Peg's Lionhead thread / babies/ moms & more

[tundrakatiebean]

that's a cool thing to do! definately a good way to get a first draft going

 

[maherwoman]

That second buck you posted reminds me of Harley (that shock of fawn on his face).

And, I love hearing about what your subsequent books will be about! And to have Drew in the book..that'd be SUCH a HUGE honor!!

I'm so eager!!!

 

[JadeIcing]

:biggrin2:I am doing it to Peg!

 

[undergunfire]

I have met Triad, and I do have to say....he is quite the ladies man. He is a spunky little guy...and so gorgeous.


Oh, and that blue harlequin at BCF has.....EARS! Holy Cow!

 

[TinysMom]

Triad is even more spunky now that he has a girl on either side of him....he'll run from side to side sometimes talking to one and then going to talk to the other one. Angela is still his main squeeze but the other girl (one of the older broken does) loves to sleep in her cage as close to him as possible...

And that blue harlequin - you're right...you learned a lot probably from seeing all of my donkey-eared bunnies.

Peg

undergunfire wrote:

I have met Triad, and I do have to say....he is quite the ladies man. He is a spunky little guy...and so gorgeous.


Oh, and that blue harlequin at BCF has.....EARS! Holy Cow!

 

[TinysMom]

AWESOME! Are you excited to start this week?

For those who don't know - NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write a novel of 50,000 words (or more) during the month of November. You can do anything before Nov. 1st on the novel - except actually write it. For example...you can outline chapters or list them....list information about your characters...think of major plot twists, etc.

But you can not start writing the novel till 12:01 am (local time) on November 1st.

I may try to do a weekly word count in here to let folks know how it is going.

Peg

JadeIcing wrote:

:biggrin2:I am doing it to Peg!

 

[TinysMom]

I forgot to add that Robin's doing NaNo this year too - only she's probably going to do a series of short things (like an anthology) - a different topic every day...

She says she's not been overly thinking about it - so she'll probably need me to remind her for a bit to get started every day.

Me? I laid in bed this morning daydreaming about the first chapter (and additional scenes)....I can so hardly wait to get started...especially the first chapter. I'm just dying to write it and post it here...even though it will have NOTHING to do with rabbits..

Peg

 

[maherwoman]

YES!! PLEASE post your novel as you're writing it...I'm DYING to read it!

Maybe I'll do the next one...I LOVE writing, but just haven't had the heart to write again after a novel of mine got lost in a computer crash (it was 15yrs ago, but I really loved that novel...)

Any recommendations on how to get over something like that?

 

[TinysMom]

Some of you may remember that we adopted a kitty on 7/19 and Robin named her Faith. I was updating some of her photos in photobucket and thought I'd share them with you...

What do you mean I'm not a bunny?



There's still room for me in the cage...


Aw...come on...let me play with the bunnies...I'll be good...


I'm gonna sneak back in and play with the bunnies when mom's not looking


What do you mean - where am I going?


A tisket....a tasket...a kitty in a basket..


Ok - so a gal has to have some variety in her sleeping places...


I'm insulting you bunny....I hope you know that. You don't scare me a bit.


What mom?


And now for a new version of "Cat and Mouse"









Peg

P.S. The weanling girls had 2 cages (one had a ramp they could climb up) and a play area....they loved to spend most of their time in the cages even though they had the play area....unfortunately, Faith also liked to hang out with them. She likes to go in the rabbitry and sleep with the rabbits too. Sometimes I wonder if she's having identity issues...

 

[TinysMom]

Speaking of identity crisis....




We always used to call her "Bunny Butt" but I think she took it too literally...

 

[TinysMom]

Finally - a face shot of Mitzi and two pics of Sam....Robin took the pics of him...








Peg

P.S. To our knowledge -since Sam is neutered..he is NO relation to Faith...

 

[maherwoman]

Aww...Mitzi is SO beautiful...her colors remind me of Harley bun, hehe!

Give Faithy and Mitzi kisses and lots of rubs from me!

I may have four times the buns than kitties...but I DO love kitties, and certainly have more knowledge of them than buns...although, I think that's changing...I've noticed that I have gleened a lot of knowledge from a certain beloved forum...ahem ahem.

Anyway, yeah, I would've thought Sam was related to Faith...interesting! They're both gorgeous.

I loved seeing the pics of the weanlings...I see a bun in there that looks a LOT like Lily...

 

[polly]

I love the markings on the third one its gorgeous and wow i can't believe how much that little kitten has grown

Thanks Alicia

I want to see the stories too Peg i have heard you talk about them did you post the first one before i joined?

 

[JadeIcing]

Can't wait!

TinysMom wrote:

AWESOME! Are you excited to start this week?

For those who don't know - NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and the goal is to write a novel of 50,000 words (or more) during the month of November. You can do anything before Nov. 1st on the novel - except actually write it. For example...you can outline chapters or list them....list information about your characters...think of major plot twists, etc.

But you can not start writing the novel till 12:01 am (local time) on November 1st.

I may try to do a weekly word count in here to let folks know how it is going.

