Bunny Stuff

[poliphilo]

Ruth, who has foxes at the bottom of her garden and knows what they smell like, says we've had foxes in out front yard. This might explain why Bunny has stopped sitting in the front window.

She asks if rabbits are as intelligent as cats. Yeah, sure they are; they're just differently adapted. Cats are hunters- big sleep, big meal, big sleep- that's the pattern of their lives. Rabbits are browsers, on the go all the time- nibble, nibble, nibble, nibble, nibble.

Rabbits are endlessly curious. Ours spends must of his time exploring the contours of his world, senses at the stretch- big eyes, big ears, big paws. And we keep things interesting for him by shifting the furniture around and changing the map. I just put a cardboard box down beside his rug and he was straight onto it - sniffing, nibbling, feeling it all over.

He loves that rug. It's a rough-textured, woven, rag rug that Joe brought back from Iraq. He loves its texture. I guess it feels like meadow. He stretches out on it and rolls on his back. If I try to brush it he attacks the broom, grabbing it in his teeth and throwing it aside.

Rabbits have enhanced hearing, but they're selective in what they hear. They don't have voices; that's not the way they communicate; so it's a waste of time talking to them. What they're attuned to is sudden noise. You can go, "nice bun-bun, who's a pretty boy then?" as much as you like and bunny will just stare blankly into the distance, but drop something heavy and he's off.

Comments

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

You know, reading about your rabbit makes me feel rather sad about the one my sister and I had as children. We'd originally had guinea-pigs, which are fantastic little creatures with a great deal of life and personality in them. When my sister's died, though, she decided to get a dwarf rabbit instead. While the remanining guinea-pig (mine) ran around the cage, squeaking with excitement every time we went past or offered it food (as guinea-pigs do), the rabbit just sat there. And sat there. All day, every day. Even when we put the two of them in a larger run on the lawn in the summer, that's still pretty much all it did.

Hearing about what your bunny gets up to makes me think that if ours had had a bigger world to play in, it might have been quite a different animal. A cage or a run was obviously quite enough for a guinea-pig. But maybe our rabbit was just bored.

Well, she has long passed away now, so there's nothing that can be done for her. But while one day I might consider having caged guinea-pigs again, I definitely wouldn't do that to a rabbit now.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We have guinea pigs too- and they're quite happy to stay in their cage. In fact we leave the door open these days, and they make no effort to get out.

And, as you say, they're very noisy. As soon as they hear us getting up in the morning they start telling us they want their breakfast- "Weep,weep, weep, weep, weep!"

I had a bunny when I was a kid- and kept it in a cage- and yes- it was just as passive and static as yours was.

Helas!

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes - of course you do. I remember you introducing us to them at the same time as you introduced your rabbit, now. And yes - that is exactly the noise they make!

[zoe-1418.livejournal.com]

Me, I spell that noise "rheep, rheep, rheep"! But maybe that's the American as opposed to the British guinea pig accent. ;-)

My pig (Teddy) stands up on two legs against the door of his cage and loves to interact with people from there -- he'll even let himself be scratched under the chin and (every now and then) on the tummy. But he doesn't particularly want to come out, and gets all upset when I reach to pick him up. (He's a prey animal, after all -- and even though I've been kindly caring for him for six years, I just MIGHT turn into a predator!)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Our pigs are much less tame than the rabbit. But this may have something to do with there being two of them and only one of him.

But none of them enjoy being picked up.

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

Your bunny is an indoor bunny then? My friend let his have a free reign indoors and tried to get him litter tray trained - without success! I've only ever had guinea pigs indoors. They were sweet and really funny when they heard a carrier bag rustling as they thought they are going to be fed and started with all the "weep weep" shouting.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes, he has the run of the house, though he limits himself to a couple of rooms and the corridor and has never yet got to the top of the stairs. He's pretty well house trained; and if he has a few accidents, well, rabbit pellets are dry and sweep up easily.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Interesting!

Kate had a red rabbit, and it had been in a cage all its life, so when she got it she made it a fence in the grass, and at sunset the fence was done and she let it hop out.

It hopped all night--I kept looking out to watch through my bedroom window.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Rabbits need to hop.

It is cruel to confine them.

Hop, hop, hoppity hop all day long.

And when they're really happy they jump straight up in the air- a manoeuvre known as "binking".

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I heard Kate's rabbit scream once.

It was a high pitched cry.

Maybe a bee stung it--I don't know.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's the only noise rabbits make. And only when they're in extreme distress.