue box. Actually, he did do the cutest thing the other day, I had let him out to run in the hallway while I had the washing machine going. At one point I came downstairs and looked in the laundry, and he was standing upright, with his front paws on the rim of the washing machine door, watching the clothes spin around and around. It was so adorable and I wish I'd had a camera on hand because it made me laugh and "awww" so much. You would think a bunny would be scared of the washing machine while it was running, but not Bandit!

After I finished work today I bought some herbs to plant. I do have some herbs, but they haven't been growing very well. So I'm going to start afresh with some new ones. I bought parsley, basil, rosemary, coriander and also some celery. So Bandit should have a nice delicious garden to munch on soon  I want to feed him more herbs on a regular basis, but buying fresh herbs does get expensive so I really have to get these herbs growing well. I'm hoping I have the energy to plant them out tomorrow, I'm still sick so I don't have too much energy.

Also some exciting news in the world of ovens! lol. We've been without an oven for at least three or four weeks now. The old one in the rental died. Yesterday the new oven got delivered and tomorrow it's getting installed! I'm so happy that at last it will be easy to cook meals again!


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## Stephankne

How are things going now? 


Sent from my iPad using Rabbit Forum


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## Azerane

Things are going good 

I got a whole bunch of herbs planted the other day, I still have a couple left in the punnets that I haven't found the room for yet, but I'll figure something out.

Bandit is adorable as ever, but I do wish he'd stop shedding. He just went through a shed which I'm guessing was a transition to adult coat, but now he's shedding in the lead up to the warm summer weather. I completely cleaned out his room yesterday as well as brushing him, and when I went in there this morning and looked behind the door there was this giant ball of fur there still! I don't know how he's not bald, lol. As far as training goes, I haven't managed to work on the jumping, but I have been working on "twirl" which is simply the opposite direction of "spin".

When I'm not being lazy I'll go out and take a picture of all the Bandit friendly things I've planted


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## Azerane

I'm so sad right now, the council showed up this morning to cut back our overhanging trees from the park. It's what the landlord wanted anyway, but it's just so devastating, there were loads of native flowers and a few bird nests in there. And I thought it looked lovely overhanging and giving shade, nevermind. What can you do I suppose 

Bandit's been a little spooked this morning because of the noise, but he still came hopping over to eat his pellets. But they do have chainsaws and a wood chipper/mulcher out there. So it is pretty noisy.


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## Azerane

Ok, so. I went out and bought a second-hand litter tray today... which isn't as bad as it sounds, lol. The lady only used it for a month or so. It's a specially designed one which retails at $80 and I got for $30 with a bunch of wood pellets. I threw a handful of the pellets in with Bandit's current litter and showed it to him and the first thing he did was eat one, lol. Which is only bad because there's probably some eucalyptus in them. But he hasn't tried to sample any since which is good.

For anyone interested, I bought this oz-pet system http://www.oz-pet.net.au/


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## Azerane

I have such a smart bunny  After I bought his new (second-hand) litter tray on Friday I cleaned it with hot water and vinegar and let it dry out in the sun. I then put some hay and soiled litter etc in each part of the tray and let it sit for two days to get his smell on it. I had also been adding a handful of the new litter into his old litter box every time I changed it.

So today, I dumped everything out of his new litter tray, put some new litter in it then took a small amount from his old litter box and put it in the new one in his usual business corner. I set it down in the room, he went straight over to it and sniffed it over before jumping in. He didn't use it, but I found him back in it not 10 minutes later  He's so clever and I'm super pleased that he hasn't tried to eat the wood pellets again, lol. The new litter box is also great because he's got tonnes more room in it, so hopefully he'll be less inclined to leave poops in other locations!

I've also attached a picture of my herb garden, they've only been in about a week and a half but I'm already seeing some progress. I've got multiple basil, coriander, parsley, celery (in the garden) and silverbeet (also in the garden which I've had since early this year, Bandit loves it). There's also one rosemary plant, and then some chives (for me, not for Bandit). The pots are an assortment of things I already had, some from the neighbour's curb and some that were in the shed when we got here. I would like to have a nice big garden space for them, but there's only so much you can do in a rental.


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## Chrisdoc

He looks really happy sitting in his new litter tray, he´s such a handsome boy. Love the herbs, mine love fresh from the pot and have eaten most of them down but they are growing again, I think they´re so much nicer than shop bought.


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## Azerane

Chrisdoc said:


> He looks really happy sitting in his new litter tray, he´s such a handsome boy. Love the herbs, mine love fresh from the pot and have eaten most of them down but they are growing again, I think they´re so much nicer than shop bought.



Thanks  It's much cheaper to grow your own too. Rather than spending three or four dollars on a bunch from the supermarket you can buy a punnet of plants for that. I bought a single punnet of silverbeet earlier this year, and they're still going. Not sure they'll make it through the heat of summer, but they've certainly paid for themselves multiple times over.


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## Chrisdoc

You´re so right. I buy plants regularly now as they much prefer to eat straight from the plant and it lasts so much longer. Over here in the summer, if I buy basil in bunches, it only lasts a couple of days as you can't refrigerate it so it´s a great way to give them it all year. And once, they´ve eaten it, I cut it right down and it grows again. I have lavender, rosemary and sage out there as well.


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## Azerane

Long time no see guys. Life has been a little bit hectic of late in both good and bad ways. I've had the whole month of October off of work, partly because I needed the time off and partly because my fiance who's been living with me the past year has to go back to the U.S tomorrow. He was here on a working holiday visa and the time has run out on it. So before he leaves we went on holiday for 10 days down south to the coast. It was a fantastically relaxing holiday, we were right on the beach front so every morning I got to walk out into the living area to a fantastic coastal view, I've included a photo of half of the view  We got to do a whole bunch of fun stuff and I can share some more photos if people are interested in some of the things we did/saw.

Otherwise, I've also attached a couple of photos of Bandit, they're from a couple days before we went on holiday but they're still adorable. I was so nervous leaving him at home and having someone come to take care of him, but it all went very smoothly. I missed him a bunch though and he seemed to miss us too. I'm happy to know that he seems to have pretty much finished shedding while we were on holiday, I was so tired of all that fur. Glad to know that I'll still have him as company after I take my fiance to the airport tomorrow.

Anyway, don't have time to write much else, have some pics


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## Chrisdoc

That is a fabulous view...wouldn´t mind looking at that every morning. 

Bandit is as cute as ever and yes, I know what you mean about leaving them, worried all the time and didn´t rest until I got home and saw that they were all OK. 

When will you see your fiancée again, it´s a long distance apart, how do you cope ?


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## Azerane

Thanks, it was a great view, we had such a relaxing time.

Not sure when I'll see him again, It's one of the few times when we haven't actually had a set month when we know we'll next see each other. We're at the point where we're both simply saving up money so that we can apply for a visa for him to move here to stay or me to move there. So it could be anywhere from 6 months to a year at least I think. As for how I cope, umm.. I don't, lol. It's very, very hard. Especially after living in our own place together for a year, it's the longest visit we've had. I just try to distract myself, keep busy etc and we get to talk on skype and that sort of thing. Doesn't make it easy, but it helps.


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## Azerane

Bandit has been using the oz-pet litter tray and the wood pellet litter for 3 and 1/2 weeks now and I've been so pleased with it (less smell, much less wastage etc) that I sent a review to the company. I got an e-mail back today thanking me, they asked if they could put Bandit's image on their facebook page and wanted to send me a free bag of litter! So I'm pretty happy about that.

In other news, I bought this adorable wood block bunny calendar.


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## Chrisdoc

Good that they replied and love the idea of Bandit on their facebook page, do you know what it´s called, I want to have a look lol. Good of them to send you free litter. I use the wood pellets and they are so good, hardly any smell. When I was away, I put a dig tray in Houdini´s cage but he decided he preferred to pee in there. The smell when I got back was terrible. 

That little wooden calendar is so cute. I´m always on the lookout for bunny things in the thrift shops. 

Long distance relationships must be really hard, they say there are pros and cons to everything. Having said that, with today´s technology, it is so much easier that even 10 years ago.


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## Azerane

There are pros and cons to every relationship, but long-distance is certainly not for everyone. I probably wouldn't do it again if given the choice. The facebook page is called Oz-pet litter, but they haven't put his picture up yet. I'll keep an eye out and post here when they do.

So today (November 1st) is Bandit's 1st birthday  We celebrated in bunny style and I made him a special salad wrap. I put a mix of all the herbs inside, wrapped it in a leaf of silverbeet and tied it with a piece of coriander, he devoured it in no time at all.

Happy birthday little man <3


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## Chrisdoc

Happy Birthday Bandit :birthday:dancingorig::bestwishes::hugsquish::adorable:

Yes, looks like he enjoyed his treat and he is so photogenic and such a handsome boy....hope he gets spoiled rotten today :kiss:


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## kirbyultra

Happy birthday, Bandit! Birthday nose rubs for you 

That wood block calendar is beautiful! What a great find.

Someone in my rescue group developed a litter box just like the one you have and he sells it online through some already popular bunny websites for US customers. Some people find it very useful and saves them money on hay and litter. Kudos to these folks who come up with such nice ideas.


Sent from my mobile phone


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Happy 1st birthday Bandit!!!!!!!!!! 

I love your bunny block calender! I wish I had one.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, he has been super spoiled this last week. The salad was more greens than he usually gets in a day but I really want it to be a daily thing and I'm working on increasing it again.

Glad you all like the calender too, knew as soon as I saw it thatI was doomed to buy it, lol.

Kirbyultra, the litter tray really is amazing and is saving me a lot of litter.


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## Azerane

Going back to work is exhausting! I had all of October off from work, then I work five days straight and I can tell you I'm feeling the effects, lol. I just have to get back into the swing of things. It doesn't help that I have to get up at 5am for work on weekdays... I received the sample bag of litter from Oz-pet today, it's 5 kg so it's a decent sample and will help keep me going for a while longer. I did notice, that on the delivery e-mails I received about the shipment, that it was coming from a company called Aus pellet heaters. This is a company I looked into buying pellets from, so they must be the people that supply pellets for oz-pet to sell under a pet brand.

Bandit updates:
1. Yesterday morning I came downstairs to feed him and realised that he'd been on top of the washing machine overnight. How did I know? I found the toggle for the blind pull cord on top of the washing machine, instead of still hanging on the cord where it is supposed to be  This was a little concerning for two reasons; the first being that he could have chewed through the washing machine power cord again (have since devised a way around that in case he ends up there again) he also could have destroyed the blinds (I may need to pull them up at night), and secondly, I'm very worried about him hurting himself when he jumps down from there, it's about 90cm high and he's jumping onto tile with all sorts of objects on the floor (his food bowl and tunnels, toys etc).

2. I have come up with a way to stop him messing with the gates/fencing when I let him out in the hallway etc to play. He used to constantly fuss with them, try to chew on them and lift them etc. Not only was the sound annoying, but sometimes he would escape, I was worried about damage to the walls and he would focus on it so much that he wouldn't do anything else. But, I have since discovered that if I put a phone book on the floor right against the gate, he just has to destroy it!! It took him 8 months to get his previous phonebook which is kept in his room to being halfway destroyed, but he did the damage in the picture below in half an hour! He certainly had fun, lol.

I have actually been considering baby gates, firstly because they're more secure and he wouldn't be able to mess with them, secondly I wouldn't have to step over fences all the time, and thirdly, I'm assuming it would take me 1/4 of the time to set up and take down his play area every time. I'm not sure on it yet though, while I think they'd be great, I'm just not sure I should be spending the money on them.


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## Chrisdoc

He certainly is a little escape artist and that is a big jump but Houdini could probably manage that as well and yes, I´d worry more about him hurting himself than anything else. 

I tried a baby gate for the living room door but the one I bought didn´t work for me but I was able to take it back and get a refund so maybe if you could do that, it might be OK so if it´s not suitable, you can always return. 

Mine love phone books as well but sometimes they are so messy lol.


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## Azerane

Bad day today, and I feel awful about it. As I mentioned before Bandit has been jumping up on the washing machine. He did it a couple more times and chewed some more pieces of blind. So to avoid that, last night I pulled up the blinds and hooked the pull cords around so he couldn't access them. I came home from work today to find the window frame very damaged by his chewing. This is a huge problem because I'm renting. Because I have no way of preventing Bandit from jumping up on the washing machine (I don't want to put something up there because if he tries to jump up I'm worried it might fall on him) and I have no way of blocking the blinds/window frame without permanently securing something, I had to put him back out in his hutch today. It was absolutely awful, he spent the first ten minutes reaching up the sides, trying to reach his way out and kept hopping back and forth. The whole time I was petting him and trying to get him to relax, then after a while I had to put the lid down and then he kept reaching way up and pushing his face against the mesh. I felt completely awful and was a wreck afterwards, but he seems to have settled down now. Still, I feel awful, he's used to having so much space, and now he only has that hutch. I can still bring him out everyday when I'm home, but he won't have the constant space now.

I just have to figure out if I can fix it now. I may be able to touch it up with some putty and paint it and hopefully it won't be noticed behind the blinds, it's about the best I can hope for (although I think I have an inspection next week or the week after). I told my fiance and he suggested replacing the piece of frame, but he's chewed three different pieces and one of them attaches to the window winder and lock and it would be a lot of work. I just feel horrible because in a way I feel like it's my fault, since he only started this problem while we were away on holiday, and then I was away over the weekend and didn't spend hardly any time with him yesterday, I feel like if I had he wouldn't have done it.


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## Azerane

Walkies  He loves going outside like this. I'm hoping it'll help wear his claws down too


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## Chrisdoc

Looks as though he´s really enjoying himself, he is such a handsome boy, I just love his colouring and that cute little bunny nose :hearts:


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## Azerane

Bandit says thanks! 

We went to Bunny Club last night. First time we'd been, it's a group for pet rabbit owners which is run in conjunction with SA rabbit rescue and adoptions. Bandit wasn't happy about being in his carrier for so long, but I got to have his claws clipped there and the lady who runs it used to breed Smoke Pearls and she thought Bandit was super handsome, which made me proud 

Also, I got peed on by another rabbit, lol. I was cuddling with some of the adoptable young rabbits, and I guess I had the one on my lap too long and he just couldn't hold it anymore  I knew it was coming too, the shift in position, the tail lift, but it was all too late. So that was fun, haha.


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## Azerane

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while. There hasn't really been anything notable happening, Bandit is still his same cute little self, mischievous as ever and we've been going for lots of walks. He was lucky today because I spent some time with a friend and she was showing me her veggie garden and pulled up her carrots, so I got the tops. Or rather, Bandit got the tops. He's only had a little so far, I wanted to test him out on it before giving him too much, but I'm not sure how long they last in the fridge.

I realised that living on my own and not having Christmas at my house I really needed some Christmas spirit in it, so today I went out and bought a super cheap ($15) 1.8m tree and a whole bunch of cheap decorations so that it will at least feel like Christmas  I'm very much a lover of real christmas trees, but they're quite pricey. So fake it was 

I will post a photo of the tree once I've got it all decorated. Maybe I can convince Bandit to sit nicely under it or something for a photo, lol.


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## Chrisdoc

Always love hearing about Bandit. I´ve just put my Christmas decorations today but no big tree. I know that my three wouldn´t leave it alone so I bought a little fibre optic one and it really does look pretty and no chance of them getting to it so makes me happy. 

Bet Bandit would look super cute with a Santa hat :spintongue


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## Ilovemyrabbit

Real Christmas trees do cost a lot of money! We have a fake one we put up every year as well, and sometimes I decorate a real pine tree that's growing near our house. Yes, maybe Bandit will pose under the tree for you. That would be an adorable picture.


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## Azerane

^Once I've tidied up under the tree I might give it a go, he might just be curious enough to sit still for a brief second.

Just another quick update, we've had some pretty serious weather here the past few days. Wednesday was 38C, yesterday topped over 43C (over 110F) and today got to around 38 again. Needless to say, Bandit has been inside full time, fresh water, fresh greens to keep him hydrated, and that beautiful thing known as air conditioning  It's actually really sad though because I follow a local rabbit rescue group on facebook and the lady said she's had hundreds of calls regarding heat suffering rabbits and has heard of so many passing away because of it. People just don't seem to understand how serious of a situation that is. Even if they don't want to be out in it, they let their pets out in it. Very sad.


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## Azerane

I definitely have the cutest rabbit in the world. We went outside for a walk, I tried taking a bunch of selfies of us, without much success because he doesn't want to sit still when he's out there. We were outside for probably 45 minutes, which includes lots of running around and binkies and 500's. When we got back inside, I unclipped his lead, he ran straight around the corner, jumped in his litter tray and did the biggest dead bunny flop I've ever seen, lol. He looked so adorable, content and just worn out. So then I got him a fresh lettuce leaf from the garden and rinsed it to give him some moisture and he gobbled it up eagerly while I gave him head rubs 

Here's a photo of us  (Phone quality, also I'm sad I didn't fit his ears in, but it's really difficult when there's not an actual button to take a photo and you have to press the right spot on the screen.. which is facing the other way, and also your bunny keeps trying to run elsewhere )


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## JBun

Azerane said:


> ^Once I've tidied up under the tree I might give it a go, he might just be curious enough to sit still for a brief second.
> 
> Just another quick update, we've had some pretty serious weather here the past few days. Wednesday was 38C, yesterday topped over 43C (over 110F) and today got to around 38 again. Needless to say, Bandit has been inside full time, fresh water, fresh greens to keep him hydrated, and that beautiful thing known as air conditioning  It's actually really sad though because I follow a local rabbit rescue group on facebook and the lady said she's had hundreds of calls regarding heat suffering rabbits and has heard of so many passing away because of it. People just don't seem to understand how serious of a situation that is. Even if they don't want to be out in it, *they let their pets out in it.* Very sad.



Pets that have HOT fur coats, no less!

What a gorgeous boy he is! Every time I see his picture, I'm struck by how beautiful and unique his fur coloring is.

It sounds like he enjoys his outdoor adventures. Lots of good exercise that got him nice and worn out for his daytime nap 

I'm glad you both are keeping cool. What would we do without AC!


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## Chrisdoc

He looks a bit shy in the photo like, that´s not my best side. I too like Jenny am always struck by his beautiful colouring, he is such a handsome boy. 

Glad he´s managing to keep cool, hope you are too lol.


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## Azerane

Thanks so much guys. Sorry I've been absent lately, lost my cat, Sparks on Dec 30th, so I think I'm still trying to come to terms with that.

Bandit is as always doing well though. I sprained my ankle really bad last night while out owling (spotlighting for owls to take photos) but still had to take Bandit for a walk on the leash today when it cooled down because this week we've got five days in a row forecast over 40 degrees Celcius. So it might be the last chance we get for a week. It made it hard to keep up with him with me limping along behind, but we got there


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## Chrisdoc

So sorry to hear about Sparks, always hard to lose them. Hope your ankle heals soon, Bandit will keep you busy and hope he keeps nice and cool


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## Azerane

Thank you, I've been meaning to write a rainbow bridge post for her, but I just don't know what to say...

Ankle is improving but still sore (doesn't help that I was playing with my niece and nephew today). He'll be staying nice and cool in the air-con


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## Azerane

Well, he's not going to be happy, but I just booked Bandit in for his yearly health check and vaccination.  I've been waiting and waiting for some cool enough weather to be able to do it, and finally this Saturday it's going to drop down to 28C, it's been in the mid 40's celcius (113F) all this week *melts* We might even be able to go for a walk outside Saturday morning 

Have a cute picture from one of our walks, sorry about the quality, phone camera and then saved onto this computer from facebook


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## JBun

Aww, I've missed seeing pictures of this handsome guy 

It's so funny to hear you talking about melting when I'm freezing my butt off


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## Chrisdoc

That little guy is just so photogenic, he should be on the front of a brand of food or a magazine, he is just gorgeous. 

Glad that it´s going to cool for you, I know that in the middle of the summer here when it´s scorching, I don´t like it and I always worry about the buns.

I´m sure he´s fit and healthy but it´s nice to get the all clear.


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## Azerane

I'm so excited, it's 22 celcius outside right now  Bandit and I can go for our first walk in a week!!! Then off to the vet


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## Azerane

Oh man is my bunny strong and determined. He had a hard time at the vet, I think because the waiting room had so many different animals in it, and it's never been that full before. When we got there there was two dogs and two cats, and it's a small room so he wasn't very pleased. Then when we got into the exam room he was like a wild beast, he did not want to be held still, lol. After a bit of struggling the vet managed to check him over, then at one point he practically leaped onto my shoulder to escape and was desperately trying to climb over me so I got all scratched up. We held him still for his vaccination, and then to my infinite surprise, he sat stock still when the vet placed him on the scales. 2.9 kg (6.4 pounds), not quite so little anymore, haha. I think the first time I took him to the vet he was 1.4kg so he's grown quite a bit.  I was really happy that the vet seemed really pleased with his overall condition though, she checked him over really thoroughly, I asked about the discharge he sometimes gets from his eyes and she checked that all out and said all was good. So a clean bill of health for my boy! She also said that she loved his colours/markings, though I don't know if vets just tend to say that in general as a way to be nice, haha.

He's a picture of him sulking after we got home


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## JBun

Poor little fella's had a rough day. The horrible things we do to our unfortunate buns 

No, the vet wasn't just being nice. Bandit really is a beautiful rabbit.


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## pani

Bandit is gorgeous! I'm glad to hear he's in good shape. Love the pictures of him on a walk - I dream of taking Felix on a walk, but he hates his harness with the fire of a thousand suns.


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## Aubrisita

What a handsome bun you have there. Glad to hear that he got a clean bill of health.


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## pani

Azerane said:


> Bandit has been using the oz-pet litter tray and the wood pellet litter for 3 and 1/2 weeks now and I've been so pleased with it (less smell, much less wastage etc) that I sent a review to the company. I got an e-mail back today thanking me, they asked if they could put Bandit's image on their facebook page and wanted to send me a free bag of litter! So I'm pretty happy about that.


