Playtime and a New Friend

Walter made a new friend yesterday, in the form of a stuffed giraffe that I have. In lieu of getting a second rabbit, I’m determined for Walter to become BFF with a stuffed toy.  He’s already rejected Little Blue Bunny, he shows very little interest in Eeyore, and he only occasionally grooms Moley Lamb (a stuffed lamb that also looks like a mole).  So last night, I tried the giraffe, whose name is Woodrow.  It seemed successful! Within a few minutes, Walter was giving Woodrow a good sniffing and, subsequently, a good cleaning.  He didn’t freak out when I positioned Woodrow so that he was snuggling up next to him.  And when I “hopped” Woodrow around the room, Walter got pretty excited and showed off some hops of his own.

Woodrow!

To be fair, the excitement could have been more from Walter’s enjoyment of having me pay him a lot of attention.  This morning, he wanted my attention so badly that he cuddled with my shoe while I was trying to put it on my foot.  And then he followed me to the front door and tried to hop out into the hallway of my apartment building and come with me to work!

I don’t know what it is. It’s not like I’m never home or never trying to play with him.  Last night, I lured him out of hiding and we sat together for a long time, watching TV.  But, on a typical night, by the time he’s done hanging out by himself in his box fort, it’s time for me to go to bed!

Do you have a playtime schedule for your rabbit?  Do you ever find that your schedules are out of sync?

Getting a Second Rabbit

Over the past few days, I've been debating getting a second rabbit. I feel like I haven't been at home as much lately, and so I've been feeling badly that I'm not spending as much time with Walter as he's used to. When I come home at the end of the day, it's pretty clear that Walter's been lonely. I feel guilty about leaving him alone all day long, especially now that's he's calmed down so much and has become more of a snuggle bun.

I easily see the benefits to having a second bun: someone for Walter to play with and keep company. (Not to mention the fact that I found a heart-meltingly cute rabbit up for adoption online.) But what are the downsides?

Money, for one. The cost of food, veterinarian services, toys, etc would obviously double. Training a second rabbit to not chew my walls or dig my carpeting could be another nightmare. Cleaning up after two rabbits instead of just one would be more of a headache. And then there's the space factor: right now I have one large cage that wouldn't be big enough for two bunnies. Where would I house them?

Then I worry about whether or not Walter would do well with another rabbit in the house. Does he want to be Top Bun, or would he love having a new friend around? I don't know anything about bonding rabbits. If I got a second rabbit, he'd need to be around a year old. I don't think I could deal with the attitude and training issues of a bunny.

Do you have multiple rabbits? What are the benefits and drawbacks to owning more than one? Do the pros really outweigh the cons? And what's the hardest part about introducing a new bunny into the house?

Little Spoon

I think Walter's obsession with the bedroom door is more about getting my attention than actually wanting to go into the other room.  For the past two days, all he's done is dig and chew at the door, despite my use of lemon oil.  Every time I get up to redirect him, he gleefully runs over to me and nudges my hand for some forehead scratches.  Tricky bunny.

He has been doing this more at night than during the day.  I think he just really enjoys an evening snuggle session! I've taken to lying on the ground and watching as he curls his small bunny body into me, as if he wanted to spoon.  So for a couple minutes each evening, we lay on the floor, me on my stomach, with Walter basically nestled in my armpit.  He gives me a few licks with his scratchy rabbit tongue, and then grinds his teeth in contentment.

Who knew my formerly antisocial, uninterested rabbit would become such a love bunny!

Rabbit vs. Robot

As it turns out, Walter hates my computer.  I think he thinks it’s my new pet rabbit that I love more than him, or something.  Over the past few days, I’ve been spending much of my evenings on the computer (job hunting: a tedious, yet necessary task) and Walter has made it perfectly clear that he resents my time dedicated to this small, glowing machine.

He starts showing his discontent by hopping up on the ottoman and staring at me.  No, really.  Staring.  I can practically see a scowl on his rabbit face.  Sometimes I’ll ignore him, but sometimes I’ll put my laptop to the side and give him some forehead scratches.  Whenever I show him affection and attention, he melts into a puddle of bunny love on the ottoman.  The minute I turn my attention back to the internet, the scowling begins again.

