Eight is Enough!

[JBun]

Well..... Actually I have 11! But I thought it was a catchy title(for those of you old enough to even recognize the name).

Jeez! I can't believe I'm actually breaking down and starting a bunny blog, but I feel bad posting my pics on Chris and Morgan's blogs all the time, though they are always so nice about it. So here I go.

First I had ONE. Dakota

She was bonded with Baby(#1). I got Baby as a baby(yes, I know... very original ). He was just the cutest fluffiest rabbit ever.

But he was all alone. When Baby was 8 months old I decided I wanted another rabbit and got Dakota. She was 4 months old and a timid pretty white rabbit(oh how things have changed! not very timid anymore!). She and Baby got along really well and had lots of fun together.

But sadly they were only together for about 2 years as Baby got head tilt and didn't survive. So Dakota was on her own for a while, until Flopsy came along.

And now there were TWO.

I never thought Dakota would get along with a different rabbit, as she had become quite the grumpy girl. Being a red eyed white, she didn't have the best eyesight, and started getting nervous about things and would lunge and bite if she wasn't sure about something. Baby was just so sweet and good natured, that he put up with her.

Well, my neighbor got a bunny one fall, and named him Flopsy. He was a very happy and friendly bunny. I would often stop by and give him pets. Whenever I came up to his cage, he would do bunny 500's in it because he was so happy. After about 18 months the kids lost interest(you know how it goes), so I decided to take him in, got him neutered, and bonded him with Dakota. They have been a (mostly) happy couple for the last three and half years.

I say mostly because, as mentioned, Dakota is a BIG grump. But luckily Flopsy is VERY good natured(like Baby) and laid back, and usually just puts up with her behavior. If she gets nippy or boxes him, he'll usually just hop away and leave her alone. Though sometimes he does get fed up with her and will box her back, which then freaks her out and she runs and hides. She has this illusion that she is the 'Top Bun', but Flopsy's really the one in charge, he just lets her think she is most of the time. They actually do get along really well. They remind me of a grumpy old married couple



Part two coming soon.... If I can bear to type it all out!

 

[JBun]

Continued....

About two years ago I was really wanting another rabbit, hopefully one that also liked to snuggle . I started looking around and was really drawn to the dwarf hotot breed. That's how I found Dash.



She was in a cage with two of her siblings. I really was wanting a girl bun and was told Dash was a boy. So I was looking at the other two, but kept feeling drawn back to Dash. She didn't have the dark eye bands that dwarf hotots usually have, and she had blue eyes. But every time I looked at the other two, I ended up coming back to Dash. I just knew that she was the one.

I brought her home that day and soon discovered that 'he' was actually 'she'. Dash was absolutely one of the sweetest and most affectionate rabbits I've ever had. She loved being held, snuggled, and being around people. I fell head over heels for that sweet little girl. Whenever anyone walked by her bunny condo, she ran up and wanted pets and attention. She loved to give bunny kisses, loved people, and wasn't afraid of anything. Unfortunately she was only with me for 3 months when she developed severe GI stasis and died. I was heartbroken, utterly and completely. RIP my lovely little Dash

Her condo was still set up in the living room and I couldn't bear to see it sitting there empty, and that's when Baby(#2) came along. Ok yes, I like the name

And now there were THREE.

Baby was a tiny little bunny that had been weaned far too young when I got her, and wasn't weaned properly. She was sooo small and seemed too skinny. She wouldn't eat pellets or hay and didn't know how to drink from a bottle or dish. But she would eat leafy greens and had been fed them at her previous home. So she got LOTS of leafy greens for her first week with me, unil I could sort out how to get this little bunny eating other foods.

I felt like all I did those first days, was wash and chop up veggies. I was sooo worried about her, but she was doing really well(no mushy poop), put on weight, and was growing. After about 7 days she started nibbling on some pellets and gradually was eating more of them. I was so glad when she was eating a decent portion of pellets and I didn't have to prepare so many veggies for her. But she still wouldn't drink, no matter what I tried. So Flopsy, the most tolerant rabbit I've ever had, and the best 'bunnysitter' there is, became her new BIG brother, to teach her how to be a real bunny

Baby was a little scared of Flopsy at first. She would run up to him then quickly dash away, and he was so big and slow he couldn't get close to her. Not that he would have done anything to harm her. He's such a calm laid back rabbit, and never is bothered by much of anything, including new rabbits being around. Him putting up with Dakota and her moodiness as his 'bunwife', is testiment to how chill he is. Even then, all interaction was extrememly closely supervised by me.

