Probably the most frequently asked question during Easter is: Do Easter bunnies lay Easter eggs? The answer to that question is yes, of course, although they are a bit small and black and don’t taste too good. That’s probably why they need to paint them in bright, enticing colors.
Well, Easter is probably the only time I get to feature my wonderful bunnies, Dice and Domino. The names can be misleading as they are both does, or females, sisters in fact. They are both doing quite well and are healthy at 2 years old. Their parents were quite prolific and that taught me a lesson to be very careful in letting rabbits breed. They can start reproducing from three to four months of age, produce four to seven litters/batches of babies per year. A grown female can be pregnant continuously for up to eight months. One single pair of mature rabbits is able to produce 30-40 offspring per year. Well, you get the idea.
Dice is the mostly white one with black and gray spots. Her coat pattern is called magpie, and she has really thick, fluffy fur. We were told that her father was of a French lop breed. She has gray spots over both eyes, so we usually just call her “Eyeliner.” Dice is most adorable when she begs for food, even though she was fed just a minute ago. She can get quite temperamental and I describe her as a tsundere, a girl who pretends not to like you but actually secretly enjoys your affection. Or could just be my imagination.
Domino has a shiny brown coat with black streaks and a light brown underside. She is a classic example of the European rabbit, and in pet stores she is labelled as Ordinary Rabbit. How dare they call Domino ordinary when she’s such an adorable creature! Most people don’t really like Domino’s color compared to Dice’s, but I still love her the most. Unfortunately, her right leg got injured from an accident when she was younger. I learned through research that their bones are not as sturdy as we would think of jumping, active creatures. She manages fine and is normal notwithstanding. Domino is the more endearing of the two as she shows affection more readily than her sister.
They both love having their cheeks scratched as that part is sensitive from all the whiskers and fur in that area. They also like it when you stroke or brush their fur. Domino likes being brushed in only one direction while Dice loves being brushed forwards and backwards.
What do these adorable creatures feed on? Though Bugs Bunny seemingly eats nothing else but carrots, the bunnies usually eat any kind of plant matter: grass, leaves, vegetables, fruit, and the like. They usually have pellets bought from a pet store for their regular meals and are supplemented by any vegetable we have on hand, like kangkong, talbos ng kamote, cabbage and pechay. For treats, they strangely love banana peels and papaya peels. Come to think of it, they are still plant-based. They like peels more than the fruits themselves. Apparently, they like crunchy things more.
It’s not really hard to take care of the bunnies; all they need is some quiet place to run around in and rest, feed them twice or thrice a day and provide clean water whenever you can. You’ll need to clean their area once or twice a day. Their poop are just small pellets that are easily swept and are not soft or yucky or smelly like those of other creatures. Their pee smells like that of any other creature, but that’s about the worst part of their care. They are VERY quiet creatures who almost never make sounds. They NEVER need to take a bath because they clean themselves quite well, ever better than cats. I should know since I also have a cat, and quite frankly, our cat Elizabeth is ALWAYS the dirtier pet.
Why aren’t bunnies more popular as pets then? Probably because they’re not as responsive to affection as cats or dogs. The difference lies in the fact that rabbits are prey animals: food for other animals. They are always afraid of other creatures because nature made them to be cautious and alert and distrustful; otherwise they’ll be dead and eaten more often. I’ve been taking care of bunnies for almost three years and I have yet to catch them sleeping at any time of the day because they ALWAYS hear you coming. This is why they will always be cautious of you, and usually do not like to be touched, and especially carried, unlike cats or dogs.
That doesn’t mean bunnies are totally devoid of love for you. It takes time for them to learn to trust you, and when they do, I assure you, the feeling is ten times better than the trust afforded by a dog or cat. The most rewarding thing you can get from a rabbit is the sight of their wagging tails when they’re really happy. Their tails wag? Why yes. Those small, cute tails wag from side to side when they’re happy. It’s really quite a rare sight, and probably the most rewarding sight of all.
Wow. Looks like I wrote a lot. I hope it wasn’t obvious I love my bunnies too much, but hopefully you got to know more about the mysterious lives of bunnies. Happy Easter everyone, and do visit us again.
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