Lucky Jasmine
 |
Thoughts of Easter conjure spring, new life, and often a desire for change. This desire for novelty often leads to the purchase of cuddly, bright-eyed baby bunnies to decorate children’s Easter baskets. Problems generally ensue. At eight weeks old, the dainty lionhead was so cute. The little girl who saw him exclaimed that the black eye rings and ears made the diminutive bunny look like a panda! And so the rabbit was taken home, a live Easter bunny. By nine weeks old, the rabbit's novelty had worn off. He was no longer showered with attention and had lost his status as darling Easter bunny. When the rabbit was ten weeks old, the young girl's father took over care of the unnamed bunny, but he didn’t know how to interact with an increasingly defensive and frightened rabbit. At twelve weeks old, one down-on-his-luck Easter bunny needed a new home. |
As soon as I saw the lionhead, I was captivated not only by his panda face, but by the black-and-white ruff framing it and the black spots accenting his spine. The father told me what he knew about the bunny’s early life: the mother rabbit had been bred solely for profit; then, as the Easter holiday neared, the tiny littermates — each weighing about half a kilogram — were packed into a box and driven to a town more than 160 kilometres away.
Within days of bringing the new bunny home, the little girl had lost interest, not even bothering to name him. The rabbit was not socialized, received no exercise or play time, and was afraid of the children's noise. He began to grow fearful, grunting and lunging defensively whenever the father tried to tidy the cage. So the cage was not cleaned regularly, and the bunny was never taken out for a cuddle. The high points of his day were the deliveries of food and water.
Luckily, the man realized the rabbit deserved a better life. He talked to a friend, who knew I was looking for a boy bunny as a companion for one of my rabbits.
And that's how Louie came to live with me.
Oh, but he was a shy and scared little thing, hiding deep in his hay nest whenever he saw anyone. I gently held him each day, assuring him that no one would ever harm him. He gradually lost some of his nervousness, becoming a bit braver day by day — enough to start playing with a few toys. And ready for his first trip to the veterinarian.
As recommended in the UK, Louie received the first of two vaccinations against serious disease: myxomatosis. I scheduled the second vaccination for viral hemorrhagic disease (VHD) at two weeks. Louie's trip to the vet’s office had revealed a major surprise: “he” was a she! As a result, I talked to the vet about bringing her back in a few months for a spay. As I took the small rabbit home, I pondered my dilemma. I really wanted a boy bunny and here I had another girl. Well, I loved her and wasn’t going to give her up.
“You're here to stay, Jasmine,” I assured, choosing the name based on her exquisite beauty.
My new family member seemed quite territorial for such a young rabbit, lunging and attempting to bite if my hands got too close to her food bowl. I attributed the behaviour to her frightening start in life. I was happy to see that she loved having the freedom to run around, stopping every now and then to watch the other bunnies.
“I’ll bet you really miss your family.”
I couldn’t help but think of her littermates, knowing that the chances of them each living in a good home were slim. I became more determined than ever to see this little one happy.
Supervised time in the rabbit-safe backyard became her favourite activity. Her confidence grew, as did her inquisitiveness — it seemed she got into everything! Jasmine became a nosey little “helper” when I was gardening, sometimes nudging me as if to move me out of her way. Just as quickly, she would become a whirlwind of energy, racing around the enclosed area and then stopping suddenly to browse on grass. I usually had quite a time corralling her when it was time to return to the house. She was strong-minded and independent, which led to many a chase-and-catch.
I hoped that the spay would mellow her somewhat. Although that wasn't the case, at least she could now be paired with another bunny.
That turned out to be a challenge! Jasmine seemed to dislike every bunny living with me, flattening her ears and trying to bite through the wire separator whenever one of them got too close. It looked as though she was going to be a single rabbit for a long time.
Then I received a call from the vet’s office. Chester, a male dwarf-mix rabbit, had been bitten by his brother and brought in for treatment. He recovered quickly from the surgery, but his person never returned for him and repeated calls to the home went unanswered. When it was clear that the congenial bunny had been abandoned, I was asked if I could provide a home. After meeting Chester my answer had to be “Yes!”
I was delighted to see that he was about the same size as Jasmine. His markings, somewhat similar to hers, were light brown.
“They would make such a cute couple,” I thought. “Now, if only Jasmine will accept him.” I spent the next few days making Chester comfortable in his new home, and he settled in quickly and easily. He was sweet and friendly…and cheeky! That little boy bunny just loved to cause mischief. My wooden garden furniture became patterned with his teeth marks. But even more than chewing, he loved to dig — uprooting newly-planted herbs or pulling out potted plants — earning him the affectionate tag, Diggy.
Whenever Chester happened to meet Jasmine at the fence separating them, I was delighted to see that neither showed any aggression. When the time came to formally introduce them, Jasmine acted a little bossy, but that was it. Within days, they were a bonded couple.
Having a loving partner made a real difference for Jasmine. Whereas the spay hadn’t made any difference in her disposition, becoming part of a rabbit couple did. Chester is outgoing and affectionate; in turn, Jasmine has become more trusting. She now displays the sweet side of her personality, even coming to my lap for petting (though I still have to be on my toes to prevent her becoming territorial).
Chester has been good for Jasmine in other ways too, with an inquisitive nature that more than matches her own. They race around and have a riotous time, with Jasmine closely following Chester everywhere — even to the top of a three-foot concrete retaining wall and down! Every once in a while they have the odd falling out, but they always make up and snuggle close as if to say, “I’m sorry.”
What a pair of happy, lucky rabbits.
This story was written in support of the Make Mine Chocolate!™ campaign and was first published in Issue 8, Spring/Summer 2009, of Bunny Mad (“The magazine for bunny mad people!”), a United Kingdom publication. www.bunnycreations.co.uk. Used with permission.