A Penny For Your Flops

Gladiator bun!

2011-05-26T13:51:00.001-07:00

These two little bunnies were so determined to see what was on the other side of this ramp. It took them 5 minutes of taking two steps forward and sliding one step back before one decided to quit and the other discovered there was nothing to see.

"My first puddle! It's delicious!"

2011-05-20T19:01:00.001-07:00

I let one if the babies explore the ground after this morning's big rain. He hopped into the deep end and took a few sips.

"I love my grandpa!"

2011-05-19T12:41:00.001-07:00

Bandit was constantly hopping to Mochi's side today.

"I like turtles!"

2011-05-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

We found this little critter crossing the road and swept him into a box so that we could relocate him. Before release, I showed him to Leroy. He was very fascinated with the turtle, though I can't say the feeling was mutual.

Strawberry time!

2011-05-17T19:33:00.001-07:00

VIdeo Bonus: A Failed Flop

2011-05-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

One of the babies tries a snuggle and a flop at the same time.

Free food!

2011-05-13T15:26:00.001-07:00

The bunnies don't love lawn grass, but it is a nice departure from the norm. Ickus does love to see a heaping pile of food, however.

Ickus says goodnight

2011-05-04T18:49:00.001-07:00

I took Ickus outside to romp in the front yard for a little bit before sunset. It is nice to walk him without the harness for a change.

They are so cute at this age

2011-05-02T20:41:00.001-07:00

I will admit, one of things I enjoy about having baby bunnies is how they fit in small spaces. They are so adorable.

Out of the nestbox

2011-04-30T12:08:00.001-07:00

The babies are just over 2 weeks old now. They hop out of the nest box frequently and they sample mommy's pellet food.

"Can we keep him?"

2011-04-28T14:20:00.001-07:00

Ickus went to the vet today. He is almost back to normal but the head is still tilted. The office cats took a real interest in him.

Time to call Weight Watchers

2011-04-28T13:55:00.001-07:00

One of our big girls, Lily, was watching a smaller bunny get cozy in this hidey hole. Later on when she tried to crawl in there herself, she tasted failure.

Stitch had no problem at all. She is visiting her family today.

Snuggle me! Please!

2011-04-27T16:46:00.001-07:00

Tumble took a stroll outside today with her cat siblings by her side the whole time. They love bunnies and Screamer here was desperately throwing himself at her feet.

Bunny growth formula

2011-04-26T21:21:00.001-07:00

The litter is getting big so fast! They are exactly 2 weeks old and they are approaching the size of Bandit, who is an adult now. They opened their eyes this week and they are all pink just like their father.

Put on your 3D glasses!

2011-04-25T18:56:00.001-07:00

I left this frame next to Ickus and he crawled right through it!

Mmm... Hail

2011-04-22T21:52:00.001-07:00

Leroy loves to lick hail stones. Who knew?

Bunnies Watching Lightning

2011-04-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Our Lionhead is very intrigued by lightning. He could watch for hours.

Magnus, on the other hand, is made quite uncomfortable by the flashes and thunder.

Frans meets his doppelgänger

2011-04-21T21:00:00.001-07:00

Not all animals pay attention to what they see in the mirror. Frans, however, was quite fascinating.

Video bonus: Water Bottle Push-Ups

2011-04-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our big white bunny is full of strange behaviors. He likes to perch on top of his food bowl, and now this?

Wow it's windy

2011-04-16T13:24:00.001-07:00

Oklahoma has been experiencing some strong winds over the past few days. Our fluffy lionhead has issues with aerodynamics when we let him outside.

Just like his father

2011-04-14T16:22:00.001-07:00

The six babies are still growing and starting to show just a little bit of fur. They are all rambunctious kickers, much like their dad. They nearly launch themselves out of my hands if I hold them.

Preparing for lift off

2011-04-12T20:13:00.001-07:00

Our big white rabbit has invented his own fantasy vehicle: the ear-propeller sled.

6 more babies

2011-04-12T14:56:00.001-07:00

One of the big rabbits that we inherited was pregnant and she had 6 babies today. Two are black like her and four are white like their father.

Good thing the silver is in the other cabinet

2011-04-11T18:11:00.001-07:00

Kiwi found her way under the sink today and then made her way over to the baking supplies.

