Julia's Carrot

Julia lives in the top of a two-floor bunny condo (above Jenna). Whenever I give Julia a carrot, she grabs it and seems to want to hide someplace to eat it. She'll hop from her litterbox, to the other side of the cage, almost put the carrot down to eat it, then hops back the litterbox, etc. It's almost like giving a dog a treat and then watching him find a nice secret spot to enjoy the tidbit without any other critter stealing it from him. Julia doesn't have a roommate (going to try pairing her with Calvin again - been busy unpacking), so it's not like anybun can take it from her.

Jessica used to take her carrot and run downstairs with it, but she was in a two-level condo and was bonded to Calvin - she had somewhere to escape to and someone to hide from. Julia? Who knows what goes on in her head.

Mama

Three years later....

Three years ago today, Calvin and I went to Red Door to get him a buddy. Jessica was the last bun we saw and, while it wasn't love at first sight (yes, buns do this, bonding instantly), Calvin's life got a lot brighter. Despite health problems, especially her teeth, Jess has been so sweet and sassy and adorable. For her special "gotcha" day, I bought some of her favorite treats - papaya - and a new treat, a mix of hay, tiny pine cones, and flower petals.

Jess will be getting her front teeth removed in a few weeks. Surprisingly, it isn't that expensive, and it's the best chance we have of getting her molars back the way they should be - nice and even. I'll drop Jess and Calvin off in the morning and pick them up in the evening. I've been brushing Jess every night since Sunday, since she'll not be able to groom the way she's used to once her teeth are removed. Since she won't be able to pluck chunks of hair from herself (or Calvin), I want to make sure she stays looking mah-velous.

Jess... 3 years later and still a bundle of personality :-)

Mama

I'm outnumbered!

The Fuzzy Duo have become a little more aggressive when wanting treats. I'll be on the couch, reading or watching TV, and one jumps up either beside me or on me. Calvin will look at me with his head cocked to one side and then stick his tongue out, licking his lips in anticipation of getting a treat. Jess, though, will jump up and get in my face, sniffing excitedly. Since I can't reach for the bag or can of treats with a bunny sitting on my chest (nor can I rollerskate in a buffalo herd), I try to nudge him or her down so I can reach over and get the treats. Well, then of course, the other one has to jump up, since I'm reaching for something that must be treats, so now I have both buns crawling all over me and interfering with me grabbing the goodies.

I guess I should have treats on me at all times, close enough to not have to reach for them, so I can quickly and painlessly appease my Bunny Overlords. :-)

Mama

Cranberries - Proof that Buns Have an Odd Sense of Taste

The buns' grandparents bought me a food dehydrator earlier this year, so I bought some cranberries to dry out for bunny treats. (Both Calvin and Jessica love Oxbow's Critter Berries, a tableted form of herbs and stuff flavored with cranberries.)

On a whim, I decided to see if they liked plain cranberries before I went to the trouble of dehydrating them and finding out they didn't like them. (I know there are "Craisins," but they are sugared and, well, the buns don't need a sugar buzz.)

Calvin took a whiff at one cranberry and ate it right up. Jess hasn't eaten a whole one, but she's eaten half of one that Calvin had dropped. (They're a two-bite treat, I guess.) Calvin won't eat more than two or three at a time, but he does like them.

I had hoped to see what a rabbit "sour" face looked like, something like what a kid looks like after tasting real lemon for the first time, but he made no particular face at all. Dill after mint, and now plain cranberries without sugar. Remind me not to eat anything they prepare for dinner! :-)

Mama

Give me an O, an A, a T...

The other day, I finished up one of the 18oz. "cans" of oatmeal, which I give to Calvin and Jessica as a treat. (Yes, I know it's not that great for them, but they don't get much oatmeal or get it that often.)

On a whim, I wondered if Calvin would stick his head into the can to eat the oatmeal. So yesterday, I made a little pile of oatmeal for Jess to keep her out of the way and put a little in the empty can to see what Calvin would do.

I took these photos today. As you can see, Calvin had no problem sticking his head into the can (and I held the bottom so he wouldn't get stuck). Yesterday, he'd come up for air while chewing but, since Jessica wanted oatmeal, too, I think he tried to eat as much as he could before taking his head out of the can.


As you can see, she didn't have any problems with sticking her head into it, either.

Later, I gave them some dried papaya so I could get good photos of the "begging" faces that they do. Here's Jessica's:











And here's Calvin's:





And a cute picture of Calvin in general.



I love these two guys!! :-) So many great rabbits like Calvin and Jessica are abandoned at shelters each year or, worse yet, turned loose to fend for themselves. And with Easter approaching, the numbers of both will go up. Please adopt - don't buy a rabbit, and learn about what a bun needs to be happy and healthy before bringing one home. They are such wonderful animals and are worth every minute I spend with them (and then some!). :-)

Mama

"Fuzzy" logic

Mama told me that she posted an entry on how I'm always optimistic about what she has when she leaves the kitchen. I thought that it was time to tell the world the logic of rabbits.

1. If it crinkles, it contains a treat.
2. If it rattles, it contains a treat.
3. If it has a lid that peels off, it contains a treat.
4. If it smells good, it's a treat.
5. If Mama comes out from the kitchen, she has a treat.
6. If Mama is eating something, it's a treat.
7. If Mama is eating something that she says isn't for bunnies, she'll give us a treat if we bug her.
8. If we have had one kind of treat, that doesn't mean we can't have another treat.
9. "You'll spoil your dinner" doesn't apply to rabbits.
10. If you expect me to sit still to be brushed, you had better have a treat.
11. If you say "Come here Calvin," you had better have a treat.
12. If Jessica thinks there is a treat, please give us a treat or else she'll beat me up for nothing.

Now that the world knows how I think, isn't it time to give me a treat? You think it's easy to type with paws?

Calvin

Calvin, my eternal optimist

Oh, to have the optimism of a rabbit.

Whenever I go into the kitchen, Calvin's "bunny sense" kicks in, and he's usually waiting for me at the end of the hall. Then, he starts dancing and running and jumping, positive that since I was in the kitchen, I therefore must have a treat for him. Of course, Jessica then rushes over, thinking that he's eating a treat and she isn't.

I stand there, looking down at them, either empty handed or holding some food for myself, and say, "Sorry, nothing for bunnies."

I've spoken to them, so that absolutely must mean that I have a treat. They continue to mill around my feet, and I go and sit down. After a second or two, they realize that I must have decided to give them their treat where I'm sitting, so they mob me and try to get a treat. Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep my food (popcorn, pizza, whathaveyou) out of their way so I don't have bunny fuzz in it.

Eventually, I have to give them a treat, for they won't leave me alone. They have me trained so well ;-)

Oh, to have the optimism of bunnies. :-)

"Mama"