Rabbits and washing windows

I thought I'd wash the windows earlier, it being a dry day. Apparently I committed the rabbit crime of the century :shock:

Ossie thumped at me several times, then ran to her corner and looked grumpy. Just as she settled down, Monty, out of nowhere, went... well, mad, I think. He started flinging himself up and down the room, into furniture, into walls - at one point deliberately - it was actually quite scary. I did a very stern "Stop it! Calm down! Stoopid bunny." At which point, he crawled through the gap between the cupboard and the washing machine and sat behind the washing machine thumping and squeaking. Which did nothing to help Ossie.

We eventually dismantled the kick board and tempted him out under the cupboard with a treat, but honestly :roll: I think it was the squeaking of the newspaper on the glass they didn't like, but so much fuss!

They've been thumping a lot recently and I've been having a real internal debate about whether/when to go and pop my head in, and when to ignore it. After Monty's display earlier, I think I'd better step in to stop any further acts of self-sabotage! Is it just my bunnies being weird, or are clean windows one of the other things you have to give up with house rabbits?

Monty's Human said:

I thought I'd wash the windows earlier, it being a dry day. Apparently I committed the rabbit crime of the century :shock:

Ossie thumped at me several times, then ran to her corner and looked grumpy. Just as she settled down, Monty, out of nowhere, went... well, mad, I think. He started flinging himself up and down the room, into furniture, into walls - at one point deliberately - it was actually quite scary. I did a very stern "Stop it! Calm down! Stoopid bunny." At which point, he crawled through the gap between the cupboard and the washing machine and sat behind the washing machine thumping and squeaking. Which did nothing to help Ossie.

We eventually dismantled the kick board and tempted him out under the cupboard with a treat, but honestly :roll: I think it was the squeaking of the newspaper on the glass they didn't like, but so much fuss!

They've been thumping a lot recently and I've been having a real internal debate about whether/when to go and pop my head in, and when to ignore it. After Monty's display earlier, I think I'd better step in to stop any further acts of self-sabotage! Is it just my bunnies being weird, or are clean windows one of the other things you have to give up with house rabbits?

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When I saw the thread title, I thought you were using your rabbits to wash the windows with! Not as daft as it sounds .. I am training mine to roll around in the dust (of which there is loads) and then I can just shake them out in the garden. A small price for them to pay for their bed and board here. They are still not terribly good at it though :roll:

But I can see that it's the newspaper causing the problem. I am afraid you will have to splash out on expensive, but silent, wash cloths and possibly one of those glass sprays. None of this cutting corners for you! Or you could buy them each a pair of noise cancelling ear muffs?

Tut tut Bunnymum. If you call them stoopid you had better be sure they aren't reading this and don't conjure up some of those horrendous spiders just to get their own back!

MightyMax said:

When I saw the thread title, I thought you were using your rabbits to wash the windows with! Not as daft as it sounds .. I am training mine to roll around in the dust (of which there is loads) and then I can just shake them out in the garden. A small price for them to pay for their bed and board here. They are still not terribly good at it though :roll:

But I can see that it's the newspaper causing the problem. I am afraid you will have to splash out on expensive, but silent, wash cloths and possibly one of those glass sprays. None of this cutting corners for you! Or you could buy them each a pair of noise cancelling ear muffs?

Tut tut Bunnymum. If you call them stoopid you had better be sure they aren't reading this and don't conjure up some of those horrendous spiders just to get their own back!

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Actually, it had got horrendously dusty under the cupboard, and Monty was kind enough to carry it all back out as a little dust moustache :lol: So he has his uses! And the amount Ossie's moulting, I reckon I could make a few good wash clothes from all the spare fur flying around Given I only work up the will to care about the state of the windows twice a year, hopefully by next time they'll be free and can just leave the room if my squeaking offends them so!

They're used to being called stupid! It's said at least three times a day, in a very affectionate, long-suffering way. If they weren't so dim...

Let me know how your training goes! I shall have to steal it if it works.

Hi. My two insist on helping with washing patio door windows especially- they are covered in squished wet bunny nose prints- thanks guys but really you don't need to....[emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]

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JuliaW said:

Hi. My two insist on helping with washing patio door windows especially- they are covered in squished wet bunny nose prints- thanks guys but really you don't need to....[emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]

Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk

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Awww! You should leave them there, preserved for posterity It sounds like they're much more chilled out about it than my pair! I swear my two just try and tell me not to bother with the housework, it isn't worth it anyway :lol: You must be very blessed with two little helpers!

Monty's Human said:

They're used to being called stupid! It's said at least three times a day, in a very affectionate, long-suffering way. If they weren't so dim...

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Yep

Mine might live outside but they still go off at the oddest things. There was a really loud helicopter the other day: we're under the air ambulance flight path so helicopters aren't uncommon but this ione was a different type so the sound was a bit different (a Sikorsky S76 I think, if anyone cares, one of the big new ones anyway: the air ambulances here are mostly Agusta AW109s). I was bending down to Lopsy at the time, telling him there was a helicopter (everyone has to be a planesotter in this household!), and while Aboleth had an ear cocked to it he was completely oblivious until he looked up and his ears fell back, then he got proper scared and eventually shuttled off down the tube off the lawn and into the hutch. Weirdo.

Aboleth went completely schizo at a white plastic bag that had blown through the big hole in the gate and was fluttering in the passage between the garage and house the other day: as soon as it came into view she shot off and started thumping in the playhouse and I had to provide a running commentary that I was putting it in the bin. She came back out eventually. Sometimes I think I hear one of them thumping in the playhouse when I'm working upstairs but I don't go and see unless it goes on for a while!

Lopsy likes to shove his nose into things so often gets covered in the dusty cobwebs that are all over the brick steps in their run :roll: :lol:

On a sensible note what were you cleaning the windows with? I've had bunnies behave very oddly towards certain smells - Deep Heat in particular did not go down well.

keletkezes said:

Aboleth went completely schizo at a white plastic bag that had blown through the big hole in the gate and was fluttering in the passage between the garage and house the other day: as soon as it came into view she shot off and started thumping in the playhouse and I had to provide a running commentary that I was putting it in the bin. She came back out eventually. Sometimes I think I hear one of them thumping in the playhouse when I'm working upstairs but I don't go and see unless it goes on for a while!

Lopsy likes to shove his nose into things so often gets covered in the dusty cobwebs that are all over the brick steps in their run :roll: :lol:

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I wonder! Ossie was thumping the other day, and when I came in there was a carrier bag had fallen out of the holder and was on the floor. Perhaps that was it! Monty is clearly Lopsy's spiritual brother If he can find a dusty corner, he'll tunnel in as far as he can, then come out with dusty whiskers. My little explorer

Amy104 said:

On a sensible note what were you cleaning the windows with? I've had bunnies behave very oddly towards certain smells - Deep Heat in particular did not go down well.

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Water and malt vinegar - so possibly the vinegar is what upset them (although I've used white wine vinegar before to de-bunnify, and that didn't seem to bother them). Perhaps it was just the sight of me actually doing housework for a change - they figured something must be wrong!