Foot for a tail

2011-04-09T19:12:00.001-07:00

Our two big ladies seem to prefer the wall sandwich rather than their little wooden cabin.
I can't get over how big they are compared to our dwarf rabbits. Their strength, appetite, and poops are triple! Even the tail is as big as a foot.

"How dare you embarrass me!"

2011-04-07T17:19:00.001-07:00

Apparently JD was doing the laundry and feeling girly when I interrupted him.

Fluffy shark?

2011-04-05T22:25:00.001-07:00

Every time I look at Nani or her siblings and I see those black-tipped ears, I see shark flippers.
And when they exhibit a shark-like appetite, it's like watching Jaws.

"Hmm, seems I forgot my reading glasses."

2011-04-04T18:39:00.001-07:00

JD reads an issue of "Domestic Rabbits." I think he just wanted more pictures.

The food is the other way

2011-04-02T20:43:00.001-07:00

Frans, our newly acquired rabbit, is quite a unique fellow. He is the sweetest. You could hold him forever without him squirming.
He also has very modest eating habits. He crawled into a bag of food but didn't chow down at all.

Hey! That's traveling!

2011-03-25T21:59:00.001-07:00

Ickus has not fully recovered from his head tilt yet, but he has made great progress. He is oriented enough to hop around the front yard while Dad shoots a few free throws. Even though he is handicapped his spirit is undeterred. He was just as happy as ever to be out in the sunshine and eating the grass.

Super scowl

2011-03-24T21:52:00.001-07:00

We recently had to shuffle the bunnies around. Almost everyone got a new cage, and Kiwi is making it plain just how she feels about change.

New rabbit #5

2011-03-23T19:13:00.001-07:00

This big guy is a New Zealand, I'm told. He is super shy about people, but likes cats.

New rabbits #3 and 4: Lionheads

2011-03-20T11:06:00.001-07:00

These girls are litter mates, but look how different they are in fluffiness!
They are good-tempered but shy.

Caught in the cookie jar

2011-03-19T20:50:00.001-07:00

New bunny #2

2011-03-18T18:47:00.001-07:00

One of the big girls who visited us a few weeks ago is now part of our herd as well. Here you can see her playing with our Rumble.
She is super protective of her own hutch but she is nice if you take her to another space.

An addition to the herd

2011-03-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

We had a tragic death in the family yesterday. He left behind six rabbits, which we have brought home with us. My favorite is this handsome young Dutch boy named Frans.

Gum Ball droppings

2011-03-13T11:58:00.001-07:00

Webby appears to be puzzled. "When did I start dropping big rainbow poopies?"

"Excuse me, I think this loaf of white bread is looking at me."

2011-03-12T08:25:00.001-08:00

Webby demonstrates a pose we call "the loaf" or sometimes "the bunny slipper."

Rabbit fusion

2011-03-10T19:14:00.001-08:00

Vanna has always loved snuggling -- not with humans, but with other rabbits. It's as if she has a bunny magnet in her head. It makes for many adorable moments each day.

Magnus: Stealthbun

2011-03-06T20:40:00.001-08:00

Magnus is ready to spring out and surprise anyone walking by.

More bubbles next time

2011-03-04T21:41:00.001-08:00

If you have ever had to give a rabbit a bath before, you will know that it is only slightly less treacherous to bathe a cat!
Not so with Rumble though. Even though he is hands down the worst in personal hygiene, he is a very good boy at bathtime. Also, he naturally dries in record time.
He doesn't get a bath often, but when they do come along, it is not a nightmare for either the bather or the bathee.

The Best Friends

2011-03-03T14:16:00.001-08:00

I caught Magnus and Tumble snuggling this afternoon.
We have different names for each group of roommates:
Ickus, JD, and Mochi: the Three Amigos
Kiwi and her daughter Nani: the Kiwis
Tumble and Magnus: The BFFs

Mochi poses

2011-03-02T19:44:00.001-08:00

Mochi got to play around in the living room while we watched tv. He stopped zipping around for just enough time to strike a pose for the camera.

Ickus babysits

2011-02-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

Our guard kitty, Cow, had a litter last week and we brought a couple of them into the house during Ickus' lunch time. He did not even glance up from his pile of food.
Ickus' recovery is coming along slowly. He still has head tilt bit we are seeing him show more and more spunk every day.

