Melinda J is a 35-year owner and devotee of pet rabbits who has been working as a rescue volunteer for 15 years. She is a graduate of the Dog Training Internship Academy of San Francisco and spends time each day training her rabbits. Her professional expertise is in software project management and team coaching.
Moraea here. So, my female humie probably had other plans for her blog this week. Like some dreary treatise on all the yummy snacks rabbits aren’t allowed to eat because it’ll make them fat. Anyway, she left the keyboard unattended and her desk chair out, and I’ve got something much more important to tell you:
When you see furballs as cute as rabbits, you immediately want to pet them. But do the objects of your adoration welcome your enthusiastic touch?
Consider my experience — not as a bunny, but as a kid. I used to dread greeting family friend “Uncle Jack” because he’d plant these incredibly sloppy kisses on our cheeks. Knowing it would be rude to rebuff his frothy howdys, I’d smile weakly until he turned away, then quickly wipe my face.
So, how can you avoid being the equivalent of “Uncle Jack” to the rabbits in your life?
Every rabbit adopter knows the deal: You fall in love with a graceful, adorable, wide-eyed, bundle of silken fur and bring him home. Then he hops onto your living room rug, and unveils his alter-ego: a 24/7 poop factory! Whether you’re just starting out or old friends, here’s the scoop on managing the poop. Continue reading “Bunny Litter Bin Basics (or, What to Do with a Load of Hare S—)”→
That was the report from the vet last summer when we picked up our chunky charges from their RHD2 vaccinations. Like any loving pet owners our immediate reaction was… complete and utter denial. We strive to keep their diet healthy and provide ample opportunities to exercise. How could this be?
Did you know that a bank check will be good as long as its key fields are intact? No matter how mangled or missing the rest is, if the date, recipient, amounts, signature, and check number are there, it’s still negotiable. One of my rabbits, Sammy, taught me this little financial factoid the hard way.
Dark-eyed and Holstein-patched, the late Sammy had an uncanny knack for locating and snatching paperwork off any horizontal surface he could reach. Everything from gift certificates to work notes were nibbled into impromptu doilies by his busy choppers. (I sometimes took advantage of this, employing him as a whisker-faced document shredder.) And yes, one time he chewed the number off a refund check before I could stop him, making that one unrecoverable.
Rabbits have unforgettable ears that twist and pivot like a pair of ballerinas above their large, languid eyes. Their sweet puff tails are as irresistible as spring flowers in full bloom. But the feature that literally leaves the longest-lasting imprint on bun owners has to be their teeth.
You know you’re a Certified Rabbit Nut when your self-worth is determined by how much your bunnies like the puzzle toys you’re making for them. Further disturbing evidence? Piles of dried vegetation, half-chewed cardboard boxes, and polyester ribbon littering your kitchen counters. So here’s my current level of success, according to my four-legged food critics.
Easter time is here: Peak bunny time in the Western world! For me, the highlight is the irresistible selection of rabbit-themed housewares: Do I get the cute pink-eared coat hook or that lagomorph lamp with the carrot on/off switch? But others might be tempted to bring home a live long-eared love for the holiday.
Here’s the fantasy: a life of blissful cuddles on demand with a gentle, affectionate, and attentive furry companion.
The reality? A mix of comfort and chaos (“OK, who chewed on my checkbook?”), delight and drudgery (“I thought it was your turn to clean the litterbox!”). Whether the good outweighs the bad depends on whether a bunny is a good fit for your household and lifestyle.
He was a beautiful silver-gray lop whose deep brown eyes seemed almost lost in the drape of his ears. Silky soft, he was only too happy to let my fingers gently stroke him for as long as I liked. I’d never had a lop, always wanted one. He was perfect. There was just one hitch.
DEAR MISS NANNERS: Whenever I pet a rabbit, it hops away in a huff. I even let it sniff my hand first! I only want to make furry friends. Am I being rude? — Frustrated Lagomorph-Lover of Pasadena
DEAR FLLOP: Unfortunately, yes. But take heart! These simple etiquette guidelines should put you in good bunny graces.
It emerges with no warning, clattering out of dark closets, the strange, shiny, hairless creature. Roaring incessantly – deafeningly – never stopping, not even to take a breath. It lurches menacingly around every room in the house, raging in and out of every nook and corner. It’s terrifying! The bane of house bunny existence: The Vacuum Cleaner.
But there is hope, fellow lagomorphs: we too used to fear this gruesome monster. But now when he appears, not only don’t we mind, we kind of enjoy it! If you’re still living in fear of Vacuumasaurus, tell your humans to read this article.