Fame, Fame, Fatal Fame

Mabel has been chosen by the RWF to be the face of their latest vaccination campaign.
 

Dijon has been rather persistent in his pursuit of Mabel, despite having been snipped a few weeks ago. Every time he approaches, Mabel starts squeaking like a very stressed guinea pig. At first we wondered if she was hurt, but there have been no signs of injury. However, it is clear that Mabel has matured.

She has changed from a sweet young girl to a feisty teenager. Her shape has changed, too. No longer is she a svelte bunny, but she has slightly broader shoulders and her face has filled out. She's not nearly as chunky as Dijon.
 

Mabel has been squealing when Dijon comes close. Along with this, she is constantly trying to get away from him. We're concerned about this as it's one of the signs of pregnancy. 

If she is expecting, then it means Dijon did the business AFTER his operation!

Matters became quite frantic this evening when Mabel started nesting. She was hopping about the living room, frenetically picking up any small strands of hay she could find. We have our fingers crossed that it is a phantom pregnancy.

Mabel's spay day

Well, all has gone well for Mabel - I collected them at 4.30pm. 

The nurse asked where I'd put my other pet carrier - I explained that they'd shared one for comfort/company and she was surprised... apparently, despite being in such a scary environment, as I'd handed over the carrier this morning, Dijon had instantly resumed his attempts at mounting Mabel, so they couldn't even be put in the same cage at the surgery - so a pointless trip for Dijon! I couldn't believe he would try again in the waiting room, in the presence of so many scary dogs, but sure enough he did. Mabel was too drowsy to even notice, but fortunately he stopped once in the car.

Needless to say, they were put straight into separate cages. He is very cross - when we let him out this evening, he ran around with his tail up very high, pooing everywhere and thumping! Mabel sat in her cage (door shut of course) and just made her strange whimpering/chattering noise every time he came close to the cage.

She hadn't eaten anything I'd offered, so I've just given her some pellets mixed with water, which she licked from a teaspoon, so I'm happier now. Unlike Dijon, who is still sitting bolt upright just watching her. Well, things could have been very different if he'd had some consideration!!

Teenage Kicks

Mabel.

She has turned from a gorgeous little girl, into a feisty, destructive, rioting teenager. As soon as anything upsets her she turns into the bunny equivalent of Violet Elizabeth*; she honks, then thumps. If she were human, she truly would scream and scream and scream until she was sick.

It seems that the time is right to have her done...

Since his orchids were excised, Dijon has calmed down, and his spraying has reduced, though not been completely eliminated. A little more time will tell for certain just how calm he will turn out to be.

*If you don't know who Violet Elizabeth is, she is a character from the Just William Books

Paper!

Where is the wallpaper disappearing to? Small chunks have disappeared, and there are teeth marks in the plaster.

Sure a certain pair of house guests are not abusing the hospitality of the householders...?

Family Jewels

Despite Dijon having had his family jewels removed from the display cabinet, he remains rather frisky and is constantly trying to mount Mabel. Shes far swifter than he, and can avoid his unwanted advances. Alas, this just drives him crazy.

He is also spraying like crazy which, as you can imagine, is most unpleasant. We have managed to capture some video of him spraying, and it will be uploaded as soon as possible.

Fingers crossed that the snip will shortly take effect...

On the topic of jewels, Mabel had a nip at mine tonight (through my pyjamas, I hasten to add!) It was unwarranted. And painful

Beg, Steal, and Burrow...

It has been a sweltering weekend. 30°C in the shade, and not much cooler in the house, but did the bunnies care?

Not a bit! The hot weather gave them the chance to show just how clever they are...

Somehow they managed to detach the bath towel that lines their rather well appointed cage from the rear bars. This allowed them to burrow beneath it, so they spent half of the morning and early afternoon dozing between the cool metal base and the towel. It wasn't easy to make our their forms, but we could just about discern that they were wrapped lovingly around each other in their make-do burrow.

Of course, as soon as the side of their bowel was tapped, they found their way out in no time at all. They are greedy little monsters.

