Natasha Rabbitova's 2014 Blog

[MikeScone]

I got a new lens for the Nikon - their new 18-300mm zoom - so of course as soon as it came out of the box, I had to try it out on Natasha (and the birds on the feeder, but that's another thread...)

Natasha, just sittin' and thinkin'...

Snacking on the yummy oat hay Dad put in her hay basket...

Natasha and her large friend, Margarine ("Marge" for short)

Completely relaxed, lying in Marge's lap

Marge doesn't stay upright for long. Natasha likes to knock her over so she's more Natasha's height.

As a status report, Natasha's in the middle of her Spring Molt, so she's been very grumpy lately. Her backside looks like a poodle, all poofed out with nearly shed hair. She wants attention and loves petting, but as soon as I start plucking out the shed hair she hops away in indignation. Oh well, it can't last much longer and she'll be back to normal.

 

[pani]

Aw, my favourite picture there is Natasha spread across Marge's lap! How sweet!

 

[Chrisdoc]

Great pics, love seeing Natasha with her stuffie, she does look so relaxed stretching right across, such a lovely shiny coat she has.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Great pics--Bambi, our dark brown mini Rex is on the last stage of her molt and I got to brush some of it last night.

 

[MikeScone]

A few pictures I took of Natasha tonight - playing with a new lens (18-300mm Nikkor) and the external flash I really should use more.

"Dad.. what's with the flashy thing again?"

Natasha's favorite resting spot, right in front of Dad's recliner, where she can keep an eye on Dad... you never know, there could be a treat on offer...

Love that face...

 

[pani]

Beautiful pictures. She's stunning!

 

[Azerane]

She looks like such a character

Forgive me and I mean no offence by this, but is she a little bit chubby, or is that just a rex thing? Or something to do with the way the camera flash reflects off the rex fur? I can't decide. Can't recall ever having seen a rex rabbit in real life, so just don't know much about how they're supposed to look.

 

[Aubrisita]

She is gorgeous, her fur looks so glossy and soft. I have a soft spot for black bunnies.

 

[MikeScone]

Forgive me and I mean no offence by this, but is she a little bit chubby, or is that just a rex thing? Or something to do with the way the camera flash reflects off the rex fur?

She's not overweight. She weighs between 4.5 and 5 pounds, which is just about right. Rex fur stands up, so they naturally seem about 3/4" fluffier in each dimension than they really are.

 

[Azerane]

Ahh, that's what it is, it makes them look more filled out that way Thanks for that. She looks like such a character

 

[MikeScone]

For some reason known only to her, Natasha has developed a taste for wallboard. I'll never understand why rabbits will suddenly become obsessive about something they showed no interest in for years.

I had the house painted this Spring, and everything was fine. Then, within the last week, I caught three spots where Natasha had nibbled the top paper layer of the wallboard off. I repainted them and blocked them off - and last night I caught her making two more. Scone never even looked at the walls, and up until now Natasha's restricted herself to the odd gnawing on the baseboards.

I don't really want to mount some sort of baseboard along the bottom of every wall to completely bunny-proof, but that might be necessary. It's not that she's just bored (although I have to admit I've been more distracted than usual this Spring, so she might be feeling a bit neglected). She's got lots of toys to play with, and I just put out a couple of yellow pages and some lumber strips across corners of her cage to chew on. She's been happily destroying them - but still she comes back to the walls.

Aaargh! Rabbits! She's lucky I love her and have low standards of domesticity...

 

[pani]

Aaargh! Rabbits! She's lucky I love her and have low standards of domesticity...

I know how you feel - my guys started nibbling at a bookcase when I expanded their play area... couldn't figure out an effective way to block it off, so they kept eating until my boyfriend decided they shouldn't get access to that part of the room anymore.

The things we put up with for these guys.

 

[MikeScone]

Here are some new pictures of Natasha Rabbitova, taken tonight as we relaxed after dinner.

Natasha has always been a great hay eater. She loves timothy hay and oat hay, but I keep trying to interest her in more variety. On my way home tonight I picked up a bag of Organic Meadow Hay and put some in her hay box in the living room.

Natasha hadn't been particularly impressed by Meadow Hay in the past, but I've noticed that she's often skeptical of new foods the first time, and will scarf them down the second time - after all, they're not new any more...

"Hmmm... what is this new smell?"

"Not bad, Dad! I think this hay can be officially considered 'yummy'"

Natasha loves to sit between the stretchers of this table, which is next to my recliner. I'll reach down and stroke her head while I'm watching TV or reading, and she just soaks it up. Tonight she melted down and let me pet her for a nearly an hour while I watched an episode of New Tricks.

 

[MikeScone]

I was away for a few days, but Natasha seems to have survived nicely in the hands of her favorite bunny sitter. Here are a few new pictures I took this evening.

Natasha loves her Organic Meadow Hay - all I have to do is say, "yummy hay" and she binkies and runs to her hay box for some more.

She seems very satisfied with herself in this picture.

"This is my good side, Dad..."

Natasha sitting proudly next to her house.

A bunny makes a house a home... with lots of shredded paper and hay everywhere.

After all that, Natasha was ready for a nice long nap. In all the years we were together, I don't ever remember Scone sleeping with his eyes completely closed, but Natasha relaxes completely...

 

[pani]

She's such a beautiful girl. I love that second picture, and the one where she's sleeping!

 

[bunnyman666]

I'm with Pani- the smiley pic and the sleepy pic are my favourites, as well.

 

[BunnySilver]

Yes! The picture of her all wide with that smile is priceless! She looks so happy!

 

[MikeScone]

I took Natasha to the Cornell Clinic Wednesday for her annual checkup and nail trim. She was given a clean bill of health, and was a big hit with the vet and her student. Natasha's weight was 2.1kg, only a few ounces heavier than last year.

I don't think she enjoyed it much, particularly being poked and listened to...

Still, it was over in no time, and we went downtown to spend the rest of the day (and most of the evening) at my office. Everyone had to come in and make a fuss over Natasha, and she got lots of treats. Any time someone stopped in she'd run up to them in hopes of a handout, which was a big hit.

The only problem for the day was having to play "chase the bunny" to get her back into her carry-cage for the ride home. However, by the time we'd been home for half an hour or so Natasha had forgiven me, and was demanding pets while I watched TV.

 

[JBun]

Yeah, she doesn't look particularly pleased with you in that pic, but I'm sure a day of handouts and treats more than made up for it

 

[MikeScone]

She was named the "Daily Bunny" for November 12, 2014..

Here's her page: http://rabbit.org/meet-natasha-rabbitova-and-her-stuffed-bunny-friend-butter/