A giant visitor

2011-02-26T15:25:00.001-08:00

Grandpa brought a couple of his rabbits over today. Each of these weigh more than five times any bunny in our herd. They got along great with our bunnies and got to romp around in the pen for a while.

The Ritual of Hugs

2011-02-25T21:24:00.001-08:00

Hugs loves attention from me. Whenever I come in the room, he waits at the cage door until I open it. Then he rests his chin on the ledge and persuades me to pet him. It happens many times a day without fail.

Video bonus: Ickus gets a taste of his own medicine

2011-02-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Ickus is getting used to medicine time. However, it apparently doesn't taste good and the first one or two minutes are complete resistance.

It has been a tough couple of weeks

2011-02-21T19:09:00.001-08:00

Ickus started showing head tilt a couple of weeks ago. Our vet scared us very much, telling us that the outlook was grim and the only way of finding out the cause was a CT scan and a spinal tap (hundreds of dollars).
A family member recommended her vet, who would look at Ickus for half the price. It was just an ear infection and treatment would be simple.
Ickus is now showing some slow but steady recovery and we are so relieved. He is a good little patient. He takes his medicine every day and never protests.

Webbie Wonder?

2011-02-16T20:23:00.001-08:00

Bunny Joel?
Elbun John?
Fats Webber?
Ludweb Van Bunthoven?

A rough day for The babies

2011-02-14T20:19:00.001-08:00

Bandit and his sister Webby are both masters of the flop at 3 months old. They will stop what they are doing and flop anytime, anywhere.

"Stitch says 'hey' "

2011-02-14T20:11:00.001-08:00

Stitch went to a new home a few days ago. She was doing a terrible job getting along with her cagemates. Running out of room, we wondered what to do.
Then the girl from next door came over to visit our bunnies. She has been asking if she could have one for ages now. And the solution became clear.
Stitch is now at a home where she is the single object of affection and she doesn't have to share a space with her mom and sister.
We received a message from Stitch with the picture above, letting us know that she is well. Though it was hard to give her up, we think she is quite happy now.

Video Bonus: Vanna talks

2011-02-12T19:12:00.000-08:00

Vanna was making all kinds of bunny chatter today. It started when she was trying to tell Hugs to go away because he came sniffing around her cage. But she kept resentfully grumbling even after I put Hugs back in his own cage. She even talked through dinner -- while she was chewing!

At the end, you can hear Hugs thump his feet in protest. He wasn't finished playing around when I put him back.

Video Bonus: Leroy, born to shovel snow

2011-02-09T13:23:00.000-08:00

Leroy got to experience snow for the first time today. It turns out that he loves it, no matter how cold. In about 5 minutes, he had dug up half of the snow covering the pen.

The Three Amigo Chefs

2011-02-08T20:22:00.001-08:00

I had been experimenting with water bowls in place of bottles. Turns out that was a bad idea because Ickus, JD, and Mochi drop their compressed timothy blocks in there and those turn to mash.
Who knew bunnies could make culinary creations? Not once but twice, even.

Mochi seemed to like it.

Non-standard Magnus

2011-02-04T18:55:00.001-08:00

In competition, a dwarf hotot rabbit is faulted for extra spots on the body and disqualified for the presence of a dewlap-- a fold of skin that hangs from the throat.
However, these are things I adore about her, especially that little dot at the tip of her tail.

No vacancy

2011-02-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

Mochi is very possessive of his snow fort. He chases everybunny out except for his sweetheart, Kiwi.

Snowflakes in the eyelashes

2011-02-04T07:35:00.001-08:00

Hugs had a blast playing in the snow. He loves to dig in it and steal a bite of snow here and there. I wanted to let him keep playing but he started looking shivery in the midst of all his activity so I took him inside to thaw out.

Don't lick anything cold!

2011-02-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

Stitch shows off her white belly and her pink tongue. This is the first time the Kiwi clones have seen snow, and they loved it! They spent all their time hopping up the drifts and digging in the powder. They kept trying to get Uncle Ickus to play, egging him on, but Icky hates the snow and he never moved.

"Can you warm me up?"

2011-02-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Bandit hops in the snow for the first time, and leans out of the wire to say hi to the cat.

Rumble meets snow

2011-02-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately it was too windy to create a great first impression. Rumble wanted to go back inside immediately.

"Is this the only thing on?"