Conkers Clipped

A trip to the vet, and Dijon has had his conkers clipped. The vet discovered, upon closer inspection, he had one massive testicle on one much smaller, fatty ball.

He recovered quickly and was up and hopping within a short time. We're keeping a close eye on him to make sure he's not nibbling at the stitches, bleeding, or  showing any signs of discomfort.

Mabel is looking after him well. Let's hope he cares as much for her when it's her turn on the operating table (in 4 to 6 weeks' time).

Mounting

Mabel's hormones have started to course through her veins.

She has started mounting Dijon.

Mainly his head - he doesn't mind, he thinks she is grooming him. But if she mounts from behind, it terrifies him.

The Great Outdoors

Saturday and Sunday... not too hot, not too sunny, not too window. Perfect conditions for some time outside.

So this weekend the bunnies have spent a fair amount of time in the back garden (in their pen), and they had the most delightful time. Dijon immediately sprayed, scented every blade of grass within reach, and dropped a circle of poos around the litter tray. Mabel was rather more sensible, choosing instead simply to graze and enjoy the great outdoor.

One thing became apparent when the bunnies were enjoying their time in the open air - they really do want to socialise with us. Every time one of us walked close to their pen, they immediately hopped over and followed us about. After a brief 'hello' they hopped off again. What a joy! One of those touching moments that let's you know you're doing the right things, and the bunnies appreciate it!

Big boy

Dijon officially has large testicles.

The vet was impressed.

Spsh

Dijon, there is no need to spray. It's most ungentlemanly.

Nor is there any need to scent your own droppings.

Thump!

The bunnies' cage is lined with a large beach towel. It has lasted a surprisingly long time considering how much it is scrabbled, gnawed, and tugged. Dijon tries hardest to destroy the towel, and although he is strong with supremely sharp teeth, the towel has always got the better of him. The best he can do is detach it from the side of the cage - it's held in place with bulldog clips - slide into the gap that appears, and then have lots of fun roaming between towel and cage bottom. Squeezing him back out is a task and a half.

Mabel disappeared today, giving everyone a bit of a shock... she had found her way between towel and cage bottom. But she is a very svelte bunny, and the shape of her form was barely visible beneath the thick towel. Only the occasional movement gave her away.

Once out (she emerge of her own volition) she took to thumping and scrabbling as an attempt was made to tidy her living quarters. She is a single minded bunny, and when she has her mind made up, nothing will sway her.

In and Out

Apologies for the dearth of updates. It's been a busy week...

Well, the bunnies are continuing to settle in well, and now completely trust their owners. They socialise well, hopping over to whoever enters their play area, no longer giving licks, and no longer becoming overly agitated when a human crawls into the cage to clean it or arrange the towel or litter tray.

Dijon's bites are now playful - they are sharp enough to elicit a yelp, but not so hard as to cause damage (draw blood!). He is happy to hop onto laps, scrabble clothing, and do cheeky bunny things without apprehension.

Mabel asserts herself well, and makes her needs known.

Both bunnies have learned their names and will return home to their cage without fuss when the bells are rung, and called with "Home time."

Well, this morning somehow Mabel broke through the barrier that keeps her and Dijon confined to their permitted play area. The barrier is two chicken wire frames, which allows the bunnies to see what is on the other side. They have shown some interest in the other side, but have never made a serious effort.

But Mabel slipped through. Fortunately, as it was accidental, she was a bit confused, and stood still trying to make sense of what she had done. In that moment of confusion, she was lifted swiftly back to the right side. She has not tried to repeat the escape. Yet.

We are Family

The bunnies are settling.

Dijon will allow himself to be petted, especially by his female owner. Even when out of the cage, he will settle down and have his ears tugged and cheeks massaged, although if Mabel appears to be having fun, he will forgo the petting and try to join in with her.

Mabel, on the other hand, is not one for being stroked. Sometimes, if Dijon is having a particularly long cuddle, she will come and join it, but it is with reluctance, and it never lasts for long. However, she is a great groomer. The moment her male owner lies on the floor, she'll hop over and start groomer him. She is very gentle and caring, and has a very warm tongue.