So once Baby realized he was being nice to her and wasn't going to chase or hurt her, she LOVED being with him and was his little shadow.

For a few hours each day I let Baby spend time with Flopsy, with the hope that he would teach her how to drink water. And it worked! After a few days of this I peeked in on them and saw Baby drinking from the water dish.

Baby is now all grown up, and yes, a bit hefty, despite being on a life long diet.

She grew up to be my most snuggly rabbit. She absolutely LOVES to be held and petted, and is just a puddle in my arms. But she is very territorial about her cage, even after being spayed. No matter what I've tried, she just does NOT like me reaching into her area. So.... I keep a thick leather glove handy

Sadly, despite my hope that Baby could be bonded with Dakota and Flopsy, Dakota just isn't tolerant of any other rabbits, besides Flopsy.

Next... part 3

 

[JBun]

Continued....

After Dash, I still had this love for dwarf hotots. That's when I found Zeus.

And now there were FOUR.

Zeus wasn't used to being handled and didn't seem comfortable around people. He was very nervous being in a new home, and would always try and run to the far side of his pen whenever I came near. From the stress of being in a new home, he developed GI stasis and was very sick. He would start to get better then would stop eating again. Thankfully this time I was better prepared to help my bun. After Dash died from stasis, I had learned a lot more about it and what was needed. It took at least two weeks before he stabilized and was eating almost normally. But then a few weeks later he got stasis again. He got it one more time before I figured out that it was the pellets that were making him sick. Once I stopped feeding him pellets, he got better and hasn't had stasis since then.

One good thing came from all of those times Zeus was sick. Because of all of the medicating and hand feeding I had to do, he became very used to me and is now a friendly happy boy that loves his nose rubs. Every time I pass by him, he puts his little paws up on his pen and begs for pets. And of course I have to oblige him

Not long after I got Zeus and he was partially recovered, I found Pip, who is also a dwarf hotot.

And then there were FIVE.



She wasn't quite as nervous, but she too stopped eating after a few days. After my experience with Zeus, I was starting to panic. Luckily with Pip, she didn't develop stasis. I knew at her previous place, that she would get some oats each day, so I gave her a pinch of oats and she gobbled them right up. She started eating her food again and looked forward to that little bit of oats each day. But boy was she a grumpy rabbit. She would grunt and box at me when ever I was trying to clean her cage. I was told that there was a possibility she was pregnant, and then one day she started gathering hay to make a nest. A few days later she started plucking fur and that night, sure enough, there were 5 little babies. (Pic at one week old)

And after giving birth, Pip turned into the sweetest bunny ever. She always will hop up and start licking me and want head rubs in return. I guess being pregnant just made her VERY moody

And now there were TEN(little trouble makers!).

Toby, Bailey, Jake, Libby, and Riley were my new babies. And I have to say that raising baby bunnies can be a lot of fun, but also one of the most stressful things too. After Dash dying, having trouble with Baby when she was young, and Zeus being sick, I worried about those little buns growing up safe and healthy. But they all grew up just fine. They were so funny and cute. I just loved watching them play and having snuggle time with them.

 

[whitelop]

JENNY! I AM SO GLAD YOU STARTED A BLOG! I love love love hearing about your rabbits! I know you have a lot, but I didn't know their stories and it is so good to hear all their stories!
I can't wait to hear the rest of the rest of the buns!

They're so cute, I just love them all already!

 

[Sophie's Humble Servant]

Awww bless!! I love the story so far and the pictures are so cute

 

[Aubrisita]

What gorgeous buns you have! That one picture of the little bunny snuggled up to the big one is seriously adorable. I love reading your blog.

 

[aozora]

Aww, I never realized you have so many rabbits! I sometimes see you mentioning some of them in your posts but I never really knew what they looked like so this is really great. Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[JBun]

Cont.

Toby was a sleeper and snuggler as a tiny baby, but as he got older he became my ADHD bunny, was really wiggly and had lots of energy. Even now he is pretty much the same, always shaking and tossing his toys, and making a ruckus. I sure do miss those snuggling times, but he sure is fun to watch play.

