bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Part 1 Continued on Post #6
Today I lost a very special friend. Madelyn, who I called Maddie, was adopted in May 2015. She was born October 21, 2014 and as a baby she was surrendered to a non defunct rescue that provided medical care to small animals. She had eye ulcers and her foster family did more than provide her with medical care. Through their example, they taught her about love. Of course they could not have imparted such an impression on her if she had not been born a very special bunny.
Prior to meeting Maddie, I lost several elderly bunnies within a little more than a year. Although I adoped a young mini rex I named Heidi the prior August, I still had Amigo, a 14 year old Dwarf. There was something missing in my life, and it turns out the part of my heart that caused me to feel empty for most of my life was ready to be filled.
I searched online for a small breed. I could not physically handle a larger rabbit and my home had space limitations. After searching for almost a year to locate a young bunny who wanted a new home, I saw Maddie's picture. She was sitting in a pick bunny bed and she looked like a princess.
I read the write-up about Madelyn and it said she needed a good home, did not like being picked up, and she would sit next to her special person.
She was a lionhead and although I had a prior lionhead, Dancer, Maddie had much more long fur around her face and neck. I printed her picture and write-up yet did not call for a couple days.
She had been spayed a few weeks earlier and days before I saw her adoption notice, she was taken to a local Pet Stuff, pet supply store, for an adoption event sponsored by her rescue group. She was their only bunny, though they had many other small mammals. At her first event she was not adopted. A few days after seeing her picture, it was a Wednesday, I showed my spouse her picture and write-up and he said we should ask about adopting her. On Thursday I called the rescue and learned she was still available. I told them about losing my geriatric bunnies (CX age 12, Bonita age 13, and Black Velvet (Softie) age 13) I told the woman that I had two other bunnies Heidi and Amigo (a 14 year old dwarf) Her rescue was only a couple miles from me in a private home so on Saturday we met at a different Pet Stuff location closer to both our homes.
That Saturday we put the pet carrier in the car in case we wanted to bring her home. I was so excited to meet Madelyn bunny that my spouse and I arrived an hour early. That may not be impressive to most, yet my spouse is rarely on time for anything. It was obvious we were both excited to meet her.
When the rescue arrived and I looked in the holding cage I saw a ball of mostly white fur sitting on a pretty pink bunny bed. She was so fluffy I had to look twice to see it was mostly on her face with some on her butt. She had the cleanest, white fur I ever saw with blonde/light brown ears and spots mostly on one side. Her tail was very big and fluffy too. Under the fur I saw the most beautiful brown eyes. I asked to hold her to assess her health and see her personality. She sat on a cardboard box as I sat on the store floor petting her as she just sat on the box. I kept expecting her to jump away, scratch or bite; yet she sat on the cardboard box like it was her throne. My thought was she was too scared and she would probably not be that way when she got home and more comfortable. There was a pink litterbox in her holding cage and she was advertised as litter trained. I saw some poos outside her box yet her pee and poo were mostly in the litterbox. People were shopping in the store and they all saw me on the floor with this ball of fluff. I filled out the application and they approved me to adopt Madelyn. I did not want to disturb her litter training so I asked if I could make a donation for the litterbox too and they agreed. The husband part of the animal rescue asked me to promise to get her a nice bed/fleece for her comfort. She was soon in the carrier and on her way to our home.
She was put in a large pen next to/under our kitchen table. Who needed those other chairs anyways! All the pet beds/cushions in the store at the time had fabrics printed with designs like bones meant for dogs/cats and they were not pretty pink. The next day I went to the fabric store to buy some soft fleece to make her a pretty pink cushion. They had some very soft fleece with a hello kitty design, though the kitty was white on a princess pink background. The fleece also had eye spots that I later learned were easily confused with stray poos. The first nights she was playing with her cushion and sometimes even under it. When I tried to replace it with a new pet bed I got her in December, she ignored the new bed so I still have her cushion with chew holes. I plan to use part of it under her when she is laid to rest. That was so hard to type.
