My little bunny rabbit Otis, (a blue and white dutch dwarf) is such a great pet and has brought my husband and I far more laughs and pleasure than we ever imagined. I really just wanted a cute furry animal that I could pet and coo at and didn't expect that rabbits could actually do very much in the way of tricks and people interaction, but boy was I wrong! Otis sits guard in his big indoor cage all night and guards the front door with the seriousness of a London guard. No matter what time I wander down at night he is wide eyed and seated at perfect attention. I keep a set of jingle bells in his cage and when he is ready to come out he will grab them in his teeth and shake them as his cue to "let me out." His favorite times of the day are early morning and early evening when he really get rambunctious and will do his tricks and maneuvers. After a breakfast of 5 blueberries (which he eats with his eyes closed in deep enjoyment), he is raring to go. He'll sprint out of kitchen into the foyer faster than the eye can see, and then do a series of shiver jumps (about a foot off the floor) and then 360 degree spin jumps... just to show off. When we are sipping at our morning coffee he will hop full speed ahead into the TV room and take a flying leap on the couch next to his Daddy for his morning pet. It is alarming the speed at which he charges us before leaping into the air for that soft couch landing. If you stop petting him, he will coax your affection with little licks of his tongue on your hand and then look at you as if to say, "Alright you got your kisses, my turn now." He just adores being pet and will even allow kisses on his little furry face. Before Daddy goes to work, Otis can sense that it's time for his snacky snack and will run into the kitchen and hop figure eights through Gerry's legs until the puffed vegetable snack is produced. His big trick is standing on his hind legs with upturned nose to reach the treasured snack. Once snagged, he hops away with a pronounced kick of his hind legs as if to say, "shoo, let me be with my treat." He does need supervision though, as he likes to chew things he shouldn't. Wires are my biggest worry, and like having a toddler in the house, most wired things are unplugged and hidden when he is freely hopping about. When he starts chewing furniture, books, mouldings, or houseplants a clap of the hands and a holler are usually enough to make him stop. When that fails, placement in his safe haven (the gated kitchen ) is his punishment. He will hop in his straw box and munch on his hay and then flop on his side as if to say, "fine then, I'll just ignore you." The tantrum doesn't last long... his memory is keenly short term. At night, when he knows it's time for kibble and cage, the game of hide and seek often ensues. He knows just the right places where it is hard for us to reach him... under the dining room table, the computer table, or just scooting under the couch. Lately though he has gotten a bit chubby for the space under the couch and once there will scratch furiously until we have to lift it to allow him to escape. He is smart enough to know that at bedtime, a snacky snack means cage and you just can't lure him with that trick at night. But rabbits, although very quick, tire fairly easy and after a couple of games of tag, and hide and seek, will usually settle down and let us catch him. Here is is sitting in one of his favorite hiding places... he is such a smart rabbit!Monday, October 12, 2009
When Rabbits Play
My little bunny rabbit Otis, (a blue and white dutch dwarf) is such a great pet and has brought my husband and I far more laughs and pleasure than we ever imagined. I really just wanted a cute furry animal that I could pet and coo at and didn't expect that rabbits could actually do very much in the way of tricks and people interaction, but boy was I wrong! Otis sits guard in his big indoor cage all night and guards the front door with the seriousness of a London guard. No matter what time I wander down at night he is wide eyed and seated at perfect attention. I keep a set of jingle bells in his cage and when he is ready to come out he will grab them in his teeth and shake them as his cue to "let me out." His favorite times of the day are early morning and early evening when he really get rambunctious and will do his tricks and maneuvers. After a breakfast of 5 blueberries (which he eats with his eyes closed in deep enjoyment), he is raring to go. He'll sprint out of kitchen into the foyer faster than the eye can see, and then do a series of shiver jumps (about a foot off the floor) and then 360 degree spin jumps... just to show off. When we are sipping at our morning coffee he will hop full speed ahead into the TV room and take a flying leap on the couch next to his Daddy for his morning pet. It is alarming the speed at which he charges us before leaping into the air for that soft couch landing. If you stop petting him, he will coax your affection with little licks of his tongue on your hand and then look at you as if to say, "Alright you got your kisses, my turn now." He just adores being pet and will even allow kisses on his little furry face. Before Daddy goes to work, Otis can sense that it's time for his snacky snack and will run into the kitchen and hop figure eights through Gerry's legs until the puffed vegetable snack is produced. His big trick is standing on his hind legs with upturned nose to reach the treasured snack. Once snagged, he hops away with a pronounced kick of his hind legs as if to say, "shoo, let me be with my treat." He does need supervision though, as he likes to chew things he shouldn't. Wires are my biggest worry, and like having a toddler in the house, most wired things are unplugged and hidden when he is freely hopping about. When he starts chewing furniture, books, mouldings, or houseplants a clap of the hands and a holler are usually enough to make him stop. When that fails, placement in his safe haven (the gated kitchen ) is his punishment. He will hop in his straw box and munch on his hay and then flop on his side as if to say, "fine then, I'll just ignore you." The tantrum doesn't last long... his memory is keenly short term. At night, when he knows it's time for kibble and cage, the game of hide and seek often ensues. He knows just the right places where it is hard for us to reach him... under the dining room table, the computer table, or just scooting under the couch. Lately though he has gotten a bit chubby for the space under the couch and once there will scratch furiously until we have to lift it to allow him to escape. He is smart enough to know that at bedtime, a snacky snack means cage and you just can't lure him with that trick at night. But rabbits, although very quick, tire fairly easy and after a couple of games of tag, and hide and seek, will usually settle down and let us catch him. Here is is sitting in one of his favorite hiding places... he is such a smart rabbit!