When he slept, he was out for the count.
**NO BUNNIES WERE HARMED IN THE TAKING OF THIS PHOTO**

The biggest thing with Toby is that he's a compulsive groomer..... of other bunnies. He HAS to groom them. Not usually for very long(you know... short attention span and all), and if they won't hold still for him to do it, he'll reach his head over theirs to get them to hold still for him to groom. Though most of the time they're begging for him to groom them. This is the pileup for everyone's turn to get groomed by Toby while out playing in the barn.

Riley is my zoomie bunny. He just loves doing bunny 500's! He'll zoom one way, then zoom back the other way. And just do this over and over. Riley is a very sweet boy, but is also a little timid and seems more cautious at first, than my other babies(who by the way, are all full grown now).



Him and Toby are best buds and will zoom around together. It's so funny to see them zipping back and forth with each other. He also LOVES Toby to groom him.

Jake is my sweet little lover bunny He is so affectionate. Not a big cuddler, though he does love being petted, and loves giving licks. He'll often pop over to say hi and give me a few licks, then be off to play and cause trouble.

Libby is my spunky girl. She's the tiniest of the bunnies. She's under 2 lbs. full grown. Loves to run around, and is VERY fast. When play time is over, she zips away so I can't get her. So I sit and pretend I don't want to get her. Eventually she wanders up to see what I'm doing and... Well, you know what happens. She sees my hand coming and zips away again That little runt has given me the runaround on many occasions. Good thing she's so cute!

 

[JBun]

Thanks guys I've been at this all day and never realized how much work this blog writing stuff takes. My brain is worn out, and I'm not even done yet! I'm either way too slow or I have too many bunnies

 

[whitelop]

My husband is quite smitten with Libby. He said she is the cutest thing ever. LOL

 

[JBun]

Thanks Morgan! After doing this, I sure can better appreciate all the effort you and everyone else, puts into writing in their own blogs.

You have no idea how cute Libby is! She doesn't have the sweetest personality, but she is just so cute and tiny, I can't help but love her
ETA: Something about her spunky and stubborn personality I guess.

 

[aozora]

(Did I miscount or was Bailey left unmentioned? )

I'm always just boggled when I see people with a lot of pets, especially when they look pretty similar/are of the same breed! I mean, how do you tell them all apart? And where do you get all the space to house them in? What sort of housing do you use? Which ones are bonded to one another? How quickly do you tend to go through supplies like litter and hay? I have a ton of questions and I hope you'll indulge me in answering them!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Only 11--we had 18 all at the same time. It was like a full time job. So much easier now that I'm down to 7. They are all so cute. My avatar, Nikki, is the queen of sleeping bunnies.

 

[JBun]

When the babies were old enough, I did find a good home for Bailey where he would be a house bunny, but I just worried so much about my babies going to a good home where they would be loved and well cared for, that I ended up keeping the rest, and also ended up adding Roo to the bunch. So I still stayed at ten buns.



I got Roo from a friend. She was the runt of the litter and so so tiny. She was half the size of her siblings. Roo was so sweet and friendly. She loved being snuggled and petted, and loved having a run around the living room. The funny thing about Roo was(and still is) that she was really good with litter training when out to play(doesn't even hardly leave a poop behind), but never has been good about it in her own pen.

Once Roo reached her 'teenage' years, there went that cute little cuddle bun. Now I had a grunting teenager that detested being picked up, being petted, just pretty much any interaction, so that pretty much put an end to our cuddle sessions No more picking up unless absolutely necessary, head rubs once in a while when she feels like it, and she's still pretty much like this, but she's a sweet bun and loves running around the house. And I still love her.... most of the time Hopefully once I get her spayed she won't be quite so moody anymore (eta 2022: Nope! Even spayed she was a moody bundle of fluff her whole 10 years , but still adorable ).

So I figured at 10 buns I was at my max. Wrong! My neighbor called one day asking if I was missing a rabbit. Apparently there was one running loose in front of our neighborhood(we often get animals dumped where we live). I walked out there and after a bit of searching around, we found this brown and white rabbit near a pine tree. She wouldn't let us get too near, but was obviously not terrified of us. So I blocked her in front and my neighbor came from behind and caught her.

So now I had ELEVEN.



