The Pyramid and the Sphinx

Flanking the great pyramids of Egypt are the mighty sphinx statues. For years archeologists pondered the meaning of these stone creatures:- Are they guardians to the tombs of revered leaders? Do they represent some ancient gods long forgotten? Or perhaps, was it just that the architect who came up with the design had a pet bunny with no front teeth?

"Oh mighty tin pyramid that dost bestow upon me the gift of tasty grated carrot, bring forth your great bounty that you might be worshipped."

Phases

Whisky's little habits seem to go in phases, especially the place he chooses to take his daytime naps. He'll have a few weeks always sleeping in front of the window in his room, then for a few days he'll want to nap in the lounge, occasionally it's in the hallway. Wherever it is, for the duration of that phase it is always the exact same spot every day. So when I can't find Whisky in the afternoon, I generally only have a few places to check. Yesterday he started back in this phase:

"Call this bedding? There's no hay and it doesn't even have litter material under it. Speaking of which, erm... you may need to put these sheets back in the machine after I'm done..."

Disapproving Sunday Slumber

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. A Sunday lie-in is only an option for ME."

The Cone

"Is it a delicious carrot? No. It is not a delicious carrot.
Is it some tasty greens? No. It is not some tasty greens.
Is it some parsley? No. It is most definitely not some nice fragrant parsley.

Do feel free to stop me when you see where I'm going with this, or we WILL be here all day.

Is it..."

Day Six Highlights

As the London 2012 Bunnolympics continues, yesterday saw a tremendously riveting match as two British contenders met in the final of the tug-o'-snacks. We take you back now to those tense last moments of the match...

We see a strong play here as the final whistle approaches...

...but there's a surprise last minute interception...

...could go either way at this point...

...but in the end there can be only one winner.

Unfortunately, since Flipper and his sister Fancy look pretty much identical, we are not entirely sure which one that was.

Fixing a Hole

Some weeks back, I realised we had gotten to a stage where there was no part of the ground in Jemima and Elvis' run that had not at some point been dug under to be part of their underground warren. It had been dug and filled so many times it was no longer safe to walk on for anyone heavier than Jemima (and sometimes not even her). Feet would suddenly drop into the earth and disappear.

So I dug the whole thing over and re-turfed it, giving them a nice flat and stable surface to run about on and of course eat. They've had a good few weeks of this but it was only a matter of time before they moved on. I went out to feed them dinner last night and discovered this.

I asked them what they had planned for their next secret lair, but they were tight lipped. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what adventurous constructions they come up with this time, but "forewarned is forearmed" as they say - at least now I know I need to allow another 20 minutes before their next vet visit for "bunny extraction time".

"Quick, act natural. Operation Hideaway is go - he's fallen for the decoy tunnel already!"

200th Post

Well according to Blogger this is our 200th post, so I thought I'd better give you something a bit different. With that in mind, today I am going to share with you some very special memories of mine from September 2010!!! (OK, that seems a bit random, but bear with me.)

You see, Whisky was not the first big-eared fluffster to live in the room that is now his. The first occupants, of the lagomorph variety anyway, were a set of fosters made up mostly of teeny balls of fluff.

When Mindy gave birth to a second litter at the Rescue just a few weeks after she arrived, Caroline asked me to take care of her first litter until they were ready to be rehomed. The Rescue was already beyond full, Mindy being part of a very large emergency intake of bunnies that summer, and she needed the space.

So into the second bedroom in my house they went:- Google, Shandy, Mohito, Bing and Badger. 5 girls, 5 weeks old, all adorable. They spent the first week or so adjusting to their new environment together in a single cage (they were pretty small at the time), but when they were big and brave enough I started letting them out to play. That's pretty much the day the peace in my house ended and the chaos began...

"Oh hello. We can come out now, right?"

"Bleurgh! These floors aren't grass!!!"

"We're allowed in here too, right?"

"Woo-hoo!!!!"

"I claim this tub of snacks for all bunny kind. Well, for me anyway."

"There's snacks in here too, right? Yeah, they're mine now."

"And we claim this human to do all our bidding from this day forth."

If you are not squeeing with delight by now (I know I was constantly those first few weeks), you're probably on the wrong blog! So anyway, very, very cute, but it gets more special. You see, even before Google, Shandy, Mohito, Bing and Badger arrived, I had an even more precious guest already living with me. Here she is - Twiggy the Hare.

Yes that's right, hare. She was handed in to the Rescue as a stray baby bunny and passed to me to look after, but it soon became clear that something was different. Her behaviour, her reaction to other rabbits, the tremendous growth rate (especially the way her legs seemed to grow faster than the rest of her!).

A little research and some communication with the Hare Preservation Trust(HPT) led us to conclude she was indeed not a rabbit but a rare albino hare. Being wild she was naturally very scared of her captivity and any time I was nearby she would either hide away in her little house...

...or go and sit behind the furniture until I left the room. When left alone she would literally run up the walls trying to find a way out, which was very distressing for both of us. My research had indicated that it is not uncommon for young hares in captivity to become unwell from the stress and even die, so we decided the best thing for her was to find a way to release her back into the wild. HPT directed us to Tiggywinkles wildlife hospital who have a programme of releasing wild animals into natural controlled environments.

They were a bit reluctant to take Twiggy in at first. When Caroline and I arrived with her the conversation went something like this:

RECEPTIONIST:That's a domestic rabbit. We don't take domestic rabbits.
US:We are a rabbit rescue. We know rabbits. This is not one.
RECEPTIONIST:I'll get the vet nurse.
VET NURSE:That's a domestic rabbit. We don't take domestic rabbits.
US: We're pretty sure it's a hare.
VET NURSE:I'll get the vet.
VET:That's a rabbit. She's too small to be a hare.
US: She's a baby. Last week she was even smaller. Next week she'll be much bigger. Besides, HPT told us she is definitely a hare. If anyone knows what a hare looks like...
VET: I'll get the boss.
BOSS: OK we'll take her I guess.
VET: [picks up Twiggy - her huge long legs drop out from underneath her] Er, yeah, OK I see your point. I'll take her out the back and put her in a shed.

So, as far as it could, the story had a happy ending with Twiggy being released after a short stay at Tiggywinkles as well. And of course some months later, my other guests all returned to the Rescue to find themselves husbuns and new homes.

Well that's the story of the little furry friends that got to use Whisky's room before him! I hope you enjoyed reading about it and I look forward to sharing the next 200 tales with you on this blog!