It then progresses into a heavy display of “look at me!”  This ranges from Walter chewing on things he knows are off-limits to Walter putting on his best show of jumps and antics for my entertainment.  Both methods work: his bad behavior means I have to get off the couch to discipline him (fifteen seconds of attention!), and his binkying means I watch him and laugh at his silliness (fifteen more seconds of attention!).  These are only temporary measures, though, as I inevitably must return to my work on the computer.

Then comes the final plea for attention.  Walter hops on the couch and climbs into my lap into the small space between my body and the laptop. And he’ll just lie there for however long I let him. He gives me sweet little rabbit licks while I’m petting him, and begins nudging me and biting me when I stop, even for a second.  Sometimes he’ll bite the computer, just to show it who’s boss.

Do your rabbits ever go to great lengths to get your attention? What do they usually do?

The Next Best Thing to Noozles or Bonks

Usually Walter is perfectly content to be left alone for the majority of the night. He spends the evening running laps around the apartment, playing with his toys, and just relaxing.  But the past few nights, I've been more preoccupied than usual, and I think Walter has felt a little neglected. This has lead to a new lounging arrangement: Walter hops onto the couch, climbs the cushion behind me, and scoots as close to me as he can get. Then he stretches out his little rabbit face, and rests it on my shoulder, in the nook between my ear and my chin.  It's sweet, since it allows me to keep doing what I'm doing, but cuddle with my bunny and give him whatever attention he's craving.

What a snuggly bunny!

Rabbit Separation Anxiety?

It’s been a recurring observation in my last few posts – Walter’s been more snuggly lately.  And while I’m loving this side of my rabbit, I’m wondering if maybe he’s going a bit too far.  Last night, I got home from work at a reasonable time and let Walter out of the cage.  From that point on, Walter was beside me for almost the entire night.  If I went into the kitchen, he followed.  If I sat on the couch, he sat by my feet.

I sat on the floor with him for a little while, since I am trying to discourage him from hopping onto the couch.  Walter used this opportunity to squeeze himself between my back and the couch that I was leaning on.  If I moved, Walter gave me a disgruntled look.  Finally, he moved next to me instead of lying behind me and I gave him some forehead scratches while I read my book.  If I stopped for even a split second, the rabbit let me know he was mad.

What happened to my independent bunny?

I didn’t really think anything of it until later.  I got up to use the restroom and shut the door behind me.  Walter, suddenly aware that I was no longer with him in the living room, darted to the bathroom door.  I could see the shadow of his floppy ears underneath the doorway and then heard his frantic scratches to be let into the room with me. I’ve been keeping Walter out of the bathroom because he keeps chewing the door frames and my bathmats, so I thought his scratches were simply because he wanted to play in the bathroom.  When I went to exit the bathroom, I left the door open long enough to allow the rabbit to sneak inside the room, but he didn’t take the opportunity given.  Instead, he followed me right back to our spot on the floor in the living room.

It reminded me of a parent who brings her child to daycare or school: the child kicks and cries for his mommy, not able to bear the thought of being apart.  So, is this rabbit-style separation anxiety?  Or is this a one-time rabbit behavior?  Walter’s gone through some changes recently; we moved to a new apartment and he's now down by one "parent."  I’m not trying to go all psychology on my rabbit relationship, but I know rabbits are sensitive animals.  Is it a stretch to think that Walter’s snuggliness and over-attentiveness is related to making sure there aren’t any more changes coming soon?

Okay, even as I typed that last sentence, I realized it sounded silly.  That seems a bit intense for a little bunny.  Maybe he’s just grown out of his crazy baby phase and is settling into an adult personality of being a calm, affectionate pet.

In other news, Walter’s racing and jumping around the apartment has hit new levels of hilarity.  I will try to take some videos this weekend and post them here.  Happy Halloweekend, everyone!

Walter Learns Couch Boundaries

Two weeks ago, I posted about Walter’s love for playing on the couch.  I complained that he kept leaving droppings behind, and a commenter noted that the rabbit was being territorial and should be kept off the couch until he learned it was a place that belonged to me, not him.

Ever since, I’ve been working hard to keep the bunny off the sofa.  It hasn’t been easy! I’ve had evenings when Walter would do nothing but jump on, get pushed off, and then just jump right back on the couch again, and the cycle would repeat.

