Another one over.

Well, Christmas is over and I haven't put on a gram in weight so why is the family huffing and puffing around the place? All of a sudden my vegetables have become very popular and they are eating my salady stuff as well .My herbs and celery sticks are on their plates as well as their own food. The only thing I ever beg from them is the odd crunchy nut cornflake. Oh and a cream cracker. Oh and maybe a smidgeon of rich tea biscuit. Oh and definitely Banana. Well, it's good to share.
I tried the snow! Fantastic stuff. If you try to eat it, it disappears as you go along. I was like a little black snow plough but they were too busy giving my special sultanas to the birds who gobble them up with one swallow instead of nibbling and savouring the way I do. Guess what I got from Santa? A big bag of my favourite mixed cereal.It's in the sitting room so I can duck my head inside and nibble while I pop out again to watch TV.

I wish all the rabbits in the world could have had a Christmas like mine.

Vertically challenged?

How could they get it so wrong? Call themselves experienced rabbit owners? Pooh! They now tell me I'm not what I thought I was. I'm not a dwarf lop after all. I'm a mini lop. Is that bigger or smaller?

Oh dear I feel so insecure.

It's all to do with my weight. Dwarf lops are heavier than mini lops. I'm only 1.5 kilos and that is mini weight. On top of this news, my vet thinks my face should be a bit more pointed as a mini lop and my beautiful visage is as flat as a pancake! What terrible mix up. Am I just a mongrel?Oh, dear, I'm so confused. I don't know what to do. Should I get a second opinion do you think? Maybe Harley Street? Can I afford it with Christmas just round the corner? Oh, well. Who cares. It's banana time. They love me after all! They don't mind if I never win a beauty contest. They still think I'm the most precious thing in their lives! And I am!!Life is so.o.o.o good so I'm off to deck the halls.

Roger Rabbit

Vets again today. Every six months I go to the vet for my Myxie jab and every time I grumble about the same thing. The dreaded scope. I hate the thing in my mouth. Vaccination fine, bottom shave fine, weigh in fine, tummy squidge fine but the teeth. NO.But I'm never going to grumble again because today I met Roger. Roger is deaf and he has had a stroke. Now he has a sore eye where they think some hay dust or maybe a piece of sharp hay has scratched it.
Yet Roger is a lucky bun because his human mum loves him very, very much. He loves to be nursed and cuddled as often as possible. He lies blissfully on his mum's knee and will probably be able to feel her heart beating and the vibrations of her voice when she talks to him. He has his own duvet next to a heater so is always warm and cosy in this weather.
I thank the Great White Rabbit in the sky for my health and happiness.

Tittle Tattle

I have a new bed. It's for cats really and it's made of special stuff so they can't scratch it to pieces. Works for me too. I can scrabble all day and try to pull it with my teeth but it stays the same. Word was that I wouldn't go near it for weeks until I got used to it but I fooled them all by diving straight for it and settling in. Mmmm, it's perfect for winter snoozes. So snuggly. Someone keeps trying to cover it with one of my cuddle towels to keep it clean but I soon toss that out of the way. Well, black on white looks so classy don't you think? These two buns here belong to my friend Edward. Their names are Spike and Poppy and I hear they quite like to look after Ed. When he learns to crawl they won't be so happy you mark my words. Once he can reach them and pull their fur they'll hop it pretty smartish. They were there first so I know they are the bosses. They have a fantastic hutch to run to for peace and quiet if they choose.
The hay in my play bag is going down and I have to put my head all the way in to get to the best bits. What's so funny about my splendid bottom sticking out while I scrabble? Oh, well, if it gives them some pleasure to laugh at me let them get on with it.

Harve, we are waiting for a new huge bag to arrive. Be patient.

Another good idea.

One thing this old bun has learned is that if you want to train your humans you have to change your mind set. Forget about being a lagamorph. For a house rabbit like me, stamping is no longer a sign for danger as with my cousins in the wild. No, foot stamping is for getting immediate attention. It now means Pronto, Subito, Imediatement and other foreign words of that ilk.

Last night, when I had nothing better to do, I decided it was bedtime for the old folk so I shot upstairs into their bedroom. Usually I potter along to mine for a bit of peace but this time I had something on my mind. I gave a couple of heavy stamps on the floor above them as only a rabbit can and waited. As sure as eggs are eggs up came my human mum. Right on cue. I stared very hard at her until she got the message and lay down on the bed. Good girl! Then I ran over and flopped out by her side for the night. Done!That was the successful part. Suddenly, not at all according to my plan and just as I had closed my eyes, she got up grabbed me and carried me downstairs. Not so good but an achievement in part for rabbit kind. I wonder where I went wrong.

I'm running out of training ideas. Any new ones will be gratefully received. Something to encourage a constant supply of juicy raisins would be good.

Harve's complete faith and conviction that I will understand his wishes is quite astounding. Staring at closed doors, sitting with his front paws in his empty food bowl, waiting patiently at the foot of the stairs until the rug he uses for take off is put in place, pushing his face into my hand so I will cuddle his head and stamping for immediate attention whether it be for banana, which he can smell at a hundred paces or his running entrance into a room to tell us he has arrived. Why do I still find it so strange after eight years?

A family friend refers to him as The Cog. A combination of a cat and a dog. He encompasses the habits of both of these with a little more intelligence.

People still keep these wonderful companions in hutches.

Superbun.

I'm going to enter the fire tong throwing section of the Olympic Games. Nobody will believe a small ball of powderpuff, black fluff like me can toss heavy, sooty, fire tongs. It's best to do it across the cream carpet so they can easily check the distance because there's a black mark where they land. I bet I win the feather weight class.
My carpet fringe has disappeared. It's been tucked under so I can't tug and chew it so I have to do something. Tong throwing seems a good way to strengthen my neck muscles. Nobody here seemed very impressed but they didn't take the tongs away until my second throw. I don't think they believed it the first time.

This is Edward. He came especially to see me today but I kept my distance. He kept waving his arms about because he is only five months old. I wasn't quite sure whether he could reach me or not so I kept the chair between us although I did go over to sniff him once. He was quite nice for a human kitten but he couldn't binkie. I could at that age.

Campaigning Day.

I had to look after things at home again today while the other two helped out at The Rabbit Welfare Association stand at the Veterinary Nurses Conference.

We are desperately trying to get people to join so they can spread the word about so many important things people should know about rabbits. If you join you get four fabulous magazines a year and all the information you need to know about bunnies in the house and in the garden. The main problem is the size of hutches. People put their rabbits in hutches that are far too small for us. We need a house which is at least 6 feet by 2 feet by two feet. Then of course we like a run so we can binkie and improve on our running speed. I'm the best speed runner in the world but I get plenty of practise in this house. Well, I could miss something exciting if I were too slow.

I heard that in Germany there is already a law to make sure hutches are big enough. Maybe in Holland too but I am waiting to find out about that from a Dutch friend.

If you join the Rabbit Welfare Association there is a helpline in case you want to ask questions.

Anne Mitchell came home to see me afterwards. That's Anne in the middle of the picture. Now, Anne thinks all bunnies should live in pairs but my brother didn't like me very much so we had to be separated. I did my bit to charm her, jumped up beside her on the sofa, chewed at the carpet fringe while J tried to stop me while I ducked and dived, dashed about to show how fit I am and so on. I was so proud when she said what a wonderful life I have. Well, I sorted that out myself with my training sessions for people. Quite easy if you persevere. None of those hutches for me thank you. Not of any size or shape.