Hoppin’ Happy Hares

When my daughter, Kilee, was fifteen she moved in with me. She had never been allowed to have a pet of any kind. After researching and reading about different pets we sat and did some talking. That’s when she decided she wanted to get a bunny. I agreed to let her have one. It took her about a week and a half of babysitting to save all of the money she estimated needing.

After that we had to locate and price bunnies in our area. Once Kilee got the addresses of where she wanted to go we were off to pick out a bunny. Our adventure for one bunny turned into a two bunny rescue mission. After a while we had to go shopping for more bunny supplies and guess what? Yep, another bunny in need of a loving home. Everyone meet Dobbie, Jinx, and Tipsy:

Dobbie- The first place we went was to a private residence. We parked, got out, and rang the bell. A woman answered and Kilee explained that she was there for a bunny. The woman took us to her garage. The bunnies were in a large plastic laundry basket. Kilee had been looking at the bunnies for several minutes trying to feel a connection. It seemed as though she had picked one when she saw something move in the corner. Kilee went over and found a tiny bunny, smaller than the rest. Dobbie looked like she was covered in lint but it was really gray peach fuzz.

The woman explained that the bunny was the runt and she had been put over there because she wouldn’t make it anyway. We went home to figure out what to do with such a small bunny. Kilee decided to have her hang out in a giant mug on the coffee table. For the first bit she was on the table she kept trying to nibble Kilee’s socks, hence how she got her name. Dobbie soon left the coffee table and became a free house bunny. She was allowed to wander about half the house. After about a year of free house bunny Kilee divided her room in half and Dobbie got a room.

When she was full grown Dobbie looked like a wild cottontail with true ginger highlights. Dobbie learned how to use a litter box of hay as her bathroom. She loved to go for rides in the car and into the stores. Kilee would make her giant salads with fruit. Dobbie even had a Christmas hat and scarf. She loved pink things, spilling water, and biting cords in half if she felt ignored.

Jinx- The day that we got Dobbie we also got Jinx. After taking Dobbie home and getting someone to watch her we went to a local feed store. We were looking for bunny shampoo, treats, and anything else Kilee thought Dobbie could need. When we walked into the Kilee had to go look at the animals that they had. A few minutes later while looking at treats Kilee came over upset. She told me about a big black and white bunny that was abused. I followed her to the animals only to see the most gorgeous bunny I’d ever seen. Jinx was Rex rabbit and snowshoe. Her feet were several inches long, so were her ears, but her plume (fluffy neck fat) was cutest. If she were in the cold she’d use it to keep her nose from freezing.

It took us less than five minutes for us to agree that she was coming home with us. The information about Jinx was given to us by an employee that lost his job because he told us her past. Jinx was put out with the dogs and a shock collar was put on her. She was zapped to make her jump really high or bark, which ever happened first. Jinx made a sound that very much sounded like a bark because she had lived her whole life with dogs until being abandoned at the store.

We brought Jinx home and she met Dobbie. Jinx loved to lay on the couch and fluff blankets. When she ate colored foods like carrots her plume would stain. Dobbie learned to hop by watching Jinx. Kilee raised her the same way a Dobbie, free house bunny until she was given the room with Dobbie.

Tipsy- We hadn’t gone back to the feed store since we rescued Jinx but we didn’t have a lot of options. Where we live they were the only place to get bunny items at the time. So we drove out to the store and went in with our list. We were almost done when we saw a small black bunny. We grabbed the last few things we needed and stopped to talk to her on the way out. She got so excited. In midst of all her hopping around Kilee noticed that she had one white paw.

The owner of the store said she wasn’t sure what to do with her since the people who dropped her at the door had not been properly taking care of her. She was very skinny and skittish. Her previous people had fed her dog food and let her drink out of soda cans, Pepsi to be exact. Kilee saved Tipsy that day.

Tipsy had to have her own kennel because she didn’t like to share food or her sleeping spot. She was pretty good about using the litter box during the day but even when Dobbie and Jinx got their own room Tipsy had to stay in the kennel. We learned that she loved carrots and radishes. She would chew your shoelaces if she thought you weren’t looking.

Kilee’s bunnies have all three crossed the rainbow bridge. Tipsy was able to enjoy a loving home for about two years. Jinx enjoyed the loved life for four and a half years. Then went little Dobbie, Kilee’s little princess, Dobbie was cherished for six years by Kilee. All three bunnies passed away naturally. Though they are no longer with her, Kilee saved them and showed them not all humans are bad. They got to know the feeling of being loved.