That's so cool!  Is this the same litter? I need to find a better option for Felix. 

http://www.petstock.com.au/Oz-Pet-15kg-Litter-Bag/p/9337654000256


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## Chrisdoc

Haha I laughed at the last photo, looked like a sulky pose to me cos you´d put him through all that but I´m sure he´ll get over it. 

Great that he got his clean bill of health, I always worry even though mine look healthy that the vet will find something. 

Jenny is right, the vet said it because he has got gorgeous colouring and is such a handsome boy. :yes:

By the way, your litter looks similar to the one I use and it is so good.


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## Azerane

Thanks so much everyone!  Bandit appreciates it 



pani said:


> That's so cool!  Is this the same litter? I need to find a better option for Felix.
> 
> http://www.petstock.com.au/Oz-Pet-15kg-Litter-Bag/p/9337654000256



Yes, that's the same one. I buy mine from petstock too, haha  They have the cheapest price for it around where I live, so I try to get it from them though mine seems to often be out of stock so might be worth a ring first if they're out of your way.


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## Azerane

Most stressful day ever.

In reality, it wasn't, work was fine, Bandit was amazingly well behaved all day and I actually feel tired at a more reasonable time than usual. But it is as I feared about my car, its transmission issues are not worth fixing (would cost more than half the value of the car)! Which leaves me in this super stressed and frustrated position of trying to assemble all the money that I have, to be able to afford to trade it in for something else. The worst part about it, is that the money I do have saved, was to help pay for my fiance's VISA and flights so that we could actually be permanently situated in the same country!! So it's not just about the car or the money, it's the set back it puts on the rest of my life. To have something as stupid as a **** car get in the way of that is just... ugh.

I need to go and pet a bunny.


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## pani

That sucks.  My boyfriend always lived in Perth but I used to live in Brisbane, so I remember how awful it is to be far away from the person you love. We were lucky to not have to deal with a VISA or international flights - I hope you guys get it worked out soon so he can be here!


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## Azerane

Thank you, it is a difficult situation, but it is what it is I suppose. Now I just have to go through the seemingly terrifying process of going around to car dealerships and trying not to act like I know nothing about cars, lol.

Another nice evening so Bandit and I were out for a walk again. He did lots of racing around, we didn't "walk" anywhere, it was all "run this way! Now run that way" I had a job just keeping up, haha. As usual he was absolutely mortified when I picked him up to come inside, although he is getting a tiny bit better with it. He has a habit of wanting to look inside the back door, so often he'll come inside that way... then I just don't let him out again, lol.

Additionally (on another completely unrelated topic), I'm so glad it's a long weekend. I've been getting next to no sleep the past two weeks, so to not have to go to work for three days will be amazing. That being said, I still plan on getting up at 5am tomorrow so that I can be out photographing birds by dawn. I hate my hobby, haha.


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## pani

I wish I could take advantage of the long weekend. I work every Saturday and Sunday, and I've been rostered to work the public holiday Monday too. :angry: At least I'll get 3 days after that to enjoy the company of Felix and Clementine. I dream of Felix one day wearing his harness and not having a sook about it!


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## Azerane

I hate my life... accidentally pressed the wrong button and my whole post is gone  So the short version about my weekend, got to sleep in. It was amazing. Did some bird photography, went to the One Day cricket match between Australia and England, it was also amazing. Plus Australia won.  Fantastic game though even if we'd lost.

Walked in to check on Bandit after work today, and I can't believe that he's starting to shed again. There were bunny fur tumbleweeds everywhere!! So I sat down with him and gave him a nice brushing which he absolutely loved. He's such a sponge. He was super cute today though, usually he doesn't really climb on me unless I'm in his way or have food, but today he jumped on my back when I was kneeling down and picking up his fur piles. Then afterwards when I was sitting with him, he kept climbing onto my lap and licking me and reaching up at my shoulder. It was adorable and I felt very much loved 

I officially started for looking for another car today. Went out to test drive two, not quite sure what to make of either. Both seemed great, good service records, great clean condition. But the one seemed to have a funny sound in the gears when changing (though it's hard to tell what's funny sounding when you're not used to the sound of a different type of car) and in the service records of the other one I found mention of an oil leak from a couple years back. So I didn't go back and check whether it had been fixed, but after my current car, I'm staying well away from oil leaks. Will have to drive a few more before I can really start to work out what's good and what isn't. Looking at one at a dealer tomorrow, which will be interesting, as it's the first time I've ever been to a car dealership (apart from when I was 12 or something with my parents, lol). Tell you what though, I'm completely over it already, haha.


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## Azerane

Rabbits, and I suppose pets in general, are the best medicine. Love my little monster so much <3


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## Chrisdoc

They certainly are even though sometimes they drive us crazy. Couldn't be without mine


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## Azerane

And boy do they drive us crazy!! ullhair:

lol


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## selbert

I didn't realise how behind I was with your bunny blog! I'm so sorry to hear about your car and the VISA situation, it must be so frustrating with such a big set back. Pets sure do help the blow though! It certainly sounds like Bandit has been there for you. I don't think I would have coped with my partner moving to Singapore without those little munchkins keeping me busy with persistent mischief (and of course lots of cuddles hehe).
I hope you find a car soon, it's a job I certainly dislike. 
:brownbunny


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## Azerane

Thank you. Have actually had a really rough few days recently, so stopped looking for cars for a few days because of it. But I suppose that's ok as it means there should be a few different ones up now to look at.

But yeah, definitely great having someone there to just pet/hug/vent to/cry on, who doesn't judge and just either sits there and sponges, licks me to death or climbs all over me. Best kind of love there is


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## Azerane

Some pictures from play time today (before he jumped/climbed out). lol. He was easy to catch and put back in. I knew it was going to happen, because he spent the first 20 minutes hopping around the edges and reaching up the sides and working out where the best place to escape was.


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## Chrisdoc

They are just the sneakiest lol. He looks lovely chilling out there


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## Azerane

Just cleaned out Bandit's litter tray for the first time in about 24 hours. I'm a little concerned because all his poops were smaller than usual and there didn't seem to be as many. He is shedding at the moment, so that may have something to do with it. Will keep a keen eye to see what's in there before I go to bed in 2 or 3 hours. Loaded him up with some fresh hay so he should get to munching a lot, he usually does once he gets a fresh pile of hay.

Will have to get on top of brushing him more, I forget how much fur comes off him on a daily basis when he sheds.


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## Azerane

Bandit seems fine, I had been worried about his poops but they seem completely fine again now. Just an overly worried bunny mummy  He was quite the character today, I forgot to get him fresh hay shortly after work, and a little while later I sure heard about it, there was stuff crashing and banging all over the place, lol. As soon as I got his hay he was perfectly quiet. I suppose they have to make noise like that, since they can't meow or bark etc.

He's such a cute little guy though. I gave him some pellets as treats and when he heard the bag crinkling he got so excited and did all of his tricks perfectly!! Such a good boy 

In unrelated info, I just watched the Valentine's Day episode of the Big Bang Theory, it was pretty cool  Actually, I loved the previous ep with James Earl Jones in it, hilarious.


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## JBun

I know, mine start rattling their toys to let me know they are hungry 

Usually what I will do if one of my buns is having several small poops(not just a few) is decrease pellets a little so that they will eat more hay to help their gut motility return to normal. Sometimes they need the extra fiber when they are shedding because of the fur slowing things down in there.


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## Azerane

How is Bandit not bald already?!!? The sheer amount of fur I have swept up over the last week is just astounding, and that's with brushing him regularly. Every time I brush him I get a tennis ball sized clump of fur off of him too. But I just keep finding giant balls of bunny fluff everywhere. It's insane  Even when I had three cats growing up there was not this much fur!!!

He doesn't get that many pellets anyway, only a 1/4 cup every morning. So he eats a tonne of hay every day as it is. His poops seemed to have returned to normal. I'm thinking that because I didn't notice him shedding straight away that I may not have started brushing him soon enough, but now that I'm brushing him daily it seems to have stopped the change in poops. He just loves being brushed too, makes it so easy. I don't brush his belly though.

As a side note, I can't believe there's easter stuff all through the stores already. It's been there for weeks. I caved and bought a cadbury creme egg today. I couldn't help it, was at the register, waiting for all my groceries to get scanned through, and the creme eggs where just sitting there staring me in the face. Stupid product placement. lol.


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## Azerane

Right, so I bought Bandit new hay today. I found someone selling wheaten hay so I went to check it out today. The bales looked fantastic so I picked one up. I haven't bagged it yet so I haven't really seen inside the bale, but it looks really promising. I gave bandit a few stems to try and he loved them. They're much thicker than most of the oaten hay stems that I'm used to, so they'll be better for his teeth. There seems to be quite a few seed heads in there (always was with the oaten too) but they're much easier to see and separate than the oaten heads which don't strip off easily and blend in easier. So it should be a pretty simple process to remove them. I've never been so excited about bagging a bale of hay, lol. It was cheaper than what I usually pay too, but I'm wondering whether it might not be quite as compressed which could be why, will find out tomorrow  I might even take some photos and compare the two.

I'm really over Bandit's shedding too, it's just not going away, haha. At least he loves being brushed and it's some nice bonding time for us. He has so much love <3


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## Azerane

Well, I did bag the hay and I did take comparison photos etc, but it was such an exhausting and drama-filled process that I haven't gotten around to uploading the photos yet. More on that another time 

But guys... look!!! I donated some money to an online friend who had to get dental surgery for her bunny, and in return she drew me this awesome image of Bandit  It's amazing and I love it so much, I think it really captures how cheeky he can be. I do have a version without the watermark, but didn't want to disrespect the artist by just posting that here. You can find the art posting here: http://the-hare.deviantart.com/art/Bunny-Bandit-434777145?id=1qt0mscnfro

Also, Bandit is STILL shedding *dies* I keep thinking it's nearing the end and then today it looks worse, lol. Hoping it's over soon or I'm going to have a hairball


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## Aubrisita

Wow, that is an awesome picture of Bandit!


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## Chrisdoc

What a fabulous picture of Bandit, really captures his personality. He is such a handsome boy anyway. 

I loved it when I got my bale of hay but it was really difficult to bag and store as I don´t have much room. I am still using the last bags but gave quite a bit away to my friend who has chickens, rabbits, goats and god knows what else and he usually looks after the boys when I´m away. I use what´s left of it in Houdini´s digging box as he is my super hay eater, he loves it and spends ages in there just rooting around, digging and eating. 

I adore Cadbury´s creme eggs, I have just finished my box of Heroes which have the twisted choccies in there which are mini cadbury´s creme eggs. I gave away the last of them to my friend as I don´t really like the fudge and eclairs and they´re his favourites. 

Mine are shedding a lot less now, thank goodness, the hair is making me sneeze a lot. Bandy sheds madly all the time. I have a little rug in their enclosure which Bandy lies on, every Sunday you wouldn´t believe the amount of hair I brush off it. Some things you just have to live with :yeahthat:


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## Azerane

Thanks guys, it is a fantastic picture 

The problem I had with my bale of hay, is that I initially decided to start bagging it while pulling off the wheat seed heads in the process (seemed like a good idea at the time) until an hour and a half later I'd only done one bag, lol. So I decided to do a second bag with seed heads removed, and then I got sick of it and just decided to dump the rest of the bale into bags and I could pull the seed heads off at the time when I got Bandit hay. So I get down to dividing the last two flakes in the bale and discover literally dozens of earwigs. I hate earwigs at the best of times, so this really didn't make my day. At this point the bale was still in the boot of my car on a tarp, so I bundled it up and pulled it out before deciding to salvage what hay I could off the top, shaking it thoroughly, before I sprayed around the edges of what was left and onto the bale with some insect surface spray. The earwigs were all trying to run off the edge of the tarp all at once so drastic measures were called for. So I sprayed it excessively, then bundled and tied the whole thing up and threw it in the trash. I would have just tipped it into the green bin (for garden waste/leaves/bunny poop etc) but it was already full. And I was not releasing that many earwigs outside my house, it was horrible. That was really the only downfall with the hay. It's beautiful in every other regard, perfectly clean, smells great, not dusty, no crappy little waste bits that I know Bandit won't eat, very green throughout and nice thick stems for superior teeth wear  Also it was cheaper than what I usually pay for bales, just those earwigs... ugh.

Bandit is still going crazy with the shedding, when will it end?! ullhair: I've also just realised that the 24th will also be one year since I brought him home =3 So I'll have to take his picture and maybe give him treats or something. I did actually buy him a new toy today, but haven't given it to him yet, so perhaps I should wait until Monday. I have also been considering buying him a little fleece cat bed, the ones that are half or whole covered so it seems like a burrow. With cold weather approaching, the floor of the laundry can get pretty cold, so I want a way for him to stay cozy. They had some white leopard print ones at kmart for $9 that seemed they would be worth trying. And at $9, I really don't think I'd mind if he never used it


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## JBun

That's a great picture! How fun 

I've had my own hay sorting adventures, and I know what a pain it is. I've had to spend hours sorting weeds out. I long for the day when I find bales that I can just take a handful and toss it in to the buns. The hay that I have now isn't too bad and only have to sift some of the dusty stuff. But earwigs.... Ugghh!!! I would be so tempted to toss the whole thing. HATE earwigs!!!


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## Chrisdoc

Yuk, I would definitely have thrown it away rather than sort through earwigs...gross. 

I am still using the hay I bought ages ago. I do like it, Houdini loves the really long strands and spends ages now in his play box digging in his hay and eating it happily.....unfortunately sometimes peeing as well, the little devil.


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## Aubrisita

Ewww, I despise earwigs. I would have freaked out, lol.

Happy almost gotcha day Bandit.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys  The hay episode was a little traumatising, lol. I originally found two earwigs while slowly sorting through, but two earwigs in an entire bale of hay wasn't really cause for alarm. Dozens was though 

Unfortunately we didn't end up celebrating "Gotcha Day". I went out to sign for a second hand car and bring that home, which took way longer than expected because the dealer wasn't organised and didn't have the courtesy to ring and tell me to come a little later. Then when I got home, I spent until 9pm cleaning for an inspection the next day. However I have since given him his new toy which is a plush ball. He pretty much just ignores it, lol. He pushed it around a little bit, but probably only because it was in his way, haha. I spent Saturday and Sunday cleaning the inside and outside of my car respectively, so I got to set up the pen on the lawn and Bandit got to run around in there for several hours while I cleaned. He was so good because he didn't even try to jump out once. He must have eaten something funny though (maybe a fallen leaf from a tree) because later that day he was a bit quiet and a little gassy. I know the lawn isn't a problem, so I'll just have to make sure I rake it thoroughly before he next goes out there.

At one point though, I sat down in the pen with him, he raced right over, placed his paws on my leg and sniffed at me. Then because I was sitting with my legs crossed, he hopped into the middle of them and then made a flying leap for my shoulder!! He actually landed quite gracefully and I felt loved but used at the same time, haha. Because he clearly didn't leap into my arms for a cuddle. Though what his plan was I simply don't know, lol. Still, it was pretty cute.

Some phone images from Saturday. The second picture is what you get when there's a delay between pressing the button and the photo actually being taken


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## Azerane

Bandit was the cutest thing today (though I could probably say that any day). After I got home from work, I brought him out into the pen on the lawn, I took lots of photos so I will hopefully share those tomorrow after work. But anyway, Bandit has been escaping from the laundry lately, I must have changed something in my gate system because it's just not working properly. So today I was upstairs in the second bedroom, watching a show on the desktop from the bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I see some dark movement just above the top of the end of the mattress. I lean forward to look, and Bandit just bolts. It's like, he knew he wasn't meant to be up there so he was scared and ran away, haha. I go after him, chase him out from under the bed in the master bedroom and he heads down the stairs. I never try to catch him at the top of the stairs or hurry after him because I don't want him to fall down them. So I have to wait until he's pretty much at the bottom before going down them.

So by the time I get downstairs, he's through the kitchen and heading for the lounge room. I manage to intercept him, but had to adjust my position before picking him up and he slips through my hands and dashes up the stairs again (two at a time I might add). Back upstairs I go to find him under my queen-size bed again. Fortunately, the bed is high enough that I'm able to fit under to pretty well. So there I am, wiggling my way over to him and then trying to pet/hold him still while I wiggle out enough to be able to pick him up. A bit of a funny sight I can imagine. I finally catch him, I bring him into the study with me to sit on the spare bed, and he hops around me a little bit before I position him against my leg and just give him lots of love and head rubs. He pretty much just melted against me, there was lots of teeth purring and it was adorable. It was nice to have some good cuddle time. After carrying him back downstairs, I went and got him some pellets as a reward, and boy is he always desperate for pellets like they're going to be his last meal ever! He's just the funniest little guy, I know he just wanted to be out of the laundry and exploring, but I like to pretend that he came upstairs to see me 

I promise I will try to get those pictures up after work tomorrow, there's some great ones, and then some that are only half a rabbit because he 500's and binkies too fast


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## Azerane

I've kept my promise, and it's photo time!! 

Words can not express how much I love my little man, even if the fourth photo did result in me being covered in dirt from his serious move  Just look at how cute he is =3 I love the last two especially


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## pani

THE LITTLE TINY BANDITOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He's so photogenic! I love all his little binky pics. And the tiny bunny mouf!! He's like "hey mam!!"


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## Chrisdoc

He is such so gorgeous, his colouring is fabulous. How couls you get mad a him with that face....I just want to kiss it


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## Azerane

I could have sworn that I already responded to say thanks here, but apparently not  And no, I can't get mad at him... well I do, but then as soon as I see him I just melt and go into petting mode. I'm just a slave... really.



pani said:


> And the tiny bunny mouf!! He's like "hey mam!!"


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## Azerane

You get a bonus image while I play around with trying to get images in the middle of the post, instead of all at the end.







I think it's worked  How relieving, that has been bothering me for so long having them all lumped together at the very end.

Edit: Nevermind, it didn't work. Haha, have a bonus image anyway  I'm convinced there must somehow be a way to do it though...


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## Chrisdoc

He is such a handsome dude


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## Azerane

Thanks  He gives you licks as thanks too! 

I can't tell anyone in real life yet, so I will tell the internet!!! My sister in-law had her baby last night  So I'm an Aunty again for the 3rd time (first child for my brother though). So now I've got another lovely little niece. I got to go into the hospital today to see them, my mum and her partner were there at the same time and I got to hold her while she slept for a while. My sister in-law had a c-section after a day of induced labor that wasn't progressing, so she'll probably be at the hospital a couple more days before they head home. They all seemed well though, if a little tired, and a very healthy baby. :stork:

After I got home, I opened the laundry door, Bandit escaped the gate 4 times in a row without me hearing... so I'm definitely doing something wrong and he's doing something right. The first time I heard him thunka-thunking up the stairs, the second time I heard his paws on the screen door as he reached up at it, the third time I heard a noise in the bedroom, and the fourth time it had been too quite for too long, so I went downstairs and found him in the lounge room. :nonono: I've been considering a baby gate but I'm just not sure, I think I'd need a tall one. lol

Oh, did I tell you guys I had a Bandit related nightmare last week? I dreamed that I shut the laundry door, and went out somewhere for a while, then when I came home everything in the house was destroyed because he'd slipped out the door as I was closing it!!! And I mean literally everything was destroyed, fridge power cable, all the skirting boards and some chunks of wall were missing, he'd chewed on every step, ripped up carpet, chewed on the window frame and screen that are 3 feet off the ground (somehow), eaten parts of the bed etc. You name it, he ate it. You cannot imagine how relieved I was to wake up, haha.


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## Azerane

Spamming my own thread with more posts, haha.

Seriously though, even before I got Bandit, I've been excited about making an NIC cage for whenever I next got a rabbit. So I did tonnes of research, and saved countless images of cages and designs so that I could one day create my own. But to me they all seemed to lack one thing, despite how long they were, the cages never utilised their full length as there was always a shelf in the way. So to remedy this, last year sometime I designed a cage with the shelf to the back, so that the main cage area could be used in full length.

Exact specifications of the height of that top shelf is yet to be determined, it would probably have to sit a little lower, but on both levels, there is the availability of full-length hopping, which I think is important. The red dot is supposed to be a support dowel (though it may have to run lengthways instead), the green square around the front four panels is a door, and I would also place a door on the roof. The space under the shelf might be a good spot for a little hidey-home. A single grid shelf would be ideal, but I read that it's preferential for rabbits to have a little more room when hopping down. Which is another reason I feel the shelf along the back is better, because the rabbit can jump down to the length, as opposed to when you see a two grid wide shelf against the side and there's still only one grid space to hop down onto it (if that makes sense).

In any case, I've probably been over-thinking it (I've had a lot of time to). But I've seen so many cage designs where I've wondered "why on earth did they build it like that" So I figured other people's cages, could be my trial and error and I would magically end up with the perfect cage, lol.

Anyway, here it is  Ignore the square off to the side, it was a template thing. Also in my dream world, it would probably be five grids long, but whether or not I end up with that much space for a cage is another matter


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## Azerane

While going across the road to get some ingredients for dinner, I thought I'd stop in at the vet and get some sort of treat for Bandit, since last time I was in there they had a few different oxbow products. Unfortunately, they only had the pellets, hay and hay cakes. But I bought a packet of hay cakes. $8.70 for a bag which seems a steal compared to the $14 RRP on the Oxbow Australia website, haha. Bandit seems to like them at least, he's pretty much completely devoured the one I gave him already. I actually wanted to cut it in half, mostly so they'll last longer but I want them for little treats, not a meal. I tried scissors, then a sharp knife, then a serrated knife, and I just ended up with a mess and a cube that was still pretty much whole. So if anyone has any tips on cutting hay cubes in half, that would be great


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## BigBunny

the hay cubes I buy just snap easily by hand... Oxbow ones must be super tough ! Chisel ? saw ? chain saw...lol? just give in and give him a whole block (i'm sure bandit agrees with that one!) 

