Chelsea's Dream House |
Chelsea is "gaurding" her new "bunny condo". Her old "kitty condo" still serves a viable purpose. Usually choosing to "roost" on top of it, she can keep an eye on the "new place". |
I constructed this condo from 4 identical boxes, one of which was cut down to a square shape. The "ground floor" was constructed in the popular "L" pattern, while the "Loft" is a single-room hideaway. There are "mouseholes" connecting the boxes together, as well as a round hole in the ceiling of the square box, corresponding with a hole in the floor of the loft. I placed timothy hay in the loft to encourage curiosity there. |
Ah, NOW I can keep a better eye on my "project". My human has been busy with another box, gotta keep an EYE on HIM!!! |
The new condo didn't interest her for about a week, then she finally decided it warranted "inspection". Having passed inspection, construction soon began. She spends a lot of time inside, digging and scratching and chewing. (Humans have NO idea how to build a house) |
Ok, here he comes with that new BOX!! Ankle biting time. |
Chelsea has become quite "protective" of her new playhouse. I can't get near the thing without a stern warning. That is, unless she chooses to stand up on top of the loft to beg her passing human for something tasty. |
Ok, if he gets NEAR my new house, I'll just LUNGE out at him. Hehehehe. |
Yes, even though I carefully placed nicely shaped access holes between the boxes and everywhere they were needed, Chelsea saw the need for an extra "backdoor". "ATTACK DOOR" is more what I'd call it though. |
Hey, I KNOW I installed a backdoor here!! |
We stumbled across a cardboard tube that flooring comes wrapped on. Had to saw it in half to get it in the car. I utilized her new backdoor for an "add-on". (I've still got about 15 feet of the stuff, I wonder where this condo project will end.) |
Chelea's taking a snooze. It didn't take long to accept the new addition. Then the games begin. In the front door, around the corner through the den, scramble through "The Tube", and shoot out the NEW backdoor!! Around the house, back in the front door, and do it again. And again. And again. |
EEEeehawwwww!!! THIS is LOTS of fun!!!!! |
I thought she was gonna wear herself out before she had enough of the new game. She finally flopped on her side and washed her feet for a while. |
I am NOT a messy housekeeper!! I know where EVERY SCRAP of shredded debris is. Each ONE is right where it's S'POSED to be!!! |
And WHO put THIS box HERE??? Dang it, I wish my dumb human would quit rearranging my SPACE!!! |
Ok, so how long doya suppose the new condo will last before it looks like the other boxes in this picture? I know, I know.... but I can't throw those boxes away, they're JUST GETTING GOOD!!! |
I found boxes just like these at Office Depot for about $2 each. The tube, we found behind a carpet store, and the tape, we had on hand. Total cost of project: About $8-$12. Chelsea has always liked her cardboard boxes, but she LOVES her new condo! When the time comes to retire it, we will have already built a new and better model. This may be the best ten bucks you'll ever spend, it keeps our bunny happily occupied for hours on end, day after day. |
(Eat your heart out, it's 1-1/2 hours from our front door) |
(With links to our online gardening community, and our registered chat rooms) |
(Everything you wanted to know about house rabbits) |
After 2-3 weeks, you can see just how much fun she's been having. The condo is completely gutted, no interior walls and very little floor left intact. |
Doesn't she look innocent? |
Goodnight Chelsea Our precious little princess, you will be missed. She passed peacefully shortly before we awoke on the morning after Thanksgiving, 2004; she was still warm when we found her. We laid her to rest a few hours later, on a soft bed of autumn leaves deep in the ground under the bunny bench, where she shall never be disturbed. She was 8-1/2 years old, and spent all but her first 3 months with us. She was my constant companion, as she lived in my laboratory where I worked daily- sometimes 14 hours a day. She was the best little friend that I could ever have had. Whenever I entered the room I'd have no idea whether she would come sliding, spinning up to my feet expectant of a treat, or if she would scamper up to me and flop on her side for petting. No matter how over my head with work I was, she could come sit beside my chair, stand up on her hind legs & I would stop for a minute- forgetting all of my cares, to scritch her cheek & feed her a few oats. She would then hop merrily away, and I would continue my work feeling a much lighter load. What a fresh and delightful little bunny she was. Two of my most favorite books when I was a child were The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and The Velveteen Rabbit. Christina shares my love for those stories, and I have read them to her many, many times. Chelsea was indeed a very special bunny, and I'll tell you why, just as I told my daughter this morning after we watched the videotape of The Velveteen Rabbit: "You know, when I was a child, I had a very special plush bunny toy that I loved very much. On the day that I was born, my dad brought him to me in the hospital. Here, I have a picture of when I was one year old, with my bunny. I loved that little bunny so much, that most of his fur was worn off by the time I was 8 or 10 years old. (Child is starry eyed.) When I grew up, I never forgot about my bunny, though I did think that he was long gone. One day though, I found him in a box that had been packed away long, long ago. What a surprise it was, to see my old friend again, to hold him in my hands, to love & cuddle him again. Would you like to see him? He is 43 years old and very fragile, so I store him in this plastic bag to keep him safe. Would you like to hold him? (Child takes rabbit, pets it & traces the bald patches on his material, very deep in thought) Yes, this is the very rabbit that I had when I was a child. It was not long after I found him again, that we found Chelsea and brought her home. And you know what? All of the time that we have had Chelsea, I believed with all of my heart that SHE was my Velveteen Rabbit, that she came to life because of the love that I had for this bunny when I was a child, and even now. (Child pauses in thought, and cries on my shoulder for some time) Now, I know that it is so very hard that we have lost our Princess Chelsea, but like the story says, "All endings are but a new beginning". I believe (pausing while child gets all starry eyed again) that Chelsea needed to live in a child's dreams again, she needed to be loved in the way that only a child could, as I loved this plush bunny toy long, long ago. Her spirit is certainly inside of us, and always will be. And, I think that part of her spirit is inside of a little bunny... one that gets placed gently on a little girl's pillow & tucked lovingly under her sheet every morning when that little girl makes her bed. (Child cries long and hard, I hug her to me, rock, pat & soothe her. Finally, she goes to her room and returns with a very special, furry little friend who is very dear to her heart. The two plush toys play gently and silently together for a while, then I touch my bunny's nose, then his heart. I then touch her bunny's nose, and his heart. Three words are spoken, that I'm sure she will remember for the rest of her life: "It is done".)" Goodnight my precious little one, you have lived in my heart all of my life, and you will live on in the hearts of children forever. |
