Follow Friday – The Language of Lagomorphs

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Rabbittude

Click to go to website

Ever found yourself wondering what on earth your bunny was trying to tell you? The Language of Lagormorphs has in-depth information to help you learn rabbitspeak.

If you are new to rabbits, I would recommend the sections on Offendedness, Territoriality and Anger first. Misunderstanding rabbit language in these instances can lead to bunny bites, not fun. Here is a full list of the behaviors and corresponding articles:

Introduction
Hierarchy – Prove That You Love Me
Grooming – Yeah Baby, I Like It Like That
Gazing – Ah, This is the Life
Nose Wiggling – Follow My Nose
Offendedness – R-E-S-P-E-C-T is What My Bun Demands of Me
Territoriality – Gimme Some Space, Man
Anger – Why, You Fiend!
Sadness & Fear – Alas, Woe is Me
Curiosity – Hmm, What Do We Have Here?
Begging – Pleeeease Oh Please Please Please!
Play – Yippie Skippie!
Racing – The Need for Speed
Shudders – Shiver Me Timbers!
Binkies – Did You Say Binky?
Signoff – In the Interest of Interspecies and Intraspecies Relations

I have a fun You Tube video, I will post later today!

A treasury for Thursday – Twacking Wabbits

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Rabbittude

: Click on image to go to treasury on Etsy

Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, Elmer would be having a bwast twacking wabbits on Etsy in this year of the wabbit!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Numbers

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Rabbittude

This photo challenge was a tough one, I discovered I really don’t think in numbers and don’t really have things with numbers around me except clocks and calendars. However, I do have this print in my kitchen of a recipe and recipes are one thing I do go by the numbers. Here is the text of the Happy Kitchen print:

Happy Kitchen

4 cups Love
2 cups of Loyalty
3 cups of Forgiveness
1 cup of Friendship
5 spoons of Hope
2 spoons of Tenderness
4 quarts of Faith
1 barrel of Laughter

Take love and loyalty, mix it thoroughly with faith.
Blend it with tenderness, kindness and understanding.
Add friendship and hope, sprinkle abundantly with laughter.
Bake it with sunshine. Serve generously daily.

Binkies !

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Rabbittude

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, in this case a video can show you what a binky is if you haven’t seen one before. This little bunny has all kinds of variety of binkies down.

I don’t know who coined the term binky for these leaping bunny moves, but it has the right lighthearted happy feel to match the act. Bunnies will binky as they run and play. I have seen our rabbits use them to change course in mid-air. When they touch down, they will be running off in a completely different direction. I have seen them do twists and turns and click their paws together before they come back down. It is not only a bunny having a lot of fun, but is so athletic and acrobatic!

It is another one of those unexpected facets of rabbits. With their proportionately heavy looking backsides, who expects them to be aerodynamic like this?

Here is the link to the video if it isn’t working for you here: http://youtu.be/O_XJss15fj0

Fur Therapy

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Rabbittude

: Ahhhhh Yes!

Tigger just presented herself to me to be petted. For Tigger that means she hops up to where I am and gets my attention. If I am sitting somewhere reading, she will rise up on hind legs so that her head peaks over the edge of the seat. Once our eyes meet, she goes back down and hens up on the floor. Tigger is a bunny who wants to be petted by invitation. It is an invite we gladly accept. She has the softest baby fine fur that is so incredible to touch and stroke. When she settles down and starts to tooth purr, awwww!

Shadow doesn’t give special invitations, he is ready to be petted whenever your hand touches his head. He also seems to have petting radar and comes running anytime that Tigger is being petted. He just can’t get enough of having his head petted. If you stray off his head, you will be reminded by his head butting your hand to stay focused.

Petting a rabbit becomes addictive. Their fur is so wonderful to touch and having them stretch out and start to purr and become putty under your hands provides a special bond.

So it is no wonder to me to hear that some rabbits have become Fur Therapists and visit hospitals or senior centers. Both rabbits and humans benefit from the loving touch of stroking the bunny. However, my two would never be candidates for professional therapy bunnies. They are way too crazy active even at ten years old.

I worked for an assisted living center once several years ago that had cats and dogs visiting and someone suggested I should bring my rabbits. Well that would have been like creating a bunny version of the Mississippi Squirrel Revival as sung by Ray Stevens.

We will just keep the fur therapy private between us and the two rabbits here on their home turf. It is a real joy to take regular bunny breaks, taking time out of the day to pet the rabbits, everybunny wins!

The Cost of Rabbits

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Rabbittude

Pirabbit ~ Hand over your money ...

Early on with Tigger and Shadow, I was doing lots of online searches for help on bunnyproofing. Some of what I found was lighthearted and funny, but really good information at the same time.

The following piece is one I had printed out years ago from a page on www.showbunny.com. I am no longer finding the page on their website. So I will type it in here for your enjoyment. It is funny but also too true.