OMG Bandit is super cute. i LOVE his colouring. i haven't even read this whole thread and just jumped aboard reading the last 2 pages but now i'm going to have to go back and read it all just in hope there is more cute photos of your bun! JUST ADORABLE !


I never understood the whole NIC cage thing until joining here. I thought they would be flimsy and useless to contain mess.
I loved the idea now since seeing heaps of them, but since my bunny has a whole concrete room to himself i have no need to design my own now. he just gets a whole room instead.


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## Chrisdoc

Love your design for the NIC cage, hope you build it and show us. I buy excel food cubes and Houdini loves them but they also are hard to split must be like oxbow so I end up giving him the whole one which takes him a while to get through. He does manage to split them, just shows what those little teeth were made for. It's funny but when he gets it into smaller pieces, he loves throwing it about, playing with it and generally making a mess. Wondered if Bandit does that


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## Azerane

Thanks, one day I'll get a chance to build it  By then I should have absolutely everything figured out right down to the colour of any flooring/rugs I might use, lol. And yeah, Bandit made quite the mess of the hay cube, though it seemed to go down well. Lasted quite some time which was good. Will probably be a once a week thing 

Tuesday night I went to Bunny Club. I didn't get to take Bandit because I'd just driven an hour back from my sister's after helping her pack for a house move so I didn't have time to stop home and pick him up. However, there was this gorgeous wild rabbit there up for adoption. He's about 9 years old. Some guys cat caught it nine years ago and brought it home to him. So he cared for it and kept it free roam in his backyard for the following nine years. And I tell you what, what a friendly and absolutely beautiful rabbit. The eyes on wild rabbits are so enchanting. Would have brought him home in a heartbeat if I'd been able to. (Poor Bandit!) In non bunny related news, I went for a hike with a friend yesterday, and we saw a flock of 50 yellow-tailed black cockatoos. I only got dodgy photos, but they're such beautiful birds.

As for what's new around here, I bought a whole bunch of new edibles for planting, along with two new pots. I bought a replacement punnet of coriander and lettuce. I've also added mint, lemon balm, and thyme (lemon). In addition to new herbs, I got some pansies and marigolds. I'm not really a fan of either of them, but as long as Bandit is that's all that matters  So I've just finished planting all of those out and watering them in, so here's hoping there'll be lots of new things for Bandit to sample soon. 

Have some fun images from Wednesday's play pen time:
1. Zooming away
2. Mid-air karate
3. Invisible Motorcycle


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## Chrisdoc

Oh, I did laugh out loud at the invisible motorcycle, read the comment and then saw the pose, that is priceless. The action photos are fabulous, I might pinch the motorcycle one to post on facebook if that´s OK, it is so good. He is such a handsome guy, I just his little bunny. 

Your garden sounds great. I´ve also been reading up about plants they can eat. I printed off some stuff the other day to go on a walk and forage for stuff. It´s got pics and everything so I might do that this weekend and see what I can find. There is quite a bit of open ground just down the road where loads of weeds and flowers grow. 

A shame you didn´t get a pic of the wild bunny. THey always say you can´t keep them but this one seems to have adapted over the years. 

I was looking at the three little baby buns they have in the vets. THey are just gorgeous but she was telling me yesterday they have got homes for all, I am so pleased although there was one I would have loved to have brought home but 3 is enough. 

I love the hay cubes, Houdini spends ages playing with it as well as eating it. I must find somewhere here where they sell them, I´m down to the last two.


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## BigBunny

Oh the things we do for our Buns! plant whole gardens for them but yet cant even be bothered to water the one plant i own in a pot next to my front steps ! but Boomers garden of herbs gets watered daily and is flourishing. Bandit is spoilt. 

OOOOOH, i love cockatoos of all kinds. Galahs being my favourite. we only see sulfer crested cockatoos, galahs (lots) and corellas here. the odd sighting of maybe a pair of black cockatoos but that is VERY RARE, might have seen them 3 times in my whole life here. We have some gorgeous bird species in Australia just too bad in the city i see hardly any of them. 

Oh i wish you took photos of that wild bunny too. would have been so cute. that is why i liked Boomer, because he looked (the colour) like a wild bunny ! i wanted a grey or brown bunny because thats like the wild rabbit here.


----------



## Azerane

Don't have a lot of time so will respond to your posts a bit later. Haven't had much time lately as I have a friend visiting from Darwin.

Bandit is unbelievably still shedding. It's like a super molt or something, I thought it was getting near to ending but it's gotten worse again. I think it may have been the reason he was feeling off a couple days ago. He was eating, but just kinda lethargic for most of the day. He was still eating and drinking, then at one point he went to poop and he did a bunch of small ones and a bunch of normal sized ones. After that he seemed to pick up again, so a mild upset from something. He's ok now though, maybe a bit neglected while my friend has been staying  but very well otherwise.

Will hopefully be able to update better over the weekend.


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## JBun

Wow! Great action shots! How do you manage to get such great binky pics? Mine always end up in a bunny blur


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## Aubrisita

Awesome, AWESOME binky pictures. I too loved the descriptions, lol.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys. Having a DSLR camera helps capture the binkies, though I still need to work on getting the settings right for it, need more shutter speed. I find that I'm getting better at predicting them too, which certainly helps. He has a tendency to do them soon after I first put him in the pen, and then he usually starts them from the same location and you can see it building in his posture. I still miss far more than I capture though 

Haven't been keeping up with this much. But Bandit is absolutely crazy shedding-wise. He started, it went crazy and slowed down... which is when I thought it was stopping. Then it got 100x worse! So I've been sweeping up giant wads of fur every day along with brushing and hand plucking. It simply never ends.

A little worried because I just read a report of myxomatosis in the area and I've been having trouble keeping mosquitoes out of the house, so I'm really hoping we're not in one the areas of a reported case (though most likely we are since that kinda thing can spread so readily). It's quite scary to think about, since the prognosis for most cases is very, very poor.

I'm also heading away over the Easter Long Weekend (going camping, and I'm super excited, lots of bird watching and photography for me) however I feel really bad for Bandit. I'm going to be boarding him with SA Rabbit Rescue, so he'll be in the best possible hands. I know that I will still worry though, and I'm sure he'll hold a grudge for a while for it too, lol.


----------



## Azerane

Can't help but wonder if the lady I directed to the coreflute at work today, and 5 minutes later, the cable ties, was making a rabbit cage...


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## Azerane

So I no longer have a working lamp in the lounge room, I wonder whose fault that could be...

Really it's my own fault for sitting upstairs listening to music and not hearing Bandit escape, he could've been out for up to 45 minutes already when I realised. I'm lucky it was just a lamp and that I always leave it off at the wall. And given how long he could have been out, he's actually a pretty good bunny for only chewing that and nothing else (from what I've managed to find so far). As soon as I walked in there, he knew the game was up though, lol. The look on his face was priceless.

I think I might just have to bight the bullet and invest in a tall baby gate, because the current set-up obviously isn't working.


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## pani

I know that feeling - I got a text from my housemate at work once asking if Felix was supposed to be out. Thankfully, he only got through my ethernet cable (easy to replace). I have a lot of things plugged in (that he doesn't have access to!) so we got very lucky.


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## BigBunny

oh dear.... it is sort of funny though !!!

They are GREAT escape artists. Boomer can manage to get anywhere he wants. you cant leave any door on his cage unlocked (clipped together with big clamps) he knows how to open and escape from them all. 

smart creatures. they are quick too aye.


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## Chrisdoc

Mine can lift the door up to get it open. I have to zip tie it now and Houdini can jump anything. They always find a way lol


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## Azerane

I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's lucky he's so cute  If I do end up getting a baby gate, it will have to be one of the extra tall ones


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## Azerane

I finally sold my old car today. Such a huge relief. I listed it month and a half ago, and for the past couple of weeks I've just been so busy that I'd pretty much forgotten that I essentially had a small pile of money sitting in my driveway. So thankful to have it gone, especially since the registration was due to expire next week and I really didn't want to have to fork out a couple hundred extra bucks for that. I'm also really glad that the people who came to look just bought it outright, because they'd been giving me the complete run-around all day about when they were coming over and it was basically a huge inconvenience for me all day to be waiting around for them, so at least it was worth the wait.

Bandit is adorable and mischievous as always, we have bunny club this week and I really wanted to have a bigger carrier for him before hand, but not sure I'm going to have the time to go out and find one that I like because I already have a bunch of stuff to organise in the next couple of days. I hate being busy  I was going to buy a second-hand one because they're so much cheaper, but trying to organise a time with people is difficult. I will be near a pet store tomorrow so might have a look at what they've got and take his current carrier along as a size comparison.


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## Chrisdoc

She is just lovely. I think all buns,are like that. Mine,like to try in their own good time and if it disappears, I assume they like it


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## Azerane

^Wrong blog? 

We went to bunny club again tonight  I bought Bandit a brand new carrier yesterday specifically for outings like this and it's worlds better than his small little carry cage, which is fine for vet trips, but for longer than that is pretty unreasonable. I got a great deal on it too because it was on sale for $39, down from $69 and measures 69L x 45W x 36H cm. There's a little removable hay rack in it, but it's perfect for keeping his hay together at the end and he still has room to stretch out fully when sprawling out (which he did). The door is on the top and is the perfect size for getting him in/out! The whole car ride he was trying to dig and rearrange (I had a fleece blanket and some litter in there) and he just shuffled it around the whole time. We also had a good cuddle at the meeting, practiced syringing food (did not go well) and talked about the myxo outbreak among other things. He was much happier in this larger cage though than just his carrier and at the end of the meeting he was even so chilled as to groom me  So although I didn't really have the time to be going (because I have a million things to organise for a camping trip) it was a good time and it was nice to get some time in with Bandit because I've been neglecting him a little bit lately, the poor guy.


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## Azerane

Update time!!

I went away over Easter so Bandit was boarding with the lady who runs the rabbit rescue. He must have had quite an experience because she also rescues orphan kangaroo joeys and has several that roam the living areas of her house and she said that Bandit and the roos got on quite well, would have been such a sight to see! I'm a little dissapointed that she seemed to feed him a lot of treat foods (fruit), when I picked him up his poops were very small and he had a few decent sized pieces of apple in his cage. I've never fed him apple before. So after I brought him home I gave him a niece big feed of his hay and he came good really quickly. I did expect a little better from someone who knows rabbits back to front, but still, In regards to something going wrong and her picking up on it and being able to treat it, I trust her completely. For five nights boarding, a teeth and ear check, nail clip and worming, it only cost me $27. So it's a complete bargain, and he gets much more attention and stimulation that if I had someone stop by to feed him, just the amount of new treat foods surprised me.

Anyway, no harm done since Bandit is his bouncy, love-absorbing self again. I got home from the camping trip monday night (picked up Bandit on the way through) then back to work on Tuesday before my dad came down for a visit. He lives interstate and I hadn't seen him in over a year and a half. He stayed the last two nights and is staying elsewhere until beginning of next week when he'll probably be back again for a few more nights. So it's good to catch up. He's a big softy and loved Bandit. I brought Bandit out onto the couch and my dad was very amused by him and sat there petting him for a really long time. It was the funniest thing.

Looking forward to another three days off with the second long weekend in a row.


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## Azerane

Well I've had an interesting day. Went to work, finished about 1pm, then I had some chest pain (which i'd also had Sunday morning). I was worried about it so I tried calling four doctor's offices who were all booked out for the day. I was too worried to leave it until tomorrow so I just decided to check myself into the hospital (since it's chest pain and it was freaking me out). I was admitted pretty much immediately, they did all the normal checks, plus an ECG, pee test, and chest x-ray. But as it turns out there's absolutely nothing wrong with me. Which is good, but I wish I had an explanation for the uncomfortable, scary chest pain. Still I was reminded how lucky we are in this country, because I had all those tests, was in the hospital for about 2-3 hours. And it cost me a grand total of $2.50, and that's because I had to pay for parking 

Makes me realise just how lucky we are. Also I'm relieved to know that there's nothing wrong with me, I was starting to worry I was having some scary extended heart attack symptoms or something. So I'm really glad I just decided to go and have it checked out so I don't have to worry anymore. The pain is still there a bit, but I'm just going to assume it's weird muscle pain or something. Though I did absolutely nothing on saturday that would be likely to cause pain there sunday morning. Nevermind.

Bandit's not too happy at the moment, we ran out of wheaten hay over the weekend, and I haven't had time to go and get a proper bale, so we've got this bag of oaten hay that while clean and free of mould etc, it's just not great hay. So he's picking at it, but not really eating it the poor thing. I'll have to try and source another nice bale later this week.


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## pani

I'm thankful to live in Australia, for situations like yours. I remember I was visiting a small town a few years ago and ended up with the craziest flu I've ever had. I was still living with my parents at the time and we wanted to get it sorted out ASAP and make sure it was just a flu, nothing more, and ended up going to the ER. Got checked out, they gave me some meds, paid nothing for the hospital trip. Phew. 

Poor Bandit.  Felix and Clem were lucky - we were on the remnants of their bag of hay, and my partner came home with a big bag of new fresh hay for them.


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## Azerane

Yes, we are extremely lucky with our health care here 

Some super exciting news as well!! (for me at least). My dad was down visiting from interstate, and before he left, he paid for a new camera lens for me!!! I get to go and pick it up from the store tomorrow afternoon, and I'm super excited. It's a lens I've wanted for the last 4 years for my bird photography but haven't been able to afford (which is why I was literally surprised that he offered to buy it for me since it's far from cheap). It's the canon 100-400mm, this beast here: http://www.canon.com.au/en-AU/Perso...Camera-Lenses/EF100-400mm-f45-56L-IS-USM-Lens It will be a huge learning curve for me since up until now I've been using a 55-250mm kit lens but I've been wanting this lens for a long time and I know it's going to be great for photographing birds  So excited!! If only I wasn't working this weekend I might actually have time to get out and use it  I only can't believe he bought it for me, since he's never really given me anything big like this before and I've never had anything expensive like that bought for me, had to pay for my own first car and Uni fees etc etc. So this is just crazy to me! Can't wait though 

Bandit is still good, just less exciting today since I'm happy about the new lens, lol.


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## pani

Ooh yay!! New lenses are exciting. I only really use my DSLR for videos, so I'm not super clued up on it or anything, but I'm waiting for some lenses for my phone camera to arrive soon.  Not quite as fancy...

Hopefully this means we'll see more pictures of Bandit, too?


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## Aubrisita

That is exciting! The only phone I have is my cell phone. Lol.


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## Azerane

Thanks guys. I finally had a chance to give the new lens a test run yesterday morning. Spent about 4 hours out looking for birds. Missed a few images that should have been freebies, but it's going to take some time to get used to using the lens, but I certainly see its potential in terms of reach and image quality.

It was also an exciting day because I got a new lifer, basically a bird species that I've never seen before. It was a Painted button-quail and I managed to get some dodgy images  It brings me up to 254 life birds (australia only) and 149 year birds (chasing 202 from last year). Quail are notoriously difficult to see, and even if you do see them, it's usually a blue flying into the undergrowth, so was pretty pleased with the sighting. I do have a couple of photos I'll post from the day, but they're on my other computer so won't post them now.

In Bandit news, we got a new bale of hay yesterday. I went to a new place (again) to try them out. I got a bale of wheaten, not as green as the last, but still great quality and far fewer seed heads and from what I can tell, no earwigs this time!! Yay!  A little more than what I paid last time, but still worlds cheaper than buying bags of hay. We had a nice moment today, I sat down in the laundry with him and had some pellets, for which he was literally clambering all over me in a desperate attempt to get them from me because apparently I starve him  After he'd stolen the last of them he was on my lap and I was just petting his head, then after he'd finished eating, he actually stayed sitting on my lap and snuggled in against me and tooth purred while I was petting him. He tooth purrs often and loves being petted, but he never voluntarily stays on my lap, let alone snuggles into my lap. He loves the love, but prefers to be next to me. So it was a really sweet few minutes. He then licked my hand to death before biting my finger (I guess it stilled smelled like pellets), lol.


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## ChocoClover

That's so much like snowy.


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## Azerane

I bought Bandit a Teach and Treat yesterday. He had an interesting first try with it. I've found one problem with it so far, and that is I can't use pellets as the treats inside it, because he can't get them out of the little holes. So his first attempt at the first level actually went ok, until he got frustrated because he couldn't get at the pellets. So I had to take it away, and reset it with herbs instead.

I feel like the difficulty of the levels is reversed from what it should be though. He found the easiest level the hardest, and the hardest level the easiest. It was difficult to keep his interest in it, probably because of the pellets that I'd had out for him and he kept looking for more of those instead of herbs. But he got the hang of it a bit and it certainly kept me entertained


----------



## Azerane

Little bit of an update, though not much to report. While out walking yesterday I came across a myxomatosis infected rabbit. After getting home I did what I could to prevent any sort of contact between what I'd been wearing while walking and Bandit. Disinfected my shoes and changed clothes etc. Although the chances of passing on the disease in that manner are probably quite slim in comparison to other methods of transfer, I wasn't taking any risks. I'm still a bit paranoid though and basically just have to play a bit of a waiting game. Been doing a bit of reading up and apparently symptoms generally appear from 5 days. Unfortunately, having come across that rabbit, it also means that I don't want to go walking in that area again for a while (which is disappointing because it's my favourite local place and there's been some surprising birds turning up there).

I've been super paranoid about it though, I'm over-analysing every little thing Bandit does... such as "why are you sitting there and not in your normal spot?". Then worrying about the way he sits, or not eating hay straight away that I changed etc etc. I actually had trouble sleeping last night because of it, worrying about if I'd managed to transfer it. But I suppose I probably shouldn't worry unless it actually happens. There's no point in worrying because I can't do anything to stop it even if I have anyway.

Sorry I haven't taken any new pictures of him lately, the new lens isn't really suited to photographing bunnies at close range. But I promise I will soon! It has allowed me to get some great photos of some quail though  The weather was absolutely perfect today for birds and photography, but I had promised myself (after going out with my camera yesterday) that today was my housework day, so I had to suck it up and deal with it. I did get to be out in the sun raking the leaves off the lawn though, lol.


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## Azerane

Well, today is day 7 since I came across that rabbit with myxo, and so far Bandit is completely normal  So that's a huge relief, I've been watching him like a hawk. In another few days I'll feel certain that I've avoided it so I'm looking forward to that.

Not much else to update on, we've been playing with the Teach 'n' Treat, and he's starting to get the hang of it better though he seems easily distracted.

I have three days off from work now, so I'll be cleaning up a bit before a rental inspection this thursday, then Friday I'm doing a paid bird survey, so I'm pretty excited about that. Hoping the weather calms down a bit by then.


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## whiskylollipop

ray: Waiting is the hardest part! I remember going through that anxious paranoid wait whenever one of the bunnies ate something potentially gut-blocking. But I'm sure Bandit's healthy as a horse. 

Seeing that myxo pic made me so sad. I wish I could've hugged that poor bunny.


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## Azerane

Thanks, he's still hopping and healthy  It is a sad picture, but definitely good to know what to look for.

Bandit is going to hate me tomorrow morning. We ran out of pellets today (he only got about 1/2 - 3/4 of his usual amount), and though I went into the clinic last week (they didn't have any), the order hasn't come in yet, though they're expecting it tomorrow. So he's going to go at least half a day without pellets and he's going to be sooo mad, haha. I can just picture it now  When I go in there tomorrow morning without pellets, I just know I'm going to get it. He's a cute little monster though


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## Azerane

I finally and officially have one very happy bunny on my hands. The vet clinic finally got the order of oxbow products in, so I managed to get Bandit's pellets again. I put his usual serving size into his treat ball instead of his bowl, because I was worried about him gorging himself too quickly out of desperation and choking. So now he's trying to roll them out as quickly as possible, haha. He was super excited


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## whiskylollipop

Aw, yay Bandit! When I had to go without pellets for a few days that one time, the bunnies were really missing it too. When I finally got them Sasha was so excited she nearly knocked the scoop out of my hand as I was pouring them out the good stuff.


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## Azerane

I often hand-feed him a couple when I feed him every day, but I wasn't going to risk losing a finger with that today, lol!


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## BigBunny

hahahaha, they sure do love their pellets. god forbid i don't fill Boomer's bowl instantly when he has run out... im trying to limit his pellets but he makes out like he is starving too when i finally give him some.

Bandit is funny... i am imagining him desperately rolling the ball with force for the pellets to come out. If he is anything like Boomer he will then throw the ball around out of frustration of not getting the treats out properly or fast enough.


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## Azerane

You pretty much got it, he pushes it around so eagerly. He usually doesn't pick it up, but he'll dig at it and kick it around.

Photo time!!! From couch (attempted) snuggled time today. They're only taken with my phone, but it's better than nothing.

The last picture is his grumpy face after I collected him from the floor after he jumped off the couch, haha!


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## BigBunny

YAY ! Photos... I love seeing photos of bandit.
What a handsome boy. 

Hey Bandit at least you allowed on the couch. Be happy! it's a good place to be.

Boomer is forbidden! Doesn't stop him from jumping up there though. 

I love Bandit's ears and his little white toes..... sometimes I wish Boomer's ears stuck up instead of down.


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## pani

Bandit is so handsome!!  Love seeing his pics.


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## Aubrisita

Awww, he is such a cutie. I love his little grumpy face.


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## pani

What breed is Bandit, by the way?


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## Azerane

Thanks everyone, I'm very lucky that he behaves himself well while on the couch. Never had any accidents.

Pani, he's a Smoke Pearl, his colour is marten.


