Today I'd like to share the joy that my rabbit Otis has brought to me over the last year. He is a dutch dwarf that came to our home last June from a local breeder. I was feeling a little lonely at the time (as I suppose many women my age do) and because I was working long hours I wanted a pet who would not feel neglected by being home alone through much of the day. Well rabbits are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk, so it seemed a rabbit was a perfect pet for my schedule. He gives me a reason to want to get out of bed before sunup, as he is very fond of blueberries first thing in the morning. He will wait by his bowl knowing they are coming out of the fridge and eats them with his eyes closed. Once he has had enough, he will hop around the kitchen perimeter, inspecting every corner as if it is the first time he has ever been there. If I lay down on the kitchen floor he will hop over and give me little rabbit kisses all over my face. Sometimes he will even pluck a stray eyebrow from my face, but always very gently. I always take time to sit him on my lap and stroke him gently and tell him what a good boy he is. He will sigh and close his eyes and kiss my arm in appreciation. Just like a child, he barely plays with the many purchased bunny toys, but loves to hide in, and chew a simple cardboard box that we have cut holes as windows and doors. One of his tricks is to put his little nose out the window of his box and greedily grab a baby carrot from our fingers. He will chew and chew until it is eaten, and then amuse us by jumping on top of his cardboard house to rip the top layer of paper and nibble that too. Most of the day Otis will lay on the shelf of his cage with his little paws crossed in prayer fashion. He seems to be able to meditate for hours, occasionally stretching, and nibbling his timothy grass or his kibble. But in the evenings Otis can't wait to be let outside on the front porch to run and hop and jump to all the outside sounds. He even seems to have somewhat of a preference when it comes to music. If he doesn't care for it he will lay inside of his house, but if it pleases him he will sit quietly on top of his house with both ears up. He was named in honor of my favorite singer, Otis Redding, because when we first brought him home my husband pointed out that he had a lot of soul. And yes, he enjoys the music of Otis Redding as much as we do.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I Love My Rabbit
Today I'd like to share the joy that my rabbit Otis has brought to me over the last year. He is a dutch dwarf that came to our home last June from a local breeder. I was feeling a little lonely at the time (as I suppose many women my age do) and because I was working long hours I wanted a pet who would not feel neglected by being home alone through much of the day. Well rabbits are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk, so it seemed a rabbit was a perfect pet for my schedule. He gives me a reason to want to get out of bed before sunup, as he is very fond of blueberries first thing in the morning. He will wait by his bowl knowing they are coming out of the fridge and eats them with his eyes closed. Once he has had enough, he will hop around the kitchen perimeter, inspecting every corner as if it is the first time he has ever been there. If I lay down on the kitchen floor he will hop over and give me little rabbit kisses all over my face. Sometimes he will even pluck a stray eyebrow from my face, but always very gently. I always take time to sit him on my lap and stroke him gently and tell him what a good boy he is. He will sigh and close his eyes and kiss my arm in appreciation. Just like a child, he barely plays with the many purchased bunny toys, but loves to hide in, and chew a simple cardboard box that we have cut holes as windows and doors. One of his tricks is to put his little nose out the window of his box and greedily grab a baby carrot from our fingers. He will chew and chew until it is eaten, and then amuse us by jumping on top of his cardboard house to rip the top layer of paper and nibble that too. Most of the day Otis will lay on the shelf of his cage with his little paws crossed in prayer fashion. He seems to be able to meditate for hours, occasionally stretching, and nibbling his timothy grass or his kibble. But in the evenings Otis can't wait to be let outside on the front porch to run and hop and jump to all the outside sounds. He even seems to have somewhat of a preference when it comes to music. If he doesn't care for it he will lay inside of his house, but if it pleases him he will sit quietly on top of his house with both ears up. He was named in honor of my favorite singer, Otis Redding, because when we first brought him home my husband pointed out that he had a lot of soul. And yes, he enjoys the music of Otis Redding as much as we do.
