Why Rabbits?
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I was going to update this page but I changed my mind. The info is dated but still relevent, except of course that Ratbag and Darwin both died over a year ago, and that Mog is now 2.5 years old. Why rabbits?? Simply, Rosanne convinced me that they make good pets. It took several years but I eventually capitulated and we got our first 2 bunnies. I have to admit that they make great pets, but not for everyone. In fact they generally make lousy pets for kids. They are often purchased as far too young bunnies from pet stores, and often get neglected soon after the novelty wears off. Read on to get my suggestions. I had no idea just how much fun they can be, and how much they need attention in order to live a happy life. Ratbag and Darwin joined our family July 1, 2003 at the tender age of 5 weeks and our lives were forever changed. Many thanks to Bill and Wanda Hartall for letting us take them home. For those of you new to this site, R and D are Holland Lop rabbits, although I believe they are more like monkeys dressed in bunny suits. They are teeny rabbits with HUGE ATTITUDE. Although these two rabbits look quite different in colour and size, they are in fact brothers from the same litter. They were born May 28, 2003. Darwin, is predominantly white with brown markings and is quite a bit bigger than Ratbag, the little brown one. Dar is an essentially laid back guy, loves to be in the backyard, loves to explore (hence the name) loves to eat our flowers and is always ready to get his head "mushed". AND, Darwin is deaf. Ratbag is very feisty and loves to play with us. He was really named Sputnik because of his habit of trying to launch himself into orbit, and for often standing up on his stubby hind legs gazing toward the heavens no doubt looking for the mother ship (Sputnik go home!). Much to Rosanne's chagrin, I began calling him Ratbag because he is into everything all the time. He is a lot like me in character. RT says that if he is dissatisfied with something, the entire world has to know about it. Surely that is an exaggeration!!! He is nonetheless very loving and likes to lick my face when he is not shredding my clothing or destroying any zipper he can get his teeth into. Why he has a thing for MY zippers is beyond us, but he only does this to mine. These two are very special to us and have taught me a lot about patience and tolerance, AND that rabbits are not what most people think they are. They are in fact intelligent, inquisitive and manipulative. They crave attention and love to interact with other family members. They are NOT quiet as so many people think, and are capable of making a din when they want to. They can be like puppies ones minute, cuddly the next, sometimes sulky but mostly I have found ours to be just plain full of life and the closest thing to monkeys you will ever find. I'm still not quite convinced they are rabbits. Also, if you think they are cheap, think again. You will have vet bills and will need to find a vet that has a practice capable of dealing with rabbits as they have very different medical requirements than say a dog or a cat. If cared for properly, bunnies can live as long as many dogs and cats! One last point, in spite of the fact that rabbits look cuddly, (most are) and are warm and soft, many do not like to be held. Ours definitely prefer to interact with us on the floor at their level. Ours have lots of toys, some of which are toilet roll cardboard filled with hay, various balls, spoons, cardboard boxes, towels, switch blades (just kidding) and basically anything they want they take. They love to fling stuff around and have excellent aim, trust me I know!! They enjoy beating up towels too. I don't profess to be an expert but a few words of advice. If you ever think of getting a rabbit, do a lot of research first and understand what you are getting into. It is as much a commitment as having a dog and perhaps even more. I know because I have had both types of animals. There are lots of rabbits at shelters and rescue organization that are looking for good homes. One more thing, check out the house rabbit societies on the Internet to learn more about house rabbits. So what about Mogwai? He is quite a long story but the short of it is he is a full brother to Ratbag and Darwin but 2 years younger. He is at this point in time, 5 months old and is THE friendliest little fart I have ever met. As with Ratbag, he loves to lick, especially my face. When we are in the yard he runs after me and cuts me off! Then starts to circle jockeying for a “position”. Some guy walked by the other day and commented that he had never seen such a well-trained rabbit. I just smiled and neglected to tell him that this was more a case of hormones. BTW, like Ratbag, Mogwai also has a penchant for chewing my zippers! I wonder if it is genetic, although Darwin doesn't exhibit this behavior. Hope you enjoy the site and feel free to contact me.