It was always the plan to upgrade Bunnyopolis so this weekend stage one started now that the threat of snow has subsided. With Spring finally in its way it is time to replace last years picnic table now that it has started to show serious signs of wear. Aaran, Jura and Iona love it, when I took it out of Bunnyopolis last night they followed me around the garden obviously worried that it wasn't coming back making me feel so guilty even though I'm building them a new one so I placed it back in until the replacement is ready. They really know how to play the guilt card.
Anyway, we did manage to alter a few other things and make it a bit more fun for them.
In went two apple trees surrounded by some Scottish cobbles and several bedded in larger cobbles. OK, it's not much but it's just a start and they soon settled into their new surroundings. Still to be added is a bench, for us not them although it will be at a bunny friendly height and a new bunny bridge I'm building which should replace their favourite picnic table, either that or there's going to be three sulky rabbits. A few more plants to brighten everything up and a small wooden flexible toy made from fruit wood. This is in addition to the original Bunnyopolis which if you didn't know looks like this...
Bunnyopolis - plenty of room to live, play and generally be bunny and on a day like this it looks even better.
To the left is the open run, secured with wire and removable Perspex screens ideal for keeping out all the nasty weather. It's filled with straw which they can dig and move around to their hearts content. They can often be found like minature diggers, both paws stretched out in front pushing piles of the stuff into corners to make a bed. Middle right you will see a small bunny flap in the wall, that leads...
Into the living quarters complete with artwork of course, vet bed, low level heating, triple carpets and more importantly to keep things nice and clean...
The hay bar and twin toilet trays, both of which they like to sit in and eat. Very clean, they never bother anywhere else and they just replicate their natural instinct.
Finally a storage area which houses all the hay, usually four large bales, newspapers and assorted other items required for looking after our three continental giant rabbits. Everything has to be upscaled, tomorrow they are going for their inoculations (don't tell them!) and for that we have to use a purpose built carry case along with reinforced handles, all together around four and a half stone of bunny to lift. To the right you can see Bunnycam and left of the clock is homemade dried apple, carrot and compressed grass rings, the only treats they get as their diet consists of hay, hay, more hay, free grass and quality pellets. Doing it this way and not using a prepared rabbit mix stops selective feeding and encourages the natural rabbit digestive process.
That's it, Bunnyopolis, twice the size of my studio, something not quite right with that!
And what do Aaran, Jura and Iona think?
Well, here's Jura enjoying a bit of morning sun on a small shelf I built wondering why the hell I'm photographing and not doing something useful like feeding her banana or dried apple.
And judging from this picture it looks like a thumbs up from Iona who bounced, binkied and generally skipped away to her hearts content through the latest additions.
Aaran however just loves to look gorgeous in his big ears, never mind Bunnyopolis look at me!
Bunnyopolis, built from the rabbit up.
www.petersmithcollective.co.uk Home Of Foreverbunny and the Impossimals