2011-01-30T22:29:00.001-08:00

Leroy is like his mother. He is very good at sitting and watching TV with me.

"Stop looking at my fat rolls!"

2011-01-29T08:55:00.001-08:00

Mochi gets caught at an unflattering angle.

Helpless face award

2011-01-28T19:09:00.001-08:00

I turned Mochi over the other day to clip his toenails and his little face was too cute.

"Only ten bunnies?!"

2011-01-23T19:25:00.001-08:00

"If your farm is just pretend, you should have at least 20 rabbits, minimum!"

Leroy hopped under my monitor and caught a glance at FarmVille, and I think he is offended.

Bandit's new flop game

2011-01-22T22:57:00.001-08:00

We have discovered that Bandit will flop against your foot after play time. I am so glad he is growing up to like people.

A girl and a boy

2011-01-20T20:39:00.001-08:00

Vanna's litter is 2 months old and now we can tell whether the babies are boys or girls. This one above is a girl. Bandit is a boy.

"The jacuzzi is broken!"

2011-01-18T20:40:00.001-08:00

The bunnies all had a day at the spa. Or more specifically, it was "pedicure day." This is a dreaded time when the poor human pedicurist gets severely clawed while trying to clip the nails of 14 bunnies. About half of our herd are real kickers.

Babies Will Chew Anything: A Photo Essay

2011-01-16T20:30:00.001-08:00

Baby bunny will chew anything: a CD

A guitar pick

A coaster

A can of silly string

Even Michael Jordan

Ickus meets the fancy humidifier

2011-01-12T19:36:00.001-08:00

"Not too close, you know what humidity does to my hair."

JD's dwarf loaf

2011-01-10T19:43:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of reasons that people think Netherland Dwarfs are cute, but to me it is the short front legs. JD is an active guy, so I don't get to see him lay down much. This was a treat.

First snow bunny

2011-01-09T13:49:00.001-08:00

1st snow of the year. 2nd winter for JD.

Video Bonus: Vanna Family Grooming Time

2011-01-07T21:15:00.000-08:00

The babies were being so cute, giving kisses and grooming. Then Vanna decided she wanted her share of the love.

Never question a tired rabbit

2011-01-06T21:38:00.001-08:00

We already know that Rumble can snooze through any situation, but now we have learned that location doesn't matter either.

Go go Gadget Paw!

2011-01-05T20:02:00.001-08:00

Marshmallow the cat attempts a sneak attack by reaching under the box. Unfortunately he has severely miscalculated the arm length-distance from the rabbit ratio. Foiled again!

Action shot!

2011-01-05T14:17:00.001-08:00

In this photo, Rumbles wants to check Ickus out, and Ickus wants no part of it. I guess he isn't in the mood to associate with a non-Amigo today.

"Does this mean I get a condo?"

2011-01-04T19:35:00.001-08:00

Leroy examines what remains of our wire storage cubes. We once attempted to use these cubes as a custom rabbit cage but we soon discovered that not everything can be DIY.

What do you think about the storage cube habitat? We have a new poll on the blog home page. Cast your vote!

There are a lot of expensive toys out there...

2011-01-02T16:45:00.001-08:00

...But an old box is a bunny's best friend.

"This is my guilty face"

2010-12-31T18:24:00.001-08:00

Today I came home to find 4 escaped rabbits who broke out of two different cages. It was The Three Amigos (including guilty Mochi here) and Stitch (our youngest and most talented jailbreaker).

In this picture you can also see Mochi's tattoos, left over from his days on the rabbit show table with his previous owner.

Outside party

2010-12-30T12:09:00.001-08:00

We let a record amount of bunnies have a run in the enclosure at one time today. Altogether, they totaled eight.
Here Magnus keeps watch over her precious fortress. She likes to have it all to herself.

The cat-mother is back

2010-12-28T17:54:00.001-08:00

Cow, second mother to the bunnies, has returned after leaving the house for a few days. Bandit was very interested to explore her comfy resting mat.

Bottle Cap Hat

2010-12-25T19:53:00.001-08:00

"This is my new bed"

2010-12-23T21:19:00.001-08:00

Our kitty came home from her spay appointment with the vet. The first thing she wanted to do? Find a place to snooze that also had someone to snuggle nearby.

