Vet Visit - the round up

[Continued from prior post]

We scooped up Bunya and Ethel relatively easily, although they then get the wide-eyed anxious look that breaks your heart.

Lucy bolted like a bat out of hell.

Her clear first choice in hiding places is in their pen ... lots of boxes and tunnels to hide in or run around when one is being pursued.
We had closed the door to the pen.

So Lucy did an about-face and headed for the box we call "the warren". They all really love it.

Bunya in "the warren"

It is one very big low box into which we cut a number of "flapped" windows and doors (we did not cut holes and remove cardboard - we cut 3 sides and left it for the bunnies to chin, chew and push). Unlike the picture above, inside the big box is now a smaller box in the center, also with doors and windows. The buns can run all around the smaller inside box or take a shortcut through it.

If you can find the right boxes, try it for your bunnies. They're fun to watch ... more than one will get in ... they hop in one opening and out another ...

Anyway, back to the round up. With the pen gate closed, Lucy bolts to the other side of the warren, to keep it between her and us. When we get close to her, she jumps inside.

Borrowing Ethel's brain cell, we thought: Aha, we best block her egress (that's an exit, not an organ). So we each blocked as many of the windows and doors as we could by closing (what was left of) the flaps and planting a leg or hand in front of it. Think of a really bizarre 3D game of Twister but all in brown cardboard instead of primary colors.

Then we opened the top of the big box. Lucy was huddled in the corner, all big-eyed and scared poopless (well, not quite, because she left us a little rabbit raisin to show us her opinion of us).

My wife was closest and went to pick Lucy up - and that's when Lucy became the bucking bronco. This is an important rabbit care point, to get a proper, firm grip on your bunny - even more so when they are scared. They have powerful back legs and will use them to kick while twisting their bodies to get away from perceived danger. She perceived danger and my wife has the scratch to prove it. Fortunately, Lucy was still close to the ground and there was no injury to her when she got away.

Lucy hopped into the inner smaller box.
Rinse. Repeat.
Except with a better grip the second time.
Shaking ears show their "nerves".

(Pay attention to verse lyrics on which video soundtrack starts -

a "tip o' the hat" to one of my favorite bunny sites and

definitely what these little dawgies were)

All three were in the carrier, barely in time for our appointment, and we headed to the car.

To be continued.