Not Just for Easter
I am considered a novelty around this time of the year; Easter is when people usually want to purchase me. I am warm and fuzzy and so adorable, and it is easy for people to fall in love with my wiggly nose. Unfortunately, when the holiday is over, people come to realize that I am in need of the same care and attention as dogs and cats. Many of us end up at animal shelters or are just let loose in the wild. Letting a domesticated animal loose in the wild doesn’t often have a happy ending, but, happily for me, it did.
I am a curious bunny, which is what saved me. I hopped up to a human and that human was my “mom’s” cousin. They took me in, and I now live with two Peking ducks (who are soon having lots of babies for me to play with), several Mallard ducks, a handful of chickens, a hamster, two dogs, and a cat.
There are many breeds and sizes of rabbits. I happen to be a domesticated short-hair rabbit, with several brown spots. Can you guess why my name is Freckles? When my mom saw me, it was instant love; we have been inseparable ever since. When my mom was litter-box training me, which bunnies do very well, her dad just could not fathom a bunny living in the house. So, he built me a super-duper bunny condo, and now I have everything a rabbit could ask for. When I first arrived, my mom would sit outside my condo and talk to me for hours, which she still does. I enjoy listening to her voice; it is very comforting, and I usually fall asleep in her arms. When I see her coming, I get so excited that I jump up and down in my condo until she picks me up, and then it is snuggle time!
When the weather is cold, I stay in the garage. That is when I play bowling with the hamster; he goes round and round in that little ball! The cat and I have a mutual stay-away-from-each-other agreement. The dogs like to sniff me. I would prefer not having those wet noses pressed to my butt, but they are harmless.
My mom spoils me with fresh tomatoes from the garden, berries, and, my favorite, timothy grass. When the weather is warm, my mom puts the play yard up on the lawn, and I am in bunny heaven. I jump around, dig in the dirt, munch on the grass, and play chase with the dogs through the fence, which keeps their noses out of my business.
In the past decade, people have come to realize that rabbits are great companions, just like cats and dogs. We are fascinating, funny, warm, and lovable furry friends. Before you decide to purchase us as a novelty, please do research on what type of rabbit best fits your family and how to care for us.
Speaking of friends, my mom is coming, and I have to practice looking cute…it’s snuggle time!
Freckles with “Mom” Emily.