Goodbye nest box

2010-12-22T19:33:00.001-08:00

The babies get comfy in their nest box for the last time. The box will be removed tomorrow and they will have to lay around the way the adult bunnies do-on the floor.

Philosophy in dirt

2010-12-21T16:36:00.000-08:00

Hugs loves playing outside more than anything in the world. His philosophy: A dirty bunny is a happy bunny.

Yuck!

2010-12-20T19:32:00.001-08:00

Apparently Leroy does not like the flavor of dead leaves.

Video bonus: Bunny Letter Opener

2010-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you have seen the clip of the Envelope-Opening Rabbit on YouTube. Well, yesterday I was sitting with the babies and I noticed how ready they are to chew anything you give them. So here is a movie in which I am preparing them for the skill of letter opening. Right now it seems that they just gum the thing. Not a mark!

A warm day in winter

2010-12-16T12:35:00.001-08:00

There was a 40% chance of snow for today, but it turned out to be sunny and warm. So I took a few bunnies outside to play in the pen. The cats cannot help themselves and they try to join in the fun, even if there is a fence in the way.

Crowding can be a hobby?

2010-12-15T19:27:00.001-08:00

The Vanna Bunch have plenty of space, but they always seem to pile upon each other, especially around the water bottle. I think they like it and they do it on purpose.

"Yes, I do want fries with that."

2010-12-14T21:12:00.001-08:00

Tumble leans out of her cage as if she had a drive thru order to place.

Bonus video: Bandit steals from sibling

2010-12-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

The babies have their first taste of kale, which turns into a "Lady and the Tramp" eating moment, and then Bandit promptly steals the whole thing.

Different color eyes

2010-12-11T18:30:00.001-08:00

One of the cool features about Ickus: he has one brown eye

And one blue eye.

The lady who introduced me to him at the rescue facility pointed this out to me first thing. She must have had at least 50 rabbits under her care at one time and she knew them all. I picked up the first rabbit that appealed to me and she told me his name, his age, and his disposition from memory. If you are looking to rescue, I still recommend Wild Rescue in Texas.

Panda Bottom

2010-12-09T18:30:00.001-08:00

Bandit also has the nickname Panda Bottom, because of those black feet and tail.

"You're THE Peter Rabbit!?"

2010-12-07T19:22:00.001-08:00

Hugs checks out my old Peter Rabbit stuffed animal. I think he is trying to talk him out of that tasty looking stuffed carrot.

Bad habits at 20 days

2010-12-06T19:11:00.001-08:00

Our two babies are doing well and are learning fast. They have already figured out how to manipulate mom into providing snacktime throughout the day, whereas she used to feed just twice a day. The little spotty one, whom Dad has named "Bandit", is outgoing and likes to chew on his mother's apple twigs and her timothy block. He has also developed another behavior that I detest: wire biting.

A gift worth binkying for

2010-12-04T13:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, the bunnies received a huge gift from their Human great grandparents. A giant dog enclosure. We came home to discover it sitting in our front yard. The bunnies are trying it out for the first time and they love it!

Video Bonus: The kits escape!

2010-12-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

Vanna's nest box was built for easy access in and out, but I had to build up the entrance because the kits were sneaking out too early. Tonight our little spotty baby surprised me when he made the vertical jump all the way over the extended wall.

Rabbits or moles?

2010-12-03T18:07:00.001-08:00

The little babies like their refreshed nest box very much. The moment I set them in there, they went tunneling through all the cotton.
Their eyes opened two days ago and that increased their cute factor by 300%.

Hugs' new favorite thing in the world

2010-12-02T19:13:00.001-08:00

After the fun the bunnies had down on the farm today, I took Hugs back to the goat pen because I knew he would love it. Hugs' new hobby is chasing chickens.

First meeting with a goat

2010-12-02T12:05:00.001-08:00

Today was nice and warm, so I took a few of the bunnies down to the goat pen and let them meet the animals. The goats like Ickus from a distance, but when he springs out from behind a hay bale and surprises them, they push him over.

The New Nest

2010-12-01T17:07:00.001-08:00

Uncle JD and Grandpa Mochi have donated lots of shedding fur to Vanna's new nest. But I got tired of brushing after an hour (and so did the donors). Petsmart had a nesting material in the small animal section. It looks like a big wad of cotton and it filled in the empty spots.

There was even plenty left for Hugs to tear apart for amusement.