Mabel and Dijon - a compilation of the best photos

 

We hope you enjoy this compilation of photos, in memory of Mabel and Dijon, showing the amazing bond between them.

We selected Mabel and Dijon (in 2011) from 2 litters of Dutch rabbits (now we know it’s better to adopt from a rescue centre). They shared the same father, so Mabel was Dijon’s half-sister. They were put together by the breeder as soon as they were old enough to leave their mothers, and we brought them home shortly after. 

Rabbits from the same litter don’t necessarily get along – they can fall out, especially when their hormones kick in. Dijon did pester Mabel a bit when they were young, and his first neuter didn’t help – he continued to mount her and spray urine around our living room, until, in desperation, our vet agreed it was worth going ahead with ‘exploratory surgery’ to see whether anything had been missed! It had – she found testicular tissue lodged in his inguinal canal, thank goodness, and once it had been removed, Dijon became the perfect gentleman. He adored his Mabel, cared for and protected her, and, as you’ll see toward the end of the compilation, loved to throw himself at her feet! Mabel finally lost her battle to a mandibular abscess in 2018, which is when we adopted Ebony.
 

Dijon's sofa moments

Here's another compilation of special moments with Dijon. This time, footage of him enjoying time on one of his favourite places – the sofa. 

Whenever he jumped up to the sofa or armchair, Dijon would race from side to side, binkying and flopping. The first recording is from 2016 – we don't seem to have any before then, probably because he and Mabel were kept away from the sofa in their early years, as Mabel enjoyed burrowing into the upholstery! The final recordings – shown in slow motion in this compilation – were taken in 2022. By then, Dijon had injured his knee, and was an old man at 11 years old, so we lifted him to the sofa so he could have fun. We stopped lifting him to the sofa, shortly after this – his knee had become arthritic, and we were worried he would hurt himself. 

The compilation consists purely of his binkies – all the footage of him resting on his back when he threw himself on his side has been cut, but as it is the video is over three minutes long!

Over a decade of bunny yawns

 

Here's a compilation of our favourite bunny yawns from the past twelve years! Snoop puts in an appearance at the end (he saw the edit was near completion and yawned just in time to be included). Dijon appears more than anyone else – his yawns were always more cute than the usual scary bun yawns, and he yawned a lot as he became an old man… many were captured in his 12th year! 

(Music credit: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: I. Morning Mood, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

 

The World is Not Enough

 

Ebony and Snoop have permanent, 24/7 access to our 3.5m x 3m dining room. That's where they stay overnight. During the day, they also have access to the rest of the living room. Watch how fast they move when the gate is opened in the morning! 

Snoop also races to go into the hallway, every time the door's opened – Ebony has never crossed the threshold, even though Dijon loved venturing out and now Snoop does too. She doesn't like the hard, slippery laminate flooring. 

Most days, whatever the weather, the bunnies also have access, via the patio door, to a run on the patio. They can choose to go out – the door is not shut (despite plummeting temperatures indoors) until we're sure they have had enough of being outside. Frequently, just as we go to close the door, they miraculously wake from apparent deep sleep, nosing our ankles to tell us they're not finished with the great outdoors.  

Seeing how eager they are always to have access to more space makes it even more sad to think of so many rabbits restricted to hutches... A Hutch is Not Enough

 

Revenge

 It may look innocent enough, but Snoop was certainly a bit taken aback...was this revenge for Snoop's disturbance? (see our previous post)

Clumsy Snoop

 ... or was it intentional? Every time Ebony settles down on a comfortable surface - a cushion, her mat, the blanket, Snoop has a way of disturbing her. This disturbance was more dramatic than usual...