Peg

JadeIcing wrote:

:biggrin2:I am doing it to Peg!

 

[TinysMom]

I think I posted some of the stories in one of the blogs - let me look...

Peg

polly wrote:

I want to see the stories too Peg i have heard you talk about them did you post the first one before i joined?

 

[TinysMom]

I'm only sharing the "rabbit" portions - some of them ... here. The book is really much longer. I posted some of it in Tiny's blog last year (which is in the Bunny Chat area).

This is when Kate goes to the shelter to adopt a cat...but comes home with...TINY..

~~~~

Piles of boxes surrounded Stan as he studied the living room. How did he get here? He remembered coming home for two weeks. Several days Ben & Stan went fishing and talked about the last few years. Somehow, Stan was mesmerized by the fresh air and sunshine. The peace and quiet allowed him to think and to dream again. He felt inspired to paint. Perhaps it was due to the springtime or the lack of fog, but colors were so much more vivid in New England. It even felt refreshing when it rained. When Ben asked him to manage their bookstore in Salem, Stan jumped at the excuse to return.
Ben found him a house to rent, while Stan rushed back to California to give his notice and pack for his return home. Home…that sounded good. Was it possible he had really returned home to New England? How could he have made such a drastic decision in such a short period of time? Maybe he was dreaming. But no, the stacks of boxes reminded him that he had indeed moved to Salem, New Hampshire.
There were times when the silence was deafening. Stan was glad to live in a quiet neighborhood, but he was used to noises from neighbors in adjoining apartments. Until today, he hadn’t realized how much he missed the sound of traffic outside his window and the occasional party next door..
Stan discovered music from radio helped fill the void while he unpacked. It really didn’t take him long to empty the majority of the boxes. Dishes filed the cabinets and clothes were hung up within an hour. He skipped the boxes of books and videos to get to his most valuable possessions…his paints and pictures. Once they were unpacked, the house started to look like a home.
But it still felt empty…and he still felt alone. He remembered his picture of the two boys fishing with Buddy, the golden retriever. Memories of the hours he spent with Buddy filled his mind and suddenly he realized what he needed to fill the house with life. He needed a dog!
He checked the clock and the phone book. The animal shelter was still open. It was a good thing because it meant he wouldn’t have to spend another night alone in this house.




Kate wandered through the house and looked for something to do. She was all caught up on her paperwork. Her shops were already scheduled out for the next two weeks. Her laundry was done. She organized her cabinets last weekend and her grocery shopping was done. It didn’t take long to shop for one person.
She thought briefly about how she could start redecorating the house on the weekends. It was her grandmother’s house and she had left it exactly the way it was when she grew up here. But why should she replace things when they worked fine. So what if the kitchen appliances were mustard colored? They matched the colors in the wallpaper.
Unless she had paperwork to catch up on, Saturdays were just hard for her because she was lonely. Last winter she spent Saturdays curled up in front of the fireplace with Punky, her grandmother’s cat. She’d try to read while Punky tried to lay on her book and get her attention. But Punky passed away two months ago in his sleep. She supposed it had been time for he was 18 years old. But still yet, she missed him.
Maybe it was time to get a new cat? She had been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now and as she thought about the boring afternoon that lay ahead of her, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to visit the new shelter for pets. It was a no-kill shelter and she’d heard a woman in a store this weekend saying that they were full of animals and couldn’t take any more.
Yes, a cat was just what she needed.

CHAPTER THREE

Kate walked into the shelter and was overcome by the smell. Yes, this was definitely a place where animals lived. Still yet, she would be able to get a cat or maybe a kitten and give it a good home. Perhaps she’d find an older cat no one else wanted. Then again, a kitten would be fun too. Either way, she wasn’t going home without a cat and she had Punky’s cat carrier with her.
A young woman approached her with a smile. “Hi, I’m Abby. It looks like you came prepared to adopt someone. Can I help you?”
Kate smiled, “Yes, thanks. I want to adopt a cat. My cat died two months ago and I’m very lonely.”
Abby beckoned to a door and said, “Right this way. We keep the cats and other small animals on this side of the building so they aren’t bothered by dogs.”
The women chatted as they walked through the door. Kate explained how Punky had passed away in his sleep and Abby expressed her sympathies. They talked about Punky’s personality and relationship with Kate as Abby tried to get a sense of what Kate was looking for in a pet.
Kate was shocked when they walked into the pet room. They were surrounded by cages on three sides. The animals were stacked three and four high. Some of them ducked to the back of the cage when they heard people enter – while others raced to the door for pets and possibly a treat.
There were cats of all colors and sizes. Black cats, calico cats, brown cats and more. There were Maine Coon Cats, tabby cats and even a litter of Manx. How was she going to decide? She almost wanted them all.
