Curious...

Anouska

I am very sad to report that my dear Anouska is no longer with us. Following a lifetime of back issues, her pain and immobility became a serious issue these last few weeks, so after exhausting all our options her vet and I decided it was kinder to let her go - at around 10:25 this morning, 11th June 2018, she crossed over to the bridge.

She may not have been a big fan of the camera, but her life with us was still well documented both on this blog and over on Big Ear, Tiny Tales. There is no better way to remember her wonderful personality and signature sun-lit flop-naps than re-visiting those pages, something I will surely be doing many times over the coming weeks and years.

My dearest Anouska. You were a special little soul that I will never forget. It felt such a privilege to be able to give you more than four years in the kind of home you wanted, after who knows what you had endured for the first part of your life. Rest pain-free and in peace, my beautiful old girl.

Tate Catch-Up

"You came to visit? And you didn't bring me basil plants or 'nana? What kind of friend are you??!!"

In Daisies We Stand

One corner of the garden has been infested by a plague of daisies. Why couldn't it be dandelions?! Ho hum. At least they make for a pretty backdrop.

"Would you like us to dig them up so you can plant dandelions?"

Hmmm...you guys, gardening/landscaping...I somehow doubt that would end productively for me.

Better Hidden

Rabbits can be a bit rubbish at hiding sometimes. Not our MrB though - I really think he's got it mastered.

That's some advanced ninja-level technique there!

Access Denied

Apparently, "humans aren't allowed in the VIP area". I thought about putting two carrots on my head to look like bunny ears, but I somehow doubt they'd make it past this bouncer...

It's A Trip

"If you've finished taking your nap on the floor, get me some snacks, I'm feeling a bit peckish. All that dashing under your feet at the last second has given me an appetite. Oh, nice landing, by the way."

Back To Bed

Tate and Lyle went back to the Rescue today. They were stressed (they thought they were going to the vets again), then relieved (much hay and arrival treats were nommed) and then sulked. It was very difficult leaving them there, I don't know who was more upset.

"This will not do. The mattress is made of hay, the big TV plays the same show all the time and the indoor area is just a little too...outdoors."

My house will never be the same without them. Cleaner, less wee on the sofas, but not the same.

Spruced

Tate is sprucing himself up ready to go back to the Rescue tomorrow. Got to look good for all the visitors and volunteers he needs to con treats out of...

"Darn straight."

Looking Up, Looking Out

Many of us with house rabbits choose to confine them to their rooms when we are out or asleep for their own safety. It's one thing to 100 precent rabbit-proof one room, but over a whole house there is so much unexpected catastrophes waiting to happen for a little fluffy beast - especially one who can and will squeeze into or jump onto something without properly assessing a safe escape route. Then when you let them out roaming, if you do hear a tremendous crash, or the sound of a scrabbling stuck fluffster, you can go running to the rescue.

But if you are going to shut them in somewhere, especially if they will be shut in at dawn and dusk when rabbits are naturally at their most active, you need to make sure that space is sufficient for them to run about and play. My own bunnies get a 120 square foot room, which seems like a decent space for them. The Rabbit Residence Rescue suggests a minimum space of 60 square foot if they will sometimes be shut in it, which happens to be the size of our spare room where RRR foster bunnies sometimes stay.

Bunnies like Tate are generally here in our house out of necessity, as in Tate's case where his fragile body wasn't coping with the outdoor temperatures at the Rescue. I try not to feel bad that I can only give them the minimum space as by the time they have asked me, the RRR team generally don't have any better options, so being stuck in a 60 square foot space for the time they are here is often preferable to the alternatives. As it has turned out, Tate has somehow managed to wrangle them lots of free-roaming time, so the foster bunnies have themselves a pretty sweet deal here and I dread to think of the demands for premium service the RRR staff and volunteers are going to have to deal with from them when they go back.

One thing I think they will be grateful for when they go back though is the improved view. They can't really see much outside of the spare room except sky (the window is high up the wall if you are a rabbit) and occasionally a grumpy-looking elderly lop glaring at them from down the hall.