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## Azerane

So I've been trying out a new cuddling technique lately with Bandit that he seems to like. When I go into the laundry, I'll kneel down to pet him etc, then I'll pet his head with my left hand while laying my right arm down along the side of his body so his head is at my elbow and my hand is on his rump. Then I slide both my hands under him at once and pick him up towards me, and swing my arm in towards my body. So in the end, I'm still kneeling down, Bandit is on my lap with the length of his body against my stomach (facing to the right) my arm is along the length of the other side of his body and I can pat his head with my left hand. I'm not sure what it is about this technique/position, but Bandit will actually settle in and let me pet him for a while. If I try to hold him any other way he wriggles, but he seems to love this  It makes me feel loved! He often licks my arm or shirt sleeve while I'm petting him in this position. It's adorable.


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## Azerane

So after not going for walks with Bandit for a long time (because of worries about mosquitoes and myxomatosis etc) we finally went outside again today! He really loved it (obviously) and I kept an eye out for mosquitoes, though I think the cold may have killed them off.

So have some bunny photos  My phone camera is so frustrating, often focuses behind the thing it says it's focusing on. So took tonnes of photos just to get a few  Also, if he looks weird in the last photo, it's because he's chinning.


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## whiskylollipop

Whoa, when I saw the first pic I was amazed at your confidence in letting Bandit outside unrestrained! Then I realised his fur had just swallowed up the harness. Lol.

He's such a looker. I wish I could cuddle my buns that way too, but they're way too squirmy.


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## pani

I have squirmers, too! I'm glad that you're getting cuddles from Bandit.


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## BigBunny

what a good looking bunny !


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## surf_storm

he is such a beautiful boy! I wish Shida would sit still long enough for some good photos


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## Azerane

Bandit can be quite the squirmer, but it's just something about that position that he seems to snuggle in. I don't mind 

Haha, surf_storm, the trouble with my phone camera is there's such a delay between pressing the button and it actually taking the photo, so most of the shots only have half/no/blurry bunny. I just take heaps so that I know I'll have at least a couple 

Bandit has been a little neglected today. I was at work for a full day (I usually start super early and finish by lunch time), but today I worked a 9-5, well until 4:30 because at 4:15 I suddenly felt really sick in the stomach and I didn't think I was going to make it. So I left half an hour early, got home, completely ignored Bandit while I sorted myself out, then I crashed on the couch for an hour of recovery. After that I had to organise myself some dinner (since I was starting to feel better and I know when I don't eat when I'm supposed to, it makes things worse). Only after dinner did I at last have a chance to give him fresh hay and clean his litter tray and give him pets etc. He was a little pushy though  He'll get lots of love tomorrow though


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## surf_storm

Poor Shida is feeling a little moody cause my grandma keeps locking her up and it's raining outside so I can't let her run properly but she will have the lounge room again tomorrow so hopefully I will get snuggles again, she is such a grumpy thing at the moment!


----------



## Azerane

Bandit is so funny. Whenever I go in to sweep up his room, he has to investigate and stick his nose right in to whatever I'm doing. And heaven forbid I put the dustpan or brush down on the floor for too long!! Also if I take too long to sweep a pile together, he'll come along and dig it all apart, haha. Cheeky bugger.

On completely unrelated partner news, we've had some past issues which have been causing trust issues etc. and we've been struggling a bit the past few months. I finally realised something a couple of days ago though, and I already feel so much better for it. Long story short, I realised that somewhere along the line I stopped respecting him. Which explains why I felt like I haven't been getting anywhere with what I was working on, because it was the wrong thing, haha. So, now I'm working on respecting him more, and I already feel so much better for it. It feels like good progress 

Also, it's getting late and I have to get up at 5am but I really don't feel like showering and going to bed, it all feels like too much effort, lol.


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## Azerane

So, I'm going to give away my biggest character flaw.  This month marks the 20th anniversary since the release of my all time favourite movie  The Lion King! To celebrate, some friends and I are doing an art collab of all the characters, we're each drawing two and them putting them all together in one picture. I just finished Sarabi, thought I'd share with you all.

No bunny Bandit updates, he's just super cute as usual


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## surf_storm

That's awesome!!!! I love the lion king it was the first movie I remember seeing at the movies lol!!!!


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## Azerane

Thanks a bunch  The first movie I saw was Aladdin, at the drive in with my family. The Lion King was the first movie I saw in the actual cinema though  Can't believe how long ago it was!!!


----------



## Azerane

This is completely unrelated to everything, but I watched Storm Boy today. For international people it's an Australian movie from about the 70s or something about a boy who hand raises a pelican. I'd never seen it before, but figured I should probably become more culturally educated, lol.

I think Bandit is going through another shed, less drastic this time, but his fur is getting darker patches through it and I can feel that it's thickened up a bit. Just in time for this crazy weather that we've been having. I've been letting him out into the lounge room for short run-around sessions. Fully supervised so I can stop him getting behind the couch etc. Every time I chase him away from where he's not meant to be, he skips away happily like he just got away with something, cheeky little man.


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## surf_storm

I can't believe you have never seen Storm Boy!!! Lol another you should watch is the man from snowy river (if you haven't already seen it)


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## pani

Azerane said:


> Every time I chase him away from where he's not meant to be, he skips away happily like he just got away with something, cheeky little man.


Felix does this too! There have been so many times I've shooed him away or off something and given him a little talking-to, only to have him hop off and binky away with glee. 

:brat:


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## Azerane

surf_storm said:


> I can't believe you have never seen Storm Boy!!! Lol another you should watch is the man from snowy river (if you haven't already seen it)



Haha, don't know why, just never have. I'm sure I've seen the Man From Snowy River, but I was probably about 9 or 10 and I have no memory of it. Might have to add it to the list of things to see. 



pani said:


> Felix does this too! There have been so many times I've shooed him away or off something and given him a little talking-to, only to have him hop off and binky away with glee.
> 
> :brat:



Haha, it's like they're getting in the last laugh isn't it?! It's hilarious, but sometimes you just wish they'd take the threat seriously, lol.


----------



## Chrisdoc

My goodness now I feel really old. The first film I saw at the pictures was The Sound of Music, I won´t tell you what year lol. 

I just laugh now when they do something naughty cos they always look at you with that innocent face as though butter wouldn´t melt in their mouth. Houdini escaped again the other day while I was in the kitchen. I knew he would but just wondered how long it would take him to figure it out. Funny thing was when he got over, I was looking from the kitchen and he stopped in the middle of the living room floor to look both ways...has anybody seen me???? You have to laugh :headsmack


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## Azerane

Ahh, but that also means you possibly got to watch the moon landing. Pretty special in my opinion 

They are so funny when they try to get away with things, they have the funniest expressions.

Went to the doctor today since I figured I should get a sick note for work, he asked me if I wanted the bad news... he said I'll probably feel worse tomorrow! Thanks Doc! He said for this kind of virus people tend to peak out around day five (tomorrow for me) and it often improves from there. So that's just great. He covered me for work tomorrow as well, but depending on how I feel in the morning I might go as I'm going to be so far behind already. The fantastic part is I have a meeting tomorrow night that I probably won't be at, I'm working all weekend, and on Saturday night we have our work awards night. I'll be dammed if I'm missing the awards night though, I want my $20 deposit back!!!


----------



## Chrisdoc

Yes Becs, I did watch the moon landing on our old black and white Tv, everyone sitting round it. It was pretty exciting. 

Hope you feel better for the awards, would be a shame to miss them.


----------



## Azerane

^That's so awesome  And thanks, started to feel a little better today.

Bandit is the most adorable, fuffy, cutest thing ever. Just saying. Such a love sponge.


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## Azerane

Last weekend was so exhausting and awful. Well, not awful I suppose, just busy. Between being sick, working all weekend, the work function and having very little sleep, I'm simply exhausted. I had barely any time for anything all weekend. Fortunately, today (tuesday) is my day off and then I also have this coming weekend off. Looking forward to it. However, this week I have a super heavy workload, so going back to work tomorrow will certainly be interesting.

I was originally going to be going camping this coming weekend, but decided it's probably not for the best given that I haven't been able to shake this cold yet and the last thing I need is to be out in cold winter air while camping.

Bandit has been doing well, if a little neglected the past week since I've been so busy and sick. He still eats like a horse and always comes running to the door when I go into the laundry which is adorable. I need to cut his nails, but he's been a pain about it lately and nipped me last time that I tried. It's difficult because he only sits still if I keep petting his head, but I need both hands to clip his nails and there's no one else here to pet his head 

Right now, I'm going to put on a load of washing (fun stuff) and attempt a hallway barrier set-up. I stopped doing them because Bandit was such a pain with them, but it's been a while so we'll see how it goes and hopefully he'll have fun.


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## Azerane

And now for what you're really all here... photos! 


1. "Hi mum!!"
2. "Why this chair blocking my way? Perfectly good lounge room on other sides."
3. DBF 

<3


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## pani

Bandit is sooooo cuuuuuuuuute.  He looks so silky soft.

Felix needs his nails clipped too, but he's a pain in the bum to groom so I'm not looking forward to it. Squirmy little fella. Wish he was better behaved like Bandit!


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## Azerane

It was a good day because I received my Lion King 20th Anniversary Legacy Collection soundtrack (an almost complete score) and it arrived a week earlier than expected, which is great.

But then... I got a phone call from the real estate agents that manage the rental property I'm in. They're selling it. I was a little afraid of it happening after the owners came through and decided to fix a bunch of things up. But I'm pretty well freaking out. Finding a pet friendly place around this area in my price range is going to be near impossible, and I really have no idea how long I've got. There's already going to be an open inspection the weekend of July 12th -13th so I may even need to be out of here before the end of the month. It's really put a dampener on things and I have no idea how I'm going to make it happen. I think I'm going to go and buy some chocolate *panics*


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## pani

Don't freak out, Bec - there's always the chance the next owners will want to continue renting! We dealt with a similar situation a couple of years ago, with the real estate company holding an open house every other weekend or so for a few months. It actually ended up that no one bought our house, but the real estate company let us know that there was an amount of notice they'd need to provide (I think it was 6 weeks) if we needed to vacate.


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## Azerane

Trying not to  Thank you so much though, it's good to hear reassuring words. I didn't think about the next owners possibly renting it out until I tried to ring my mum and spoke to her partner about it for a bit. It's a very good point that I might just be able to sign over with the new owners. There is one positive though if I do end up moving, and that is that I should be able to get a truly pet friendly place and have a better set-up for Bandit.

In the meantime, I have to get this place up to scratch for the inspection, lol.


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## BigBunny

Oh renting... this is why i am so keen to buy a house NOW!!! so over renting. i hate paying off someone else's mortgage. Im not going to move anywhere until i buy! just so i dont have to deal with renting with a pet. but apparently according to my real estate, people dont tent to care about rabbits, birds and fish...etc. just dogs and cats. so even if a place states NO PETS, apply anyways! they consider rabbits as caged animals and think they just stayed locked up all day. so as long as you are sure to fix any damages you rabbit does and just dont let it run around on inspection days, then your pretty safe IF it comes down to needing to find a new home.

stated above.... lots of people buy and don't intend to move in straight away, so just buy as an investment. you may not be going anywhere!
Still buy the chocolate though!!!!!!!! i've already eaten half a block of cadbury fruit and nut chocolate and had several spoons of nutella... hahahaahha, who needs dinner when you have chocolate!


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## Azerane

^I LOVE the cadbury fruit and nut, trouble is I eat too much of it in one sitting whenever I buy it, lol.

I'm trying to actually determine what my actual rights are as a renter in terms of notice for moving out due to sale. But the Residential Tenancies Act doesn't really have anything on it. It mentions the sale of the property and that the lease can be transferred over no later/earlier than certain times. But I can't quite work out whether they can kick me out or not, or whether my lease still holds up until January when it was scheduled to end. I suppose the agent would probably know, turns out they weren't allowed to advertise it yet though, there's supposed to be 14 days between when they tell me, and when they start advertising/first have an inspection. I'm not too picky on that though. At least they gave me more than a week.

In regards to the pet friendly places, I noticed if I made that a selection, I got very few rental properties listed, but many of a non pet friendly places, say pets negotiable. So I suppose it is just a matter of applying.


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## Azerane

I just messaged a lady from work who I remembered had the same thing happen. Apparently they can't kick me out until my lease is up (early January). Which I see as a good and bad thing. Good that I have time, bad that I really don't want to be trying to organise a move just after Christmas and New Years.


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## BigBunny

i think she might be right...because i always look at houses for sale and it says "under contract" or "lease expires.....(date)" so i assume meaning that if i was to buy one of these i couldn't move in until the date listed..... maybe.... i have no idea really but it seams to be that from what i read.


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## pani

That's good, you'll have ages to find a new place if you have to. 

Echoing Boomer's mama, a lot of the 'no pet' places seem to specifically refer to cats and dogs, and are usually okay with bunnies (especially under the pretense that they're caged 100% of the time... ). When we were looking at properties a few months ago a few non-pet rentals said they were fine with rabbits; only one had a real problem with them, and their previous tenant had a dog that completely ruined the flooring in the front room so I guess they were hesitant of anything cute and fluffy.


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## Azerane

Yeah, the only problem is that it seems with rentals, they're advertised within a couple of weeks of when they're available, so I can't really look ahead 2 months (if I have that much warning) and have time to find the most suitable place. Like you said though, when I used the pets allowed filter, I got very few properties. When I took it off, while looking through there are some that explicitly state "no pets" and other's that don't mention it, which leads me to believe that they don't mind if you have pets, but they'd prefer not to advertise it 

Some of them do say pets negotiable, which is as you've said, probably dependent on the type of pet. If I do have to move, I'm hoping I can get a place with floorboard or tiles in the main living areas so I don't have to worry about Bandit and carpet 

I bought him some baby cos/romaine lettuce today. He hasn't had it in ages, which in hindsight means I shouldn't have given him a whole leaf. But his little eyes lit up with excitement when I gave it to him. He devoured it in no time, and he's been fine, so I suppose that general feeding of herbs and other things has kept his tummy adjusted. I've been cooking with more fresh veg lately, and I always cut him off a tiny piece of carrot, and sometimes some of those tiny broccoli leaves from the stalk.


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## Azerane

Well it's been an interesting day... granted most of it was fairly boring spent tidying up the house etc. However, I realised I had to go out to get some more kitty litter. Where I buy it from is next to a bunnings store and SA Dog rescue was selling hot donuts there today so I decided that I'd do it today instead of tomorrow. I opened the roller door, backed the car out the driveway, before getting out to close the roller door again. There in front of me was a dead possum. Poor thing had crawled under my car to die. I know it hadn't been in my car because it was already in rigor mortis (I poked it with a stick, lol). At a loss of what to do at that immediate moment, I continued out to the store and figured it would give me time to think about who to call (since I don't have anywhere I can bury it). I stopped in at bunnings first to get some delicious hot donuts. At the pet store I saw some cheap cat food so I got that as well to donate to the rescue group. The lady tells me the cost of the two bags of litter and the cat food and I nearly died. Turns out, my $20 bags of kitty litter have gone up to $29!!!! Absolute daylight robbery. Too stunned to think straight and only buy one bag instead, I pay for the lot and walk out. So now I'm going to have to find a new pet store to get the litter from.

Back at home, I ring the vet clinic across the road and explain my dilemma about the possum. They say they'll take it, so I triple bagged it and took it over to them. Now I just have to figure out what to do about the bit of blood and goo on the pavers, if I hose it off it'll spray around, but what do I disinfect it with first? Any ideas?

No Bandit news today, he's just been running around like a nut case, jumping here and there, and eating, always eating.


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## surf_storm

Bleach? Maybe. Poor possum


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## Azerane

Yeah, I didn't have any bleach, but I used some vinegar and some bathroom disinfectant stuff, lol. Should do the trick. 

Usually I get up for work at 5am, yesterday (Monday) morning when I woke up, it was daylight. My thought process was "it's daylight... I thought it was Monday and I had work today *checks phone* It IS Monday and I do have work today! My gosh, it's already 2 hours past my starting time!!!" So for whatever reason, I surmised that either my alarm didn't go off (which has never happened before) or I slept through it (which has also never happened before since I'm a light sleeper). I rang work straight away, turns out no one had even missed me, lol. Since I work all over the store and just go about my stuff, sometimes I don't see people for a few hours, so no one noticed I was missing, haha. Anyway, after all that I got to work 2 1/2 hours late, nobody seemed to care too much, which was good.

After I got home from work, I reset my phone and then checked to make sure the alarm was set for Tuesday. Before I went to bed, I double-checked that the alarm was set. Tuesday morning, I wake up "Crap, it's daylight again. Definitely the alarm not going off." So once again, I get to work 2 1/2 hours late, once again, no one noticed or cared. Haha, I think because it's very unlike me they realised it wasn't an issue, I don't know. After work, I went straight to the shopping center (bad idea, 2nd day of school holidays) and bought myself an alarm clock  So now I have my phone alarm, and this obnoxious sounding alarm clock set for 5am tomorrow. We'll see how it goes, I'm probably going to jump out of my skin when it goes off. On the plus side, I've been feeling really well rested the past two days  It's also been really nice leaving for work with daylight as opposed to total darkness.

Bandit nipped me today, but to be fair we had a bit of an awkward pick up for a cuddle in which there was some flailing bunny, so I suppose he was probably just telling me off for that. Otherwise, he is super cute, as always. In regards to possibly moving house, I've actually been getting probably too excited about the thought of having somewhere pet friendly, and the possibility of Bandit having his own room and NIC cage etc, haha. While moving is a pain in the butt, it is somewhat of a good opportunity in that sense.


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## pani

I know how you feel about moving! My partner and I are planning on making a big move to Melbourne in a couple of years, and we were talking about it a few nights ago. I mentioned that if we had a nice smallish place the bunnies might be able to free-roam, as long as bun-proofed it, and the look of panic on his face made me laugh. 

How strange about your alarm! Glad you got an alarm clock to sort it out. I'm a heavy sleeper so I've slept through mine a few times, it's always a panic when you wake up and realise.


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## BigBunny

Oh no.... i always have that worry that my alarm on my phone will one day not go off and i wont make it to work on time!!! Glad you have a job where it isn't a huge problem if your MIA for a little while... my job i cant be late or else all hell will break loose !

Oh dear Bandit. don't bite your mummy. You are right... he is super cute so i'm sure he was forgiven instantly. 
I hate packing and moving but i LOVE being in a new house and getting to re organise my house each time i move. I hope that the next time i move it will be the last move EVER, i hope to buy soon. pay off my own mortgage instead of someone else's.


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## surf_storm

Hahaha I slept though my alarm for my train station and woke up in Bondi Junction instead of Kings Cross lol my boss wasn't to happy when I missed morning PT cause I was 20mins late...woops. 
I love moving! It feels like Christmas unpacking everything in the new place but I also can't wait to buy a house of my own so I can finally get a puppy. 
Good luck with the new alarm clock tomorrow!
~Shell


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## Azerane

pani said:


> I know how you feel about moving! My partner and I are planning on making a big move to Melbourne in a couple of years, and we were talking about it a few nights ago. I mentioned that if we had a nice smallish place the bunnies might be able to free-roam, as long as bun-proofed it, and the look of panic on his face made me laugh.



I've been planning out every new place in my head, lol. My fiance and I need a study, and since he gets pet allergies, I can't keep Bandit in "his" study where he'll spend most of his spare time, so we essentially either need a third bedroom, or a somewhat separate living area space where I can make him fit. I don't mind having him in the main living area, but I think family and friends might mind when they came over  My hope is that he can be mostly free range, hopefully with floorboards or tiles so there's no carpet pulling, and then I can build a C&C cage 

Can't believe how much my life revolves around that little ball of fluff now, lol.

Way overdue bed time, will see how that new alarm clock works  If I'm not on tomorrow night, the shock of it has given me a heart attack, lol.


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## BigBunny

you are not wrong about lives revolving around them! 
when i am looking at houses to BUY i look what suits for Boomer too... i dont think a little bunny should be the end decision if the house is suitable, but HE IS ! he NEEDS a enclosed yard and he NEEDS his own room or basement or living area, because i sure am NOT replacing more cables when he runs around free unsupervised for even 2 minutes. (god knows i'm the only one paying attention when he is out so if i'm not watching then i know he will be safe in "his room" when my boyfriend is suppose to be watching him.

Good luck on house hunting... i know the rental market here is ridiculous ! even the crap houses have LOTS of people come through and apply. can't get anything less than $350 here a week. a 1 bedroom 1 bathroom with only street parking across the road from me is $400! CRAZY !


I wonder if that alarm worked........ just be like me and drink heaps of fluids before bed.. you are guaranteed to be awake before 5am and peeing every hour after that, even if you did manage to get back to sleep.


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## bunnyman666

Subterranian fencing should be a concern, as well. Bunnies can dig dig dig!!!! 1meter under ground is how deep the fence should go. Also, overhead fencing should be a concern for birds of prey.

Trix is only outside on my shoulder as a result of these concerns.


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## Azerane

Haha, I know... I keep thinking I should be looking at houses that better suit my needs as a person, but Bandit is really the deciding factor on most of them, lol.

I would like if the yard was very secure, but it's not as high on the list of priorities since he only goes outside 100% supervised anyway, and if the yard isn't secure we'll just continue to use the harness and leash.

And thankfully, yes, the alarm did work. In fact my phone alarm also went off, so I don't know what its deal is.


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## BigBunny

LOL, typical... you buy something to replace something and the old thing ends up working again anyways... 

I have to factor not only the rabbit, but the kid and now the boyfriend who thinks he gets to move in to my new house (ok i guess he can)
house hunting / moving is stressful at the best of times. add animals just takes it that extra stress level up


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## Azerane

Yeah, kids are a big issue to factor in. Fortunately I don't have to worry about that, although I think my fiance counts as a big kid, lol.

