George & Gracie

[TinysMom]

I really love my feed store guy. He is justawesome....he frequently gives me a discount on items like cages or hayor whatever. At times he's given me new products to try out so I canlet him know about them.

Of course, when I sell a lionhead, I send folks his way for food, water bottle, cages, etc.

Well - he's been after me for several weeks to take a pair ofCalifornians he has. It seems like he bought the winning meat pen atthe local 4H fair. He bid (gasp) - $1000 for it....(3 bucks and a doe)but he figured it would help out with 4H (scholarships maybe? I don'tknow).

Today I went in to buy several cages and he finally twisted my armenough that i went ahead and took them. I think it was partly becauseof Gracie's condition.

You see....I named the "George and Gracie' after the old comediansGeorge Burns and Gracie Allen - but also after the whales in Star TrekIV.

Because...like Gracie in the movie....our Gracie is...

...pregnant...

and she's not just pregnant...

I suspect she's

VERY PREGNANT.

So after I brought them home - I put them together in a cage (till theycould get familiar with things) - I had to wait for Art to get home andmake another cage for one thing.

(They're now separated).

But I thought you might like to meet them.

First of all - Gracie...who wants to have BOTH litterboxes to herself.



Hey...she was wiped out after her trip here...it was all of a 3 mile ride maybe!

Once she discovered she liked the litter boxes - she didn't want to leave very much..







and of course....they had to be visited while they waited to move into quarantine....



Anyway - I thought I'd start a blog for them. So many times - peoplesee the "non-exotic" rabbits and think they might be boring....

From watching these two....they aren't!

Peg

 

[SOOOSKA]

Peg, they are adorable. I look forward to hearing all about them everyday.LOL

Susan:bunnydance:

Oh yes and many more pictures.

 

[cheryl]

Oh my gosh Peg!,they are adorable!,i absolutely LOVECalifornians!

cheryl

 

[TinysMom]

I really know nothing about Californians. I hateto admit this - but after my lionheads and lops and Tiny (flemish) Ium....(don't throw rocks??) .... I really didn't know that they wouldhave as much personality.

I know....I know - that sounds horrible - especially coming fromme...right? I honestly can't believe I thought that as I think back onit. But my lionheads are such hoots....and my lops are so funny...andwell...I just didn't know that George & Gracie would add asmuch joy as they've already added. (Even if it was just in seeing Tinyhave a temper tantrum and hop away and flick me off).

I had several reasons for going ahead and taking them.....a couple of them I'm going to share here.

a. I would still like to put together a program that I couldtake to schools and show kids what different types of rabbits are like.So many folks in this area in particular see all rabbits as "meat"(forgive me for saying that) - that part of me said, "If I can take a'meat pen' type of rabbit and show kids that they havepersonality....it will be a help."

b. I was concerned that if I didn't take them - someone elsemight and they might breed Gracie back to back like many meat producerstoo. She would be continually pregnant and/or nursing.

I have been watching them for weeks - and there have been a few timesI've popped in just to get a couple of items - largely because I wantedto see them again and know if they were still there.

c. I was also concerned that the feed store guy (who wasgetting tired of them taking up space and food) might just give themaway or sell them for...meat.

So....I took them. I'm still sort of in shock that I did it - as is Art...but he is in total agreement with me for taking them.

I'm sort of worried about the two bucks that were left behind - but Ijust can't take them. I tried to talk Art into them - but he was prettyfirm - because we already had to buy cages for George & Gracieand we know she's got more on the way.

I'm really praying someone comes in and adopts them and gives them agood home....its going to be hard once I go in and see them gonebecause I don't know if I want to know where they went...maybe I'drather think they went to a good home?

But George & Gracie do have a good home. They're going to haveside by side hutches in the garage and I hope to have time to play withthem and get to know them better as far as temperament, etc. They sortof remind me of Tiny...just sort of lazy - slightly curious - but likethe battery is on half-charge or something.

If you know more about Californians - could you share about them here?

I'm really hoping that folks will follow George & Gracie's blogand when they go to adopt form a shelter next time - they'll be willingto consider getting a less exotic rabbit like a Californian or NewZealand, etc.