After her initial quarantine period, I moved Amigo, my 14 year old Dwarf, to the living room that is separated from the kitchen by a railing. Amigo lost his brother of 13 years, Bonita, less than a year before. He was wobbly on is feet and even in his younger days he hated to walk on the old cold ceramic floor in the kitchen. The first day he saw Maddie, he made an exception. He walked onto the old cold ceramic tile to greet Madelyn. She walked over to greet him too. He was too small and frail to share an area with Madelyn, yet every day for the next couple of months, including the day Amigo passed, Amigo and Madelyn would greet each other and sit near each other. He suddenly looked younger than his years and I often wondered what they said to each other that gave them both happiness. He was a thin sable point dwarf with beige fur and brown markings on his ears, nose, feet and tai and Maddie was the white fluffy lionhead with blonde/light brown ears and spots on her side. She would see me holding him every day as he gave me tons of kisses, something he rarely did until he lost his brother. I think he was passing on the knowledge to Maddie because soon after he passed she began to give me kisses when I would caress her in just the right spot on her side or behind her ears.
It was a rare day when I did not hold Maddie as we sat silently or as we watched a television show. She was a lap bunny who fit perfectly on my lap. I would use both hands to caress her sides and she did not want me to stop. She enjoyed the gentle rocking of my chair and was such a good girl. She would not even try to move away and she would not chew my clothing, pee or poo during the entire time she was on my lap. I would often 'sing' her a rhyme-Momma has a pretty girl, a pretty-pretty-pretty girl, Momma has a pretty girl a pretty girl who's nice. Momma has a nice girl, a nice-nice-nice girl, Momma has a nice girl a nice girl who's pretty. Then I would tell her first God made you nice, then he made you pretty; or first God made you pretty, then he made you nice. She told me God made her pretty and nice at the same time. How can I get such a present from heaven and then have her taken away.
Several times a week, more if she was shedding, I would comb her long hair. Sometimes I would comb in straight up and she would look like she had a halo around her face, or I would put it all near her ears and think of how nice she would look with a tiara. Once in a while I would take my hair scrunchie out of my hair and place it loosely around her long fur and ears and she looked like she was doing aerobics at the gym in the 80's. I would tell her how us long hair girls had to stick together. She would just sit there and give me the soft chattering sound and start licking my wrist as she got groomed. This was a blessing because she has long hair like her mom, mostly on her head; though she does have some longer hair around her rear and large pretty white tail.
Each morning she would jump around in circles and over her litterbox when she saw my spouse with the pellets. She always had hay, plus she got greens every night (her favorite was dandelion or carrot tops); yet she would dance for her ration of pellets every morning. She quickly ate it while my spouse was washing up, then she would pick up her empty food bowl and toss it around trying to get him to give her more. When he resisted her charms and remove the empty bowl, she would stomp her large white feet (they were so clean and white, even on the bottom) to get his attention. I was the person to give Madelyn her evening ration of pellets and I often got the same excited dancing. She learned her Momma Bunny would not give in to her so she rarely tossed the empty bowl for me.
Since March my spouse has been home from his part time evening job, so she started to dance for him when he came home from his full time job and then he got to give Maddie her evening ration of pellets. In that short time she stopped dancing for me (I often told her it was too early for her evening pellets) and she only entertained my spouse with her dances. Sometimes I would watch from the doorway and she would stop if she saw me enjoying the show. Even when she was relaxing it made me smile to watch he lying with her big feet stretched to one side-almost as if to show me how clean and pretty her toes were.
Post exceeded length continued on post.#6
Today I lost a very special friend. Madelyn, who I called Maddie, was adopted in May 2015. She was born October 21, 2014 and as a baby she was surrendered to a non defunct rescue that provided medical care to small animals. She had eye ulcers and her foster family did more than provide her with medical care. Through their example, they taught her about love. Of course they could not have imparted such an impression on her if she had not been born a very special bunny.