Bandit was especially cute today, doing lots of binkies and racing back and forth. He loves play time


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## Azerane

I had the best sleep last night, 12 pretty solid hours, really needed them though since I've been getting 3-6 hour nights most of this week (apart from the failed alarm days). My mum and her partner came over yesterday afternoon to help me out a bit. In reality they didn't do a whole lot, but it made things easier simply to have the support and it helped boost my motivation. They have one of those karcher window cleaners so he did all the outsides of the downstairs windows for me, they look worlds better for it. He also pruned my roses. Then my mum wiped down the blinds in the bathroom which were super dirty and are a pain to clean and washed some dishes for me. At the end of it all, my mum was pretty tired, I think the stairs took it out of her more than anything, but she doesn't have a lot of energy since her radiotherapy and chemo still. That ended over a year ago. So the house is looking pretty good for the inspection tomorrow afternoon. All that remains is to put my washing away, put Bandit in his hutch and clean the laundry, and just a few little things to tidy up (make the bed, couple of things on kitchen counter, wash dishes etc). So it should be pretty easy. I hope it sells straight away, lol, then I don't have to worry about it as much anymore 

Bandit's been really good, my mum was amazed at how big he was (he's really not that big, I don't know why everyone thinks he is) and she thought he was really adorable. She gave him head pets 

Also I have no idea what just happened, but there was just a super loud bang/explosion/gun shot sound from down the street. Sounds like some teenagers creating some sort of chaos and I heard a loud "I told you so" from one of them afterwards.


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## pani

Good luck with the open house! I hope the house sells quickly so you can get it dealt with asap. 

People say that about Clementine too! I guess it helps that she's often next to Felix, so there's a big ball of 1.8kg fluffy lop next to a tiny 1.1k nethie.


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## Azerane

Thanks, people coming through at the moment. So far a young couple that are probably buyers to own, and another couple that were investors according to the agent. I'm just glad there's people coming through after all the time I spent cleaning it up, lol. Still, it's such a nice winter day and I wish I could be out photographing birds, but it's just not to be 

Bandit was in a bit of a huff after I put him out in his hutch, but I'm sure he's surviving. I think he's about 3kg, which I suppose compared to Clemmie is big, but he's really only on the small-medium size.


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## pani

I'd love a bigger bunny in future - 3kg sounds like a lovely size, but still a relatively small animal. Compare our guys to flemmies and we'll see who the big bunnies are!


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## Azerane

^Exactly, compared to Flemmies our guys are nothing  I want a Flemmie just for the ears, but I'm not sure about general size otherwise 

Check out the adorable ears on this girl!!! (hope the link works) They're so awesome 
http://www.adoptapet.com.au/animal/...ask=view&tpage=2&searchType=4&animalid=355407


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## pani

Ohh look at her ears!!  What a lovely girl.


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## Azerane

I know, those helicopter ears are so adorable! I need to stop looking at animals that I can't adopt, lol.

On a completely unrelated note, I thought I felt it coming on yesterday, and now it's definitely here.... my face is completely covered in eczema. What the heck is that about? Fortunately, it's not really visible since it's not bright red or anything, just slightly raised bumps that if you catch the right light you can tell. But my face just feels kinda swollen and itchy from it. It's annoying. I always got eczema a bunch as a kid on my legs and body, but pretty much grew out of it. I've only had it on my face once before about a year ago. Can't for the life of me think what might have caused it either.


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## pani

That sucks!  Could it be from the weather? It's quite cold over here in Perth and while I don't get eczema, my skin gets really irritated and itchy in the cold weather. It's a pain in the butt. My sister used to use something called Moo Goo for her eczema, and she said it helped quite a bit.


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## Azerane

Don't think it's the weather, since the only time I get it from the weather is from the heat, not cold. And it's definitely not warm at the moment. So I don't know. I have been putting Dermaveen cream on it, think it's oatmeal based or something, seems to be helping. Moo Goo just makes me think of bad milk  lol


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## Azerane

Bandit and I went to bunny club tonight  We had a good time, my boy is fantastic at car rides. I assume if they scared him he would be hunkered down in fear the whole time, but he just tries to dig out of his cage, haha.

I got his nails clipped while there, he snubbed me for a while afterwards because the evil nail-clipping lady turned him upside down  But he was really good the whole time and it was a fun meeting, got a see some bunns that I hadn't before, and a few of the new rescues. They've got two young beautiful chocolate mini lop x wild rabbit boys, they're agouti but one looks like he'll have lopped ears and the other doesn't. So cute


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## Azerane

The eczema around my eyes has been getting worse, the rest of my face has been staying somewhat the same, but it's been sore around my eyes and I had two people at work today who said "what's wrong with your eyes" so I figured I should do something about it, lol. I went and found that Moo Goo cream you mentioned, Pani. Have already plastered some on my face so I guess I'll see how it goes 

I also bought Bandit some new fleece blankets today. He only had two small ones, both of which needed washing but I wasn't sure what to wash them with (since I didn't want to wash things with bunny pee on them with normal towels, and I didn't want to get cleaning product stuff from rags on his blankets). So I bought 3 larger new ones and now the whole lot is in the washing machine. Will be interesting to see whether he cuddles up with the larger ones or not.

As a note to myself so I don't forget, I stopped in at a different pet store today to check the price of their 15kg bags of litter, $25 something. Cheaper than the new price at pet stock, but still $6 more than what I was paying before. They also had three cute nethies in there, two looked like a black tort colour and were cuddling. The third was the cutest thing, he ran right up to me when I came over, and was doing little binkies in the cage, he was a seal point and absolutely gorgeous. His points were still pretty light but I loved the smokey/pearly colour of his main fur. Bandit would have been jealous


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## Azerane

Additional: Wow, bunnies really do love craisins! I bought some today, and just gave Bandit one, and he ate it eagerly. Then I accidentally tipped the bag over and half of the craisins went all over the floor and it was a race against time and defending from a bunny that had to have more!! He went crazy, haha. Fortunately, he only managed to sneak an extra 1 and 1/2 and I managed to save most of them, but did bin some. Cheeky bunny.


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## pani

I hope the Moo Goo works well for you!  My sister swears by it for her eczema. 

My guys love fleece blankets too. I line their NIC condo with them, and they love scratching at them and trying to bundle them up. Bigby likes to hide in them too. 

Craisins were one of the first treats I gave to Felix and he went crazy for them!!


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## Azerane

Thank you so much for the suggestion, it is working so far which is great 

I gave Bandit his fleece blanket, and he just pushed it around a lot, and it was clear when I fed him this morning that it hadn't moved from where he finished with it the night before  Very useful purchase, haha. The other amazing thing about them is that they dry so quickly after washing! Even after I pulled them out of the machine they were almost dry because the spin just whips all the moisture out of them. Couldn't believe it.

Yeah, I've never seen Bandit go quite so crazy for a treat, let alone a new food he's never tasted. He was instantly all over it.


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## Azerane

Great news: My mum had a full body scan on Monday, it's been 1.5 years post cancer treatment and her scan was completely clear, so super happy about that.

Good news: I managed to find some meadow hay for Bandit yesterday, he loves meadow hay but it's been out of season so I'm super happy to have some again, seemed pretty decent when I bagged it too, but it also brought back the hay fever  Also the MooGgoo worked a treat for my eczema. I've had a bit of trouble with dry skin as it started clearing it up, but I've just had to alternate between the Moo Goo and moisturiser.

Frustrating news: Looking on the real estate website yesterday, I discovered that they've scheduled an open inspection for my place, but as of yet, nobody has asked me if it's ok with me or even let me know that it's scheduled. So if they haven't tried ringing by the time I get home from work tomorrow (mid afternoon) they're going to get a polite yet stern phone call about it. Even if they had let me know it was going to happen, I still wouldn't be ok with it since I'm working this weekend and I'm not comfortable with people coming to look through the house while I'm not here. Bad luck if they don't like it, I have my rights to privacy. But not only that, they haven't even given me the legally required notice. I can tell you I am not pleased.

As a side note: a bag of oxbow lasts me 50 days with 1/4 cup per day (with some extras for treats etc). That equates to 40 cents per day.


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## Azerane

I rang the agent yesterday, I explained that I hadn't been notified of the inspection. She said that she had sent a letter monday (which at that point I had not received but did receive today-Friday) and tried calling me (that's when you try again... and I had no missed call messages). She said that the inspection would be changed to the following Sunday at my suggestion and would change it on the website today. 3pm this afternoon and it's still on the website, so I try the agent's mobile, no answer. I ring the office and she's not in so I tell them the situation and the lady tells me that she will remove it from the website and contact the agent handling the sale about it. So far it's been about half an hour and it's still up on the site...  If it's not changed by 5pm, I'll be ringing again because they close at half past.

This sale is becoming so needlessly stressful to me, I'm over it already and it's only been three or four weeks.


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## surf_storm

Call consumer affairs (I think) 


~Shida


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## Azerane

^Thanks for the tip. I've been reading into things a bit regarding dealing with breaches etc. Going to speak to my rental agent tomorrow regarding the issue. I could pursue the whole thing through a tribunal if I really wanted, but I'd prefer not to. My thoughts are that it will probably be an easier process for the owners to sell the house while I'm not in it, so might be likely to agree on me breaking the lease without penalty.

Bandit and I had the best playtime today  This morning before leaving for work I put him out in his hutch in case the agent let people through the house (she didn't). He was immediately unhappy about the whole situation and was trying to claw his way out. After I got home from work and before setting up his toys and things, I carried him inside to the laundry. As soon as we got into the laundry he started wiggling like crazy. He was so excited to be back inside he was like a wriggly little fish  When I finally had him steady enough to put down, he hopped around very happily. I then had to make dinner etc. 

Later on, I went into the laundry and sat down with him, we had a cuddle, I petted him and plucked some loose fur (would you believe he's shedding AGAIN!?). We then started playing, usually Bandit just pushes his toys around when they're kind of in his way. This time he was picking up his keys, shaking his head, hopping, then throwing them. He did that a few times, pushed the blanket around, played with and chewed his wooden barrel roller and always kept coming up to me for more pets. It was super cute  I love my little man so much. Wish I had video of him playing.

Really hanging out for Tuesday, it's my day off. Have had a super long 46 hour week and I am done with it. Unfortunately this coming week is still going to have a large workload. Just have to keep plodding along. I'll catch up eventually, lol.


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## JBun

Bandit sounds like he was so happy  I bet it was really fun to watch. I love it when my buns decide they want to be really interactive.

This whole rental house selling thing is sounding like a really big pain. Hope you are able to get everything worked out.


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## Azerane

He was super happy, and it was wonderful to watch.

It has been a pain, I rang and spoke to my rental agent today, she's going to ask the owners about the possibility of me breaking lease without penalty etc. I really want to move out to a place that is better suited to free-ranging Bandit and I don't want to deal with this sales stuff. Problem is that I can't afford to if I can't break the lease without penalty. Will just have to wait and see.


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## pani

Given how much of a pain the sales situation is, it would seem fair for them to let you break the lease without penalty. Plus, if there's no furniture in the house, surely it would make it look bigger? 

I hope you find a place where Bandit can free roam!


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## Chrisdoc

Mine go crazy for craisins, they would definitely eat the whole bag if they could. 

Sounds like he's a happy bun right now but the house sale is a pain. Hope they will let you out of the contract, seems like the sensible thing to do.


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## Azerane

Chrisdoc said:


> Mine go crazy for craisins, they would definitely eat the whole bag if they could.



Bandit is just the same. I've never seen him do his tricks so fast except for when I'm offering a craisin, it's the funniest thing!



pani said:


> Given how much of a pain the sales situation is, it would seem fair for them to let you break the lease without penalty. Plus, if there's no furniture in the house, surely it would make it look bigger?
> 
> I hope you find a place where Bandit can free roam!





Chrisdoc said:


> Sounds like he's a happy bun right now but the house sale is a pain. Hope they will let you out of the contract, seems like the sensible thing to do.



Thanks guys, you would think that, but so far I'm not liking my chances. I'm not very good at being mad/mean or pushing for these sort of things, so will have to see how things go. Trouble is that if I'm dealing with my rental agent who's e-mailing the owners, she might not tell them everything that I've had trouble with, but we'll see.

Mostly I'm just excited about the prospect of being able to build Bandit a grid cage and have him free ranging when I'm home


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## Azerane

Small life update that I'm trying not to get too excited about... 

I rang my rental agent today to ask if she'd heard from the property owners. She said that she had but they had some additional questions which she had to respond to so hadn't told me because she didn't want to get my hopes up. To me this says two things. If they were against the prospect of me breaking lease without penalty, they would have just said no outright. The fact that my agent mentioned not getting my hopes up seems to say that the e-mail was somewhat in my favour, and the fact that the owners asked extra questions means that they're at least considering it etc.

I'm mostly just excited about having a free roaming bunny to spend time with  Also, looking at houses online and going to inspect them is fun, lol.


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## pani

Ooh, sounds like it could be promising!  I'm with you, I love browsing properties online and inspecting them, imagining where all my furniture would go, haha. The part I don't like is the application process.


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## Azerane

I do that, from looking at the photos and plans online. I've already mapped out the house I'm going to look at tomorrow, lol. Ahh yes, the application process... that will be next depending on what happens.  Fun times.


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## Azerane

A bonus photo, arm lick noms 

Also the book I'm "reading" at the moment. My all time favourite comic strip, this beast is 500 pages. Found it at the library the other day 

Sorry for the lousy phone quality photos again.


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## Azerane

Oh boy little bunnies can be frustrating. I went out for just over an hour to go for a walk. I get back, check on Bandit, and he's laying on the floor in a spot and way he doesn't usually. Of course being a bunny owner I instantly freak out and rush over to pet him and he doesn't even move. Usually he'll sit up for pets or come running over. So of course I start worrying about everything that could be wrong. I feel his belly, pretty normal. I pet him a lot, massage his tummy, pluck some fur (because he's shedding again). He tooth purred a little for me, and I heard some stomach gurgling. So I get up to get him some simethicone just in case it helps and he instantly pops up and starts acting normal (not fooling me though). I ended up having to go across the road to buy some syringes, could only get 3ml and not 1ml ones, and tricked him into simethicone on a parsley leaf  I figured it was better to give him some than not.

Hopefully he perks up a little bit, though he seems fine now, lol. He just wasn't right though and hopefully he'll be alright. My vet isn't open for another 28 hours or so, and I don't actually have an emergency vet picked out (something I should probably organise). Hopefully he'll be right as rain.


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## BigBunny

I hope it is just nothing... they like to keep us on our toes sometimes...
xxx


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## Azerane

Thanks so much, he appears to be back to his energetic, mischievous self now. And there's a nice big healthy pile of poops in his tray as well  One happy bunny mama.


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## Azerane

A day is never complete recently without a bit of house drama... sigh. Came home from work, opened the curtains and to my surprise, all of the pickets had been removed off the back fence. Now, this is work that had been planned about 3 months ago, but now that the house was already on the market, I assumed they no longer intended to do it.

Needless to say, this wasn't ok, not only because I wasn't warned, but now with all the pickets removed, any dog can just wander into the yard at leisure. So I rang my agent, she was legitimately surprised and said she had no idea about it and is going to chase it up for me. I'm definitely over this. I'm getting tired of being nice about it, but still waiting to see what the owners say first.


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## Azerane

Good news everyone! I have officially been allowed to break my lease without penalty  I also submitted my application for the place I really like today. Not 100% sure on my chances since she already had others to go through, but I'm still really hopeful. Where it listed pets I wrote specifically indoor rabbit. I also mentioned that if it posed any concerns that I was happy to discuss it further. It says pets are ok with references, but we'll see. Technically if they have multiple perfectly suitable applicants, they often approve the one that had the application submitted the earliest. Wish me luck 

It makes me think... now I can look into the cost of buying the cubes for Bandit's cage, I would really like to have them ready to go so that when we move, I can get him set up properly straight away.


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## pani

Ah hooray! Congratulations Bec!


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## Azerane

It's oddly relieving, yet stressful at the same time, lol. Makes me realise that I have to pack up stuff and work out how I'm going to move my furniture


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## Azerane

Well, I've been productive. I've already starting sorting through things and throwing out stuff. I've even packed up three boxes, ready for my move at some point. I figured it's better to start now than later. So that's a good feeling. Also, throwing things out is a good feeling. It's one reason why moving is good, it's a fantastic chance to sort through all the junk you don't need. I know I'll still have plenty of that, but at least getting rid of some is better than nothing.

Bandit and I went for a walk outside today, it was so nice. It's been so long since we've done that, I've felt really bad, but the weather had been so horrible for it all through winter until this week. It was good to get out and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

I haven't heard about my application, if I still haven't heard by tomorrow afternoon I think I might give the agent a ring to ask about it. It's been two full working days since she received it so she should have at least had a chance to call my references and do a bit of background check on me.

If I do get this place, or the other one I'm looking at as a back-up, it's kind of perfect timing since I have annual leave the last week in August which is when they become available. Not that I want to spend all my week of holidays organising a move, but it's certainly helpful that it might coincide. Wish I'd booked in two weeks now


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## Azerane

Regarding my rental application, for the most part she seems to like me, but there's concern about the smelly rabbit being inside and the fact that he will poop everywhere and smell... those are literally things she said, lol. I mean, I get it, not everyone understands the concept of a house rabbit, but I equate it to a lot like owning a cat except you keep them caged when you're out, and the litter tray has to be there with them. I told her he was litter trained, and that he would be caged except for supervised out time, and that no I wouldn't consider keeping him outside during the day. She's still to hear back from the owners. To be honest, as much as I like the place (which I really do), if they have concerns about Bandit, I'd rather not push the issue, otherwise it could make things stressful/difficult as far as renting is concerned when they're not completely ok with it.

Edit: She just called me back. Owners are ok with me having Bandit, but they're going to do an inspection every five weeks for the first three months to make sure he's not peeing everywhere or chewing the place to bits etc. I'm excited, and scared


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## pani

Ooh yay!! That sounds like you've got the place then?


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## Azerane

Yes!! Sorry, it wasn't very clear 

In celebration I went online and bought the grids so that I can make Bandit's condo as soon as we get settled in to the new place. We'll be moving at the end of August  I really hope it all goes well.


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## whiskylollipop

Wow, congrats! It's a relief they let you break the lease without penalty. Can't wait to see your (and Bandit's) new digs!


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## Azerane

Thanks so much, I'm really looking forward to it and will certainly be putting up lots of pictures of his new condo when it's all done 

It's hard to believe that today marks 11 years since I lost my dear friend, Furry. 11 years since you've been gone, it's crazy to me that it's as much time as I had you in my life. I still miss you, little buddy.


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## Azerane

So the grids got delivered today... except not, because I was at work. So now delivery is rescheduled 2 days from now because that's when I have the most time at home. I really hope they get it to me in the given time frame. They sent me an e-mail asking where they could leave it if I wasn't there, which I wasn't happy about since if I wanted that option, I would have selected it when rescheduling and I told them I didn't want it left because of what I paid for it. Then I asked what would happen if the delivery was made when I wasn't home again, and she replied but not with an answer to my question. So I'm kinda frustrated, but there's not much I can do about it, I know they can't adjust their delivery schedule to every person that it doesn't suit.


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## pani

That's so annoying, I hate missing deliveries and having to wait to get things! I'm lucky to live on a relatively quiet street, so I generally trust things to be left on my doorstep.


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## Azerane

If it was $20, I would probably say that yes it was fine, but given that all up it cost me $132, I'm not willing to risk it


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## pani

Understandable! There are some things I'll sign for, like when I ordered my new DSLR, no way was I letting that sit in front of the door all day.


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## Azerane

My grids arrived!!!  I'm so excited about making his cage! It's actually very lucky that I got them, because the useless courier driver didn't even come in the gate and knock on the door, he just tooted the horn in the driveway, what if I hadn't gone out there to double check what it was? Especially when the directions I gave them say to come through the gate.

Anyway, they're here, and that's all that matters  Unfortunately I don't really have time to play with them today since I'm heading over to my mums for a birthday dinner. But maybe this weekend  I also found some cool non-slip strips at work today that might work for the edge around the top level, though I'm not sure how much he would pick at it. One of those try it and find out things I suppose.


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## Azerane

Going to be keeping a hawk eye on Bandit today the little stinker. I was cleaning out the laundry, shifting things around and he was playing in his semi-frustrated way that he does when I'm messing with his things and pulling at his cardboard box and ripping pieces off. I didn't realise that there was still a piece of tape on it until I heard it crinkling as he chewed it. When I went to take it from him he growled at me, I've never heard him growl before. So then I tried to push his head down and take it and he growled again and then it was all gone before I could grab it. So... now we just wait to see if he's alright. He's been eating hay well since then, and have cleaned out his litter tray so I will closely monitor his activity in that regard.

And then, when I went out to get fresh hay for him, I came inside and found him on top of a box that was on top of the washing machine. I haven't seen him up there since he caused all that trouble almost a year ago. He certainly was in a mood


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## Azerane

Bandit is such a one of a kind bunny. We went to bunny club last night and I had him in his cage for the first half, then I brought him out to sit on the table in front of me on his blanket. Many other people had their bunnies out and they were just sitting there, happy to be petted and just laying still. But Bandit was fidgeting here and there, trying to get to the other bunnies, jumping on me, jumping back on the table, digging at his blanket, biting his hay in half but not eating it. It was really funny, until I realised that it was because he had to pee, lol. Fortunately he peed on the blanket and not on me and I put some litter on top to help soak it up. Even so, he was still fidgety after that  Such a little rascal.

I finally signed the lease today.  I only had my deposit on the new place until now. So now it's extra official. It's crazy because I'm never usually very busy, but these next two weeks I have so much on, as well as moving house. Not quite sure how I'm going to cope, lol.


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## Azerane

I blame this forum... everyone said I should start piecing Bandit's cage together now, but I wasn't because I still have tonnes to pack and organise, and I'll have plenty of time to put it together on the first day while I wait for the electrician people etc to come buy and connect things. But I let you guys get to me and thought I would just put one section together... five sections later and I've got probably half of it done, lol. I only need to piece together the door, the roof, the back and the second level. It's really quick to do, and fun 

I've only made one mistake, which was having one of the pieces facing the wrong way (since they're all welded on one side, I wanted the weld joins facing out).


