Play Time

No, Mama, I won't dig up your bath rugs...




Busted!!

It's just a little nibble...

Mama, I can't play if you keep pointing that flashy thingy at me!

Snuggle time!

Darcy & Gabe

Hi all! I thought you might like to meet Darcy and Gabe. Darcy is a Holland Lop I've had for four and a half years, and we moved to Oklahoma from Virginia about a year ago. Her best friend is her Blue Ball, but a couple of months ago I decided she needed a bunny companion. I found Heartland, and met Gabe! He's a New Zealand mix (we think), absolutely sweet, and he and Darcy instantly took to one another. Gabriel was mostly ignored for the year he lived with his former family, so now he gets nothing but spoiling. If his love of binkies and racing around the room are any indication, I'd say he's pretty happy with his new home!

This is Darcy and her Blue Ball. Blue Ball goes wherever Darcy goes. Darcy washes it, pushes it around, and sleeps next to it. Even with Gabriel around, Darcy still loves her ball. In this picture, I had put it in a hole on top of a box while I was cleaning, and Darcy jumped up to "rescue" it. A minute or two after this photo, Darcy had pushed it back onto the floor.

To the right is the first meeting! Darcy and Gabriel did pretty well the first time they met, and they were bonded in less than a week.

A couple of weeks after Gabriel joined us, we all took a trip back to Virginia to visit family. Even though it's a long drive, being in the same carrier made both bunnies much calmer. Darcy, of course, knew that Grandma's house meant treats, and Gabe quickly learned! My mom spoiled her "grandbunnies" outrageously, and now whenever I go into their room (yes, they have a bedroom all to themselves), they expect treats IMMEDIATELY.

Darcy and I love having Gabe around. Darcy likes to be pet, but is picky about it. Gabriel, however, turns into mush whenever you want to rub him, and will snuggle up next to me and push his nose under my hand. Their new favorite thing to do is to squish their noses together so I can rub them both at the same time. I love walking into their room and seeing that they've been snuggling together, or watching them race around each other while I'm getting out the treats. Yep, they're spoiled, but that's just fine with them!

Bunny Love, the Real Story . . .

Dahlia and Spook, a match made in bunny heaven . . . . .most of the time.


Dahlia, I love you more than carrots.

Spook, I love you more than hay.

Sweetest Dahlia, you are lovelier than lettuce.

Darling Spook, you are sweeter than yogurt treats.

Beautiful Dahlia, you are . . .



Wait! I think our pet is going to give us something to eat. At least she is good for something.

About time, I was starving!



You are hogging the kale!

I am not! You are!

Back off buddy, this is mine!

You are so selfish, I just want a nibble!

I rue the day that girl brought you into my life!

How do you think I feel? All I get now is leftovers.

15 minutes later...

I am sooooo full! I think I am going to explode. I can't even move.

Serves you right for being such a pig and eating all my food.

*sigh* Dahlia . . . . you know I love you, right?

I love you too Spook.

Snuggle Sweet Honeymoon

Its not a trip to Hawaii or Niagra Falls, but its still a honeymoon to remember. Congratulations Joey and Rhoda! (sorry about the playpen wire - we grab a picture when we can)

Is THIS Close Enough.....?

They don't like the cameras do they? Joey is so cute, and his pictures DO project his personality. We have many, many pictures of him in our picture file. But I wanted some more of him and his new bride, Rhoda. I just love the basket picture of them (wish the playpen hadn't been in the way) We had a lovely couple who were interested in adopting a bonded pair come out to visit us yesterday. They adopted Joey and Rhoda. Rhoda is shy and sweet. Joey is a bold comedian. Both enjoy the affection (and of course the treaties) from people. I envy the new bunny parents of the laughter they will enjoy. No shortage of laughter here though. We have many 4 footed comics here that keep us well within our dmrol (daily minimum requirement of laughter). I think research proved that we need a minimum of four episodes of laughter a day, right?

More Romance

Bailey and Arven came to Heartland at different times but both for the same reason - eye problems. Bailey's eye problem is a rare disorder, which even after 5 surgeries his left eye still had to be removed. Arven came to us with a severe infection in her right eye. The vet was able to save her eye, but not her sight in that eye. Bailey and Arven fell in love at first sight. Once again two bunnies bonded themselves, without any help from us. Go figure. We had tried to bond Bailey with a few other females here before. If he became blind we wanted him to have someone that would give him comfort and help him get around. But he was intolerant of the females we introduced him to. We hadn't thought about the bonding possibility when we brought Arven into the same room where Bailey was. She had just had surgery and Bailey's room was quiet and perfect for recovery. Arven was the one who made a pass at Bailey, and the rest is history, as they say. Bailey and Arven must always remain with us because Bailey's remaining eye must be watched closely. He has to be kept out of sunlight because it stimulates the aberrant growth that took his other eye. And so the blinds will be drawn for the two and a blanket covers their playpen. We think it is a beautiful love story of two special needs bunnies who had a chance meeting that was meant to be.

May/December romance

Allen, a young, energetic guy and Wilma, one of our seniors have bonded. We did not know what was going on between the two neighbors until 3 weeks ago. Wilma (the white New Zealand), with eyes closed, had her nose pressed through the side of her cage with Allen( the chinchilla mix) doing the same from his cage. Their noses were touching as they seemed to bliss out. It was SO sweet. When we saw them do that again a few days later we knew we had to put them together. Being careful to move at a pace that was acceptable to both of them we gave them more and more time out in the play yard together. They were all smoochy face and snuggly each time. It was obvious that they were bonded.

Playtime outside tires out our Wilma fairly quickly and she finds a cool place in the grass to nap. Allen however, binkies until he is exhausted. Wilma watches with eyes half closed while athletic Allen bounces all over the place. There is at least 6 years difference in their ages, but it doesn't matter to them. It is not a bond that we would have tried, but we must honor it now that it has happened. We will never separate them. Bonded rabbits grieve when taken from each other. Wilma will live out her life in wedded bunny bliss to Allen. Anything other than that would be totally unacceptable.

Bonded takes on a whole new meaning ...




One fine day not long ago, we decided to set Dodger (the one ... uh ... on top) into the playpen inside the North Warren (where Heartland's special needs bunnies live) to let him play. At the same time, Thymus was free-ranging in the warren. He came up to the playpen, parked in front of it, and just stared at Dodger. Did he remember that they had been cage neighbors before we "rearranged" the warren? If so, the memories must have been pleasant ones, because when Jeannie came into the warren later that day, Dodger's playpen was empty (who would have thought the boy could jump so high?????). When she looked around, she found the two boys happily and peacefully cuddled next to each other in the corner. The boys have bonded each other and are inseparable ever since. WAY TO GO, BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Tisket a Tasket...

Two Bunnies in a Basket!
(Featuring Isa & Wuschel)