Maggie, the adored bunny that looks spittin' image identical to the pesky one who sits under the tree outside my kitchen window munching on my beloved flowers, taunting Dylan to sneak up and pop him.
Well, to catch you up to speed, somewhere mid August as summer droned on, it was brought to my attention that Maggie needed a friend.
I think back on it now, and I really don't even know how it happened. A moment of weakness?
Was I actually feeling bad for this lonely bunny? Was I feeling bad for my boys who told me every.single.day. that they wanted one too? Was I trying to keep the peace? Am I truly a glutten for punishment? Had I actually found a pet that I could get on board with? Had summer just worn me down?
Whatever the case may be, we aquired this little guy about a week before school started. The kids named him Oliver.
A friend was looking to give him away, and he had the soft floppy ears of the bunny I always wanted. Childhood dream of my own perhaps?
Well, it was love at first sight. Oliver had his eye on lovin' Maggie, and naturally, she just wanted to bite him whenever he came near :)
The kids would squeal with delight... " Olivers giving Maggie a piggie back ride again, and he keeps shaking!" "Oh they love each other!" "Awe, Oliver's just hugging her now...oh wait, he wants another piggie back ride!"
Tim and I rolled listening to the kids innocent dialogue and excited bursts.
Tim and I rolled listening to the kids innocent dialogue and excited bursts.
And I knew what our future held, and truly thought it would be a fun adventure for the kids.
In my ignorance however, I neglected to google a time frame.
In my ignorance however, I neglected to google a time frame.
On a cold September morning, just 4 weeks after their first date, Sydney ran back into the house crazy hysterical, spewing out little sentence fragments "7 bunnies on the ground" and "fur everywhere" before she could catch her breath.
I grabbed my coffee and ran out behind her, as we literally had 4 minutes til the bus was scheduled to roll over the hill and swallow up the kids.
Sure enough. 7 tiny, ugly, hairless, baby bunnies lay on the ground on a pile of fur... still warm from birth. Because they were so tiny, and we were unprepared for their arrival, they fell through the chicken wire bottom of Maggies cage.
Maggie was a wild eyed frantic rabbit, ripping her fur out and letting it fall through the cracks for them to stay warm. I felt so bad for her mental state. To watch your babies be born, and them have them fall out...tragic. (Tim may have thought I was crazy for adding a rabbits mental state to my list of concerns for the day).
Maggie was a wild eyed frantic rabbit, ripping her fur out and letting it fall through the cracks for them to stay warm. I felt so bad for her mental state. To watch your babies be born, and them have them fall out...tragic. (Tim may have thought I was crazy for adding a rabbits mental state to my list of concerns for the day).
We quickly gathered up the bunnies, put them back in the cage, and ran down the driveway to catch the bus.
After the kids were gone, I gathered more straw, put some leftover tiles from our bathroom underneath so they couldn't slip through, and left the bunnies in a pile of straw just inside the door....trying to handle them as little as possible, so Maggie could resume her rightful role as mother and put them where she wanted.
Well the day wore on, and she wanted nothing to do with them. And they were getting cold. My only short term goal was to keep them alive until the kids got off the bus, so that they would have a chance to see them in the light.
Every time I would peak in the door, Maggie would stick her head out looking around frantically at the ground as if searching for her babies she knew that had dropped to the ground below. Wanting nothing to do with the pile of skin that lay just inches from her.
Every time I would peak in the door, Maggie would stick her head out looking around frantically at the ground as if searching for her babies she knew that had dropped to the ground below. Wanting nothing to do with the pile of skin that lay just inches from her.
In the afternoon, I finally took them all and put them in the far corner of the hutch and buried them in the straw. And somewhere in there, Maggie started to care for them.
And at the end of the day we still had 6 live bunnies. One had slipped through the cracks and died while I was out for the afternoon.
A few weeks old, their eyes finally opened and they grew some fur...
A few weeks old, their eyes finally opened and they grew some fur...
And now 4 weeks, they are thriving and doubling in size every day!
1 brown, 1 white, 2 black and 2 polka dots... Annie, Penelope, Daisy, Nico, Shadow, and Powder Puff...aka creepy vampire.
It has been quite a nice little experience for the kids.
Sharing duties, catching escapies, and lovin' on animals that go back in a cage at night :)
And the best part, I think they are all sold :)
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