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## Azerane

Tomorrow is the day I get to start putting Bandit's new cage together! I'm really excited about it. I bought the vinyl, glue, screws and a couple of tools that I needed for it today. So I'm all ready to go, apart from the plywood that I'll be getting once the frame is constructed and can be measured. Except I also forgot to get shelf supports... which means yet another trip to the hardware store today since I'll need those before I hang the shelf to know how high to hang it.

Bandit also did something adorable today (well, he's always adorable but this especially). He picked up his wooden barrel roller toy, hopped over to his cardboard box, went inside, put the toy down and hopped back out! I know it doesn't sound like anything special, but watching a bunny carry something is so stinking cute, and the fact that he was playing with his toys makes me happy


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## JBun

That is cute! It sounds like he wanted to put it in his 'special place' or something


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## LilSpud

Bandit has beautiful colouring! His colours remind me of a siamese cat, but definitely looks better on him! Haha


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## Azerane

Hey guys, I have some cage building pics for you all  It's been a really long day, getting the keys for the new place, moving a few boxes, I vacuumed all the floors (there's a lot) and put together what you see of Bandit's condo (more in the next post).

If I'm not making sense, it's because I'm completely exhausted, so just bear with me.

*1.* The front wall put together, I had it pre-made in three pieces. The bits of paper wrapped around the bars are notes to tell me which piece was which and where the bottom was.
*2.* The front wall with the two side walls joined on at each end. You can see the colour of the vinyl I'm using at the bottom there.
*3. *Stood up in the rough position of where it will end up.
*4.* The back wall laid out, no cable ties yet, I was just making sure the pieces worked out well since some of them have slight curves etc.
*5.* The back wall connected (this step would have been much easier with two people)
*6. *Adding the shelf, I did this in stages. I connected two grids together before adding the pair in, as opposed to adding one by one.
*7. *Testing out the support bar under the shelf progress. Found an almost perfect size bit of pine which is really strong, so I was able to run it along the length of the cage as opposed to having two bits of pine sticking out the front which I really didn't want.


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## Azerane

*1.* The shelf completed
*2.* Close-up of where Bandit will hopefully be jumping up (still a few cable ties missing)
*3.* Front view
*4.* Door added
*5.* Testing out the sizing of the plywood I had cut at the hardware store. Perfect fit top and bottom
*6.* The gap cut for Bandit to jump through

I have also since cut and glued the vinyl to the floor and shelf, but didn't take pictures of that yet. For those wondering about a step for Bandit to the second level, I'm going to try using his blue box there that he loves, and if it doesn't work out, I'll add a shelf with grids.

As for the general design, five long for hopping room (he's a decent size after all). I didn't want the step on the end because it restricts that room, which is why I have it against the back so there's still five grids of running space. Two high is for the binkies and stretching, the 1 grid high top level will just provide enough room for him to do his regular hopping and flop out etc


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## whiskylollipop

What a project! I like how you also got a plywood base for the bottom floor. No ruining the floorboards, Bandit.


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## grandmom2muffin

Wow. The new cage looks great!! I would love to make one for my grandbun. How do I search for the grids? What exactly are they called.


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## Azerane

grandmom2muffin said:


> Wow. The new cage looks great!! I would love to make one for my grandbun. How do I search for the grids? What exactly are they called.



Thanks, it's coming along nicely. It depends where you live, but usually if you search for wire storage cube they come up on websites. The different brands possibly have different names for them.

After another day of construction (boy is this taking way longer than I expected) the cage is almost (nope, not done yet) complete! I'll spread this over two posts so that there's not as much scrolling down from the descriptions to the individual photos. A bit of frustration today since the vinyl didn't stick properly which caused issues but I came up with a solution that has worked out perfectly.

*1.* The second floor coated in vinyl
*2.* The base with the pine edging (with vinyl on the sides) attached.
*3.* A close up of the corner and the gaps (I left a gap from the vinyl to the top edge in case Bandit managed to chew at it a bit, he wouldn't be eating vinyl, just the pine.
*4.* Clear sealant to cover the gaps so no accidental pees or water spillage can get through and damaged the pine.
*5.* The second floor with rough non-slip vinyl around the hole and some plastic edging attached. The edging is awesome, it will stop Bandit picking the vinyl up at the edges, and it holds the vinyl on snug after the glue didn't quite do the trick. Loved this solution.


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## Azerane

If you're catching up on today's cage progress, there's a previous post from today on the page before this one.

*1.* A close-up of the corner with the non-slip vinyl and the plastic edging to keep it safe from bunny teeth  The non-slip stuff stuck on really tough so I'm thinking Bandit might not have much luck with pulling it.
*2.* Fitting the cage inside the base (hooray, it fits perfectly!)
*3.* Fitting in the second level and starting to cut cable ties (you forget how many there are until you have to cut off hundreds of them)  The shelf support has also been cut to size and cable-tied on.
*4.* The nearly-finished product. I'm so proud of how it's turning out. It's looking really good.

All that's left to do is build a lid, including 3 panel door along the front of the roof and I have to drill holes along the pine so that I can cable tie the cage to the base. Drilling the holes will be a little bit of a pain now that everything's in place, but I wanted to make sure I lined the holes up properly. But overall, I'm in love with this cage. Bandit had better like it, lol.


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## bunnylovin1093

Awesome cage! Wish Bambi could live inside "Sigh"


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## JBun

Looking nice! I'm sure Bandit will love it!

I've been building one too, as a temp bonding cage until I get my bunny room remodel done. It's amazing how you start out thinking it won't take long to put together... then several hours later you're still at it  I'm always looking for new ideas. I'm liking those non slip tiles. What are they exactly? And what is that plastic edging?

One thing that I discovered, that may or may not be helpful to you, is that I found that the cage also needed some vertical support. So I attached 1x2's at several points around the cage, particularly around the doorway. Seemed to keep things from sagging so much.


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## Azerane

I will respond better and post the rest of the build photos once my internet is set up but for now I just wanted to say that bandit is liking his condo. It took him about 5 hours to jump to the second level, but I'm not sure he can get down. I've brought him back down a couple of times and he keeps going back up, which is good. So I've been trying to leave it longer between bringing him down again to see whether he'll try jumping. I'm just worried about it happening overnight while I'm sleeping and something going wrong. I guess if he pees up there I'll know for sure and I might have to alter the step.


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## Azerane

JBun said:


> Looking nice! I'm sure Bandit will love it!
> 
> I've been building one too, as a temp bonding cage until I get my bunny room remodel done. It's amazing how you start out thinking it won't take long to put together... then several hours later you're still at it  I'm always looking for new ideas. I'm liking those non slip tiles. What are they exactly? And what is that plastic edging?
> 
> One thing that I discovered, that may or may not be helpful to you, is that I found that the cage also needed some vertical support. So I attached 1x2's at several points around the cage, particularly around the doorway. Seemed to keep things from sagging so much.



The non-slip tiles are a self-adhesive rough vinyl that I found in the hardware store in the same section as rubber feet and castors for chairs etc. It's basically a non-slip stick-on strip for the edge of steps etc, it was pretty wide so I cut it in half. The plastic stripping was in the builders section, I'm not sure if it's used for plasterboard but it was kept near there and came in a few different lengths. It's just a "U" shaped stripe with one side of the u a little longer than the other and it slips on over the edge. I was just lucky that it was the right width to fit on snugly. Like this: http://www.mat-plasty.com/images/photogallery/image/C06.jpg

I only had one issue with sagging (apart from the roof where the door is but that's to be expected) and it was on the left panel above the front door. I was able to fix it by attaching it diagonally to a piece on the roof that wasn't part of the roof door. If that makes sense, if not I can illustrate it.

So Bandit's cage is now 99.9% finished. I only say that because I forgot to attach the corflute, which I'm going to add on the outside behind his litter tray to stop hay slipping through.

So now it's time for more pictures 

*1.* Attaching the roof, here you can see all the solid parts of the roof, the three grid long gap at the front is for an access door.
*2.* Cable tie attaching the cage to the base. Not a very exciting picture I know  I found that I didn't have to attach it in the corners, only next to the door opening and along the sides which resulted in the corners being held in naturally.
*3.* The finished product in position (I have it sitting on interlocking foam mats so that it doesn't damage the floor)
*4.* Another angle, doors open
*5.* Freshly installed bunny. This was right after we finished moving the furniture in and were having lunch, hence the small temporary litter tray which was in his travel-size cage. The blue box with carpet on top for traction was the original idea for the step to the next level
*6.* Bandit on the top level, he could get up, but he couldn't seem to get down, so I made a few alterations (seen in next post).


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## Azerane

*1.* Squishy bunny face!! (This is a very important step in the condo making process!)
*2.* Bandit enjoying his penthouse suite. You can see that I added steps in, since he could jump up, but wasn't going down and I was worried about him hurting himself if he tried. So I added two steps, covered one in a carpet square, and the other in a folded fleece.
*3.* The carpet wasn't compatible with Bandit  So a fleece was added to the top step, I would like to have a secured covering on the steps, but haven't decided what to use yet. You can see how I supported the steps here, but after setting it up this way, I realised I could remove one of the supportive grids and still support both and in the process give Bandit two directions for getting onto the bottom step.
*4.* The altered step design, it seems to have helped him with jumping down since he doesn't have to jump straight down to go under the supporting grid, he can jump out more. He's also jumped once from that gap in the top step which scared the life out of me, but he was fine. Just in a hurry to get to his fresh hay.
*5.* Part of Bandit's play area, this was his first official time outside the cage, and he was running around for about 2 hours. He took to the floorboards like a champ, and investigated every single nook and cranny very thoroughly. I even got a few binkies  He completely ignored me, until I answered a phone call from my dad and then he was following me around and reaching up at me and wanting pets etc, lol.
*6.* Lounging around after some exhausting time exploring!


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## pani

WOW! The condo looks amazing! Bandit is one lucky bunny.


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## Azerane

Thanks, I'm so pleased with how it's turned out. Bandit is a pro at the steps now too, he often only uses the bottom one on the way up, but always uses both on the way back down.

He's such a champ, out for 2 hours both yesterday and today and not a single stray poop. I was expecting a poop fest. Yesterday he was reluctant to step back inside his cage, he would go over to it and peer inside from the doorway, then hop away. I guess he was worried that I would lock him in. But today he was in and out of his cage a bit, using his tray etc. So proud of him.

On an unrelated note, as I was typing all this a white-tailed spider emerged along the wall beside me. I was hoping I'd seen the last of them at the old place, but it's possible I've brought them with in the couch, not really something I want to think about to be perfectly honest. I am terrified of huntsman spiders, but white-tails are another beast entirely, more of a creepy beast than an "omg, that thing is huge and hairy". Both are terrifying in their own way.


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## Ana_The_Dreamer

Wow!! That condo is amazing!  I've been following your progress on it and I am very impressed with your work! Bandit is such an adorable bunny. I adore his little nose! (I have a thing for bunny noses, hehe.)
I had to google those spiders you were talking about (The only spiders I have in my area are the common house spider, wolf spider, and maybe a jumping spider here and there.) and ooooooh goodnessssss. That huntsman spider looks absolutely terrifying! If one of those crawled into my house I'd probably grab all my animals, take them outside, and sit in the front yard until someone could come and kill it for me.  White-tails don't look like fun either. How creepy. 
I'm not a scaredy-cat with spider and such, but oh my. Australia sure has its share of crawlies, huh?


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## Azerane

Thank you so much! I am so pleased with how it turned out in the end. It was a lot of work, but certainly well worth it for the result. I could have done it a lot more cheaply, but I think the extra money was worth it too.

I agree that bunny noses are freaking adorable, I love scratching Bandit's, though he always tries to lick me when I do.

I'm not quite so terrified of huntsman spiders as I have done some possum nest box work that required me to put my hand in nest boxes right next to the spiders! It's more when they're indoors. The white-tails are a concern mostly because they can give a very nasty bite, and that not only concerns me, but Bandit too. I used to be absolutely terrified of spiders and couldn't deal with them at all myself, but I have had to overcome that living on my own. I like spiders, I think they're fascinating creatures, just only when they're on the outside of my house 

I'm in shock right now, because Bandit had been out for an hour and a half, and 40 minutes ago, he hopped up into the top level of his condo and settled down for a rest, cage door open! It's a good thing, because it means it's his safe space, but I was just so surprised that he was giving up his freedom time willingly. He'll probably be back out again soon I should think.

Here's some photos of Bandit helping me fold and stack the packing paper so that it fits easily in the recycling bin.


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## pani

Ahh, Bandit is so cute! That second from bottom picture is just adorbs - "hey mum, I fixed the paper stack for you!"


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## Azerane

Thanks Pani, I love that photo too  Bandit was acting up today, being a weekend I decided to try letting him out in the morning, and boy was that a mistake. He was just into everything and trying to eat and dig at the couches and I couldn't do anything because I literally had to follow his every move. I ended up shutting him in again until later in the day, the poor guy, lol. I also bought him some new toys yesterday, they're plastic bird toys that I've hung in his cage. In typical bunny fashion he's completely ignored them except for when I hid a piece of carrot on one of them.

More photos again 
*1.* I think Bandit may have claimed that particular lounge chair, he was chilled out on it for quite some time.
*2.* Bunny feet! <3
*3.* Some photos of the herb garden. I brought all my potted herbs with me from my old place and the new place has these nifty little garden beds. So I planted out everything except the chives (not for Bandit), rosemary (has to go somewhere else in the garden), lemon balm (no room) and mint (because it's a bit invasive). The only thing I'm missing is basil because all my plants died off in the bad frost we had about a month ago. In the beds I have parsley, coriander, lemon thyme, oregano, dill, lettuce and silverbeet (new seedlings), and baby carrots (I've had them for ages, I just feed Bandit the tops mostly).

Also I apologise for photo quality, I really need to find my compact camera instead of using my phone camera all the time.


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## Azerane

It's time for more updates (like you needed any with the amount I've been posting lately  ) Still, there have been some changes. I finally added the corflute to the back and side of Bandit'd condo behind the litter tray, it should mean I don't have to clean behind the cage nearly so often. I also added flooring to his steps today, I just had folded fleece blankets before but I was worried about him pushing them off the steps. So I put a plywood base, and then cut some foam mats to size (though he'll chew those up at some point). It's worked well though.

He's gone through some well-behaved and some very naughty stages in exploring the new place and getting regular run-around time. It's great to see so many bunny flops though, he does them all the time 

*1.* Steps with new flooring
*2.* Exciting different angle 
*3.* Bandit being cute in his litter tray, as only bunnies can be!
*4.* The "final" condo with corflute and step coverings in place. You can see his new bird toys that he ignores  This is clearly the "before I swept" image


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## whiskylollipop

Wow, hats off to you! The finished product looks amazing, I'm impressed with all the love and effort you clearly put in. Bandit looks so pleased with his new digs. I'm glad he's adjusting well to the new house!


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## Azerane

Thanks so much, Bandit really does seem to like it, which is great. Had such a feel-good moment today because I bought a cheap area rug to cover some of the floorboards and give Bandit some traction, less than 5 minutes after letting him out he was zooming around and doing binkies on it  So he obviously likes it. He's also already tried to eat it, but that's why I bought a cheap one, lol. He's been racing across it and then sliding along the floorboards at the other end, haha!

I also bought a dust buster a couple of days ago so that I can vacuum loose fur from his cage while he's out. I can't use the vacuum cleaner because he would make a beeline for the power cord.

If I manage to get some good binky shots or video I will share, but literally as soon as I turned the camera on he sat down and groomed for a while then just wandered off


----------



## surf_storm

Some how they know when they are about to be filmed lol Shida does the same thing!


~Shida (and Shell)


----------



## Azerane

I managed to film Bandit doing some binkies and 500s yesterday  I had the camera set up on the tripod ready to go, then I let him out, and since the first thing he does is race around on the rug, it worked out perfectly. I just need to find some basic free video editing software, since there's several videos, and a few long pauses where he's just sitting there and I'd like to be able to put it all together. Then I'll share it with you guys  I took some pictures too, nice pictures instead of phone camera pictures, lol.

The herb garden is growing well, I can already tell after a week that the oregano is almost literally jumping out of the ground now, it's growing so well, I think it was a bit stagnant in the pot.


----------



## surf_storm

If you want to email them to me I could do it for you, I have some really good video software that I paid for to do my sister-in-laws wedding, it's call pinnacle studio plus 17 


~Shida (and Shell)


----------



## Azerane

I appreciate the offer, I've been meaning to get something for while though because I film birds on occasion too so I need it for that anyway.


----------



## Azerane

Yesterday was the first day that I didn't get a chance to let Bandit out to play, I could tell he was a little frustrated by it  So today when I let him out he just went all crazy for a while, haha. It was super cute. Right now he's just hanging out by the back door, I open the glass sliding door and he sits right in front of the screen door and looks outside and listens etc. He really seems to like it 

I took some more video today too, so hopefully I can get around to putting that all together at some point soon.


----------



## Azerane

Don't you ever stop shedding?!?!!! ullhair:

The amount of fur is just crazy. I vacuumed his cage yesterday afternoon, and this morning it looked like I hadn't even done it! :vacuum:


----------



## Azerane

I've been trying to get more into the homemade toy thing for Bandit. One of them that I made yesterday he hasn't even touched  I also gave him a hay bag, which is a paper bag, stuffed with hay and a few pieces of herbs and a single craisin for him to destroy. Up until now, he's just had a couple of little nibbles, but he's finally gotten right into it and there's a lot of ripping going on 

I bought these super expensive paper bags at the supermarket that weren't treated with anything (the only other choice was more of a shiny brown paper that was probably treated with something to be grease proof), I bought sisal string to tie it with and then of course I already had all the hay etc. He seems like he's having fun destroying it at the moment anyway. He must have finally smelled the craisin 

In other life news, I bought a lawnmower today. I probably have at least 120 square meters of lawn (front and back combined) and it was quite overgrown. So today I learned to assemble and use a lawnmower. It also kicked my butt. It seems completely effortless at the time, but after having been sitting down for a bit, I'm quite achy.


----------



## pani

Aw, Bandit's toy sounds cute! I bet he's enjoying it. I should see if I can make something similar.


----------



## Azerane

I feel so awful right now. My brother is moving house and can't take his cat with him since his new rental doesn't accept pets (I won't get started on how much I hate it when pet owners rent out a place that's not pet friendly). But long story short, this cat needs a new place to live. I said I would think about it, and though it breaks my heart, I just don't think it's the right decision for me to take her.

While I would love to give her what I know would be a good home, it would be difficult with Bandit making sure they got along, and if they didn't having to keep them separate. Then the additional vet bills and the fact that I'm going away for a weekend about a week or two after I would get her. It just doesn't feel like the right time and I would feel irresponsible taking her on when I know it's not the right time, even though she does need a home. I'm just worried, that she'll get really ill and I'll fork out lots of money at the vet, then suddenly Bandit will also get ill but I won't be able to afford the vet care. That would break my heart.

Going to let them know tomorrow I think, I feel bad since I offered in the first place. But it just doesn't feel right.


----------



## whiskylollipop

Cost-wise, since it's your brother and it's his cat, maybe you could come to an agreement that he would foot her vet bills if any. Or even just help out with paying a portion of the bills as far as you need him to, to ensure you can still maintain a decent financial cushion for yourself and Bandit. I think it's a pretty fair exchange for knowing his cat is with someone he trusts to treat her well, and you being family means he can come over and see how she's doing too.

But naturally if the addition of a cat would be an added stress that you and Bandit don't need, you shouldn't feel obligated to take her. It's not like she's in urgent need anyway. It's his responsibility to find her a good home, and I'm sure he'll make every effort to!


----------



## Azerane

Thanks for the advice, I did end up deciding not to take her. While I would have loved to take her on, I just felt it wasn't the right time, or the right decision for Bandit at this point. We just got settled and he's loving it here, I didn't want to risk it.

In good news, I finished making a sign for above Bandit's cage today  I saw the hook in the wall above the cage and immediately knew what had to go there (just hadn't made it until now). I used an offcut of plywood from his cage levels, stained it with some leftover stain from when we made my bed frame, then bought some mdf letters and painted them with some paint that I've had for years and knew I would use for something eventually  So here you have it, the finished product. I love it


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## JBun

Love the sign! It's fun to hear he is so happy in his new home. Nothing like a happy bunny to cheer up your day


----------



## pani

So cute! The sign just makes his little cage area.


----------



## Azerane

Did someone say 'treats'?


----------



## pani

omggggg I wanna smoosh Bandit's little face. He is so cute.


----------



## Chrisdoc

He is even cuter than the last time I saw him, so goid to be back. Glad to see you finally moved, love the set up and the sign. He looks all grown up now !!


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## Azerane

Aww, thanks guys, he just melts my heart 

Yes, Chris, it's crazy when I look at pictures of him from last year, I notice how much he's actually grown and changed. If I'm honest, I do miss the more pearly colour he had when I first got him rather than the darker grey he is now, but he's still adorable.

I'm being a paranoid bunny mum because lately I've noticed a small lumpy looking thing on his throat. The problem is I can't remember if it's always been there and I've only just noticed it, or if it's new, lol. I've tried feeling it a couple of times and I'm pretty sure it's just skin, perhaps a very small dewlap, but I'm still keeping an eye. He's getting his nails clipped at bunny club tonight so I'll get the lady to have a look while she has him flipped.


----------



## Chrisdoc

I would suggest you get it looked at as abscesses can griw at an amazing rate. Probably nothing but best to be sure. He is still one of the most handsome buns I know !!


----------



## Azerane

Yeah, that's why I was worried about it because I know abscesses in bunnies are very tricky things. The lady tonight will be able to tell me.