Lose Money: Raise Rabbits

It begins with the free rabbit that your friend offers you. He thought his was a male, and was surprised to find that he now owns seven rabbits instead of one.

So you get the Rabbit Starter Kit (~$60).

Then you buy all the rabbit books that the pet store has, along with $100 worth of Rabbit Treat and chew toys.

Then you find out that the books were written in 1950 and are mostly wrong. The Rabbit Treat is too rich for them. The starter kit is full of things like alfalfa and cedar shavings that are bad for rabbits. The bunny ignores the chew toys – what they really want is paper and cardboard.

You also discover that the cage you bought is inappropriate for rabbits and just about any other small animal. Moved by guilt, you purchase a better cage with a nice pan underneath ($85+).

You hear that rabbits can be litter-trained, so you buy a litter pan and kitty litter. (~$10). The clay litter turns out to be not so good, so you replace it with a flushable litter (~5).

The paper and cardboard cause intestinal blockage which requires treatment ($500).

And their nails grow too long and you try to cut them, but the bunny amputates one of your fingers, so you pay a vet to do it (~$15 for nail clipping; $75 for YOUR doctor visit).

You discover that you have one of those rabbits which need their teeth trimmed, too! (~$15).

Then he pees all over and humps your foot, so you pay to have him neutered (~$100).

Then he discovers your computer and chews through the power cable and printer cord (~$100).

He ruins your antique furniture and chews up the baseboards (~$a whole lot).

He starts digging in the wall to wall carpeting, creating a huge hole. He eats the stuff underneath, requiring another trip to the vet. The landlord finds out and you are forced to leave, forgoing your security deposit ($300 and up!). That’s not mentioning the new security deposit and moving costs …

The phone goes dead and you see the last of the cord disappearing into bunny’s mouth. He eats the phone book for desert.

You get smart and you rabbit-proof the house ($~100-$200).

And then he jumps up on your lap and rubs your nose with his. “Awww,” you say, “It’s all worth it.”

Addendum … Rabbit dies after 8-10 years of senseless destruction and you go out to get another because you miss having a bunny around. 🙂

~Author Unknown

I only wish that some of the current prices were still as low as when this was first written!

Follow Friday – Busy Bunny

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Rabbittude

Click image to go to their online store

BusyBunny.com is a company with products our bunnies have just loved over the years.

Tigger & Shadow’s favorites have always been the willow chew products, grass mats and the various cardboard tunnels, cottages and boxes that they have. Here are links to two favorite willow items and search pages for the grass mats and the cardboard tunnels and hideouts available:

Bunny Chew Ring

Willow Tunnel

Grass Mats

Cardboard Tunnels & Hideouts

They have also had things over the years we have picked up for ourselves: rabbit magazines, figurines, jewelry. Hoppy shopping!

Treasury Tuesday – Buns in the Sun

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Rabbittude

Click on this full image of the treasury to go to it on Etsy to see these items

Layers of Personality

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Rabbittude

Last week I wrote about Shadow’s chewing habits which my other half said made him sound like nothing but a bad bunny. That is the difficulty with sticking with one subject per post, lack of the full picture.

Shadow is Mr. Personable with a whole lot of dimensions. Most of the layers of his personality are on the light, bright and happy side. The one way he does use his oh so serious dark exterior is to play bunny Shadow Man. He loves to hide in plain sight, picking the darkest pieces of furniture or rugs to hang out in front of or on. He virtually disappears into the shadows when he does that and takes you by complete surprise when you come upon him, earning him the nickname “Boo”.

To give the best overall description of him, Shadow is like a full of energy puppy. He races around, bounces up and down with happiness, gets into everything and loves to see you and play with you. He will zoom up and zoom away looking back over his shoulder. He wants you to play chase with him.

Shadow is a handsome rabbit. He is all over black except for some graying on his nose now that he is older. His vet tech thinks it gives him a sexier look. His fur is satin with a beautiful glowing sheen to it. He has a slim trim athletic build. He runs like an athlete and has been a fearless jumper. Not always a smart jumper, but a fearless one. We had to learn what was needed to keep him safe.

He has comedy in his soul. You can always count on Shadow doing something to make you laugh. One time I was on the floor on all fours face to face with Tigger when I felt something tugging on my oversized T-shirt. I figured it was Shadow pulling on the hem. When I glanced down, I realized my shirt was hanging down to the floor and he had hopped inside with me. Now I was looking at a bunny peeking out at me through the V neck opening. I felt like Mama Kangaroo looking down at baby peeking out of the pouch.

Shadow is a roamer, always doing the rounds of his territory, checking things out and looking for things to do. When I am working, I can count on him coming in at times and nudging me on the ankle. He loves to have his head petted and isn’t afraid to ask for attention. If you touch his head, you will find yourself with a bunny flopped down and ready for a long haul session. If your hand strays from his head, you will find the head butting your hand as a reminder to keep focused on his head, stroking his nose and massaging around his ears and cheeks.