Fortunately, Walter’s been a quick learner.  Last night, I spent a few hours reading on the couch.  Normally, the rabbit would have taken this opportunity to join me on the sofa, and I would have had to interrupt my reading to clean up whatever droppings he’d left behind.  Instead, Walter would approach the couch, look up at me or nudge my foot to get my attention, and I would join him on the floor.  He didn’t attempt to jump onto the couch at all! 

Okay, that’s a lie. He did once after I patted the sofa and repeated, “C’mon up, it’s okay!” to him a few times.  I guess I’m sending him mixed signals.

But, when he did hop up upon request, it wasn’t to leave droppings or run around like a crazy bunny.  He climbed into my lap and nestled his face into the crook of my arm for a bunny snuggle session.  We sat together like that for a while – me, reading my book and Walter, grinding his teeth in joy.

This brings me to my next point: Walter has been such an affectionate rabbit lately. It’s wonderful; I lie on the floor, and Walter curls up next to me.  It’s the first time I've felt rabbit ownership was just as comforting as dog ownership.  I wonder what’s gotten into him!

How I Met Walter

I did not set out hoping for a pet rabbit.  Originally I wanted a dog.  My boyfriend, who would be housing the dog, was completely against this idea.  In an attempt to find a compromise, I suggested the only other pet I could think of that I would enjoy: a bunny.  Paul relented and agreed.

After doing some light internet searching, I was bombarded with advice to adopt a rabbit from a shelter rather than purchase one from a breeder.  I had the best intentions of doing this.  I spent weeks scouring websites of local shelters, but never came across a rabbit that I fell for.  As the weeks passed, I began incorporating local breeders into my search.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for.  I knew I wanted a Holland Lop, and I knew I wanted a male rabbit that I would name Walter (I give credit to Paul for the name suggestion). Then, while on Wikipedia, reading information about owning a house rabbit, I came across this picture:

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia (via Orlandkurtenbach)

“That’s the rabbit I want!” I said to Paul.  “You can’t have the Wikipedia bunny,” he replied.  I tried using my pouty face, but that didn’t make the Wikipedia rabbit appear.  So, with my dreams crushed, I continued my search.  I found lots of rabbits that looked friendly and sweet, and even some that made me stop and consider ownership.  I learned that I liked orange and white rabbits – mostly because my family has an orange and white dog.  I liked rabbits whose ears stuck out kind of funny, not just straight down towards the ground; I wanted a rabbit with some character.

And then I came across the website for KNT Trails.  I saw an announcement about a litter that had been born just a few weeks earlier, and clicked the link to view pictures of the bunnies.  And then I saw him: my real-life Wikipedia rabbit.

My very first introduction to Walter's cuteness.

I showed the picture to Paul and, in my sweetest voice, asked if we could go visit the bunny.  Paul obliged.

We drove out to Owings, MD sometime in March and Terry, the owner of the rabbitry, had arranged for all the bunnies to be set in a playpen outside where they were free to hop around in the grass. As we walked up to the corral of bunnies, I saw a familiar orange and gray face nibbling at the grass.  “That’s him!” I said to Paul.  “He’s definitely a Walter.”

Walter was so little! He was about the size of my palm.  He gave me a few licks with his scratchy tongue (I should have cherished those licks, because as he's gotten older, they've become few and far between).  At that point, I was hooked.  Paul, who wanted no part of the bunny corral, gave me a skeptical look.  “Pleeeeeeease?” I asked.  Paul shrugged and said okay.  I set Walter, officially named so, back on the ground and told him I’d see him in about a month.  When I came back a month later, he had grown so much!  After a quick squirm, he settled into his travel carrier and left the countryside for the big city.

How did you choose your perfect pet rabbit?  Did you adopt or purchase from a breeder?  What advice do you have for people looking to find their new house rabbit?

Snuggle Bunny?

Either Walter feels like he’s been neglected by his mama lately, or he’s entered a new, cuddly phase of his life.  After running some post-work errands yesterday, I came home and let the rabbit out of his cage.  Walter’s usual routine is to clean himself before exiting his habitat, hop out and acknowledge my presence briefly, and then begin his circuit of sleeping under the couch and exploring the apartment.  But last night was different.

After his quick grooming session, he hopped out of the cage and stopped for a few forehead scratches.  He lowered his head to the ground and began grinding his teeth, so I knew he was happy to be receiving the rubs.  A few pets later and Walter’s entire body essentially melted onto the floor until he was completely transformed into a puddle of bunny affection, nudging for more rubs if I stopped for even a split second.