As she wandered around the room, a tall black pile of fur in the largest cage stood and stretched. She looked at those ears as they stood tall. This was no cat. It looked like a rabbit but it was the size of a monster. She backed away from the cage.
Watching her reaction, Abby laughed and said, “Don’t mind him. That’s Tiny.”
“Tiny? He must weigh 25 pounds!”
“Actually, he weighed 17 pounds when he came in here three weeks ago but he’s down to a little over 14 pounds. His owner passed away and he’s still grieving for her. He will eat and drink some but he’s very unhappy.”
Hearing his name, Tiny stood and pressed himself against the door with all of his weight. Kate backed away a couple more steps. Still yet, she found him fascinating.
Abby had a keen awareness about people and she sensed that Kate might be the right owner for Tiny. Tiny had not acted this lively since he came in and he really seemed to be fascinated by Kate’s voice. Perhaps she reminded him of his former owner. Abby had to find a way for the two to interact.
“Would you like to meet Tiny? He’s a flemish giant and he’s very gentle. In fact, this breed of rabbit is bred specifically for their gentleness.”
“Will he bite me?”
“ He’s really very gentle. He’s actually pretty affectionate and tame for a rabbit too. Why don’t you let me bring him out of the cage. He’s too big for the playpen, so I’ll just shut the door and let him run around the room so you can see him.”
Kate hesitantly agreed. She had always wanted a rabbit but a little rabbit, not some monster rabbit. Still yet, his eyes seemed to plead with her to at least give him a chance to get to meet her.
Abby opened the cage and Tiny sniffed the door and then bounded out onto the floor. He hopped around the room for a moment or two and sniffed their feet and then rubbed his chin on his cage. Abby explained that he was marking his cage with his scent so others would know it was his.
“Come, sit on the floor with Tiny. I have a few yogurt chips you can give him when he comes to you.”
At the word “yogurt”, Tiny came running over to Abby and started pawing at her clothes. She laughed and said, “Busted. I sneak in here to give Tiny a chance to get some exercise and get some treats. I’ve been worried about him.”
Kate and Abby sat on the floor together. Tiny crawled on Abby’s lap and started hunting for his treats. She gave him one and then handed the rest to Kate. Before Kate knew it, Tiny was in HER lap and nudging her with his nose. When she didn’t immediately offer a treat, he went looking for them in her hand and tried to paw at it.
“I’m scared. He’ll bite me.”
Abby replied, “Just open your hand and let him pick it out of your hand. He won’t hurt you.”
Kate held out her hand with the yogurt chip in the middle of it. Tiny sniffed it and then grabbed the treat and hopped away. He almost seemed as scared of her as she was of him.
Abby and Kate watched as Tiny ran around the room a bit more and then suddenly made a mad dash for his cage. Kate asked, “What is he doing? I thought he wanted the exercise.”
After watching Tiny for a moment, Abby replied, “He ran for his litter box. He realized he had to go to the bathroom and that is where he knows to go.”
“You mean he’s litter box trained? Like a cat?”
“Yes. If I didn’t already have five rabbits, I’d take him myself. I’ve never seen a rabbit so tame and well-trained come into the shelter. But I’m worried that if he doesn’t stop grieving, we’ll lose him.”
“Well, I don’t think I can take him. He’s just too big and I really did come for a cat.”
Abby sighed softly and said, “Ok” as she shut Tiny’s door. Together the two women turned to the cats when a loud sound filled the room. Turning to his cage, Abby said, “Tiny, stop it.” She explained to Kate that Tiny was thumping his back feet to get their attention. He continued thumping while Kate looked at a kitten. She put the kitten back in the cage and was looking at a tabby when a rattling noise filled the room. Both women turned to see Tiny rattling his cage doors with his teeth. “He’s never done that before. He’s having a temper tantrum.”
Abby walked over to Tiny and talked to him quietly, “We’ll find you a home buddy. I promise. But you have to behave.”
“I’ll take him.” Kate spoke up.
Abby paused a moment and smiled at the big rabbit. She knew Kate was the right person for Tiny but she wanted to make sure that Kate knew she was the right person. She needed to press her just a little bit and make Kate realize that she wanted Tiny and wasn’t just taking him out of pity.
“Kate, I don’t think you understand. You can’t just take Tiny because you feel sorry for him or because he’s having a temper tantrum. He’s going to be a big responsibility for you. Not only will he need to be fed and have his litter box changed, he’s going to need time outside in the sun sometimes. At least I find that my rabbits thrive with outside time. But what he really needs is love. He’s lost a beloved mistress and was found next to her body from when she collapsed. Can you give him love and wait for him to grieve before he can love you back?”
Kate walked over to Tiny’s cage and stared at him. He’d laid back down and was in the back corner of his cage now. He stared back at her and twitched his ears. He was scary looking. He was huge. She knew nothing about rabbits. But reflected in his eyes was the loneliness she felt in her heart. She whispered his name softly and he came over to the door and tried to nudge her hand through the bars. She whispered his name again and realized that they needed each other.
“Can I give him love? I don’t know. He’s huge and he scares me. I know nothing about rabbits even though I always wanted one as a kid. But I know that he needs me and I need him. We’ve both lost people we love and we can help each other through the pain. I want him. I know I’ll grow to love him once I learn to trust him.”
