Wiggles: An Epiphany

This is Wiggles. She is 6. She came to us via a shelter, very angry, overweight and untrusting. 

My husband and I went to our local shelter to look at a Flemish Giant they had. I aways loved Flemish Giants. Then this bun took a liking to my husband. 

The caretaker said she was angry, but somehow my husband took a liking to her and when he picked her up, she seemed to relax and melt in his arms. We just couldn't leave her after that.

We kept the name...reason forthcoming.

I can't say that our first few months were easy. Especially since this was my husbands first experience with rabbits. Constant bites, grunts, nibbles, antisocial behaviour were the norm in our household. 

Not normal of ANY rabbit I had before. But we kept at it. 

She seemed to be particularly distrusting of hands. Hands were bad in her opinion and she would lunge and bite when they came close.

Wiggles had her own room. We could afford the luxury. It soon dawned upon us that she may not have had a place to herself, let alone a room, or a home free to explore. This picture is of her on her first week with us. She is flopped under a easel content as can be. 

We don't think she ever had someone to play with. My husband showed her a few tricks. She was a bit hostile at first, understandable due to her upbringing, but soon took to our playfulness.

This is her playing tug of war. She always ends up wining because the stick ends up getting pretty chewed up.

She was overweight, her HUGE two double chins were a good sign, but they soon began to melt away. Her freedom and being able to run and play at will really helped.

 In the above picture she is laying beside a warm vent, flopped and content. 

Never have I seen a rabbit so new to her environment take such relish and joy in the simple things.

Wiggles was difficult. 

For the first at least six months, we would get really hard bites on our hands (enough to draw blood) at any attempt to pet her or put our hands near her that is if she allowed us near her.

 She would show so much anger when one reached their hands towards her. 

She grunted, scratched, became hostile, pretty much everything a "Disgruntled" rabbit would do....for 6 long, painful, months.

Then, after constantly relenting, and petting her despite the bites, sores, the grunts, the offensive rabbit gestures....she began to come around.....

Slowly at first....the bitings lessened in intensity, she became more trusting of hands. Hands were no longer something to be feared rather they brought nice things like food and pets on the head.

After 2 years going from BLOOD DRAWING BITES to bites consisting of gums and a bit of saliva to indicate displeasure

She began to like us. LIKE us. Meaning like to hang around us. 

This mind you resulting from the previous attempts at petting.

No longer were hands something to be feared and bitten, they were now something to look forward to.

She now would RUN towards us not in an attempt at attack, rather because she wanted to be petted. She would lower her head in anticipation.

I hinted at the idea of getting another rabbit...hinted...then one day when I got back home from work, my husband greeted me at the door with the smallest rabbit I have ever seen. 

Connor became part of our lives. He was found thrown out with trash along with the rest of his brothers and sisters. He was rescued by a kind stranger and sent to a shelter. He was the last of his litter. 

Naturally, my husband had to bring him home. 

It wasn't the easiest thing to bond these two. In fact, Wiggles bit Connor several times....but in under 2 months, they bonded, and as the above picture show, they have become very close.

Its Connor grooming Wiggles. Now, something very common in our household.

Wiggles has continued to grow.....well, mentally, physically she has become a lot more fit!

She now knows when I come home from grocery shopping and will run to greet me in the hallways when I plop down the grocery bag filled with her food. In the pic above I believe she is feasting on carrot tops.

She has also become quite curious and explorative. She will run into our bedroom to find us...that is wake us up in the morning should we happen to sleep in and her cereal is not ready.

 She will poke you when she wants petting, and she will certainly let you know when she wants food....she can be quite persuasive. A cute little poke by her nose on your ankle, or a paw on your foot lets you know she is there, waiting, patiently (but not for long) for you to feed her some tasty treat.

This is Wiggles circa 30 minutes ago. She is literally behind me, sitting on a comfy blanket. 

