ARG....so I really did break down and get a new bunny...to FOSTER

I'm already losing my heart to her .... I may just ask Art for her for Christmas even though I know I shouldn't.

Anyway - first the backstory..

I went to the feedstore today to get my food. I adore Justin and his wife Heather - and their employees are awesome too. I walk in and Justin and Gabby both say, "Mrs. Flint - don't we owe you a bag of the blue Purina from the last time you were here?"

DUH - I'd forgotten! I'm so pleased that they're honest...

Anyway - they had bunnies so they gave me a marker so we could check their sex and mark in their ears "G" for girl and "B" for boy. I've tried showing them how to do it - but they prefer having me do it. (I do it for free - just cause they're great folks).

In the top cage was one girl and one boy - in the bottom cage was one girl and one boy. The rabbits are probably around 6 weeks old I'm guessing - not the best age - but I've already lectured them several times about taking them younger and they are doing better at not taking them younger than that.

Anyway - Art puts his hand in the bottom cage to grab one of the bunnies and the bunny charges him. Not just once either. Several times. Then it backs into the corner.

Now those of you who are experienced are already going, "female"...right? Cause you'd be right - she's a female and she is obviously cage aggressive.

We go to hold her (once we catch her) and she is trying so hard to get away from us that I'm afraid she's gonna break her back. I mean - we're talking one very angry - very stressed out rabbit. I'm good with rabbits - I'm used to holding them and being the big kahuna bunny...(unless they're my heart bunny like Zeus or Tiny or Miss Bea and can boss me around). But together - Art & I can barely control her. Art keeps saying, "She's ok - I've got her" and she keeps flipping around.

Um....sorry Justin - this bunny is NOT ready to be sold...especially not to a home with children.

Now before some of y'all go off on pet stores and feed stores and stuff like that - we don't have a pet store for 150 miles - we don't have any rabbit shelters or rescues for 150 miles and if someone wants a rabbit - they have to deliberately make a trip to the feed store to get one. So when people come for a rabbit - they're not usually impulse purchases. In addition - Justin and Gabby and the others are great about handing out information I've put together - and Gabby has even talked people out of rabbits if she felt like they would not do right by them.

So Justin and the others are really pretty good about this - for a feed store...and they do want to educate new people and have often called me for tips, etc.

With all that said - I walk into the store and tell Gabby that the rabbit can't be sold. I also tell Justin. I explain how the rabbit is acting and I said, "You can sell the rabbit to an adult who knows how to handle rabbits and can handle an aggressive rabbit...but do NOT sell it to someone who has kids because the rabbit is going to break her back trying to get away and its going to look bad for y'all".

They ask me about how to socialize it - Art says "no we can't"....as I mention maybe we could.

I think he saw something though - when we went to show them how scared the rabbit was (and she charged him some more)....I think he realized that she needed us to help her.

So we have her ... for now.

I just had her on the bed for pictures and went to put her back in her pen and she was horrible - I was afraid she'd hurt herself or me. She is definitely a diva bun largely because of the cage aggression issues and her fear.

I'm currently calling her "Diva" - she reminds me of Miss Bea who would box us when we'd open her cage door at first...and IF I keep her - I may look for a name in Russian or Japanese or something that means "Diva" or something else - I don't know.

Anyway - here are her pictures.

Ali - I almost wanted to call her Samantha - she has your girl's spirit and if you look in her eyes - I think you'll see what I mean. BUT - there was only one Samantha - and I would not want to cause you pain by calling her that and having you read it all the time. But look at her pictures and her eyes and tell me if you see Sam's attitude there somehow - I don't know if it will show in pictures.

Part of me keeps saying, "She's only a foster bunny...you're NOT adding more". I told Art I have the "chestnut curse' because the only color of rabbit I didn't care for at first was chestnut - yet so many of my favorites are ... chestnut.

She looks sweeter in the pictures than she actually is....trust me. She thumped us off like three or four times when put in the pen and then flicked us off too as she ran to the back corner. She growls when you go to touch her too if she's on the bed.

you should keep her... shes a cutie:biggrin2:

Peg is da Rabbit Whisperer.

You'll straighten her out, I'm sure. She'll be a sweetie when you're done!

Oh my - every time we go near her pen - she starts thumping at us. She thumps if we get within 5' or so of her pen.

