Plus two!
Back in May 2010 when my daughter was barely 4 weeks old I wrote my first piece (named: “Plus One”) for the bunny blog. It was an e-mail about living with babies and bunnies. Now three years down the line, two bunny deaths later and one more kid added to the mix, I felt it was time for an update on how life with bunnies and kids has turned out for us.
The bunnies are still very much part of our family and I would not have it any other way. I still delight in the fact that my children have the chance to grow up with those amazing pets around and still feel that house rabbits are the best option for us. It enables us to form a close bond with them and get to know them and their individual characters and little quirks. I believe if I had more space and time (and my husband would not reign me in), I would certainly consider adopting more rabbits.
Being on maternity leave this year was great. It meant that I was more at home and was able to give the rabbits more access to the garden. I can’t leave them outside unsupervised, as we have fox and cats in the area which come into our garden. I finally felt that I was able to spend a bit more time with the rabbits again, which was great.
Before we had kids the bunnies were our babies. They were (and still are) pampered. I buy them the best available food (Science Selective) as well as hay, treats and fresh veg. In order to ensure that I would be able to afford to keep my bunnies in the style they are accustomed too (food, bedding, VET, booster injections etc.) I saved a small amount of money each month, prior to going on maternity leave. Whenever possible I even go out and forage for them from friends and families gardens…apple tree twigs, dried apple tree leaves, fresh grass or dandelion (as our garden is paved).
Cleanliness is another big issue and I am certainly very house proud and like things to be clean and tidy. I used to clean the rabbits on a daily basis, which since has changed to a cleaning routine every 2-3 days, due to time constraints and lack of energy on my parts. But even if I do not clean them daily I certainly ensure that they have fresh water, hay ad lib and their veg and pellets.
Maia has always been great with the buns…the interaction with the rabbits was always supervised by us. She was told very early on that grabbing fur or chasing bunnies was not acceptable. She has a healthy respect from them and has never tried to pick them up or carry them around. She knows that when we interact with the rabbits, it is done so on their level i.e. on the floor and with very gentle strokes. She loves giving them a little treat every now and then. But will put it on the floor in front of them, rather than getting them to eat it out of her hand and accidentally biting her. She loves to help me feed the rabbits and a special treat for her is, if I let her help with cleaning the hutch. However I would never expect of her to take sole responsibility for the pets, as first and foremost they are my pets and therefore the responsibility lies with me.
The rabbits are a big part of Maia’s life and she even turns to them when she is upset. She has been known to go and cry to them, when she has been told of for something by either me or my husband. Now that she is a bit older and able to help, I really look forward to taking her with me next summer, when I take up volunteering at the rescue again.
The bunnies are still very much part of our family and I would not have it any other way. I still delight in the fact that my children have the chance to grow up with those amazing pets around and still feel that house rabbits are the best option for us. It enables us to form a close bond with them and get to know them and their individual characters and little quirks. I believe if I had more space and time (and my husband would not reign me in), I would certainly consider adopting more rabbits.
Being on maternity leave this year was great. It meant that I was more at home and was able to give the rabbits more access to the garden. I can’t leave them outside unsupervised, as we have fox and cats in the area which come into our garden. I finally felt that I was able to spend a bit more time with the rabbits again, which was great.
Before we had kids the bunnies were our babies. They were (and still are) pampered. I buy them the best available food (Science Selective) as well as hay, treats and fresh veg. In order to ensure that I would be able to afford to keep my bunnies in the style they are accustomed too (food, bedding, VET, booster injections etc.) I saved a small amount of money each month, prior to going on maternity leave. Whenever possible I even go out and forage for them from friends and families gardens…apple tree twigs, dried apple tree leaves, fresh grass or dandelion (as our garden is paved).
Cleanliness is another big issue and I am certainly very house proud and like things to be clean and tidy. I used to clean the rabbits on a daily basis, which since has changed to a cleaning routine every 2-3 days, due to time constraints and lack of energy on my parts. But even if I do not clean them daily I certainly ensure that they have fresh water, hay ad lib and their veg and pellets.
Maia has always been great with the buns…the interaction with the rabbits was always supervised by us. She was told very early on that grabbing fur or chasing bunnies was not acceptable. She has a healthy respect from them and has never tried to pick them up or carry them around. She knows that when we interact with the rabbits, it is done so on their level i.e. on the floor and with very gentle strokes. She loves giving them a little treat every now and then. But will put it on the floor in front of them, rather than getting them to eat it out of her hand and accidentally biting her. She loves to help me feed the rabbits and a special treat for her is, if I let her help with cleaning the hutch. However I would never expect of her to take sole responsibility for the pets, as first and foremost they are my pets and therefore the responsibility lies with me.
The rabbits are a big part of Maia’s life and she even turns to them when she is upset. She has been known to go and cry to them, when she has been told of for something by either me or my husband. Now that she is a bit older and able to help, I really look forward to taking her with me next summer, when I take up volunteering at the rescue again.
I do hope that Evan will grow up to be just as gentle and understanding with the bunnies as his big sister is. First indications are good! He loves sitting in front of the hutch and watches the buns when I clean or feed them. However now that he gets more mobile he tries to get involved too, by reaching and tasting their hay, pellets and veg. I do very much hope he will be able to form such a special bond with the rabbits, just like his sister has done.