She now likes to hang around after meals. (This is her looking directly at me) I think likely just to scope out what I am doing. But this is a very typical Wiggles place. Nearby when we are in the living room. 

Another pic, just recently taken. She is happily loafed, with Connor right behind her.

What did I hope to achieve in this post? Well to remind myself that there are rabbits out there that have been through a really rough upbringing, who have been forced to live in cages, eat nothing but bland food, only be played with for the amusement of children, not shown love, care or that hands can be for more than hurt.

About a month after we adopted Wiggles, we heard that the shelter she came from had a ringworm infestation and as a result the shelter was euthanizing ALL of the animals. Ringworm is something that can be easily treated. Thanks to some of the staff that refused to take orders, a lot of the animal got out alive, adopted, including the other 5 rabbits that accompanied Wiggles there.

Breaks my heart to think if we would have waited any longer, she may have been euthanized because she was likely not adoptable due to her temperament.

BTW, there were no signs of ringworm outbreak on her, nor have there ever been. 

Although I have my battle scars from Wiggles. The scars from the numerous blood drenching bites she has given ( I kid you not this rabbit can bite hard as hell), but regardless, they have healed, and so has she. 

She now has a place where she can roam free. Sit in a windowsill in the afternoon soaking up the sun, eat as much as she likes, play with friends like Connor and Wayne, and have the constant love and affection of two humans.

I think she has it good.

And tonight, she has proven it.

I went to pick her up, she was by the sink on her carpet expecting food,...and there were NO bites, grunts, scratches, noises, or any hostility. She actually enjoyed me picking her up. Petting her. 

This is a HUGE milestone for her. I still wear the scars (proudly) that she gave me on my hand. This same rabbit, who used to be fearful of all things human,  now lets me pick her up freely, something NOT natural to her upbringing let alone species, without any fear. 

She has learned to trust. 

This is something I have always hoped for, never thought I would achieve, yet here we are.

Why we kept the name: Every time EVERY time, Wiggles is in a mischievous, happy, playful mood, she will wiggle her tail in contentment. Whether its when we tell her for eating a plant she is not supposed to (Tail Wiggle) or when she is playing with Connor and he has run towards her (Tail WIGGLE) or when she realizes she is getting treats (TAIL WIGGLE!!!!) her little white bottomed tail will wiggle with contentment. Although I feel silly saying I have a rabbit named Wiggles, I don't think any other name can do for this one. She shows her contentment through wiggles. And the more wiggles, the merrier. 

Wiggles, I am so proud of you. I am so thankful you trust me and feel welcome enough in your home to be yourself.

February is Adopt an Abandoned Rabbit month. I think I will do something just on her behalf. 

Bunny Pokes

Sometimes they need to let you know they are around. It might be with a simple poke of their nose, or a paw on the foot. Regardless, they are letting you know they are underfoot and want your attention.

Wayne aka Harry, letting me know he is around.....
and underfoot, and in need of some munchies...POKE1

Nail Cutting: Not as daunting as you think

I am demonstrating this on Wiggles. She is the most unhappiest about nail cutting so she will be the model to show that its not as bad nor a difficult as it may seem.

What you will need:
1. A rabbit
2. Clippers. Your choice. I have my preference. I like the green handled one below
3. SUNSHINE!!!!
4. Bag balm: in case the bunny has sore feet (Rex like Wiggles tend to be prone)
5. Papaya enzymes as a treat for after. But its your bun's choice.

So....lets begin....

Here are your tools of choice: I like the smaller one by the bag balm tin.
The bag balm is in case of sore bunny feet.

Make sure its daylight. I like to do this on sunny Saturday afternoons (but if you don't have one, an amply lit bathroom will do).

Why do you need light to avoid the wick from being cut? Here are my three cents:

1. It hurts like hell. When I cut below my wick it really really hurts. Think of a hang nail.  So why on earth would I want a poor bunny to experience the same pain?
2. A pet that may sit in its own waste all day  therefore it should not have any open wounds caused by nail cutting. Even if its not sitting in a cage like mine, they use a litter box, walk on the same floors we do, so its likely good to avoid any open wounds on the feet. 
3. Cutting through the wick can be EASILY avoided, so why not try?