In addition - she bit Robin. She didn't break skin - but she did bite her (or attempt to as she was trying to take off to land on the floor).

I was telling Robin and Art - she's going to look like Harriet when she's grown - but have the temperament of Minnie (aka "Bun from Hades").

And the most interesting part?

Art doesn't seem to want to take her back....I suspect he wants us to keep her.

(She reminds him of Puck at that age - not that Puck ever charged - but Puck stood in front of the vacuum cleaner and wouldn't let Art clean up his poops and they had a standoff).

I know this is a grave situation, but the look in that bun's eyes makes me giggle a bit. She looks so ticked off in the first and last pic. I've never seen a bun look like that before...

Honestly Peg calling her Samantha is just fine with me. Though I have to say personality sounds like Sam but her attitude in pictures reminds me of Teresa.

OMG she's so cute! <3

You should keep her, psssh foster!

P.S my rabbit's name is Diva XD

Well let's see - what can I say about her?

First of all - I suspect she's staying. You'll understand why in a bit...

When I went near her pen earlier today - she'd thump if I got within 5 feet. When I was getting into the pen next to her - she thumped several times and backed into a corner - ready to charge.

Robin picked her up - but she bit Robin (didn't break skin) while trying to make her way to the floor - the bed - or just somewhere other than with humans.

Then Art decided to work with her. She thumped at him - charged at him - tried to bite him (I think) and just generally made it hard for him to pick her up out of the pen.

I think she's stealing his heart - much like Puck stole his heart. He held her for over half an hour (before letting me know about it) and he sat with her on his chest while he talked to her. As soon as he brought her near the office - she freaked out though. When he went back to his computer in the living room - she was still very nervous - so I got a towel and he covered her with it a bit and let her stay there (I had to run an errand).

I haven't yet asked him how it went....but I suspect she's stealing his heart...

Should I be jealous?

:shock:

I am so jealous of all the slaves with newbunnies coming home for the holidays!!!! I hope she steals his heart forever (but shares him with you, of course!)

Congratulations!!!!

Minda

OMG she's precious! that's the most disapproving look I've ever seen!

Peg, I hope she calms down. I know if she can, she will with you!

:inlove: what a cutie!!

Bo B Bunny wrote:

OMG she's precious! that's the most disapproving look I've ever seen!

Peg, I hope she calms down. I know if she can, she will with you!

Click to expand...

I was going to say the same thingthen I read whatBo wrote

Ultimate and profound disapproval!!!!! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

angieluv wrote:

Bo B Bunny wrote:

OMG she's precious! that's the most disapproving look I've ever seen!

Peg, I hope she calms down. I know if she can, she will with you!

Click to expand...

I was going to say the same thingthen I read whatBo wrote

Ultimate and profound disapproval!!!!! ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Click to expand...

But isn't it just adorable? She would be spoiled rotten here just over the look! LOL!

Oh, that poor terrified baby! I feel so bad for her, just from your description I can just feel how scared and angry she is. You gotta keep her, Peg, who else would be patient and loving enough to show her not all people are scary? She will get better, I'm sure of it.

I really think she's won our hearts with her ornery attitude.

She is so funny - when you pick her up - she wiggles her nose like a mouse when they're running around and exploring things. I mean - her face and nose almost look like a mouse too if you don't see her ears and stuff.

So while Robin had suggested the name "Darling" (ha ha ha - as she is anything but that) - I think we're going to look for different translations for "mouse" in Russian or Japanese or something.

She is just as ornery today as she was yesterday - if not perhaps a bit more so 'cause she's settled in a bit and has more confidence...

nezumi translates to "mouse" or "rat." That's the Japanese Translation.

моусе translates to Mouse in Russian

I vote for Nezumi!


Mouse/rat in spanish is raton, but thats not that unique rofl.

She reminds me of Marielof Redwall (from the Redwall series of books by Brian Jacques).
She was one tough little mouse!

I love MARIEL! that's adorable

TinysMom wrote:

She looks sweeter in the pictures than she actually is....trust me.  She thumped us off like three or four times when put in the pen and then flicked us off too as she ran to the back corner.  She growls when you go to touch her too if she's on the bed.

Click to expand...

She looks cute but to quote the lines from the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"... "that's no ordinary rabbit - look at the bones," "it looks like a harmless little bunny..." LOL!

Glad that this little bun has you to show her how to love. Hope she gets to stay with you.

Denise