The naughty NAUGHTY bunnies

Naughty buns are in the, er, doghouse today - "Ooh!" said Freddie this morning, "the bunnies are eating ALL the bureau!". I'm not sure what possessed him to watch for so long, I can't really hold him responsible, but a large chunk all along the bottom of one door is now missing! I put them straight back in their cage, not so much as punishment, more because I don't have the time to be watching all day, but have to hope they've forgotten when they come out later... but who am I kidding? Bunnies always go back for more, don't they?!! 

I was with the vet for nearly 40mins discussing Dijon's mounting and spraying. She had a good feel around and could find no lumps (sadly no "oops I must have missed a testicle", thus putting and end to this spraying nightmare.)

She clipped his claws, then started to doubt herself and had another feel, this time with him 'dangling' so that anything there would drop down. On one side she could feel slightly more fat, and started to wonder if she should just do a small operation, a little incision on that side, under anaesthetic, just to check for any testicular tissue hidden in the fat. Poor woman said that, if she did find anything, it would be the first time, and she began to doubt her whole career, but said she takes pride in her work and wants to make all her animals happy... 

She recalled that when she did the castration back in September, she found that one testicle was actually much smaller than it had appeared, being inside a lot of fat, and she had a big dig around to make sure it was all out. The fact that she double-checked at the time makes me (and her) think that it's unlikely anything's been left, and more likely just his nature... And so we've left it that we'll see how he goes, if he calms down, and re-evaluate in a few months if he hasn't - or if he's really bothering Mabel.

That's it - first thing on Monday I will be phoning the vet to book an appointment to get Dijon's bits checked out. 4 months since castration, and he is spending more time that ever trying to mount Mabel, is 'hmm-hmm'ing so loudly we can hear it from the next room, and this evening he sprayed full force when out in the dining room, sending wee all over the carpet, piano stool, piano (as high as the keys) and cupboard next to it. Fortunately he just missed me.

Unfortunately I had spent most of yesterday morning cleaning his spray stains off the carpet with the Vax. I suppose I'd provided a blank canvas.

As I type, he is back in his cage with Mabel, and is going in circles trying to mount her, even though they've been out and running around for most of the day. We have noticed that he tends to pester her when we approach - if he's excited to see us then he redirects his excitement onto Mabel.

However, she may be getting her own back... we've noticed that several of his whiskers on one side appear to have been chopped off - badly, they even have split ends. Could it be Mabel?...

We had decided to delay expanding Mabel and Dijon's play area into the front of our through living room - mainly because Dijon has been doing the occasional spray outside of his cage, but also because we need to reinforce the bunny-proofing to suit our 2 teenage bunnies (barriers had been removed as Nelly became older and less adventurous).

But this morning, Mabel became impatient. She shook the fence (2 panels of our chicken-wire outdoor rabbit run, linked together with chains). She pulled so hard with her teeth and claws that they fell down, leaving a gap in the middle. Both made their escape, then they split, each to a naughty corner obviously bunny-signposted by buns gone before. So there was no way of catching either because I had to be watching both at the same time! (This escape was obviously planned in advance - choose a time when only one bunny-slave is at home).

Lots of stretched out periscoping, and lots of excited thumping, then they both showed too much interest in the television/hi-fi/juicy cable corner, so I had to try my hardest to herd them back. Dijon was very obliging - he knows the ringing of the cage bells and went straight back for his slice of pear, but Mabel preferred the taste of freedom and had to be ushered back.

She is now tugging at the towels in her cage very crossly!

What an amazing day! The bunnies have been with us for 5 months today, and  they have spent almost the whole day out of their cage, with very little destruction to show for it. They really were surprisingly well-behaved.

It began at 8:30 when they were given breakfast. Rather than closing the door to their cage, we left it open. Mabel hopped out almost immediately, leaving Dijon to much at his leisure, but she soon returned as she didn't like the music we were playing. She is a bit funny about music, and more often than not will retreat under the towel in her cage until the music ends. Dijon did try rounding her out of the cage, but she refused until the music was switched off.

So from 8:30 until 5:30 - when it was tea time - they stayed out. There were a minimal number of poos from Dijon, no spraying, no wallpaper stripping, carpet lifting, or book ripping. No leaps onto the piano, no chair/table leg gnawing, no curtain ripping.

But there were bunny cuddles, bunnies sleeping, bunnies grooming each other, children and bunnies playing together.

Was there no damage at all? No, there was a little, all caused by Dijon. He can't help himself... First, he ate the rubber end from a zip, and gnawed around the edge of the lid to the tub storing the Burgess. Not only did his gnaw it, he ate all the slivers he nibbled off. Not a single shaving of yellow plastic was to be found. Well, at least he has shown some intelligence - knowing where the Burgess is hidden is quite a step for him.

Mabel, on the other hand, was impeccably behaved and showed no desire to do anything other than look longingly at the piano keyboard.

Just as we think the bunnies have settled, one of them goes and does something so hideously rude...

Since Christmas, Mabel and Dijon do seem to have become more settled, and they have been much more willing to have a prolonged stroke. Even Mabel has hunkered down for a nose rub when touched between the ears or on the snout, and that is not like her at all. We have had some seriously long strokes of late - up to 10 minutes!

Well, although Dijon is quite to poopmeister, it did seem that his spraying had abated, but last night he shamed himself. It was time for the bunnies to return home after a good run, and as usual they returned home without any protestations. However, as whilst the towel in the cage was being straightened to make it more comfortable for him, he sprayed in his female carer's face. Bull's Eye!