Abby smiled because she knew that Kate had made the commitment in her heart to Tiny and she would not abandon him. She loved it when she was able to match up an animal with the right person. It gave her a feeling of peace.
“I have one problem though, “Kate said. “Will he fit in my cat carrier?”
“We’ll make him fit.” Abby said.


Edited to add: Oops - I left Stan's part in - oh well....Stan winds up going to the shelter the same day to adopt a dog and that is when he first sees Kate...

 

[TinysMom]

Kate's first day with Tiny.....

Kate woke up at daybreak on Sunday morning. She didn’t want to wake up that early but it is hard to stay asleep when a 14 pound bunny lands on you belly as he leaps on the bed. The leap was only the start of his fun though as he ran laps around the room at a pace that made her dizzy. How could something that large move so fast? By the third leap on the bed, she’d learned to move out of his way. She had observed that with every other lap of the room he took a shortcut across the bed for the other side.
What Kate didn’t understand was what Tiny was doing in her room. She’d made him a bed last night out of a cardboard box and an old towel of her grandmother’s. He was supposed to be sleeping in the kitchen.
She tried to make sense of his presence in her room but she couldn’t help falling back to sleep once he stopped running around. She wasn’t worried about him getting into trouble because he jumped up on the bed and settled down by her feet for a nap. She could live with a pet like this.
When the alarm woke Kate three hours later, Tiny was still by her feet. He appeared to be asleep but as she snuck out of bed, she noticed him sit up and yawn. Man, he was a big rabbit. She still was scared of him but so far he had been very gentle and kept out of trouble.
Kate walked out to the kitchen with a bit of trepidation. Had Tiny destroyed the carpet? Had he used his litter box? What had he done all night?
She learned the answer as she entered the kitchen. Tiny had used the litter box alright. Almost everything was in it although you could see where he must have had his rear end over the corner once when he used it. She made a mental note to buy him a larger litter box when she went to the store next time. The rest of the kitchen seemed fine – except for his box and towel. The stinker had knocked over his box, chewed on the towel enough to put multiple holes in it and then chewed on the box too. It looked like she better add some sort of chew toy to her shopping list.
Kate made herself some tea and grabbed a banana while she thought about what to have for breakfast. As she peeled the banana, she heard the thwump thwump of Tiny running from the living room into the kitchen. She got out of his way in case he needed to use the litter box again. Her eyes opened wide as he headed straight for her instead of the litter box. He was supposed to be gentle but she could see the headlines flash before her eyes, “Mystery shopper killed by giant angry rabbit”. Then Tiny braked to a halt directly in front of her and stood up on his hind legs. He pulled on her right shirt sleeve and tried to lower her arm. She moved the banana to her left hand and he let go of her right shirt sleeve and grabbed the left one. He became frantic to pull her arm down and as she lowered her arm, he knocked the top half of the banana onto the floor and started eating it.
“Thief!” she yelled, without even thinking. At her loud voice, Tiny grabbed the banana and retreated around the corner into the living room. She didn’t mean to scare him but he’d startled her and then stolen her breakfast. It looked like she better add bananas to her shopping list also.
She snuck into the living room and stretched out her hand to Tiny. It held the last of the banana and was a peace offering. He looked at her and twitched his nose and then grabbed the banana and headed for her bedroom. Perhaps they would learn to trust each other soon. Until then, she got another banana and started writing out her shopping list.

 

[TinysMom]

Ok - another bit about Tiny...
It had been a long day for Kate. Every shop had taken longer than she planned. There were long lines at the grocery store even though it was Monday. Two customers in front of her changed their minds about items and that slowed down the clerk. Every pump at the gas station had a line too. The line at the post office was ridiculous but at least it moved fairly quickly.
She kicked off her shoes and looked for Tiny. Ah, he was in his box, asleep. He’d used his litterbox but she was glad she’d bought him a larger one as he still missed on one corner. It was nice to see he’d been such a good rabbit while she was gone.
She put the groceries away in the kitchen and went into the living room with her notes and new book. She flipped on the stereo. Grandma’s stereo might be old, but it still worked and she usually kept some classical music on hand for when she wrote reports. The music helped her relax and clear her head so she could write reports. But silence continued to fill the house. Apparently the stereo wasn’t working. She put her notes and the book on the couch and walked over to the tv to turn on the radio channel. She could get some classical music that way. It wouldn’t turn on either.
Fine. If she couldn’t get music from the stereo or the tv, she’d play some on her computer. She pushed the button and waited for it to start up. Nothing happened.
Ah. She figured it out. It must be a circuit breaker problem. She walked over to the light switch and turned it on just to see how extensive the problem was. To her surprise, the lights came on. Were there two circuit breakers for the living room?
