Bunnies and severe weather?

[bunnnnnnie!]

So today was rather scary in central IL, tornado warnings and my place of work was evacuated into the bathrooms for awhile when there was a sighting of a tornado.  Luckily, none of it got us.. so thankful and grateful.

I was just worried SICK over my baby Zeus when I was at work though.  I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building, so there’s no basement to go to.  When I’m home, I can put him in his carrier and go down to the first floor in severe weather.  But when I’m not home, he obviously stays in my apartment, on the 3rd floor.  What can I do to help keep him safe when severe weather comes along?

I think I’m going to move his cage away from the window, and get some heavy drapes/curtains to cover the windows before I leave for work on severe weather days.  Is there anything else I can do? 

[MimzMum]

Good grief, I would’ve been wanting to jump out of my skin! 0_o You have some good ideas there already. Is there anybody you can call to go and check on Zeus in an emergency? A friend, family member or bunny sitter?
Does Zeus free-range while you’re gone or is he in an enclosed habitat? If he has a pen to stay in, maybe it can be moved to a room where there’s less chance of debris coming into contact with it, or loud noises scaring him.
I see a lot of folks using their bathrooms for storm cellars. I don’t know if you have a large enough one to accommodate him safely though. And of course you want him to not feel he’s being trapped somewhere. It’s a tough call.
I am very worried for all you folks back east, in the midwest and south where these twisters are doing so much damage. Please be safe!

[Lani]

I completely understand being worried about a bun’s safety while at work, as I’ve been worried about mine with the storms we’ve gotten here in Virginia. That feeling of not knowing and not being able to do anything is just awful. I definitely agreethat  moving Zeus away from windows is a good start and I second MimzMum’s idea of moving him to an interior room if possible. Bathrooms or closets are often safest, as long as they don’t have windows and are fully interior rooms. And regardless of what room you put him in, you could remove anything that might fall or fly at him easily, like things on tables/shelves. I have no idea if it would work but maybe you could find a way to put padding around his cage in case things started to fall? Like I said, no clue if this is even feasable but you might be able to figure something out.

I hope you and Zeus and everyone else out there stay safe!!!

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By MimzMum on 05/25/2011 08:25 PM

Good grief, I would’ve been wanting to jump out of my skin! 0_o You have some good ideas there already. Is there anybody you can call to go and check on Zeus in an emergency? A friend, family member or bunny sitter?
Does Zeus free-range while you’re gone or is he in an enclosed habitat? If he has a pen to stay in, maybe it can be moved to a room where there’s less chance of debris coming into contact with it, or loud noises scaring him.
I see a lot of folks using their bathrooms for storm cellars. I don’t know if you have a large enough one to accommodate him safely though. And of course you want him to not feel he’s being trapped somewhere. It’s a tough call.
I am very worried for all you folks back east, in the midwest and south where these twisters are doing so much damage. Please be safe!

I do have someone, but she lives 15 minutes away, so if severe weather were to happen, I’m not sure she’d want to make the drive over to my apartment to check on him, then drive back home.  I need to give her a key to my apartment though, I’ll drop her an email and ask if she’d be ok being Zeus’s “emergency contact”!
 

He’s in an enclosed habitat, and I live in a studio apartment, so really there’s only 2 rooms, the kitchen/living room and the bathroom.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By Lani on 05/25/2011 08:35 PM

I completely understand being worried about a bun’s safety while at work, as I’ve been worried about mine with the storms we’ve gotten here in Virginia. That feeling of not knowing and not being able to do anything is just awful. I definitely agreethat  moving Zeus away from windows is a good start and I second MimzMum’s idea of moving him to an interior room if possible. Bathrooms or closets are often safest, as long as they don’t have windows and are fully interior rooms. And regardless of what room you put him in, you could remove anything that might fall or fly at him easily, like things on tables/shelves. I have no idea if it would work but maybe you could find a way to put padding around his cage in case things started to fall? Like I said, no clue if this is even feasable but you might be able to figure something out.

I hope you and Zeus and everyone else out there stay safe!!!