I named her Penny. And she was sooo friendly right from the start. The very first day I let her out to play, she was coming up to me and wanting head rubs, and snuggling up next to me. And Penny is a MASTER at bunny play! She does head binkies, lots of popcorning, quick turns, 180's, and lots of full on binkies. She is an absolute blast to watch! The only problem I had was that she wouldn't eat hay and would only eat fresh grass. So I started to slowly get her onto pellets, and I worked on getting her used to hay by going out and hand cutting LOTS of fresh grass and mixing it with the hay, over the next few weeks of her quarantine, with the hopes that once she was on a regular hay and pellet diet, that I could find a new home for her. You all see how well that went. Yes, I still have Penny. She's just such a lovely bun. She's so friendly. She is my only rabbit that absolutely loves being around me all of the time and will follow me around and lay down by me when she is tired. So Penny is here to stay!

So that's all of them. And absolutely NO room for more

I love all of my furbabies. People ask which bun is my favorite, but they all have something different that I like about them. Each and every one has a unique personality.

 

[Tally943]

Great Blog! I'm just wondering how many cages/ hutches you have and where you put them all? I only have 2 rabbits and they take up a bunch of space!

 

[zombiesue]

I really enjoyed reading this.

 

[JBun]

(Did I miscount or was Bailey left unmentioned? )

I'm always just boggled when I see people with a lot of pets, especially when they look pretty similar/are of the same breed! I mean, how do you tell them all apart? And where do you get all the space to house them in? What sort of housing do you use? Which ones are bonded to one another? How quickly do you tend to go through supplies like litter and hay? I have a ton of questions and I hope you'll indulge me in answering them!

Since Pip was pregnant when I got her and I decided to keep almost all of the babies, having the same breed was unavoidable. Telling them apart is just like with any animal that looks similar to others, you just get to know each individual one and also any slight differences they may have. Though I have to say that as Libby has gotten older, she is getting a little bit more difficult to tell the differences with between her and her mom, though the personality always clues me in. Libby is a bit more willful than her momma

I have a room just for my rabbits, where I keep them all. Dakota and Flopsy are bonded, I'm in the process of bonding another pair(Toby and Riley), would like to bond more of them when I find the right match for them and when I am able to get the rest of them fixed. The bonded pair shares an area, the other buns have their own pens, and they all get playtime.

I figure I use two 40 lb bags of wood pellet litter a month and about a bale of hay for eating, and some in the litter boxes, per month.

I agree Larry, it is like a fulltime job! 11 is hard sometimes, I can only imagine what 18 would be like.

 

[Imbrium]

Man, this blog stuff takes forever!

Part two coming soon.... If I can bear to type it all out!

Lol, it's your own fault for waiting SO long to start a blog - now you've gotta do a ton at once to catch up

She was in a cage with two of her siblings. I really was wanting a girl bun and was told Dash was a boy.

I brought her home that day and soon discovered that 'he' was actually 'she'.

Ah, how the gender-change fairy loves to visit rabbits!

Teeny tiny bunny next to huge bunny is absurdly cute!

Also, Pip's babies were SOOOO cute as kits! (I'm sure they're still adorable, hehe)

I love all of my furbabies. People ask which bun is my favorite, but they all have something different that I like about them. Each and every one has a unique personality.

Yeah, with four gliders and two bunnies, I don't have a true favorite of either - they're each special and endearing in their own ways (even the ones who aren't bonded to me and crab and bite ).

 

[JBun]

Lol, it's your own fault for waiting SO long to start a blog - now you've gotta do a ton at once to catch up

:dunno What, me?
I just kept hoping you all wouldn't care if I invaded your blogs with my pictures.

Teeny tiny bunny next to huge bunny is absurdly cute!

I know! I wish I could have kept those two together, but Dakota would have been really sad. And Flopsy is the only one that would love and tolerate such a grump.

I debated between that pic and this one.



Baby hated the cold cement and was trying to smoosh into Flopsy as much as possible, but wasn't brave enough to just pile on top of him.

Also, Pip's babies were SOOOO cute as kits! (I'm sure they're still adorable, hehe)

Nah, they're not so cute now. JK Most animals are cuter as babies. I think they are designed that way so that we still love them despite all the work that babies require.

 

[whitelop]

That picture is so cute! How much does Flopsy weigh?

I was wondering where Roo was, but then I remember that she isn't one of the babies from Pip. I had to remember that she was an extra! LOL
And I'm in love with Penny! She has lovely markings!

(As I'm typing this, my cat is eating pizza that AJ didn't eat for dinner. LOL)

Makes me want more bunnies!