The ringing of the phone distracted her. She glanced at the caller ID but didn’t recognize the name. Still yet, maybe it was a scheduler asking her to take a job. She decided to answer the phone. Later on, she was glad that she did.
“Hello.”
“Hi Kate. This is Abby from the shelter. I realized today that we have Tiny’s kennel here and I thought you might like it.”
“Tiny’s kennel?”
“Yes, Tiny has a large dog kennel that he sleeps in. His former mistress would lock him up when she was out of the house so he wouldn’t get into trouble.”
“Really? He’s been fine for me. It looks like he slept all day.”
“That’s great. So he didn’t chew on any cords or anything?”
“Cords?”
“Yes. Electrical cords. For some reason, rabbits seem drawn to them and love to chew on them.”
“Just a moment Abby, I’ll be right back.”
Kate put the phone down and looked at the electrical cords for the tv and the stereo. She didn’t need to look at the computer’s cord after those two…she knew why she couldn’t play her classical music. Even from a distance, Abby could hear her yell, “Tiny. You devil. You’re a rotten bunny. I hope you curled your hair at the roots you big bum.”
Kate came back to the phone, a bit breathless from bending down to check cords and then yelling at Tiny. “Sorry, I’m back.”
Abby sighed, “Perhaps we should talk. Do you have a few minutes?”
Kate smiled, “Yeah, I think I could use some help.”
Kate wandered into the bedroom and flopped across the bed while they talked.
It was a good conversation and she learned a lot from Abby. She learned what it meant when Tiny would hop away from her and kick his back feet out – he was flicking her off because he was upset with her. When he turned around and faced the other direction and pointed his rear at her he was giving her “the butt” to say he was upset. Thumping either meant he was warning about danger or he was expressing interest in mating.
They made arrangements for Abby to drop off the kennel later that evening. As the conversation was winding down Abby remembered one thing she wanted to point out to Kate.
“I was reading Tiny’s file and I meant to tell you that he loves phone books.”
“He loves phone books?”
“Yes. Apparently his former owner used to collect old phone books from neighbors and give them to Tiny to shred. The volunteer who took him from the home remembered seeing them around in his play areas and his kennel and put that in the notes.”
“Ok. Thanks. I’ll make sure to keep the phone book out of his reach.”

When the conversation ended, Kate went back out to the living room. It was a good thing she had her laptop computer in addition to her desktop one because Tiny hadn’t disabled it. She could still get her reports done on time.
What she saw made her count to ten….then twenty.. and finally…one hundred. Abby had warned her to not yell at Tiny. She couldn’t help it. “TINY! You’re a rascal. You wait till I find you.”
She heard the thwump thwump of his feet and he headed somewhere in the kitchen. She better start counting again before she saw him.
Apparently Tiny had woken up and come looking for her. He saw her book on the couch. Did the yellow cover make him think it was a phone book? It didn’t matter, he obviously found it to be “food for thought”. He’d pulled out several pages and shredded others.
She looked at the one he’d tried to shred. She was able to make out the words, “Bad Bunny”. Hm. He’d pulled out the page “Getting under a rabbit’s skin”. Could Tiny read?
Either way, it was a good thing Abby was bringing by the kennel. She hoped it was big enough for him and his litter box.

 

[TinysMom]

Now for Miss Bea's story...

Tiny heard Abby before Kate did and he started hopping down the hall to the bedroom before the doorbell rang. Abby stood there with the cat carrier and prayed she was doing the right thing. Kate almost tripped on Tiny and Abby heard her shout, “Tiny, one of these days you’re going to break my neck,” and then a loud bang. It took Kate a couple more minutes to make it to the door and her clothes were messed up, as if she had fallen.
“Come in Abby. I’m sorry it took me so long to get here. Tiny decided to trip me on my way here.”
“Oh no. Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. He damaged my pride but not much else.”
As Abby and Kate entered the living room, Tiny heard Abby’s voice and came galloping down the hall at full speed. He rushed past Kate and threw himself at Abby, sniffing at her pockets for treats. Kate snapped, “You traitor” as Abby laughed at his antics. She’d braced herself for his leap and caught him in her arms. He fought being held but she cooed at him until he settled down. Then she placed him on the ground and said, “Hello Tiny.” He thumped at her and walked to the end of the couch. Then he sat down and stared at her. Apparently he couldn’t understand why she didn’t have any treats for him. He thumped again.
As if in reply, the cat carrier thumped back at him. He thumped once more. The carrier thumped again. Great. It looked like there were going to be thump wars going on if Abby didn’t open up the carrier and introduce Miss Bea.
Abby said, “Shall I introduce you to Miss Bea and tell you her story?”
Kate replied, “Why don’t we sit on the couch and you tell me her story first. Then maybe I’ll meet her. However, would you like something to drink or eat?”
After getting drinks, both women sat down on the couch and Abby started with Miss Bea’s story.
“Well, Miss Bea has been a classroom rabbit this last year. Her owner was a kindergarten teacher who is moving away in a few weeks. Miss Bea has visited some families over weekends and school vacations but she never bonded with anybody. The teacher wants the shelter to take her but we are out of cages. One of the parents offered to take her and let her loose out in the woods, but there is no way she could survive like that. She is a domestic rabbit and wouldn’t know how to protect herself. She would be dead very shortly.”