Surely by now, so many weeks after his snip, he should have stopped spraying!?

Shame on him.

Are girls more bossy than the boys? Of course our 2 sons would say so, and are always telling us that Mabel's a typical bossy girl when she noses them hard out of the way.

But Dijon made it very clear to me on Christmas Eve that I had no right to be messing with HIS cage, I had already picked all his droppings off the carpet, changed the towel in the cage for a clean one, cleared out the litter tray, wiped all his spray from the corrugated plastic sheets which surround the cage, but clipping the horribly CLEAN, and unsprayed plastic back to the front of the cage was most certainly NOT allowed, and he lunged and bit my right index finger to tell me so.

And to make sure that I wouldn't stop thinking of him on Christmas day when we dared to leave the house, he made it an extra hard bite, so that it drew blood and was throbbing with pain for the next 2 days, hampering everything I did!

Ten years is a long time when you look forward, but 10 years is so short when you look backwards.

Today is a little sad. Ten years ago we drove to Heston Services on the M1 to collect Nelly. It was a clear, frosty morning, the roads were free-flowing, and time dragged on; the journey seemingly took forever.

It wasn't hard to find Nelly... it's not difficult to see someone sitting in the driver's seat, cradling a bunny in their arms.

And so, on the 23rd December 2001, Nelly came to live with us, and became a much loved member of the family. Christmas won't be quite the same without her. There will be no bunny helping to open the presents, though I'm sure Dijon and Mabel will give it a try (especially Dijon).

The children are a little sad, too. We've found a letter to father Christmas asking him to bring Nelly back, and there have been arguments as to who will have which bunny when she does come back. Let's home the presents he does bring will detract for long enough for the children not to remember that Nelly isn't here.

So, how are the bunnies...? There personalities are shining through now, and there is no doubt now who is the brains and who is the brawn. It should be no surprise that Mabel is the brains, and Dijon is the drawn.

For weeks Dijon has been desperate to be groomed by Mabel, and has grown terribly frustrated when she pays him no attention. He has taken to throwing himself under her forelimbs at every opportunity, only to have her wither step nonchalantly over him, and completely ignore his advances, or start to hump his head, depending on her mood.

Earlier this week she began to acquiesce to his demands, and he seems a little more content. He has also finally realised that he can come to us at any time for a stroke, and he is beginning to do so. However, Mabel really does not like him having this attention. She has a variety of means by which to disrupt his cuddles...

First, she will hop over and attack that hand that is stroking her brother. It's a growl and a lunge. Once the hand has recoiled, she often settles nose-to-nose with Dijon and joins in the cuddles. Other times she will start racing around the room which is guaranteed to cause Dijon to stand up and dimly wonder what on earth is going on. Sometimes she will jump noisily into their cage which results in Dijon following her.

Mabel is not quite the cuddle-monster that her brother is. She tries to avoid being touched as there are too many other things to do, Mabel is scheming...

She has worked out how the barrier works. A couple of weeks ago she decoded it, and found a way to consistently escape. Dijon's face was one of utter bemusement when he saw her on one side of the barrier, and couldn't join her. Anyway, she knows every weakness in the barrier, and does everything she can to sneak through.

The daily routine goes something like this...

• First person down in the morning must give the bunnies a smattering of Burgess.
• At breakfast, they eat in their cage, with the door open, and are allowed out for about 40 minutes.
• After the children have been dropped off at school, the bunnies come out for between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
• At lunch they are allowed out for another 30 minutes.
• They eat tea in their cage, and are occasionally allowed out for 20 minutes or so in the early evening.
• At night they will come out for about 30 to 45 minutes.
• At bedtime they must be given a little snack. the moment anyone stands up in the living room after about 10pm, the bunnies will come running to the front of the cage, standing on their hind legs, looking expectantly at whoever is standing.

The bunnies go back home with no problems. We just have to ring the bells in the cage, and back they go. A smattering of food in the bowl also works, but the bells mean it's time for the door to be closed.

Sorting through photos today, so they will be uploaded very shortly.

I'm really sorry for the dearth of posts recently. The blog has been neglected, the Gallery is in serious need of updating, and there's not hint of a new video... Life has been very hectic here, and there hasn't been the time to keep bunnymad fresh. Rest assured that this well be rectified very shortly.

Once this week is out the way, then there will be a flurry of activity that will sweep away the cobwebs from the site, and usher in a fresh new set of photos and blog entries.

For now, please remain patient...

At the very moment, Dijon is pursuing Mabel around the living room, honking as he goes, and doing his best to do what rabbits are renowned for doing. Despite his marbles having been removed.

This year we have decided to put up a real Christmas tree. For the past 11 years we've only had a plastic tree on account of our bunnies being attracted to the needles of real trees, and general being a nuisance in their endeavours to eat/climb/fell the festive spruce. But Dijon and Mabel are still confined to a designated area of the living room, affording us the opportunity to decorate the real macoy.

We bought the tree this morning. Yes, it is too early to start decorating the house for Christmas, but there is, apparently, a shortage of Christmas trees this year, so we thought it better to buy early and suffer the ridicule. Besides, it cost only £10. The smell is divine, but Mabel is already eyeing up the festive arboreal monument. I can see her calculating.

Keep an eye out for the future updates...