I've only ONCE in my entire life had mistakenly cut though a wick and caused pain. I promised after that I would NEVER EVER do that. So this is my simple technique.

Make sure you pick up bunny firmly with ample but support. Then proceed to flip said bun on your lap...come ca...

Wiggles demonstrating being flipped over in the sun.
Not happy about it....but look at her cute belly!

The key with any bunny flip is confidence. Let him/her know they are supported. Now allow the head to tilt back....back and back. This is a bit of a slow process. Comfort by petting the head. This will put them into a slight trance......Wiggles would NOT let me do this otherwise.

Remember when I said sunshine is a thing you need, well this is why. Wiggles has some dark tannins in her nails. So, having a sun lit background to shine though allowing me to see the wick, greatly increases my ability to see her wick, thus avoiding it, and reducing her pain. This is of course much easier with bunnies who do not have any dark tannins, nor throw hissy fits when nails are being cut.

Wiggles' paw. Its hard to see in this picture,
but her wick is easily visible to the naked eye though the sun.

You then clip away. The bunny will wiggle and get distressed. And will likely jump out of your hold, like Wiggles did 11 times during this nail cutting, but keep putting them back, reassuring them with pets, even when they pant and are not all that happy about it....because in the end there are rewards to be had.....

THE REWARD!!!!

If you associate an unpleasant experience with some positive reinforcement, in this case Papaya Enzymes (during shedding period this has been shown to help them digest fur they lick off their shedding bodies) they won't always run away from the experience.

So, this is my technique.

Please feel free to share yours :3

Should I rename him Harry?

To make matters worse, he was an orphan abandoned in a parking lot. He does not have any special powers aside from smartness. But does live downstairs in the basement because my other male rabbit has territory issues. So its Harry, right? Not Wayne like he was named? He just needs glasses....anything else?

Tender love and Hare

Did you know that house rabbits, like the one pictured above (Name: Wayne. Breed: Dutchie) are not the same as wild rabbits?

How? Do you ask? Well, if you release this bun into the wild he will have no chance of survival because he is a house rabbit.

Think of it this way; We are different than our closest relatives, which from my limited understanding I believe genetically are the chimpanzees. Just like we would have a very difficult time surviving in the wild, well the vast majority of us (including me...especially me) would not be able to survive in the wild without ANY provisions, assistance or help of any kind (including our human tools and city smarts a warm coat, some fire...I digress) for longer than lets say a couple of weeks in the winter and at most a month or two in the summer....

So, why are then some bunnies, like Wayne pictured above, released into the wild, when they are no longer wanted? Its a death sentence. Its worse, in fact. These are social animals, more so than most, who after being accustomed to a home environment, are now forced to fend for themselves, find food, shelter and safety in an environment very foreign to them, and they have never have before. Yet daily, rabbits are thrown out as trash (Connor), abandoned at shelters if they are lucky (like Wiggles) or just released to fend for their little lives into the wild until a kind stranger, like my wonderful neighbour picks them up (Wayne) and hopelessly tries to find their missing owner....unfortunately, like many of us know, these bunnies original parents don't want them. And as a result, we are either stuck with them, or do not have the heart to leave them alone.

This is Wayne's story. He was found abandoned in a parking lot. My neighbour found him and posted a flyer of a LOST RABBIT at our local post office. Me, being naive, heartbroken, and not being able to get his image (a hand drawn picture of a dutchie out of my mind) I responded to her ad offering assistance since I already had two and had some knowledge of the care of fluffy delicate creatures. Apparently no one, NOT ONE, had come forward in her 2 week long ordeal. She didn't wan just anyone taking him. She was especially concerned that he would become someones dinner.