"You know the problem, so get me a bigger box. I need to look out of the window to see if any of the neighbours are buying better carrots."

Forbidden

The every(single)day story of Tate living in my house:

BHV: Tate, you can go anywhere in the garden, just stay off the pile of loose wood, it's not safe for bunnies!

"What, this pile?

Advance Party

The snow's gone, the temperature is up, all we need now is clearer skies...

"Are your ears getting wet or is it good for me to come out too?"

The Red Blanket

"I don't care how comfy you say it is, I ain't sittin' on it. Besides, somebun has weed and pooed on it."

Oh dearest Tate, I put the blanket in your favourite spot, just for you so you'd be snuggly and warm for your afternoon nap! Besides, Tate, that somebun was you.

Brothers That Graze Together...

Sharp as a Nut

Sometimes I worry about Lyle...

"Nope, he's not up here either! Wow, Tate is brilliant at Hide and Seek!"

It's A Trap!

"...then I tie this to this and...done. This'll teach him a lesson, ration MY treats will you?! Hah! All I need now is the bait...how do I get Netflix and a crisp sandwich into this loop at the bottom?"

Storytime

"We're sitting comfortably, now get with the stories. Do we have any books about bunnies getting waited on by dumb humans? We'll start with one of those..."

Lyling About

"I'm gonna have a race and binky about, I'd appreciate it if you could put the camera away. When a bunny is racing about, he can adopt all manner of odd expressions, I wouldn't want to look silly on the intehwebs!"

"Here I go..."

"Wheee!"

"Woo-hoo!"

"Oh yeah!"

"That's the stuff!"

"Thanks! Your respect for my dignity is much appreciated."

Four Year Term

I regularly use Big Ears, Tiny Tales as a substitute for having any decent kind of memory. "When was such-and-such? Oh, it was around the time when that bunny did that thing! I'll go see when that was....".

This month I realised we had hit a significant anniversary in that it is four years since Anouska and MrB moved in. Sure, they were only fosters at the time, but since they turned into permanent residents without ever leaving again, I feel we should celebrate it anyway.

I didn't record the date, they'd moved in by this weekend, so we're just going to go ahead and celebrate it now. Happy anniversary, you grumpy old fluffs. I love you both very much, may we have many more happy days ahead!

"Do anniversaries come with...treats?"

"'nana shaped treats?"

[sigh] Yes, I suppose they do.

Note: Since they don't really do photos, these pics are actually from a couple of weeks back when I caught them unawares in the garden.

Basil Faulty

"Hmm... I'm sure I can trim a few pieces of leafy goodness off this plant without anyone noticing."

"Uh-oh!"

"Well that didn't go to plan."

"Oh, you're here...erm...OMB, did you see that...cat...that like totally just ran through here knocking things over?! And you'd totally believe he ate some of these herbs on the way past too, right?"

Anouska's Back

It's probably about time Anouska had another post. In case you've forgotten why my own bunnies don't generate regular posts...

"If I can't snack on that clickity box, I'm not interested."

Dandelion Hunter

Tate has discovered dandelions. His garden excursions now involve a lot of digging and rummaging about in the straggly winter grass looking for any tasty leafy goodness underneath.

"Mrph?"

Snuggle Crash

More or Less

Quick poll : Do you think we should feed this bunny more carrots or less?

Please write your answers on a carrot and post to: MrB, Fluffy Bunny Fat Camp, England.

Thank you.

Yours bunfully,

MrB.

In Strange Places

I am still getting used to Tate roaming the house at will, even though it is only for periods where I have purposely let them out for exercise. I am back to always checking what might be under my feet before I move them.

"You very nearly trod on my foot that time. There's a 'treat toll' owed for that."

Almost B

BHV: Come on MrB, let's have a photo of you, we haven't been able to put your chubby butt on the blog for weeks!
MrB: Nope.
BHV: How about for a treat?
MrB: Oh, OK then...[snatch][scarpering off]...psych!
BHV: Joke's on you MrB, I took one anyway! I bet It came out really clearly too and...

BHV: ...oh. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. [sigh]