Of course, when she is grooming, Dijon construes this as having more fun than he, so he will hop over and join in. He is not quite as gentle, and he hasn't quite master the art of teasing hair with he teeth. Rather, he tends to bite a little too hard, resulting in an unexpected haircut for the person he's grooming. He, too, has a warm tongue, but it licks and grooms with far greater force and less consideration than Mabel's.

Toe Whom it may Concern #2

"Dijon has eaten Baby Rosie's toe!" came the squeal this morning.

Dijon has a reputation. He'll never live it down. Even a three-year-old knows Mabel would never do such a thing.

Needles!

The bunnies had a bit of a shock today. It was time for the first visit to the vet for their vaccinations.

When we started keeping bunnies, we chose our original vet very carefully based on a set of questions from the British House-Rabbit Association (now called the Rabbit Welfare Association). For thirteen years we stayed with the practice, but last year the owner sold up, and the new vets just weren't as well versed as the old one. When our last rabbit was in the last few months of her life, the advice we received was imprecise and unsatisfactory. A chance encounter with another vet at a Bank Holiday Charity Fair helped us decide to seek a second opinion, and happily we ended up with a much more rabbit-savvy (and enthusiast) vet just around the corner from us. So that is the vet with whom Dijon and Mabel are registered

Getting the bunnies into the pet carrier was child's play. We simply moved it in front of their cage, and as soon as the door was opened, out they shot, right into it! The carrier is always in their play area, and they are free to enter and leave as they please, so of course, as soon as it was moved out of its normal place, it became an object of fascination, hence the readiness with which the bunnies jumped in.

On this visit to the vet, Dijon and Mabel were given the myxomatosis jab. There was no wait for the appointment; it was straight into the consulting room. The vet decided Dijon should go first, but he was a feisty little chap, and scrabbled her wrist, drawing blood! So, off came the lid to the carrier, and Dijon was lifted out. Mabel was cradled by her female owner.

Having received his jab, the two bunnies were swapped over. It was touching to see that Mabel understands that we care for her, and she tried to escape from the vet to the safety of her female owner's arms...

Once they had returned home, the bunnies were allowed some time out of their cage to play. Dijon was fine about it, but Mabel was still shaken and she just sat in a corner. She was so shocked, she allowed herself to to stroked, which is most unlike her. Usually her ears are out of bounds.!

Hopping Mad

The bunnies have been quite boisterous today, and they are now resting in their cage.

After four weeks with us they are quite settled, and have grown into confident youngsters. Although Mabel appeared quite shy and delicate to begin with, she has developed into a brave and sensible girl, and she is definitely in charge of things. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, Dijon follow. She will accept cuddles, but only when Dijon is close by, and usually only when in the cage.

Dijon remains full of bravado, and gives very little thought to things; he will dive in, when he really ought to be a little more thoughtful. He is very vocal, unlike Mabel, and will scent everything he passes... not just a quick chinning, but a thorough going over. He's also a little liberal with pooping outside of the cage at times, though he's not nearly as bad as when he came to live with us, and most days he manages to control the urge to mark his territory.

Now that they are settled and have a routine, they are a beginning to show a greater interest in their surroundings and what lies beyond the barrier that confines them to the dining area of the living room. They realise that the hatch in the wall leads somewhere, but they don't know where. It doesn't stop them from trying to find out. Tonight, Dijon make several attempts to leap up to the hatch. It's about 3 feet off the ground, but he only managed to jump about a foot. It won't be long until he finds a way to where he wants to go.

Dijon is definitely kissy bun. He won't like anyone, but once he's satisfied that you're worth it, you'll get a lick. Tonight he showed an interest in two of his male owner's fingers - fingers that had Phorpain ( ibuprofen gel) rubbed on them! Mabel showed no such interest, preferring instead to shoot in and out of her cage, and buckaroo from side to side (something that make Dijon spin about and wonder what on earth is going on.)