This makes me think of a tweet I received from a friend of mine on the day before I brought Walter home:

“Bunnies are like that when they're little. They just want to lick and love on you; then they develop an attitude lol”

Is this affectionate, loving version of Walter just a phase? Should I be enjoying it while it lasts?  Am I doomed to a life of rabbit grumpiness?  I certainly hope not.  I’m enjoying this sweet side of Walter, but I do feel bad when I can’t sit with him for hours on end, just giving him cheek rubs.

I suppose this is the part about rabbits that is more humanlike than doglike: the ability to change moods and attitudes.  One day he’s licking my sweatpants as his attempt at grooming me, and then next day he’s pretending I don’t even exist.  Rabbits can be so fickle!

Circling

Last night, Walter did something new.  He started circling Paul.  Paul was standing in the middle of the living room and Walter hopped over to Paul’s feet and slowly started hopping around them.  When Paul moved, Walter stopped and waited until Paul stood still again.  At this point, the bunny continued his rotations around Paul’s feet.

Paul gave the rabbit a few rubs and went back to his work on the computer.  Walter followed, waiting for my boyfriend to notice him.  When Paul got back up, Walter began his circling all over again.

Clip Art depicts what happened last night.

Circling, in unaltered rabbits, is a sign of sexual arousal.  Fortunately for Paul, we had Walter neutered in the beginning of the summer so it’s unlikely that Walter was trying to court my boyfriend.  In cases of altered rabbits, circling is simply a way for rabbits to get someone’s attention and signal an interest in playing.

This is the first time I’ve seen Walter actively try to engage us (especially Paul!) in playtime.  Usually, he’s content to binky around the apartment by himself, but it was certainly refreshing and entertaining to see him trying to solicit some attention from someone, even if it wasn’t me.  (No, I’m not jealous or anything…)

Does your rabbit circle?  How does your rabbit try to get your attention for playtime?

Love Bunny

I'm still waiting to hear from the veterinarian about Walter's blood test results.  The labs won't come back for another two or three days, so I'm being as patient and hopeful as I can.  In the meantime, Walter seems to be as happy as a clam! All evening long yesterday, he was playful and only a tiny bit mischievous. Rabbits, in my experience, can be moody and unpredictable.  I am eternally grateful for days like yesterday when my bunny can be trusted to roam the apartment without an overly watchful eye, entertain himself with rabbit-appropriate toys, and turn to me for a snuggle or two.  Snuggly rabbit days always remind me of an email that I received from Walter's breeder:

"Walter is such a love bunny!  We had an Easter photo shoot today, so there are new pics up."

(I'm working to see if I can retrieve copies of the photo from Walter's Easter glamour shots, since I didn't seem to save them anywhere on my computer.  Once I get them, I'll post them here.)

When we first brought Walter home with us, he spent a lot of time ignoring me and Paul.  He was downright adamant about doing anything but letting us pet him.  I knew that it could take a while for a bunny to bond with its owners, but I was impatient; I was used to owning a dog, which love everyone forever instantly.  During Walter's initial veterinarian exam, the doctor told us that he could tell our rabbit would be docile and sweet once he outgrew his childhood.  At this point, I couldn't believe it.

I'll never forget the first time I realized that our rabbit did bond with us. After spending weeks celebrating the tiniest moments of rabbit affection (seriously - I would get excited because Walter let me run my hand down his back one whole time before hopping away), it was almost like a switch flipped in Walter's bunny brain.  He was, as usual, hanging out underneath the sofa.  I laid down on the floor to check on him and expected him to look at me with apathy.  Instead, he scooted his body just a few inches closer to me, stretched out his neck, and offered his bunny face for a forehead and cheek scratching session.  And that's when I heard (and felt!) him grind his teeth softly: the rabbit equivalent to a kitten's purr.

From then on, we were official friends.  He began following me around the house, "helping" with chores (his favorite is laundry - he likes to hop in the piles of clothes while I sort darks from lights), and laying down next to us while we watch TV, content to receive rubs when he's not in the midst of a cleaning session.

He's still a naughty bunny on some days, but he always redeems himself with his sweet rabbit eyes and a simple snuggle or two.