“Oh how sad. Poor bunny.”
“I can’t even place her in another home right now because she hasn’t been socialized really. In fact, in some ways it seems as if she’s been traumatized by the whole situation. She’s somewhat aggressive and needs to be tamed and trained to be around humans. I would adopt her and work with her but my landlord has said I can’t have any more animals. If you are willing to take her and take care of her, I will come over every few days and work on socializing her.”
“Well. I’m not sure how Tiny will take it.”
Upon hearing his name, Tiny walked over to the cat carrier and started sniffing at it. Then he started chinning it. As he walked by the door, a loud thump almost shook the whole carrier. Tiny thumped back, angry at being surprised. The cage thumped again.
Abby decided to break it up. She reached down and opened up the carrier. She put her hand in and brought out a rabbit that was hissing and spitting mad. Kate’s eyes opened wide as she watched Abby contain the teeth and claws that were going around in circles in her lap. Abby whispered, “Shhh Miss Bea, it will be ok. Calm down.”
Kate had been afraid of Tiny because of his size, but she immediately backed away from Miss Bea because of her attitude. This wasn’t a rabbit. This was a mountain lion or a bearcat or some other angry creature. She’d never seen Tiny hiss and growl like this rabbit did.
After a couple of minutes, Miss Bea calmed down in Abby’s lap. Abby quietly called Kate closer to look at her. Kate sat a bit closer and the movement sent Miss Bea into action again, her claws going in all directions. Abby continued to calm both Kate and Miss Bea until both sat close together.
To keep from scaring Miss Bea, Abby continued in a whisper. “Miss Bea is a harlequin patterned lionhead. This is a new breed. If you look closely, you can see she has a mane around her head like a lion has. She also has a beautiful pattern of alternating colors, almost like a calico cat.”
Tiny hopped closer to the couch and tenatively put his front paws up by Abby. He shocked both women and Miss Bea and she jumped out of Abby’s arms and onto the back of the couch. From there she thumped twice.
Abby sighed. This wasn’t going as well as she hoped. She could see the look of doubt on Kate’s face. It was clear that Kate was pondering the decision but that she wanted to refuse to take Miss Bea. Abby didn’t like to pressure people to take pets. She found that when folks were pressured, they never really bonded with the pets they took. But at this point in time she was desperate. Her choices were to give Miss Bea back to the schoolteacher who would either have her put to sleep at a vet or let loose in the wild. She was out of options. Miss Bea wasn’t even a year old yet and she had the potential to be such a good rabbit.
Kate looked at Miss Bea again. She looked back at Tiny. Was it fair to Tiny for her to take Miss Bea? Of course, it wasn’t like Miss Bea would be a forever bunny. She would just be here for a few days. All that Kate would have to do is feed her and give her water.
Still yet, she was afraid of this rabbit. Miss Bea made Tiny look tame. Tenatively, she reached her hand out towards Miss Bea. She was ready to pull it back if Miss Bea tried to bite her. However, the rabbit sat on Abby’s lap and just stared at her, almost as if she wanted to trust Kate but wasn’t sure if she could. Kate continued to stretch her hand out to the rabbit. Miss Bea lightly flinched as Kate touched her, but then Kate started rubbing the base of her ears and Miss Bea laid her head back and started grinding her teeth together in tooth purrs. It almost appeared as though she was smiling and her whole body relaxed. Kate continued to rub her ears and talk to her softly and the rabbit’s breathing slowed as she continued to grind her teeth contentedly.
Tiny watched from the floor and then stood on his back legs and put his front legs on Kate’s lap. She called Tiny up on the couch and he jumped up on her lap. Miss Bea stiffened her back and Abby started to rub her ears while Kate petted Tiny. This was the true test for Kate…how the two rabbits would respond to each other.
To her amazement, Tiny sniffed at Miss Bea and then started nudging her with his nose. She looked at him and tried to hop away, but Abby held onto her. Tiny sniffed her again and then he started to groom her head. Kate could even feel the rabbit’s quivering as Tiny came closer to groom her more.
Kate stared at the two rabbits and marveled at Tiny’s actions. She still wasn’t sure that taking the rabbit would be the best thing for Tiny, but she knew it was the best thing for Miss Bea.
“Ok. I’ll take care of her. But you need to socialize her so she can get a home of her own. Tiny might allow her to stay here now but I really don’t want two rabbits.”
It was almost as if Miss Bea understood Kate’s words for she turned and started grooming Tiny in return. Tiny continued to groom her and allow her to groom him for another moment and then jumped down on the floor and started exploring her carrier.
Abby handed the lionhead to Kate while she went out to the car for the cage she’d purchased. Kate was thrilled when Miss Bea settled down in her lap and allowed her to stroke her back along with rubbing her ears. Perhaps caring for Miss Bea would not be so bad after all.
Abby returned with the cage she’d purchased and a grocery bag of carrots and treats for Tiny and Miss Bea. Together, the women placed Miss Bea in her new home and took it to Kate’s bedroom so the two rabbits could sleep side by side.
