Never Gone

You know that your blog has been neglected when you get Email solicitations from people wanting to write for it. The most recent offered to write for free, if she could put a link into the text. Get you own blog. And there are people wanting to advertise, or have me write something they suggest. Nope, nope, nope. The Qi Papers is a non-profit, free speaking blog.

Sydney concurs

The latest improvement here at the warren is the introduction of the Smart Pen, not my name for it, Paula from Pensicola called it that, and frankly it has a snappy sound. Since our move more than a year an half ago I have been unhappy, nay miserable, with the Xpen on a shower curtain, washable wool and sheet enclosures. They are fussy, the shower curtain moves in mysterious ways baring the rug to teeth and claws. Also the shower curtains are objects of rippage and potential GI blockages if consumed. Even the most careful placement of the pieces never insured full protection. They seemed to take forever to clean and set up.

A bird's eye view of The Spot's Smart Pen unit outfitted with all amenities. 

The Smart Pen is constructed with a Pure Bond Plywood floor with Marmoleum flooring. Purebond is a formaldehyde free plywood and is sold at Home Depot. It is a little more expensive than regular plywood, but a small piece to pay for safe product. Formaldehyde has been linked to cancer risk. Marmoleum is linoleum made from cork. It is a sustainable and non-toxic product and they use a rabbit in one of the banner headers on the website. Again an expensive product, but I got a good deal on  some over stock at a local store. All and all I paid less for materials than for some vet visits I could mention. The railings are pine scavenged, with permission, from a local construction site.
The railings hold the X Pen sides stable over a sheet that is pulled tight through corners left open. It takes less than ten minutes to clean a pen. The other system could take half an hour or more. Mind you that ten minutes does not include dumping and cleaning boxes or laundry. In addition to time savings the Smart Pen safe guards the landlord's carpet better than the previous system.

Corner of Smart Pen, just yank the corners of the sheets though,
drop and the fence and maid service is done.

I made two Smart Pens that are about 40 inches by 60 inches, any larger and moving them would difficult without help. The bunnies are NOT confined 24/7 to their pens, but rather it is home base for litter boxes, hay racks, food and water. Tyler and Sydney's has a couple of cardboard houses. They are confined to their pen at night as Sydney will box with Amelia at 2 a.m., if possible. The other pen is divided in half for Amelia and Harriet, I am hoping this is a prelude to being able to share without a fence between. In future  I plan to extend each unit with module porches and two story boxes.