I offered her my assistance that if by the end of the week she could not find the owner, I would take him. (My brother in law had mentioned that after living with us and our two rabbits and getting really bonded with them, Wiggles in particular, go figure...he was thinking of getting one himself) I thought it was meant to be.

When I showed up, Wayne was in very a comfortable former dog pen. He had a huge territory to play in and offers of daily treats from their caretakers daughter. He was obviously been picked up by loving caring people( I still call them to this day giving them updates and telling stories of Wayne's adventures to their daughter).

He was VERY thin, super dirty and in so much need of love and care. I remember reaching into the pen and picking him up as he approached. He seemed to need that touch. I remember feeling his rib cage and how little he weighed for his size. It broke my heart. I remember him snuggling into me that warm summer day. He was so delicate. So different. From then on there was NO doubt in my mind that he was coming home with me. I would do anything to make sure he was ok. I didn't care. He was  going to be fed well, safety ensured and all the comforts I could offer given to him. 

I took him home. 

We already had Wiggles (girl) and Connor (boy) both neutered and bonded. I never had two rabbits before these two, let alone three. So bonding was going to be fun, and easy...right? So wrong, so very very wrong.

Connor, weighing a total of 3 pounds soaking wet, was in full competition with Wayne (4 pounds skin and bone). We were not sure of Waynes age, but we assumed he was likely an Easter present, and based on his size and breed, he was at MOST 3 to 4 months old. Not wanting to get him neutered too early, we waited an extra couple of months to get him fixed to ensure he was old enough. This meant a lot of Wayne and Connor separation. But well worth it.

Wayne had the basement, ALL of the basement, including a bedroom, office, rec room with my husbands crescent cocoa leather reclining couch (from his glory days as a bachelor) that was pretty much open to invitation for chewing. But it was and still is Waynes 1100 square feet of total BUN playground. 

When Wayne got his operation, things got more calm. He was less agitated, frustrated, and the poor play bunny (the stuffed rabbit toy that helped Wayne with his....frustrations) got a break. 

The above picture shows Wayne post surgery with cone, and Connor, trying desperately to emancipate Wayne from the confinds that limit his mobility thus preventing stitches from coming out.

Well, its been well over 6 months since this picture was taken. And many bites, both on me, and poor Wayne, have occurred thanks to Connor. He is still very defensive against his lady.

On the bright side, Wayne has grown and flourished. He has gained several pounds and is now up to 8 in total. He is also very prone to binkies and hops upon seeing people especially in he morning. He LOVES being petted and is very curious, inquisitive, fearless and LOVES being chased. Is is also very intelligent and I find him training us more on what he wants done rather than the other way around.

You may ask about the litter box training situation. Lets put it this way. Wayne on his first day here was shown his room. He naturally pooped in a few spots indicating it was his room. I picked up the poop (being round it was easy) and placed into his litter box. From that moment, he used that litterbox to poo and pee. He is so precise that he pees in the exact same spot every day. Yes, that is how easy it was. Rabbits are that clean. I love watching him groom himself. Even Wiggles and the ever clean 5 times a day bath Connor. 

And this is where our story takes us. My brother in law, due to some personal situations, could not take him full time, so thanks to my very easy going husband, we got a third rabbit. A rabbit that is more like a dog. Somebun that loves to be chased, gives pokes when happy, has gotten a better idea of how he can trust people. Has become a real connoisseur of lettuce and food in general. And is a very loving, happy and playful bunny. 

I look forward to not only seeing my husband, but my three little bunnies. 

I dream of the day Connor and Wayne get along. But I also know that it may never happen. Wiggles is OK with Wayne (Although he has WAY too much energy for her) but she is benefiting a lot from his chases...she has lost a lot of weight thanks to him and his playfulness. 

I also love the fact that it took me two hours to write this post because in between these lines, Wayne has poked me for pets, poked for some lettuce, Wiggles has chewed on the Christmas tree which needed deterring, Wayne has poked for more pets, Connor has chewed on the barricade that separates him and Wayne from a full blown bun fight, and my husband post leafs game has asked where the skis are for the wagon, twice.