Abby asked Kate to watch her as she fed Miss Bea. When she opened the cage door, the rabbit lunged at her hand with claws outstretched. Abby put her hand on Miss Bea’s head and pushed her downward, into a submissive pose. During the whole time she did this, she whispered to Miss Bea, “Its ok baby. You’re a good girl. You just need to learn to trust people.” Miss Bea continued to struggle against Abby and every time she tried to claw her or bite her, Abby held her down and whispered, “Good girl, Miss Bea. Good girl.”
Eventually the rabbit settled into a back corner of her cage and let Abby put food in her bowl. Abby explained to Kate that Miss Bea needed to learn to trust people and not attack them. When Kate asked why Tiny didn’t do that, Abby explained that Tiny was already socialized and that he was a neutered male, so he was less likely to feel territorial. She explained that female rabbits see their cages as their territory and they need to defend their homes. Abby explained it so well that Kate felt bad for Miss Bea because she knew the rabbit didn’t yet trust her enough to understand the intrusions into her cage.
After setting up Miss Bea’s cage, the two women walked back out the living room. Abby laughed at the sight of Tiny, his head stuck in the grocery bag as he grabbed another carrot. It looked like he’d had at least two other carrots based upon the shards of carrot that surrounded him. He had also pulled out the box of raisins and the package of yogurt treats but was unable to open them on his own. Kate shook her head and said, “What am I going to do with him? I love him so much but sometimes it is almost like having a toddler around the house.” Abby said, “At least you’re not alone any more…right?”
The women settled on the couch while Abby said, “Now for my second question. It has to do with the shelter.”


Now before I share the second portion - I want to give you a fair warning.

Do not eat or drink anything while reading this next section.

Consider yourself warned.

(This takes place at the shelter. As it turns out, both Stan and Kate are volunteering that day at the shelter. She has already mystery shopped him and has nicknamed him "Mr Congeniality").

Abby interrupted her thoughts, “So how is my big boy doing? Is he getting used to the idea of sharing you with another rabbit?”
Kate laughed. “You mean am I getting used to sharing him with another rabbit?”
Abby’s eyes opened wide. “You mean the two have bonded already? Do tell. What has been happening?”
The two women cleaned cages and fed the animals while Kate replayed the events of the last few days.

It all started the same night Kate got Miss Bea. After Abby left, Kate got the rabbits fed and settled for the night. As usual, she left Tiny’s kennel door open but kept him locked in her room. She figured that since Miss Bea was shut in her cage, the two would get along just fine and there would be no fights over territory.
A couple of hours after she went to bed, Kate heard thumping. Tiny started jumping on the bed and running around the room. She woke up enough to tell him to settle down or she’d put him in his kennel and lock his door. Then she felt him jump on her…only it wasn’t Tiny…it couldn’t be Tiny. It wasn’t heavy enough. She felt the weight on her again – sitting on her chest. She opened one eye and saw two beady eyes staring at her face. She closed her eye and then opened both eyes. The eyes came closer to her face and she wanted to scream. Then, the eyes backed away as Miss Bea sat on her haunches and started cleaning her face, staring at Kate the whole time.
Miss Bea was out of her cage. Miss Bea was sitting on her chest. Tiny was thumping and having a fit. What was happening? Was this all a bad dream? She wasn’t sure if she wanted to wake up or not.
As suddenly as she was on Kate’s chest, Miss Bea hopped back off and got on the floor. The thumping got louder and even Kate could tell that Tiny was angry. She tried to hush Tiny while she stared at Miss Bea. What was this devil rabbit doing out of her cage? Why was Tiny thumping?
Then she saw him. Tiny was in Miss Bea’s cage. He was locked in Miss Bea’s cage while the little devil ran around the room and then entered his cage and chinned his food bowl, water bottle and litter box. As Tiny watched her, he rattled the cage door with his teeth and continued thumping.
Miss Bea was claiming HIS turf? Kate didn’t think so. She got up out of bed and went to catch Miss Bea. The chase was on.
Miss Bea ran under the bed. After several attempts to get her out, Kate went to her kitchen and got a broom to shoo her out. Miss Bea ran out from under the bed and out the bedroom door that Kate had accidentally left open. Score one for the rabbit. Kate ran after her. Tiny continued thumping.
Miss Bea ran to the kitchen, then the dining room. Kate chased her under the desk where the rabbit promptly nipped her. Another point for the rabbit. As Kate yelled at the rabbit, she took off for the bathroom. As Kate ran into the bathroom, she tripped over the rabbit dashing out the door. The rabbit scored again..
Kate was determined to catch her now. She ran into the bedroom. No Miss Bea. She went back down the hall, and with a honeyed voice called, “Miss Bea, oh come here little darling.” Her mind added the words, “So I can strangle you.”
Kate trapped Miss Bea under the couch but she didn’t have her broom with her. She went and fetched the broom, only to find the rabbit had disappeared again. Score another one for the rabbit. Miss Bea 4, Kate O.
Kate searched the house for the rabbit. Her racing heartbeat matched Tiny’s continual thumping. She finally found Miss Bea trying to hide behind the refrigerator. “I’ve got you now” she exclaimed as she grabbed for Miss Bea’s rump. Miss Bea twisted out of her hand and took off, thumping at her. She was left with a few strands of fur in her hand. Great…now she had two rabbits thumping. Score another point for the rabbit? Would the rabbit give up at 5 points? 7 points?
