Nutmeg and Jeffrey

Nutmeg (dark brown, a Martin rabbit) and Jeffrey( gray and white, a Dutch), one of our pairs of rabbits who share our home, are having their evening salad. Jeffrey actually started us down bunny lane. Leah got him as a baby as part of her 4H project, and he spent the first year or two living in a traditional rabbit hutch outside. Several Christmases ago, Jim and I "rabbitsat" Jeffrey while Leah and her mom went out of town. Jim felt sorry for Jeffrey, outside in the cold with no company and nothing to do. He began searching the internet for options, and came across the Columbus House Rabbit Society. Jim contacted the president, Karalee, and found out that, yes, there are much better ways of life for a rabbit. In short order, we acquired a large metal cage (3 feet square) and a square of linolium to put it on, as well as a litter pan, bedding, hay, and rabbit food. Jeffrey moved from his wire bottom hutch to his new inside digs. Instead of LOTS of pellets and very little hay, his diet changed to a small amount of pellets, as much hay as he wanted, fruit every morning and a big salad every evening. The hay went into his letter pan, which served as both a bathroom and a feeding place. Rabbits will select a corner to "go" in and will leave the hay clean for eating. In addition to being all nice and warm inside, he started receiving more human attention, as he became more of a family rabbit. Several months later, I decided that Jeffrey should have a friend. Nutmeg was on the house rabbit adoptables page, and we thought she looked like a nice bunny.

Rabbits thump their feet on the ground when they are frightened, and the first time Jeffrey saw Nutmeg, he performed a thump of 7 on the Richter scale and hid in his box. However, after several weeks of living side by side separated by a fence, followed by several weeks of "dating" to see if they were compatible (Some rabbits are not and will fight.) Jeffrey and Nutmeg tied the knot and have been inseperable ever since. Nutmeg wears the pants in the family, but Jeffrey seems quite happy with that arrangement. She makes the decisions and he is the recipient of frequent grooming; everyone is happy!