OCD

Okay, for those who know me, the last title I would earn in life would be Clean Freak.  I hate cleaning.  However when it comes to rabbits, I don't mind.  I wish I could find that same passion about my house.  

So lets start with something non related.  Years ago, when the bed bug outbreak first came out, I lost my mind at the thought of them.  I had to get the novaform mattress, because they were bed bug resistant.  To this day I don't think we have been in a  hotel since.  We got a trailer and we travel that way now.  That is how terrified I am of bedbugs.  I don't even take my kids to the library, because yes, there was a bedbug outbreak at many libraries.  The only irony in any of this is... I love bugs.  I carry spiders around and save them.  Go figure.  I just have issued with parasitic tiny ones I think.  

So I started to worry about mites in our rabbitry.  The rabbits weren't itching.  They weren't losing pathces of fur.  They actually weren't showing signs at all.  I had noticed some mild dandruff on a molting rabbit.  Well from reading in the past, dandruff should be considered as mites.  So if there was even a slight possibility my mind was not capable of letting it rest.

So me being me, I really hate chemical treatments.  Hate them.  So I researched and decided to go with Diotemaceous Earth, also referred to in the rabbit world as DE.  I had wanted to get some to rid my world of earwigs anyhow so this was perfect timing.  I purchased a 50 LB bag of foodgrade DE for 40.00.  Do your research.  You can get cheaper DE.  Make sure it is Food Grade or you will kill your rabbit.  

So I will summarize my 8 hours of cleaning.  

Finding a place to put every rabbit in your stackables is, well interesting.  I have x-pens out side but we all knwo how well rabbits get along.  So after placing 6 in pens, that left me with 6 more.  I had carriers for 2.  Quinne brought one to her room.  Kait kept one and Kami kept one and I put one in the bathroom.  Imagine if company had come today.  Wow.

So my husband was gone until later and when he came home, I was in work mode.  I shouted out without thinking, "Buddha is in the upstairs bathroom, don't disturb him".  I wonder what my neighbors think.

So the cleaning part... gave me a love hate relationship with stackables.  Yeah they are lovely for many reasons.  But cleaning that gap where the drop pans go... well I don't care for that.

So while all the cages were drying, I put DE all over the floor.  Come play now Earwigs!  I also put a fine coat under all the newspaper in each of the drop pans.  Hopefully this resolves earwigs and spiders!

Then one by one before I brought each rabbit back to their nice sterile pen, I combed them thoroughly with DE.  I made sure to avoid their eyes and face.  I also made sure to do this all outside, so that they had plenty of ventilation.  

At one point my husband forced me to stop so the family could eat his amazing pulled pork sammies with cole slaw and special sauce.  Yum!  

Then back to business.  While cleaning the final round I was almost numb and brain dead.  As I walked out I had an X pen full of our cute babies/ juniors.  In the X pen was my husband smiling like a little kid.  I thought perhaps I had gone delusional.  He hurried and got out before I could get my camera.  :)  

So Finally 8 hours later we are as clean as if we just purchased cages and rabbits today.  Hooray!  

I also plan on using DE in the lawn where my Xpens are.  This is used to kill of parasites and worms of all types so I figure this will be a great preventative.