Kate was not giving up. No rabbit could outsmart her. Ok…maybe this rabbit could. But not for long. Kate had a college degree for crying out loud. Certainly she could catch a rabbit.
She decided to try enticing Miss Bea to come to her for a treat. She went to the frig and got two carrots. One was for Miss Bea and one would be for Tiny. She knew Tiny might calm down once he had something to eat.
Tiny. He’d stopped thumping. Was he all right? Had the devil bunny hurt him? She raced down the hallway to the bedroom, hoping to find Tiny ok. She stopped in the doorway and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Tiny was back in his cage. Miss Bea was back in her cage…and her door was shut. When Kate walked near her cage, Miss Bea thumped. Tiny replied with a thump of his own. Kate debated between strangling the rabbit and giving her the carrot she carried. She decided giving Miss Bea the carrot was the best choice. She dropped a carrot in Tiny’s cage and one in Miss Bea’s cage and then went to the bed to sit down. Tiny grabbed his carrot and ate it immediately. Miss Bea sniffed at the carrot and turned her back to Kate and started grooming herself. Score another point for the devil herself.
By the time Kate was done telling the tale, Abby was hunched over holding her sides and crying because she was laughing so hard. She had stopped cleaning cages at “score one for the rabbit” and couldn’t continue until Kate was done. “Oh hon. You should be a comedian. It sounds like the devil rabbit can give you plenty of material. So tell me, how are Tiny and Miss Bea getting along now? And did you figure out how Miss Bea got out of the cage?”
Both women tried to start back to work as Kate continued with the story.
“Oh yes, I figured out how the brat gets out of the cage. She opens the door and lets herself out. What is even worse is that Tiny seems fascinated by her cage and as soon he goes in to check out her food, she shuts the door on him and he is trapped.”
“No. She does? But you said you had to share him with her. I was worried they would fight if they were both out together.”
“Oh, I was worried too. But no, that isn’t what has happened at all. I think I’d be happier if they fought a bit. Instead, Tiny has decided to become her protector. They now sleep together in his cage and if I go to catch her, she runs behind him and he won’t let me catch her. In fact, if I try to grab her, he nudges my hand and he almost nipped me once. You’d think he was her…” Kate struggled for an adequate word. She remembered the classic movie with Marlon Brando. “You’d think he was her GodFather. He was making me a deal I couldn’t refuse. Leave the gal alone or he’ll nip me.”
Abby broke out into peals of laughter again. “The Godfather? Forget that…he’s THE BUNFATHER!”
The two women were still laughing when Stan walked in the room. He looked at them and said, “What is a bunfather?” They burst into laughter again and Abby laughed so hard that tears flowed down her cheeks.
Kate had to reply because Abby couldn’t speak. “Nothing. A private joke really. What can I do for you?” Kate’s smile even showed in her eyes.
“Craig sent me over to tell you folks that we open in five minutes. Can one of you man the desk or do you need to finish up here?”
Abby composed herself enough to answer, “Tell Craig we still have a few more cages to do and then we’ll be out.”
Stan left the room muttering to himself, “Bunfather. Whatever. No wonder guys never understand women.” The two women broke into laughter again. Stan had to admit to himself that Kate had a nice laugh. He wished he could make her laugh like that. It had been a long time since he’d heard a woman laugh.

 

[TinysMom]

The following Saturday while volunteering at the shelter...

Kate was getting ready to leave for the day when Abby asked her how things were going with the rabbits. Kate started to laugh and said, “Just fine if you’re willing to help with my grocery bill.” At Abby’s startled look, Kate started to explain.
“It was Monday night and I was tired as I got home from work. All I wanted to do was rest and finish up a bit of paperwork. But when I walked in the back door, I realized that Miss Bea and Tiny had gotten loose somehow during the day and gone exploring in the kitchen. They got into my lower cupboards where I keep my cereal and pulled out every package I had. Tiny was so busy trying to get all of the raisins out of the raisin bran that he didn’t even try to take off and hide. Miss Bea was dancing back and forth between the fruit loops and cheerios and I think she was already on a sugar high.”
Abby groaned. “Oh no.”
“Oh yes…and it gets even better. Now whenever I go out in the morning and start pouring myself some cereal, the two rascals come running. If I don’t give them some, Tiny starts pulling at my clothes and Miss Bea starts trying to nip my feet. So I not only have to pour myself a bowl of cereal, but I have to pour three bowls of cereal.”
“Three? Can’t they share one bowl?”
“I guess not. Tiny wants to hog the whole bowl and Miss Bea sits in the bowl until Tiny leaves. So Tiny gets a bowl of raisin bran with some corn puffs and part of a banana and Miss Bea gets cheerios with a couple of fruit loops and some raisin bran. She eats the bran flakes and Tiny finishes up her raisins for her.”
When Abby started laughing again, Kate said, “You think that’s funny? You try going through the checkout line with four boxes of cereal and having the cashier start to lecture you about the dangers to your kids’ health at eating fruit loops. At least it wasn’t cocoa puffs. I told Tiny and Miss Bea that they couldn’t have my Cocoa Puffs.” With that, Kate started laughing too.