This is my life and I love it. I love having the bunnies running around, whether early in the morning, waking me up for treats at 7am; Wiggles running towards me full speed when she realizes I've come home from grocery shopping and I have (for certain) leafy greens hidden in the bags she must find; Connor waiting patiently by the carpet for cereal (Oats and a few raisins with sunflower seeds); Wayne with his happy hops, crazy runs, happy binkies and super happy hops when he sees you in the morning for the first time; a bun running by poking me with their nose on my leg letting me know they came by; a content rabbit grinding their teeth after being petted on the head; a content rabbit flopping beside me ( a prey) in pure comfort with belly shown warming in the sun; bunnies running towards me full speed at my clicking (with my tongue, you may need to google this for clarity) at the prospect of food or pets. 

This is bun life. And if you have had a bun, you know this id what its like. These are the simple joys of every day bunning...yes, puns are free flowing here (I learned this lovely trait from my super smart hubby). 

Thank you for reading all of this. Ive vented a lot here and this is what its like. I learn from them every day. They show me what is important.

I have always loved rabbits, and like I've said, I've never known why. They are just loving, unique, cute and not your norm. If you take a break and pause to see what they really are, see beyond the hop, fluff and stereotype you will see a lot more. Something more worthwhile than one can describe. Something that will touch you and resonate. After all, bunnies are a lot like we are, used to the comfort of our homes and the love and respect of our fellow friends, and there when you need them the most. Its only when a prey animal trust you, a carnivore so much they flop their belly towards you and consider you a rabbit, that you truly know you have done something worthwhile here. Well, at least thats how I see it. As silly as it may seem. In the end, it makes me happy. 

Bunny Snuggles

Sometimes, snuggles make worries go far far away.

Petting bunnies

According to Stories Rabbits Tell http://www.rabbit.org/links/sections/stories-rabbits-tell.html
Rabbits in the wild show respect and determine hierarchy based on grooming. In a human's case, pets on the head.

Rabbits are extremely social creatures and this determines pretty much, who is the boss.
In the case of humans, it shows respect, but in turn even more respect is given.
I can't count how many hours or how many times my bunnies, Wiggles, Wayne and Connor have spent being petted and grinding their teeth in contentment. Or how many times I have witnessed Connor grooming Wiggles, and the rare event of Wiggles returning the favour.

Its really neat to learn these things about bunnies.

Why Rabbits?

I mean, you can get a perfectly normal dog, or cat, and not have to deal with these issues....

Wiggles parked by the model Dodge Viper GTS blue with white racing stripes. Can't tell if she is pretending to  be a car, hiding from Connor or is just enjoying a newly found spot form a higher gazing point.

Bun Cons:

• They may chew things like cords, and when one plugs in said cord unknown of its chewed nature, one may get zapped....
• They are not always good around kids since kids tend to scare them or hurt them or cut their ears off with scissors...yes, Ive seen this happen
• They are alert at night. They are most active during the night, but sleep most of the day/night
• They shed twice a year, sometimes more
• They hop, not walk like cats or dogs
• Rabbit savvy vets are not always easy to find
• Their poop is round
• You need to cut their nails.
• They don't always like being picked up
• They are 'prey' animals therefore get scared a lot
• Alfalfa, bunny kibble and treats....foods a rabbit must always eat

Bun Pros:

• They are really REALLY cute
• They practically come litter trained (rabbits like to do their business in one soft fluffy place)
• They can be affectionate like a dog or cat but don't need to be walked to poop like a dog
• They are really smart (more than given credit for)
• They are clean pets (as long as you are a clean human who changes a litter box once every couple of days or so)
• They HOP!
• They don't meow or bark
• Their food does not smell
• They are really friendly
• Super playful!
• Their poop is vaccumable and does not smell!
• They are not the normal cat/dog and have amazing personalities
• They will lick you when they are happy to show affection
• They beg for treats like cereal and hop at the excitement that you are by the fridge and might have something tasty for them
• They happy hop aka binky (google if you would like to see video)
• Fluffy, cute and adorable, but you can say that about any pet
• They don't have stinky smelly tuna or meat breath
• You can be around them while you are pregnant (unlike a cat)
• There are many out there waiting for adoption
• They are curious, funny, have an amazing range of personalities and come in all sorts of breeds!
• You don't chose them, they chose you

I'm sure Im missing a tonne of pros, but then I will get more on the emotional side rather than the factual.

