HolyHandGrenade
Missy
Hello, RO! I figured I'd introduce myself and tell a little of the story of how I arrived at getting a rabbit.
16 years ago, I received a kitten for my birthday. Over the years, she saw me through everything from moving to a new town, graduating high school, moving into my first apartment on my own, and the untimely loss of my other cat (who was 2 years younger than her). Belle was the closest thing I had to a child, though she tended to me as if I was hers at times.
Belle asking to come up on the couch:
Sadly, I had to say goodbye to her in May, just a few months shy of what would have been her 17th birthday. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make...and in her absence, I've felt very lonely and without a purpose. I started looking at other cats, but none tugged at my heartstrings. They were just so disappointingly NOT like Belle at all.
Now, owning a rabbit had crossed my mind before Belle's elderly years. I dabble in knitting and happened to see on a knitting forum that people can spin Angora rabbits' fluff into some pretty awesome yarn, so I started reading about rabbits and it looked like a lot of fun, but I didn't feel I had quite enough space for a cage or the time to dedicate to the constant grooming an Angora would require.
There's a mom-and-pop pet store down the street from me that has had a good reputation for decades, and seems very knowledgeable about the animals they sell. I happened to walk by one day to find a litter of young (about 7 weeks old) Flemish Giants in their window, and was instantly drawn to them.
This shop had previously had two Flemish on the premises last year or the year before (I've been visiting them over 4 years, so it kinda runs together), and one actually belonged to the store and got to free-hop around. I was really impressed with her temperament and of course her size!
My boyfriend captured this picture that day:
We continued our evening walk after I sat and watched them for a good 15 minutes, and I began researching as soon as we got home. A little over a week went by while I asked my friends, read many threads here and a few other rabbit sites, and gathered supplies. Then, on July 15, I brought my new baby home! :biggrin2:
First day: In an exercise pen with clear vinyl for a floor because her crate was still in transit
Second day, a little while after I moved her into her just-arrived crate:
She got the hang of snuggling with her ice bottle a little while later:
Let out into the kitchen for some supervised hopping, with the new pet/baby gate installed. I have to watch her to keep her from trying to sneak through those widely-spaced bars. Cardboard or wire mesh deterrent will be added soon:
I can't believe it looks like she's already grown a significant amount in just a week. I'm so proud of my [big] baby
So far, this past 9 days has been so exciting and fulfilling. I feel so much better having another furbaby to look after. It's so different going from 16 years of having someone always there to interact with throughout the day to just being in an empty home.
Oh, and since I named Belle after my favorite movie at the time, I decided to continue the trend and do the same for my new baby. Her name is Monty Python's Holy Hand Grenade Bunny, Monty for short. Why? Well, I thought it up when I was originally going to choose the one male from the litter (and not because he was larger, but because he had funny ears that he couldn't hold upright, they both laid off to the left), but then fate decided I would get a girl. I kept the name because already people respond with something to the effect of "holy crap, that's a huge rabbit,"
Sorry for all of the pics and long long story. Just wanted to say hello, and thank you for all of the info I've already found here, and all I will surely need as I go along. It seems like you guys are a great community, and I will learn a lot from you
16 years ago, I received a kitten for my birthday. Over the years, she saw me through everything from moving to a new town, graduating high school, moving into my first apartment on my own, and the untimely loss of my other cat (who was 2 years younger than her). Belle was the closest thing I had to a child, though she tended to me as if I was hers at times.
Belle asking to come up on the couch:
Sadly, I had to say goodbye to her in May, just a few months shy of what would have been her 17th birthday. It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make...and in her absence, I've felt very lonely and without a purpose. I started looking at other cats, but none tugged at my heartstrings. They were just so disappointingly NOT like Belle at all.
Now, owning a rabbit had crossed my mind before Belle's elderly years. I dabble in knitting and happened to see on a knitting forum that people can spin Angora rabbits' fluff into some pretty awesome yarn, so I started reading about rabbits and it looked like a lot of fun, but I didn't feel I had quite enough space for a cage or the time to dedicate to the constant grooming an Angora would require.
There's a mom-and-pop pet store down the street from me that has had a good reputation for decades, and seems very knowledgeable about the animals they sell. I happened to walk by one day to find a litter of young (about 7 weeks old) Flemish Giants in their window, and was instantly drawn to them.
This shop had previously had two Flemish on the premises last year or the year before (I've been visiting them over 4 years, so it kinda runs together), and one actually belonged to the store and got to free-hop around. I was really impressed with her temperament and of course her size!
My boyfriend captured this picture that day:
We continued our evening walk after I sat and watched them for a good 15 minutes, and I began researching as soon as we got home. A little over a week went by while I asked my friends, read many threads here and a few other rabbit sites, and gathered supplies. Then, on July 15, I brought my new baby home! :biggrin2:
First day: In an exercise pen with clear vinyl for a floor because her crate was still in transit
Second day, a little while after I moved her into her just-arrived crate:
She got the hang of snuggling with her ice bottle a little while later:
Let out into the kitchen for some supervised hopping, with the new pet/baby gate installed. I have to watch her to keep her from trying to sneak through those widely-spaced bars. Cardboard or wire mesh deterrent will be added soon:
I can't believe it looks like she's already grown a significant amount in just a week. I'm so proud of my [big] baby
So far, this past 9 days has been so exciting and fulfilling. I feel so much better having another furbaby to look after. It's so different going from 16 years of having someone always there to interact with throughout the day to just being in an empty home.
Oh, and since I named Belle after my favorite movie at the time, I decided to continue the trend and do the same for my new baby. Her name is Monty Python's Holy Hand Grenade Bunny, Monty for short. Why? Well, I thought it up when I was originally going to choose the one male from the litter (and not because he was larger, but because he had funny ears that he couldn't hold upright, they both laid off to the left), but then fate decided I would get a girl. I kept the name because already people respond with something to the effect of "holy crap, that's a huge rabbit,"
Sorry for all of the pics and long long story. Just wanted to say hello, and thank you for all of the info I've already found here, and all I will surely need as I go along. It seems like you guys are a great community, and I will learn a lot from you