Shadow is the rabbit people go to if they want a bunny hug. He is not thrilled about being picked up, but seems to realize that the humans need it from time to time. His face reads like a little boy being hugged by female relatives, “All right I know I have to, but let’s make this quick, okay?”

Each rabbit I have come to know well has had a unique combination of traits making up their personality. It makes it such a wonderful adventure getting to know and love them.

Follow Friday – A Test for You & for Bunny

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Rabbittude

Hey did you hear there's a test tonight?

These tests have been on the web for quite awhile, fun if you haven’t seen them before:

How much of a bunny slave are you? Find out here:
The 100 Question Slave Purity Test

Do you have a toughbun? Questions are adapted from various stories told about toughbuns:
The 100 Question Toughbun Purity Test

Sunning Our Buns

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Rabbittude

We never gave much thought to the possibility of the bunnies liking the sunshine. You usually don’t see rabbits out in the heat of the day. Our bunnies often like hidey hole areas for their afternoon naps.

Tigger and Shadow did show an early interest in bunny sun bathing. When they were young, we were living in an apartment and dedicated our smallest bedroom to be theirs. We rigged it out for them with an outdoor storage bench in front of the window backed up to the sill. There were cutouts in the back of the bench and Tigger and Shadow would wiggle through and sometimes take afternoon naps on the sill. We often wondered if anyone looking up to see animals sleeping in the second story window would ever realize that they were rabbits and not cats.

When we moved into our home, the bunnies lost their ledge. There isn’t a single window with a wide enough sill in the whole house for a bunny. The dining room window comes down to just a foot off the floor. We put an exercise step there and waited to see if they would accept that as a suitable substitute for their beloved sill.

Tigger will sometimes hop up, but it is Shadow who loves it for sleeping in the sunshine. He also picks spots on the rug with the sun shining in on him full blast. I would not have imagined that a completely black rabbit would like the sun so much. I would have thought that he would get too hot. Clearly he loves being a sun bun.

I have to be careful sneaking up on him to get pictures. If I disturb his sun worship and wake him up, I get that bunny look of disdain.

Bunana Addicts

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Rabbittude

Design available on T shirts and other fun items in our CafePress store and as ACEO mini art in our Etsy shop

We created two bunny banana addicts. We didn’t mean to do it. We didn’t think we had done it, but we did it.

Everything we read said rabbits liked bananas too much and they are too fattening for them. So we planned to make these a rare treat and not get them addicted.

When Tigger and Shadow were babies, just months old, we had them spayed / neutered. Afterwards as a precaution, the vet wanted them on antibiotics. We didn’t want to try to hold them down for medication when they were recovering from surgery. So we had what we thought was a great idea to give them medicated “banana sandwiches”. We took small Asian dipping bowls and put a really thin banana slice in the bottom, squirted the medication on the slice and covered it with another really thin banana slice. Both bunnies were nice enough to eat everything and even lick the bowls. They took their medication, but in one short week, we created addicts for life.

Fast forward to a few years later … Banana treats have been rare, maybe once or twice a year. We think they don’t remember those early days and that smooth banana taste and texture or the heady banana smell. Usually, we would eat bananas where Tigger and Shadow didn’t have access. However, one day I walk into the living room with a cereal bowl in my hand and the last bite of banana in my mouth. As soon as I sit down, I have a black rabbit bouncing on my lap inspecting my bowl. Shadow rapidly looses interest in the cereal and starts stretching up my chest, patting me on the chin with his paws, and sniffing my mouth. He is so close, his whiskers are tickling up my nose. It occurs to me that he can smell that last banana bite in my mouth and I’m supposed to give it over. I let Blaine know later that we need to be careful about our own banana use.

My warning is forgotten and a couple of weeks later, Blaine walks into the living room with an evening snack for himself, a bowl of cereal with a cut up banana. He sits down on the sofa and is immediately overwhelmed with Tigger and Shadow bouncing all over his lap and trying to dive into his cereal bowl. It is amazing to watch two high energy rabbits bounce around so much and so fast they look like a pack of rabbits. After watching the show for a minute or so, I decide I had better respond to my husband’s howls for help. Fortunately, our pantry included some dried banana slices and I was able to lure our two addicts to another part of the room so that my husband could quickly consume his banana.

The moral is that bananas and rabbits are a combustible combination. Watch yourself if you ever plan to combine the two! Addicts are easily created and humans are in danger if they ever try to keep a bunny addict from the banana. To enjoy a banana now myself , I have to sneak out to the garage, patio or lock myself in a bathroom.

Rabbittude

Rabbits + Attitude = Rabbittude

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