If I’m home, and severe weather occurs, he goes in the carrier and we go down to the first floor in an interior room of the building.  It’s when I’m NOT home to move him that I really worry.  So I want to try and make his daily living space as safe as possible.  I think I’ll also rearrange a bit so that my futon’s between his cage and the window, so that if the window were to break, the futon would act as a sort of “shield”.  Also the futon’s decently heavy, and they always say to use heavy furniture to shield yourself in tornadoes.
 

I just really wish I had a house with a basement, he could just live in the basement during “tornado season” and I wouldn’t worry so much!  My parents are considering moving down here (if my mum can transfer her job here), so if I move back in with them it’d be plausible, but for now I have to make this 3rd floor apartment as safe as I can. 

[MimzMum]

I totally understand how you feel. We don’t have a basement per se, it’s just a dirt floor crawl-way. But if the dust devils out here ever get any worse than they already are, I’d have to consider putting all my pets and myself and my daughter down there with the spiders. >_<
I think when we first moved here my hub had grand ideas of building an underground shelter and I thought he was nuts! 0_o Now I wish I’d listened!

If I were close enough to help, you know I’d keep an eye on Zeus…you’d have a time getting him back though. ;D

[longhairmike]

we’re on the 6th (top) floor in IL,, but our building is entirely concrete… plus our unit faces NE, all the bad summer stuff comes from SW. the buns do get a little ruffled when hail is whacking the skylight though.

and its now for sale too: 

http://www.coldwellbankeronline.com/property/details/2110112/MLS-07809445/635-Perrie-Drive-Elk-Grove-Village-IL-60007.aspx

[Kate Monster]

I have the same issue living in an apartment, I’m not quite as high up as you though. Really the only safe room I have is the bathroom, which coincidentally is where I spent yesterday evening hiding out with bunnies, boyfriend, and tortoise. Obviously if you know ahead of time that severe weather is a definite possibility you could put them in the bathroom for the day, but there’s not often that much notice on those things. Maybe you could find a hidey house for them that’s more sturdy than most, like make something out of a heavier wood instead of the usual hay or cardboard. Your ideas about the curtains are good one and I’m definitely doing that too when I move.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By Kate Monster on 05/26/2011 07:23 AM

I have the same issue living in an apartment, I’m not quite as high up as you though. Really the only safe room I have is the bathroom, which coincidentally is where I spent yesterday evening hiding out with bunnies, boyfriend, and tortoise. Obviously if you know ahead of time that severe weather is a definite possibility you could put them in the bathroom for the day, but there’s not often that much notice on those things. Maybe you could find a hidey house for them that’s more sturdy than most, like make something out of a heavier wood instead of the usual hay or cardboard. Your ideas about the curtains are good one and I’m definitely doing that too when I move.

Luckily I have an awesome dad that made a big oversized wooden hidey house for Zeus (he used one of the family cats to ensure it was the correct size! ), and his enclosure is wood-based as well, so it’s really a pretty sturdy setup.  I also just now moved the futon and his cage, so his cage is now more in the middle of my apartment, further from the window, and the futon is between his cage and the window.  So a much safer setup.
 

He LOVES when I rearrange, he’s tearing around the living room “exploring” all the cool new hiding places. .

A pic of his enclosure:

 

As you can see in this pic, the cage was right under the window, and you can see the frame of my futon on the left.  I flipflopped them; the futon is now right under the window, and his cage in the center of the room, against the wall.

[MimzMum]

OMG, your dad MADE that?? 0_o
Erm…can I get him to make one with two extra storeys for my brood for when they’re bonded? lolz…..

Nice digs, Zeus! You know, if he’s not a fabric chewer, even a nice piece of fleece or some other fabric draped over that will give him added protection.

Gosh I envy you folks who have safe enough places to allow your buns to free roam! I couldn’t do that here…too many things the buns could get into that could harm them…and you know they would! What a cool bun too…no temper tantrums at the home improvement…you are SO lucky!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Oh, wow! That must have been very scary! There is nothing worse than worrying about fur babies! I used to get really upset when I was at work during severe thunder storms knowing my babies were scared.

bunnnnnie! – That’s a gorgeous little condo!

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