I'm so glad I managed to get the timer on the air conditioner worked out last night. It's 38 degrees Celsius here today and I didn't want Bandit getting too warm. Fortunately when I got home at about 3:20pm the air conditioner was running beautiful and the room was a great temperature  I got quite a fright when I petted Bandit though, I was ruffling his ears etc and all of a sudden I see these small white clumpy bits that look like fuzzy bits from thistle seeds and I'm wondering what horrible disease he's suddenly come down with. Then I realised that the very edges of his ears were shedding, and the fur was just coming off in clumps. I suppose even though the air con is on, you can tell it's still a warm day and his body is probably just responding to that.


----------



## Chrisdoc

Wow that is hot. Still warm here but nothing like the summer. Bandy is molting at the moment, he looks a bit patchy but he'll get over it haha.


----------



## Azerane

Well bunny club ended up being cancelled because of the heat, which is fair enough. Would have liked to have had his neck looked at, so I might consider a vet visit. It also meant I had to cut his nails. I got four done on his front left paw, but I struggle with the inside ones. Will do the right front paw today. His back claws generally don't need doing.


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## BunMomma

Hi, your little Bandit is so cute!!! So adorable...


----------



## Azerane

Thanks so much 

I've still been really paranoid about that lump/possible dewlap on Bandit's throat so I've got us booked in for a vet visit tomorrow morning. I've been trying to get a feel of it myself but it's a tricky spot to get to. It's annoying because we're only a couple months out from our annual and vaccinations.


----------



## pani

Good luck at the vet! ray:


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## whiskylollipop

Do male dewlaps develop this late? I hope it's nothing to worry on, sending good thoughts Bandit's way. Let us know how it goes at the vet!


----------



## JBun

Is it an actual lump or just a baggy chin? My Flopsy has a baggy old man chin, not at all like a proper dewlap. It's just a flap of skin and isn't lumpy at all.


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## Azerane

Well that's exactly it, I can't really tell. I have no idea when dewlaps start to develop and if they can develop at any age. I can't feel it that well because Bandit won't really let me, at first it just felt like skin, but it does seem to be a tiny bit bigger today though I can't really feel any lumpiness to it, which I'm assuming is good. I figure it's better safe than sorry.

He's perfectly happy and healthy otherwise. I figured it if was something tooth related I'd be seeing a change is his eating by now.


----------



## Azerane

Bandit got a clean bill of health from the vet. He just has a man dewlap. Now I can stop worrying


----------



## whiskylollipop

arty0002: 
What a relief! Yay Bandit!


----------



## Chrisdoc

Thank goodness....on bunny with an abscess is enough.


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## pani

Yay for Bandit's man dewlap!!


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## BunMomma

Lol..good on the man dewlap!!


----------



## mrnixonpants

I definitely just read all 44 pages of this thread....and I officially have no life...hahaha

Bandit is so cute!


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## Azerane

mrnixonpants said:


> I definitely just read all 44 pages of this thread....and I officially have no life...hahaha
> 
> Bandit is so cute!



Now that's dedication! Thanks so much 

Today is Bandit's birthday!  He's 2 years old today. We celebrated with "cake" and a run around outside. I took lots of photos, so expect to see some of those later today after he's finished his free run time.

As a side note I flicked back to almost a year ago when he had his annual checkup and vaccination at the start for this year, and found out his weight was 2.9kg then, just as it was the other day when we went to the vet. Perfect


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## bunnyman666

Yay for Bandit!!!!!!


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## pani

Happy birthday Bandit!!


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## surf_storm

Happy birfday Bandit!! Luv Shida


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## Azerane

Hey everyone, thank you for all Bandit's birthday wishes. I have been meaning to update with photos etc, but obviously haven't gotten around to that yet. Things have been going pretty well. Bandit is fantastically adorable as always, we went to bunny club last week and he was so well behaved and we had a great time. He really is such a good bunny. While he was sprawled out in front of me I noticed a tiny red patch on one of his hocks, and he has tiny bare patches on both. So I'm currently monitoring those. They didn't look fresh, so it's likely he's had them a while, but I want to be sure they don't get bigger. I've never noticed them before because the fur covers them well unless it's parted in just the right way.

I went away a couple weekends ago to do some bird surveys so I had a friend from work come over to look after Bandit. On the Sunday I came home to find he'd mucked around a bit, spilled some water and his pellets which resulted in a giant swollen pile of mushy pellets next to the water bowl, lol. I gave him more pellets that night to make up for it 

I hope everyone is well, I will hopefully update again soon with pictures!


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## Azerane

One quick photo to tide you over until I sort out the rest. Bandit's birthday noms


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## whiskylollipop

Aw, what a cute little bunny-sized cake carrot! Somebunny had a great birthday, yes he did, you can see the joy in his eyes  Did you even cut off the sides of the carrot so he only gets premium inner carrot?

I think most all bunnies have a tiny bald patch on their hocks, Merlin has had his forever. As long as it's not red/inflamed or getting bigger and balder, it's just a harmless calluse. Bandit looks so handsome as always. More pix please!


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## Azerane

Funny story about Bandit. He has a big cardboard box pushed up against one of the lounge chairs. Often he jumps onto the seat of the lounge chair and then straight over the arm rest onto the box. Earlier in the day he had been playing with the box and pushed it away from the chair a bit to get behind it. Five minutes later when he was tearing around the room, he leaped onto the chair, then over the arm rest and dropped straight down onto the floor because the box wasn't as close as usual. I laughed so hard (after making sure he was ok of course). Then I pushed the box back  He seemed a little put off for a bit after that, haha.

The same thing almost happened again today (the first instance was a couple days ago), but this time he put his front paws up on the arm rest and looked over first 

In other news, I experienced some scary computer issues yesterday, which threatened that my hard drive with all my bird photos on it was on the brink of dying. So I raced out to get an additional external HD (current one wasn't big enough) and spent the next two hours, through 10+ error messages backing up all my photos from this year. Thankfully I got it all, now I'm working on the photos from my laptop since that's well overdue for a back-up too. I'm very lucky it wasn't just dead.


----------



## Azerane

It's been a while since I've posted anything. Things have been going well, Bandit is his usual lounging and mischievous self. We went to the vet just over a week ago to get his annual calici vaccination and health check. He was absolutely disgusted with being at the vet, most moody I've seen him there  As it turns out, he's starting to develop a molar spur on one side. The vet said we'd caught it early so with some different hay added to his diet he should wear it down fine.  He's been eating only meadow hay, which is good, but it's quite fine and not tough at all. So I've bought some tough oaten for him to eat as well, will keep a nice balance mixing the two.


----------



## Azerane

I am so bad at keeping you guys updated with pictures! All is well with Bandit though, we've both had a very relaxing day today. I lounged on the couch all day reading and he's had free range all day (12 hours or so). Usually it's 3-5 hours after work or in between things that I've got going on, but it's my day off, I've had an exhausting work week and it was far too hot outside to do anything, so we've both been relaxing in the air con all day  He is super cute as ever, and has enjoyed lots of head rubs. Unfortunately the lettuce that I bought only a day or two ago has partially frozen in the fridge so is no longer any good, which is a shame because he only got one leaf off of it.


----------



## Azerane

Lazy bunny from one of the recent hot days  I love dead bunny flops! I rarely get a chance to photograph them because he often shifts when disturbed, but he flopped right next to where I was sitting and I luckily had my phone on me at the time. So cute!


----------



## bunnyman666

Bandit is awesome!!!!!!


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## JBun

I would say he looks sooo cozy... but he's laying on a hard floor  Though being hot there, I'm sure a cool floor is much appreciated by the little guy.


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## Azerane

Bandit doesn't like laying on soft things, it's really weird. He might sit on a couch for a few minutes, but he prefers the hard floor, on the vinyl surface of his cage to his area rug, soft cushions or fleece (which he just pushes out the way).


----------



## Azerane

About two weeks ago I changed the location of Bandit's condo, it's still in the same room, just against a different wall and facing perpendicular to how it was. Ever since I've done that, he's been spending so much more time in it. Which isn't a bad thing I suppose, I'm guessing that he just likes that corner as more of a safe space so doesn't feel the need to leave it.

For example, today I've been home from work for 5 hours with the door to his condo open, and he hasn't been out once. He's still eating well, and hopping up and down the different levels, he just doesn't come out till late in the evening. It's weird. Usually he was ready to get out almost as soon as I got home and sprawl out somewhere else, now he just stays in his condo. It's a little sad not to have him bouncing around the place all throughout the day. Though I suppose it makes me feel a little better for if I am out the whole day, he's not missing out on exercise because he's not out and about anyway


----------



## Azerane

In his box fort, eating his way through to who knows where...


----------



## bunnycuddle101

Awe so cute


----------



## Azerane

Thanks 

My life right now, is literally vacuuming twice a day, and brushing Bandit 2-3 times a day. When does it end, and how is he not bald?!

:vacuum::vacuum::vacuum:


----------



## Azerane

Guys, I'm so excited! I just found a breeder of Somali cats (my all time favourite breed) in my state!  Not that it matters since I don't think a cat is on the cards for at least 1 1/2 - 2 years, but still! It's seriously the most exciting thing ever, poor Bandit would think I didn't love him anymore if I hadn't just spent the last 15 minutes brushing him, because of these cats that I can't even have yet, lol.

On the other hand, buying from a breeder is difficult for me because I'm also huge on supporting rescues, but I'd never find a Somali there anyway. There'll be more cats eventually anyway, so plenty of time to rescue  So yes, I'm stupidly excited for a cat that won't even be born for another year and a half at least


----------



## Azerane

Good news everyone! I have found a brush that works wonders on Bandit!! It's amazing and I only tested it for a minute.

I decided to randomly browse the pet aisle at the supermarket (which I don't usually do because it's all dog/cat food/toys and usually nothing decent. But since I've been looking all over for a brush for Bandit I figured it was worth a shot. I had been looking at the Zoom Groom for cats and the Hair Buster comb. I can't get shipping for the Hair Buster here, and the zoom groom was about $16 and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money on it if it wasn't going to be really great. Then I saw this brush at the supermarket, it's actually marketed for removing hair from furniture etc, but it's silicone/rubber like the Zoom Groom is, just with fine bristles. Add on to the fact it was only $4.95, I bought it straight away.

It's probably a little bit large for small rabbit, but medium to large breeds would be fine with it, and you definitely wouldn't want to use it on long fur. The complaints I see about the Zoom Groom seem in involve the hair not sticking to the brush, but with this, because of the many fine bristles, it seems to stick well. You still get floaties, but you're always going to I think. In any case, I'm really excited about this. Yesterday after work while Bandit and I were lounging, he did a little bit of loud grinding which had me concerned. So we've upped the grooming from 2-3/day to 3-4/day, and I've also split his 1/4 cup of pellets into two meals today (morning and evening) to try to increase his morning hay intake. So far today I haven't heard any grinding, which is good. I might give some more feedback on the brush after I've used it a bit more in a few days.

I've taken some pictures of the brush, the pic of Bandit is from Bunny Club a few weeks ago


----------



## JBun

I was looking at those online too, and wondering if they would really work well or not. I have yet to find a brush that I like any better than just using my hand. Might have to give one a try now


----------



## Azerane

JBun said:


> I was looking at those online too, and wondering if they would really work well or not. I have yet to find a brush that I like any better than just using my hand. Might have to give one a try now



Yes I was the same, any brush I have used has always been in conjunction with hand grooming. With this one I don't need to. The main bristles are quite soft, but I suppose because of the material they grip the fur well and tug on it softly. I've found the bristles on the top ends are a little stronger and are good for getting deeper into the really difficult fluffy bits such as butt fluff just around the tail.


----------



## Azerane

I left Bandit overnight last night (about 32 hours), it's only the second time I've done it, he made much less mess the first time  I stock him up with extra hay tucked away and in toys, I gave him two water bowls, pellets in his bowl and some extras in his treat ball. I came back to hay EVERYWHERE, one of his hay toys in one of his water bowls (it's why I put in two bowls on different levels) and water splashed everywhere etc  It was funny, but Bandit didn't even seem to care that I was home, haha. His cage has been open for 3 hours and he hasn't even left it yet, he's such a weirdo. You would think he would be eager to be out and run around... but apparently not. I feel like, he enjoys it when I pet him and pay him attention, but he doesn't really miss it if he doesn't get it. Ahh well.

In other news, I got to go camping for one night at one of my favourite places and got to help out with some bird banding this morning, it was amazing


----------



## BigBunny

Oh they know how to make you not feel loved. No matter how long I am away from Boomer he never shows any excitement or care when I'm back. Only time he cares is when you carry food in for him. Haha .


----------



## Azerane

It's been a while but I thought I'd give a brief (somewhat long) update since we had to run to the vet today.

Bandit's been perfectly happy, hoppy and healthy until this morning. I got up around 9am gave him his pellets (which he didn't move for, a little odd), grabbed his litter tray and went outside to clean it. 15 minutes later when I come back in, he still hadn't moved and I noticed he was belly pressing. I shoved all of his favourite foods in his face and he drew away from every single one, not even a sniff. Much to his disgust I then dragged him out the cage and took him outside to brush him (brushing always makes him move around and gave me a chance to massage his belly, plus avoiding further fur ingestion since he's shedding).

I brought him back inside and bullied him around the lounge room a little to make him move about and hopefully stimulate some digestion. I let him be and he hopped around a tiny bit, would lay down for a minute then a few more hops. At about 10:20 he was hunkered down in a tight space belly pressing and looking very unhappy again. So I decided to call the vet. On Saturdays my vet closes at midday, and to avoid the cost of an after hours vet and also since I had no idea how long he'd been like this already (could have been 20 minutes before I got up or 5 hours) I thought it was better if I took him in.

After sub-cutaneous fluids, pain killers, gut motility meds, consult fee and some critical care (just in case, I didn't expect to use it but my last bag was too old anyway), and an x-ray because I believed it to be a fur blockage and they wanted to double-check it wasn't fully blocked cause of the way it felt. I came away almost $200 poorer. Worth it for my little man though.

So now we've been home from the vet for about 3 hours. In the past hour he's started accepting strands of hay and ate a single pellet, though he isn't looking for hay or really moving around. He hasn't pooped, so I've got no idea how long it's been since that happened (at least 6 or 7 hours). He's not belly pressing anymore but he's sitting hunched up like it's still uncomfortable. I'm not considering him out of the woods until he's pooped, but at least he's showing signs of improvement.

Will post photos when he's feeling better, no one likes their sick face plastered on the internet


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## Azerane

I've never been so excited to see poop before!!  Hooray my little man is on the mend!


----------



## BigBunny

Oh my gosh! Bandit ... Oh dear I got so sad reading that but happy with the update. Hope things are all good for you and bandit. $200 you got out good!!! Expensive here. Good vibes for bandit and a speedy recovery . I'd hate anything to happen to my buns so I know how you would feel right now. Give him cuddles from me boomer and roo. Xx


----------



## Azerane

Thanks, he is improved this morning though still not seeing as much poop as I would like. When I got up I came out to find him eating his leftover pellets from yesterday's breakfast, then he jumped into his litter tray and nibbled hay but didn't leave much behind. So at least he's moving about and eating, but I'm still a little anxious until he poops more. Especially since mornings are his favourite run-around time and instead he's just sitting in his cage looking a tiny bit uncomfortable.


----------



## Azerane

I think I've got my greedy little monster back today. After getting home from work all his breakfast is gone, there's decent-sized poops in the tray and after changing his litter tray and refreshing hay he was trying to eat it before I even set the tray down. Now he's just finished munching and has come out for a run-around


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## BigBunny

Good ! So happy to read that.  give bandit some hugs from us for being a champ !


----------



## Azerane

Bandit is back to his naughty self. I lost another laptop power cable a couple of days ago. I needed to run to the bathroom, so I shooed Bandit away from the corner with my laptop, moved the laptop so as little cord was out from behind the couch as possible, wrapped the visible cord in a blanket. I ran to the bathroom, was gone less than 60 seconds and there's Bandit on the couch, blanket has been pulled back and the power cord has a big bite through it. Still, this is why I keep a spare 

Here he is, passing me the tissues


----------



## Ana_The_Dreamer

Hehe, what a cutie Bandit is!!


----------



## BigBunny

Oh cheeky naughty Bandit. He can join Naughty Roo in time out !


----------



## JBun

They're fast, that's for sure! Nothing is safe around these fuzzy little chewing machines


----------



## Azerane

The cheekiest thing about it is that he clearly knew exactly what he was doing to get at what he wanted while I wasn't there to see. It's my own fault for not having bought tubing to slip around the power cord though. At least it's something replaceable, and not part of the rental house or anything, he's actually very good that way.


----------



## Azerane

Well, after never protecting the other cable, I bought some clear pvc tubing yesterday and wrapped it around the current laptop cable. Obviously he can still bite through that, but if I happen to catch him nibbling it will likely be around the tubing before he gets to the cable. And I can check it for nibbles etc on a regular basis.


----------



## BigBunny

Great idea . Yeah gives you more time you catch them! I think they can chew through anything after seeing a huge hole in the wall thanks to Roo


----------



## pani

Azerane said:


> Bandit is back to his naughty self. I lost another laptop power cable a couple of days ago. I needed to run to the bathroom, so I shooed Bandit away from the corner with my laptop, moved the laptop so as little cord was out from behind the couch as possible, wrapped the visible cord in a blanket. I ran to the bathroom, was gone less than 60 seconds and there's Bandit on the couch, blanket has been pulled back and the power cord has a big bite through it. Still, this is why I keep a spare
> 
> Here he is, passing me the tissues


"Don't cry mum, it's just a power cord. Cheer up."

He's so cute.  Naughty little bugger!


----------



## Azerane

Bandit is very happy this morning, doing lots of binkies. We'd been away for 8 nights so he was staying at another lady's house, seems he's very happy to be out and about at home again


----------



## BlazeBunnies

Sounds like bandit missed you


----------



## Chester1_andblueberry

Awwe cute love this blog hah


----------



## Azerane

Thanks guys, Bandit's been pretty chilled out lately, he still binkies around and has fun, causing mischief and trying to get to things he shouldn't  We're actually moving house again in two weeks so there's a lot going on here. Bandit is very excited about all the extra cardboard boxes in the loungeroom, though is disappointed he's not allowed to chew on them, haha. The new place is a little smaller, but there won't be much less room for him. He'll still have the whole lounge, kitchen, dining and hallway to run through. And I am going to have to finally invest in a baby gate to block him from the rest of the house, though I can't decide if I should go for the extra tall one or the standard size. He's never really shown much inclination to jump over my current doorway barrier (60cm) but that could be because he can't see through it and because the floor is slippery.

He's also shedding yet again, which is great fun. :vacuum:

After we're moved and all settled, I'm actually considering switching him from oxbow to burgess excel. It's quite a bit more expensive but seems to be much better reviewed in terms of quality and crucial ingredients etc.


----------



## Azerane

Finally, with the help of my fiance, I managed to cut Bandit's dew claws tonight. I can manage to cut his main front claws if I do a few a session (he doesn't flip or burrito easily) but I always have trouble with the dew claws because of their location. But tonight I had my fiance distract Bandit with head rubs while I held each paw out and snipped the claw. It was a success on both counts. Bandit was not impressed about it until I pulled out the craisins and we were instantly forgiven, haha.

I don't know if anyone saw on OscarTheBunny's blog, but I've been working the past few months on getting a youtube channel established for rabbits. The usual rabbit care and how to's, info relevant to Australia (I don't think there's any Aussie bunny youtubers), cute Bandit videos etc. It's something I've wanted to do for some time because info and supplies are so lacking here. So I've been working on that, the longest thing has been trying to come up with a name, and also just learning the video editing program. I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to upload my first intro/welcome video, I just need to edit the audio a little. So that should be up later this week and I'll link to the channel when it is  I'm really excited about it because I have pretty big plans for it and I've sort of been toying around with different ideas since late last year about where I could progress with it. I'm really wanting to get it up and running before I move so that I can do some moving videos too.


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## OscarTheBunny

Azerane said:


> Finally, with the help of my fiance, I managed to cut Bandit's dew claws tonight. I can manage to cut his main front claws if I do a few a session (he doesn't flip or burrito easily) but I always have trouble with the dew claws because of their location. But tonight I had my fiance distract Bandit with head rubs while I held each paw out and snipped the claw. It was a success on both counts. Bandit was not impressed about it until I pulled out the craisins and we were instantly forgiven, haha.
> 
> I don't know if anyone saw on OscarTheBunny's blog, but I've been working the past few months on getting a youtube channel established for rabbits. The usual rabbit care and how to's, info relevant to Australia (I don't think there's any Aussie bunny youtubers), cute Bandit videos etc. It's something I've wanted to do for some time because info and supplies are so lacking here. So I've been working on that, the longest thing has been trying to come up with a name, and also just learning the video editing program. I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to upload my first intro/welcome video, I just need to edit the audio a little. So that should be up later this week and I'll link to the channel when it is  I'm really excited about it because I have pretty big plans for it and I've sort of been toying around with different ideas since late last year about where I could progress with it. I'm really wanting to get it up and running before I move so that I can do some moving videos too.



Having another person help you cut a rabbit's nails makes the whole thig a lot easier and quicker! I had to distract Oscar with pettings and treats just to make him a little less stressed. 

Having a rabbit in Australia can be really hard as it does have the chance of catching myxo. So creating a youtube channel (I think the first aussie rabbit youtuber), would help people locally and make them more aware of the virus and what to do about it (the petition as well). If it was a cat or dog they would send that vaccine out away quickly, rabbits is different and I feel that rabbit owners should speak because rabbits cannot do not have a voice. So what your doing is great (somewhat revolutionary) and if you need any help with anything me and Oscar are here to support you.


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## Azerane

The first Bunny Basics video is up on my channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7iGH1c16pZmHSZCQg2aBDw

I'm really excited about this, now I just have to make a bunch more videos, haha, though the next is already in the works. I keep telling Bandit that he's going to be youtube famous 



OscarTheBunny said:


> Having another person help you cut a rabbit's nails makes the whole thig a lot easier and quicker! I had to distract Oscar with pettings and treats just to make him a little less stressed.