Connie and Wiggles feasting (hesitantly due to camera nearby) on the last bit of  lettuce of the season. Yes thats lettuce, flowered. It pays to have a garden when you have hungry rabbits.

Connie cuddling

Language of the Lagomorphs: New Favourite Link

This is by far one of the best sites I have had a chance to come across. The Language of the Lagomorphs.

http://language.rabbitspeak.com/

If you ever had a bun, this will seem less crazy to you.

Happy reading!

Myth: Rabbits don't like being held

Its in any preys nature that being held down especially by a predator is not a good thing. However, a house rabbit does not have any predators to contend with, unless you count the vacuum cleaner, however in most cases the rabbit wins that scuffle.

So, why do most rabbits not like being held, so it seems? Well, when are rabbits picked up? In nature, when they are being eaten! In the house, when they are being cleaned, nails trimmed, gotten into trouble and thus must be picked out of an, oh, lets say potted plant. So in general, rabbits get picked up during unpleasant times. So, why is it a myth then?

All of the rabbits I've had did not like being picked up, at first. They associated it with negative things. So,   to change their tune, I would pick them up at random times. Pet them, give them treats, positively reinforce the behaviour. Slowly, at first, they began to not mind. Connie still lets me know when he wants down. The key to holding a bun is a confident pickup, good butt support, lots of pets, and knowing when they want back down. Some rabbits, like Wiggles, will never love being picked up, no matter how many treats you give her. Yeah, she will eat them while you hold her, but will grunt at you in between munches. Connor and Wayne however, they quite enjoy it.

Key is positive reinforcement. Let your bunny know you are picking them up on their terms, are offering love and pets, ensure they are comfortable, and let them down when they want back down.

Happy bunny holding.

Cameras, Connies new fear

Connie, his first night with us.

Wayne enjoying the sun.

Outside noises can be alarming.

Paws up!

Got tape stuck to your hind foot?  Run to the nearest human. They have opposable thumbs and can help.

Sleeping Giant

Sometimes, you feel like everything is right in the world. Rare moments nonetheless, but these are the times. 

 This is Nutmeg, passed out after a feast of kale, his favourite. I ADORE this picture. I would watch him as he dreamt, twitching his little nose and sometimes waking up partially. He reminded me so much of the "Guess how much I love you" books. I miss him dearly.

The Art of Rabbit Grooming: Licks

Grooming is a very critical part of a bun's life. They shed twice a year (or in our case, constantly), get matted fur that needs to be taken care of, poop sometimes gets, um...stuck, and fur just need to look perty for the other buns.

Some buns are better at it than others. Connie is an expert and I will always find him cleaning, grooming, or making sure his white fur is spotless. He NEVER has any stains on his feet, makes very certain to eat his cecotropes so delicately, we have yet to see them or their existence. This white little bunny is always clean. Wayne is the same, aside from his partially still grey feet, he is very clean. Most bunnies are....well, with the exception of Wiggles. 

This bun's bum is always in rough shape. I can't tell if its a combination of her being overweight or lazy or the lack of know how, but I've given this bun more baths than I can count. Once 3 in a weekend. And if you have ever given a disgruntled rabbit a bath, you know its a 3 hour ordeal with bitten fingers and scratch marks in unfortunate locations you then must explain to your doctor during your yearly physical. "Is my crazy rabbit, I swear. She ate the glue end of the phone book and pooped everywhere..." 