It's great to see them so settled and well behaved... how long will it last, we wonder?

Toe Whom it may Concern

Our daughter left her doll, Baby Rosie, in the bunnies' area. Nobody thought to move her. And now poor Baby Rosie is missing the big toe on her right foot. Our daughter hasn't noticed, thankfully.

Which of the bunnies has a taste for toes...? Nobody thinks it was Mabel.

A Matter of Trust

We've decided our owners can be completed trusted, and we're actually becoming quite fond of them.Dijon is happy to hop onto them, scrabble their clothes, and give a playful nip. He has also been very affectionate towards our female owner, and has been giving her lots of kisses all day. (I've also been kissing Rosie, the youngest human in the house.)

Mabel dared to give our male owner a groom when he was lying down on the floor. She crept up to him, and began nuzzling through his hair, giving it gently tugs, and then snuffled in his ear. He seemed to enjoy this, so she gave him some kisses. This is most unlike her, as she's not the most affectionate of bunnies. (I am very choosey about who I give my kisses to - they have to be earned, unlike yours, Dijon. You are far too

Fed and Watered

We are now eating adult Burgess Rabbit Excel pellets. Until just a couple of days ago we were having a mix of Adult and Junior pellets. Our owners had been told by a vet that really there is no difference between the two, other than their size... he claimed it was all marketing.

Well, if that's the case, how come Mabel could sniff out the Junior pellets from the Adult? There are still a few straw ones concealed around the care (careless human dropped them everywhere when Mabel headbutted their hands one morning).

So pellets for grown up rabbits for us, together with some carrot tops. Big bushy clumps of greenery. We love that. And apple peel from the apples that have fallen off the tree in the garden. This makes a nice treat for us.

Dijon is proud of himself. He has mastered using the waterbottle. I've been trying to shoe him how to use it for weeks, but he is a slow learner. He is quite a dim rabbit, and allows himself to be stroked when out of the cage. Everybunny knows that out-of-cage time is time investigate and secretly learn about all those places that we shouldn't know about.

Tasty!

Carpet is so tasty. But a little tough.

Apparently we're not supposed to eat it. For goodness' sake, if it's on the ground, then it can be eaten, or at least nibbled and gnawed.

Also, we're not supposed to do poos outside of our cage, and even then we're supposed to do them in the litter tray. How on earth are we supposed to know what belongs to whom?

Dijon has a little trick he plays just to annoy our female owner. He tugs at the carpet, and when reprimanded (our owners thump on the floor - so ineffective!) he drops a poo or two, then skips off. It really hacks them off. Mabel has to learn that trick next, but being a girl, she's too sensible (or stupid, depending on your point of view.)

Fright night

OK, who was it?

Just as we we settling in to our new home, learning the routine, and building confidence, someone decided to change something. Who was it?

Who was it who caused us to have a mild panic when it was time for our nightly outing from the cage? It may have seemed like nothing to whoever it was, but when you're only a small, furry creature, still finding their way about and settling in to a new environment, well, it can could cause a heart attack. And it nearly did.

Mabel spotted it first. She stood under a dining chair, rear feet firmly rooted to the carpet, and stretched out with ears spread wide. It didn't move. Feeling brave, Mabel took a step towards it. It didn't move. Another step. And it did move. Just a little, and almost imperceptibly, but it did move. And so did Mabel - she shot to the other side of the living room.

Dijon decided he would take a look. And the same thing happened.

It was only when our male owner picked it up to show us it was safe, that we calmed down. Someone had put a wet towel over the radiator, apparently. Why would anybody do such a thing. Everyone knows that towels are used to line the flooring of rabbit cages so that we don't slip and slide around and hurt ourselves (they also make excellent bedding, and are great for scrabbling, gnawing holes in, and hiding under.

When we find out who it was, they'd better watch out. Ankles are in serious danger.

Once we know what it was, we settled down, and had a good run around. Dijon was brave enough to stand on his hind legs and pull at a loose thread on the towel. He wasn't so brave when the towel began to slide off the radiator.

He is such a coward. (No I'm not!)