Peg

P.S. I wanted to add that when I was a kid - I hadFlorida Whites and they were so gentle. My first rabbit would lay in myarms and take naps with me (or my dad). My lionheads will only do thatif they're sick - otherwise...they want to PLAY...

cheryl13 wrote:

Oh my gosh Peg!,they are adorable!,i absolutely LOVECalifornians!

cheryl

 

[naturestee]

Did someone say meat bunny? We are anything but boring!

Those Californians are gorgeous! Are you keeping them?

I don't think I know anybody with one, but have you seen thissite? It's what convinced me that New Zealands are awesome,back when I got my first rabbit.

http://baerana.com/nibbler/

 

[TinysMom]

Yes, I am keeping them.....DEFINITELY.

What a great site - I'll have to look at it more later.

Oberon was part of the reason I decided to go ahead and get them too....he has such personality.

I've really spent weeks going back and forth on this - even beforeGingerSpice passed I was thinking about them and going, "no..no morebig bunnies....Tiny is enough"..

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

I wanted to add something here...

When I went in to pick up George & Gracie (I'd called the guyto tell him I would take them and be right in)... he was like, "Now becareful....they're going tear you up and bite you or kick you."

So he would get one out of the cage and hand it to me - and it wouldsnuggle into me and not fight at all (even when he was checking to makesure I was getting the right pair). In fact, George looked me in theface and I swore he was saying, "Are you rescuing me?"

Gracie wasn't as thrilled about being handled (but hey - she'spregnant). Still yet - she never kicked or bit me - the guy was inshock. He was like, "They fight everyone else.."

I told him - "They won't fight me."

I was right.

I really think animals know when they are going to a "safe" person. Art& I handled them a bit last night and while they were nervous -we were very gentle with them and they accepted the handling. I'm aboutto go take Gracie out of her cage later today and see if she'll snoozeon the couch with me for a bit...

Anyway - I'm really looking forward to getting to know these twobetter. George loves his new black litter box in his black cage...buthe continually sits with his nose stuck out through the bars of thedoor (its one of the smaller dog kennels....). He will be getting abigger cage - we just have to get them built.

Peg

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

That's great Peg. I'm glad you were able to rescue these two. I can't wait to hear all about them!

 

[Haley]

Wow, I missed all this!

They are so adorable. Im so happy you brought them home. Ihave to say, Ive never really liked the look of Californians, but theysure are beautiful once you get to know them. We have some at theshelter who are absolute snuggle buns. They let you hold them on theirbacks forever!

Cant wait to see more pics! How soon is she due?

 

[TinysMom]

I have absolutely no idea when she is due - andI find myself wondering if she was just a little piggie and eating allthe food (boy does she love to eat).

I just moved her into the rabbitry tonight. She was living in thedining room in a cage on the floor and Tiny was jealous and Miss Beawas having fits at having another woman that 'her buck' was interestedin (even if it was jealousy). Since I've been ivomecing everyone thisweek anyway and doing my health preventitive stuff...it seemed like agood time to move her in.

I can't get over how soft her fur is. Its definitely softer than Tiny's and I'm just not used to short-haired rabbits.

George is a hoot - I really need to spend more time with him without Tiny knowing it.

My hope is to put them side by side in their cages in the garage eventually when I get more of the rabbits moved out there.

Someday...

Anyway - it hit me today that Gracie has been here a week - well - both George and Gracie.

WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

I'll try to update in the next few days with more photos..

Peg

 

[katt]

we had a californian pass though our bunny barnwhen i bred. . . she was classically named california (we called hercali). . .what a cute rabbit. . .

i personally love the coloring of californians, but i also like REWrabbits. . .so get those ruby eyes and some spots of color and i am allfor it!

they are totally adorable. . .and their markings appear SO dark (werethey kept outside or in an unheated barn? if they live inside now,expect their color points to lighten up as they molt out this spring)

so cute. . .

 

[SOOOSKA]

How's George and Gracie doing? Looking forward to more pictures of those two cuties.

Susan and the Gang:bunnydance::apollo::bunny19:bunnyheart