So I began to wonder, perhaps Wiggles never really learned how.  

I don't think Wiggles has ever seen another rabbit before meeting Connor when she was 5 (Can you image living in a world like that) Its why I think she grunts and behaves more like a dog than a rabbit sometimes. Well, needless to say, Connie, our loving and patient bun, has taught her a few things, in this case, mutual grooming. 

One thing all rabbits love is being petted on the head. Often Wiggles, Connor and Wayne will grind their teeth in contentment when they are being petted. This, however, is nowhere near the level of blissfulness a good ol' rabbit grooming does. Its where one rabbit licks another. 

Here we have a rare yet increasingly less so moment when Wiggles is grooming Connie. (You can see her leeeetle tongue in the shadow). 

Connie has always been very patient, loving and gentle with Wiggles, but I can't say that it was mutual. Once they started getting along, that is to say that Wiggles remained still enough for Connie to be around him, he started grooming her. I think thats when she fell in love. I don't think this poor rabbit, aside from when she was a wee little baby, was ever groomed. 

Now when Connie grooms Wiggles, its a delicate procedure of cute little licks around her face. I have been fortunate enough to receive these little loving gestures after petting Mr. Connie. He is so delicate.

Wiggles on the other hand is a bit more, into it, for a lack of a better word. When she grooms Connie, she does it with might, force and a little umph. You can see Connies head moving back and forth with each lick. 

I love that Wiggles is starting to become more rabbit like. And she is learning this from Connor. My only  hope is that they will start to groom Wayne as well. But by the looks of the territorial "THIS IS MY SPOT" poops around them, we still have some ways to go.

Wiggles' Whiskers

When we first adopted Wiggles, we noticed she had no whiskers. I've never met a Rex before, so I didn't think much of it. Maybe they didn't have any. Her fur is already thin and short, perhaps its just her breed, so I thought.

After a few months, especially after getting Connor with his gallant whiskers, we noticed Wiggles started to grow 'something' around her face. It looked like some strands of fur were getting a bit longer than the others....then they kept growing a bit more, differing in colour from the rest of her face. She started looking more like a teenage boy trying desperately to grow some facial hair. It then dawned on me that she may have lost her whiskers while at her previous place due to stress. We were told she had lived in a house with a dog, and she was quite disgruntled and defensive (sure signs of abuse), but I never imagined it would manifest itself in lack of whiskers.

As you can tell, via the progressive pics below, she has come a long way. Her stubby little whiskers are growing longer and longer, albeit wonky and still nowhere near her body width for them to be more useful, but she is trying.

The last three pics I took today, again, in the sun, belly full, content as can be. I couldn't decide on which to post because in each one she looks a bit goofier, especially with the gnarly whiskers.

Way to go Wiggy, keep those whiskers coming. 

Connie: The lover and fighter

Connor was found in a box curbside, left out for trash pickup with his fellow siblings. A Hottot and Angora mix (I now believe). He was 6 weeks old when my Husband (pictured here with Connor in his hands) picked him up at a shelter.

He is one of the most skidish and gentle rabbits I know. Very delicate and loving. He is also one of the most aggressive when it comes to protecting his turf and his love (Wiggles). He and Wayne have gotten into some serious fights. Wayne, a Dutchie, weighing at least double what 3 pound Connie weighs, is no match for him. He bites, and bites very hard. I have scars from the various fights I've broken up.

It's going to be a long battle it seems, to bond Wayne and Connor, but hopefully it will be worth it in the end. He is a wonderful quiet little bunny otherwise.

He still naps in his special spot in the closet (beside the kibble and litter) and will give you bunny pokes when he hops by.

Saddens me that bunnies as wonderful as he is are discarded every day. Treated literally like garbage. I will never understand how someone can be so cruel as to dispose of unwanted animals.
Rabbits, dogs, cats, hamsters, cows alike. You can tell a lot about society just by the way they treat their animals.