Oh absolutely. The problem I have doing it by myself is that he'll sit reasonably still if I'm petting his head, but I can't always hold his paw and clip while petting, so then I have to stop petting, and then he moves 



> Having a rabbit in Australia can be really hard as it does have the chance of catching myxo. So creating a youtube channel (I think the first aussie rabbit youtuber), would help people locally and make them more aware of the virus and what to do about it (the petition as well). If it was a cat or dog they would send that vaccine out away quickly, rabbits is different and I feel that rabbit owners should speak because rabbits cannot do not have a voice. So what your doing is great (somewhat revolutionary) and if you need any help with anything me and Oscar are here to support you.



Yes, apart from the love of having an indoor rabbit, it's one of the main reasons I keep Bandit inside. You're right that rabbits are treated differently to cats or dogs, and they really shouldn't be. There's so little awareness about them and even if I help one person, I'll be happy. Don't think I'd call it revolutionary though  Thanks so much for all of your support


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## OscarTheBunny

Azerane said:


> The first Bunny Basics video is up on my channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7iGH1c16pZmHSZCQg2aBDw
> 
> I'm really excited about this, now I just have to make a bunch more videos, haha, though the next is already in the works. I keep telling Bandit that he's going to be youtube famous
> 
> 
> 
> Oh absolutely. The problem I have doing it by myself is that he'll sit reasonably still if I'm petting his head, but I can't always hold his paw and clip while petting, so then I have to stop petting, and then he moves
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, apart from the love of having an indoor rabbit, it's one of the main reasons I keep Bandit inside. You're right that rabbits are treated differently to cats or dogs, and they really shouldn't be. There's so little awareness about them and even if I help one person, I'll be happy. Don't think I'd call it revolutionary though  Thanks so much for all of your support



 It kind of feels revolutionary because no one else is doing it and people want change. Can't wait to watch your video! My tip as a youtuber for 2 years is to be consistent and optimistic if you cannot do that you won't make it (I had a gaming channel that had 300 subs and one video got 25k, its very scary that 25k humans watched that but yeh )


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## BrokenMermaid

Subscribed and liked! Australian accents are one of my favorite accents, so I totally approve of Australian rabbit videos! lol


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## Azerane

OscarTheBunny said:


> It kind of feels revolutionary because no one else is doing it and people want change. Can't wait to watch your video! My tip as a youtuber for 2 years is to be consistent and optimistic if you cannot do that you won't make it (I had a gaming channel that had 300 subs and one video got 25k, its very scary that 25k humans watched that but yeh )



Thanks so much for the tips  The consistency and commitment thing is why I've taken so long to get it up and running. I wanted to be sure that I had thought it through beyond posting a first video and having some fun on youtube so that I wouldn't just let it die. It is a bit nerve wracking to know that so many people could be listening to me and watching my vids 




BrokenMermaid said:


> Subscribed and liked! Australian accents are one of my favorite accents, so I totally approve of Australian rabbit videos! lol



Thank you so much  And my fiance (who's American) said that my accent alone would probably draw in more viewers too, lol.

Bandit seems pretty content with his face being all over youtube so far  We're heading out to the bunny group tonight. I haven't been in months so it will be fun to hang out with some like-minded people in person again and see all their cute bunnies  Right now I've got to go and clean up the giant mess he made with his hay today. He must have been in a mood because it's covering the entire floor of his cage! Usually he's pretty tidy.


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## BrokenMermaid

I know here in America accents are totally a draw! 

Bunny groups are great! If yours doesn't mind, you could include them in your channel. I have one near me, but they don't bring their bunnies (probably because we don't have bunny vaccines here yet, so it's dangerous to socialize them like that). If I go back before I move I may try to get them on youtube anyway, because they are super awesome people trying to make our area a better place for rabbit kind. 

I envision in my head Bandit having a party, with music going and hay flying everywhere, and strobe lights too! Then you come in and he's just flopped out and there's hay all over his cage. The secret life of bunnies! Tee hee!


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## Azerane

BrokenMermaid said:


> I know here in America accents are totally a draw!
> 
> Bunny groups are great! If yours doesn't mind, you could include them in your channel. I have one near me, but they don't bring their bunnies (probably because we don't have bunny vaccines here yet, so it's dangerous to socialize them like that). If I go back before I move I may try to get them on youtube anyway, because they are super awesome people trying to make our area a better place for rabbit kind.
> 
> I envision in my head Bandit having a party, with music going and hay flying everywhere, and strobe lights too! Then you come in and he's just flopped out and there's hay all over his cage. The secret life of bunnies! Tee hee!



The group is good, though I'd feel weird having people I actually know in person watch my videos on youtube, haha. 

While the rabbits are all in the same room and there is certainly risk of transmission of things, they are generally not allowed to interact. People will have their bunnies on the table in front of them, and some people will let their bunnies sniff noses with others, but I don't let Bandit get close to other bunnies. Then there's the general etiquette of washing your hands before petting a different bunny. Which is good, though I suppose there is always the potential of something being spread between bunnies. There have been times when I've gone without Bandit as well, mostly during summer when there's cases of myxomatosis (because we can't vaccinate for it), I leave him at home just in case.

And that's a very funny mental image of Bandit


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## BrokenMermaid

Azerane said:


> The group is good, though I'd feel weird having people I actually know in person watch my videos on youtube, haha.
> 
> While the rabbits are all in the same room and there is certainly risk of transmission of things, they are generally not allowed to interact. People will have their bunnies on the table in front of them, and some people will let their bunnies sniff noses with others, but I don't let Bandit get close to other bunnies. Then there's the general etiquette of washing your hands before petting a different bunny. Which is good, though I suppose there is always the potential of something being spread between bunnies. There have been times when I've gone without Bandit as well, mostly during summer when there's cases of myxomatosis (because we can't vaccinate for it), I leave him at home just in case.
> 
> And that's a very funny mental image of Bandit



That's the danger (or thrill, depending on how you look at it) of Youtube though, there's always a chance someone you know might see what you're doing! I can understand not wanting to purposely show it to people you know though.

I didn't think of that! I was just thinking there'd be bunnies all over like at a dog park and no way to manage who met who, etc. I've never taken a bun anywhere but the vets so I guess I never really thought it out, but you could bring exercise pens and tables and manage where your rabbit goes. 

I swear I'm an adult (26) but I still get ridiculous ideas in my head all the time.


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## stevesmum

Watched your first video, nicely done! Bandit is so cute, love his little binkies and bluff charges


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## Azerane

Yes, if people come across it, that's fine, not much I can do. But I'm not really ok with just sharing it with everyone I know 



stevesmum said:


> Watched your first video, nicely done! Bandit is so cute, love his little binkies and bluff charges



Thank you so much, I appreciate it. Hoping to have the next video up later today.

Here's a grumpy bun pic to cheer you up this afternoon  Bandit during a grooming session, guess who's shedding again?  We've got twitter now too, so this image will go up there later today too.


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## Azerane

The new video is up on our youtube page, and I also linked to it on twitter. Here's the links in case you missed them before. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7iGH1c16pZmHSZCQg2aBDw and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bunny_Basics

I also gave Bandit a new toy today. It's a wooden barrel roller, he's had one before and loved it, but hasn't had it in a long time since he chewed it to pieces. I finally bought another one yesterday and gave it to him today, he had a great time chewing it and tossing it right after I gave it to him  Love my adorable bunny, he's also been super snuggly today.


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## Chester1_andblueberry

Azerane said:


> The new video is up on our youtube page, and I also linked to it on twitter. Here's the links in case you missed them before. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7iGH1c16pZmHSZCQg2aBDw and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bunny_Basics
> 
> I also gave Bandit a new toy today. It's a wooden barrel roller, he's had one before and loved it, but hasn't had it in a long time since he chewed it to pieces. I finally bought another one yesterday and gave it to him today, he had a great time chewing it and tossing it right after I gave it to him  Love my adorable bunny, he's also been super snuggly today.



I have a youtube channel started too! The hassel is editor's! If you want a good editor its $90-$400 & the cheap ones Ive heard of are eh, so Im gonna have to buy a USB cable attach it to my phone and then attach it to my computer so I can Transfer the pics and then I'll have to edit the videos I have on my phone & tgen edit them on the windows computers movie maker then I have to buy the USB cord so Ughh &#128553; Do you have any tips? I'll sub by the way my channel is called Tacokittn I'll have to change when I get home &#128546; xD


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## Azerane

Chester1_andblueberry said:


> I have a youtube channel started too! The hassel is editor's! If you want a good editor its $90-$400 & the cheap ones Ive heard of are eh, so Im gonna have to buy a USB cable attach it to my phone and then attach it to my computer so I can Transfer the pics and then I'll have to edit the videos I have on my phone & tgen edit them on the windows computers movie maker then I have to buy the USB cord so Ughh &#128553; Do you have any tips? I'll sub by the way my channel is called Tacokittn I'll have to change when I get home &#128546; xD



Learning the editor was a real pain, I got myself Pinnacle Studio, the basic version will only set you back $60 and really has plenty of options and effects etc. I don't really think it's worth forking out the big bucks for their higher end versions, at least not at this stage. Though to be fair their most expensive option is only $120, which is really quite reasonable compared to other options out there.


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## Azerane

So I trimmed the claws on Bandit's front right paw today, and now he's chewing them off even more. Did he not like the way I trimmed them?  I've heard of rabbits chewing their claws when they get too long, but I find it odd that he would chew them after I've just trimmed them. Especially since I trim them so they don't get too long and he doesn't chew them, I guess that backfire, haha.


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## Azerane

Well, we've officially started the moving process. We got the keys to the new place today and took two car loads of boxes over. We were disappointed to find the floors were pretty filthy. They'd had painters in which is obviously why, but they still should have gone in and cleaned up afterwards. We got that organised though and hopefully there'll be a cleaner coming through tomorrow. I wouldn't have minded if it was just a little bit that I had to sweep or something, but it's all hard floors in the entire house that are messy.

I also measured up the hallway for a baby gate that I'm going to be getting (for Bandit). The hallway is much wider than I remember it being at 136cm wide. Which put a stop to my plan of getting a tall gate of 93cm because the width extensions (I would need two) for that gate are really expensive. So instead I'll be getting the shorter 74cm tall gate which is also wide, and then just buying one extension for it. It will end up $40 cheaper than getting the tall one. I wanted the tall one just for extra peace of mind that Bandit wouldn't jump it. I know he could certainly jump 74cm if he wanted, but I feel like he's not really inclined to. Plus he would be jumping from a slippery surface and I think that will deter him too, if it was carpet then I would be more concerned.

So it's exciting to have started moving in. Even though we just dumped some boxes in one of the bedrooms. I already know where Bandit's cage will be going since there's really only one suitable spot for it in the lounge room. There's kind of two, but one would put an end of the cage against a floor to ceiling window and I don't think that's a good idea (though it wouldn't get any direct sunlight so maybe it would be ok). I'm excited to post pictures once we're all settled in and show you Bandit's new area. I can't remember if I mentioned it but I also recently bought a second floor rug, since the new lounge is an L shape it will mean there's a rug in both sections and will make for better bunny 500's and binkies 

Edit: Additional about the baby gate, the gaps between the bars are about 5 1/2 cm wide. Which is small enough that Bandit won't fit through, but it might be perfect head-stuck-in-gate size  I think I'll buy a piece of wire shelf and just attach it along the bottom with cable ties to prevent that.


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## Azerane

Just checking in real quick to give an update on things. The move went well, it was raining but we managed to move furniture without too much drama, just had to wipe things down before they came inside. Bandit has settled in really well, no problems with him at all. He's a very curious rabbit so a new house for him is just like having a new playground to explore. He loves it already. Tonight was his second time out and he's hopping all over the place, still exploring but also doing binkies etc. We have a lot to sort through and organise yet, but we'll get there. Just happy that my little guy is happy. I won't get time to post much till next week, but will hopefully check in.


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## BrokenMermaid

Glad he's enjoying his new home! Good luck sorting everything out, it can be a hassle but in a way it's exciting too.


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## Azerane

Thanks, it is a hassle but you're right that it's also exciting.

Some other exciting news is that my fiance and I got married on Friday!  We had a small wedding with only 18 guests (his family lives overseas) but it was just perfect for us having it small and intimate. We had a really lovely time, and got to spend the weekend at a hotel in the city thanks to my sister.

Bandit's doing well, we dropped home yesterday afternoon to check on him so he wasn't left for more than 24 hours, he has made a huge mess of his hay and his fur had exploded everywhere  I had to get the vacuum out and brush him straight away. Really hoping he's done with his shedding soon.


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## OscarTheBunny

Azerane said:


> Thanks, it is a hassle but you're right that it's also exciting.
> 
> Some other exciting news is that my fiance and I got married on Friday!  We had a small wedding with only 18 guests (his family lives overseas) but it was just perfect for us having it small and intimate. We had a really lovely time, and got to spend the weekend at a hotel in the city thanks to my sister.
> 
> Bandit's doing well, we dropped home yesterday afternoon to check on him so he wasn't left for more than 24 hours, he has made a huge mess of his hay and his fur had exploded everywhere  I had to get the vacuum out and brush him straight away. Really hoping he's done with his shedding soon.



Congratulations!


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## pani

Congratulations!  

Glad to hear Bandit's doing well, too, of course.


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## BrokenMermaid

Congratulations! Small weddings can be really nice too. Mine was just a handful of people, so I'm sure yours was wonderful! Glad Bandit is happy, even if his wedding surprise wasn't the best, lol.


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## MiniLopMad

Congratulations!


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## BlazeBunnies

Congrats


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## Azerane

Thank you so much everyone, it means a lot. We had such a fantastic, enjoyable day and a really relaxing weekend after. We've also been overwhelmed with the generosity of our friends and family with the gifts they gave us.

One friend bought us a rabbit cake plate, I'll have to take a picture and upload it, it's pretty awesome and funny


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## Azerane

It's been a while since I updated so I feel I better fill you all in on things that have been going on.

A week after we got married was my birthday. I had a great day until Bandit fell ill. I have no idea what caused it, but he had a very serious bout of GI stasis and I stayed up the whole night with him. I would have gone to the after hours vet but the rabbit vet wasn't on call and the receptionist didn't seem to know how familiar the vet on call was with rabbits. So I stayed up all night petting him, and just keeping him company and trying to encourage him to eat and move around (which didn't work). We went to the vet in the morning and got the usual pain killers, gut motility meds and sub q. fluids. It was still the better part of the day until he started eating again. But after a few days he was right as rain again. I've no idea what caused it as he didn't have a blockage and hadn't had any unusual food. It's a mystery.

Bandit is back to his mischievous self again now. Just this week I've started to get the new herb garden set up and plant things out from the pots that I brought them here in. There's a few things I need to grow afresh such as Basil as I always lose that during the coldest part of winter. I bought him a new bed today (second one in as many months) and he seems to like it. It's one of those canvas type dog beds. Picture attached. He seems to like it so far and has spent a bit of time on it lounging and grooming.

I've also finally resumed my youtube channel since I hadn't had the chance to make the part 2 video for moving with bunnies that I'd made previously. So here's hoping that continues to progress well. Channel is here if you've never seen or are interested https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7iGH1c16pZmHSZCQg2aBDw


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## BrokenMermaid

Sorry to hear Bandit got sick, but I'm glad he got through it! Happy belated birthday!


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## Azerane

Every now and then Bandit is using his new bed, caught him using it today for a grooming session. So cute! 

Also, have an adorable picture of him eating chervil. I bought some natural (no added anything) apple chips at the royal show (see video - sorry, I can't figure out how to not directly embed it and just link to it instead.: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh5VjBy1cno[/ame] ) on Friday, and tried a piece on Bandit today. He gave it a tiny hesitant nibble before deciding that it wasn't worth eating. Just now he was laying down so I put it on the ground in front of his nose and five minutes later I caught him eating it. He ate it all except the "crust" I guess apple peel isn't appealing.


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## Azerane

Some days you just really need a cuddle from a pet... pity that Bandit doesn't really do cuddles.  Bunnies are lame


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## JBun

Yeah, no kidding! You would think I'm torturing some of my rabbits just to try and pet them, let alone cuddle. 

Bandit is as gorgeous as ever.... despite being a lame non cuddle bun


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## BrokenMermaid

This is why I think I will always have a dog in my life, as well as my other babies. Buns are wonderful, but there's nothing like a dog when you need to cuddle, IMHO.


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## Azerane

JBun said:


> Yeah, no kidding! You would think I'm torturing some of my rabbits just to try and pet them, let alone cuddle.
> 
> Bandit is as gorgeous as ever.... despite being a lame non cuddle bun



Haha, thank you  He is pretty darn cute, which is why I can't be mad at him for not wanting to cuddle. I will just have to admire him where he wants to sit, and just settle for loving on him with pets.



BrokenMermaid said:


> This is why I think I will always have a dog in my life, as well as my other babies. Buns are wonderful, but there's nothing like a dog when you need to cuddle, IMHO.



Yes, I need a cat in my life for that exact reason. Will also plan on having dogs, but I find them a bit too clingy at times


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## BrokenMermaid

Azerane said:


> Yes, I need a cat in my life for that exact reason. Will also plan on having dogs, but I find them a bit too clingy at times



I am clingy like a dog, so if you put me and a little dog together, we cling to each other and sometimes it's the only way to get some peace around me, XD.


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## Azerane

I made a DIY ball for Bandit today, which he gave his approval of. I made a DIY video for it on our youtube channel. We both had a lot of fun 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7iGH1c16pZmHSZCQg2aBDw


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## MiniLopMad

That ball looks awesome! I'll try it out for my buns


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## BlazeBunnies

I am also going to try that ball!


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## Azerane

MiniLopMad said:


> That ball looks awesome! I'll try it out for my buns





MC Bunnies said:


> I am also going to try that ball!



That would be fantastic if you did, I would love to see photos of it when you do if you get the chance


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## Azerane

Bandit peed outside his litter tray for the first time today. It's technically not the first time, since he's done it before when he outgrew his last tray, but he's never done it for seemingly no reason. My guess is that he didn't want to go in the tray because I skipped cleaning it yesterday. I clean it out every day after work, although maybe once a week I skip a day but never have a problem. He seems perfectly himself otherwise, so it's possible he just thought the tray was too dirty. If it continues to happen I'll certainly have to consider health reasons. But until then one pee outside his tray in 2 and half years isn't too troubling.


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## JBun

I think he's gotten too spoiled  They're so picky, aren't they.


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## Azerane

JBun said:


> I think he's gotten too spoiled  They're so picky, aren't they.



Haha, probably. He is definitely spoiled, that's for sure.

I recently introduced him to dried apple chips. He's not one for trying new foods and at first he just refused it. Then eventually he had a nibble and reluctantly ate a piece (minus the bit of skin around the edge). And now, he absolutely loves them and goes crazy for them. Haha, he just needs to learn to try new things 

We also got a new (secondhand) coffee table yesterday, he seems to think it's a new toy just for him, he's spent a bunch of time underneath it being very silly.


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## Azerane

Can't believe I forgot to post in here but yesterday was Bandit's third birthday!  We celebrated with a hay cake stuffed with greens, carrot stick candles and a new toy! I made a youtube video for it and I attached the image from the thumbnail because I think he looks handsome in it  In other news, we've just in the past few days started the transition to Burgess Excel Pellets. He loves them, after I've fed them I come back a few minutes later and all the burgess are gone but there'll still be most of the oxbow!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wAaFr2BdQI[/ame]


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## pani

Aw, he does look handsome! Happy birthday Bandit!


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## Azerane

Thank you!

We have a funny story today. This morning I went through my usual routine of getting up, and letting Bandit out for a run around while I have breakfast and get ready for work etc. Then I usually feed him breakfast in his cage so that I can close it behind him before leaving. This morning, I fed him breakfast, and then left for work. At least 4 hours later, I got a text from my husband, telling me that somebunny had an extended morning playtime... Meaning that I forgot to shut his cage when I left for work :lol: He was mostly a very good bunny. He did nibble on a corner of skirting board, and I don't think he would have if there hadn't been a mattress propped against the wall in that corner which we had used for a family member a few days ago. But it's not badly damaged and will probably look normal with a bit of timber oil rubbed in. 

I am very proud of him for not chewing through the cord cover on the laptop, and not chewing up my clothing or the quilt that I left on the lounge chairs. Such a (mostly) good boy.


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## bunnyman666

Bandit is AWESOME!!!!!!


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## Azerane

Thank you 

I thought I would update that we finished the transition to Burgess Pellets some time ago and Bandit is loving them. They must go down better in his stomach too because he used to have to take a break from his Oxbow before finishing the rest, but he eats all the Burgess in one sitting, so perhaps they don't expand as much with moisture. I should test that out.

All things hoppy and healthy for my bunn at the moment


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## Azerane

Well, I suppose this will probably be the last post of Bandit's story  As posted elsewhere on the forum, but I'll write it in here too just for the sake of telling his whole story in one place. Bandit passed away on January 3rd 2016. I'm absolutely heartbroken to have lost him, especially so young. http://www.rabbitsonline.net/showthread.php?t=85834

A couple of days ago I spent four hours working on a tribute video for him for my YouTube channel. After four hours the program crashed though I had a save file. I tried 5 times since then, including after restarting the computer multiple times to finish the editing but each time the file seemed corrupted and the program would continue to crash. I was devastated to have lost all that work on such an emotional project. Fortunately today, by some miracle I got the file to work again and managed to finish editing and export the video. Here's hoping I'll be able to upload it later today. I'm pleased with how it turned out though it's not perfect. I'm not sure I could ever get it as good as I would want though, it's just one of those things. Watching his videos for this project has been soothing though, just getting to look back and see how happy he was makes me smile


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