Prior to meeting Maddie, I lost several elderly bunnies within a little more than a year. Although I adoped a young mini rex I named Heidi the prior August, I still had Amigo, a 14 year old Dwarf. There was something missing in my life, and it turns out the part of my heart that caused me to feel empty for most of my life was ready to be filled.
I searched online for a small breed. I could not physically handle a larger rabbit and my home had space limitations. After searching for almost a year to locate a young bunny who wanted a new home, I saw Maddie's picture. She was sitting in a pick bunny bed and she looked like a princess.
I read the write-up about Madelyn and it said she needed a good home, did not like being picked up, and she would sit next to her special person.
She was a lionhead and although I had a prior lionhead, Dancer, Maddie had much more long fur around her face and neck. I printed her picture and write-up yet did not call for a couple days.
She had been spayed a few weeks earlier and days before I saw her adoption notice, she was taken to a local Pet Stuff, pet supply store, for an adoption event sponsored by her rescue group. She was their only bunny, though they had many other small mammals. At her first event she was not adopted. A few days after seeing her picture, it was a Wednesday, I showed my spouse her picture and write-up and he said we should ask about adopting her. On Thursday I called the rescue and learned she was still available. I told them about losing my geriatric bunnies (CX age 12, Bonita age 13, and Black Velvet (Softie) age 13) I told the woman that I had two other bunnies Heidi and Amigo (a 14 year old dwarf) Her rescue was only a couple miles from me in a private home so on Saturday we met at a different Pet Stuff location closer to both our homes.
That Saturday we put the pet carrier in the car in case we wanted to bring her home. I was so excited to meet Madelyn bunny that my spouse and I arrived an hour early. That may not be impressive to most, yet my spouse is rarely on time for anything. It was obvious we were both excited to meet her.
When the rescue arrived and I looked in the holding cage I saw a ball of mostly white fur sitting on a pretty pink bunny bed. She was so fluffy I had to look twice to see it was mostly on her face with some on her butt. She had the cleanest, white fur I ever saw with blonde/light brown ears and spots mostly on one side. Her tail was very big and fluffy too. Under the fur I saw the most beautiful brown eyes. I asked to hold her to assess her health and see her personality. She sat on a cardboard box as I sat on the store floor petting her as she just sat on the box. I kept expecting her to jump away, scratch or bite; yet she sat on the cardboard box like it was her throne. My thought was she was too scared and she would probably not be that way when she got home and more comfortable. There was a pink litterbox in her holding cage and she was advertised as litter trained. I saw some poos outside her box yet her pee and poo were mostly in the litterbox. People were shopping in the store and they all saw me on the floor with this ball of fluff. I filled out the application and they approved me to adopt Madelyn. I did not want to disturb her litter training so I asked if I could make a donation for the litterbox too and they agreed. The husband part of the animal rescue asked me to promise to get her a nice bed/fleece for her comfort. She was soon in the carrier and on her way to our home.
She was put in a large pen next to/under our kitchen table. Who needed those other chairs anyways! All the pet beds/cushions in the store at the time had fabrics printed with designs like bones meant for dogs/cats and they were not pretty pink. The next day I went to the fabric store to buy some soft fleece to make her a pretty pink cushion. They had some very soft fleece with a hello kitty design, though the kitty was white on a princess pink background. The fleece also had eye spots that I later learned were easily confused with stray poos. The first nights she was playing with her cushion and sometimes even under it. When I tried to replace it with a new pet bed I got her in December, she ignored the new bed so I still have her cushion with chew holes. I plan to use part of it under her when she is laid to rest. That was so hard to type.
After her initial quarantine period, I moved Amigo, my 14 year old Dwarf, to the living room that is separated from the kitchen by a railing. Amigo lost his brother of 13 years, Bonita, less than a year before. He was wobbly on is feet and even in his younger days he hated to walk on the old cold ceramic floor in the kitchen. The first day he saw Maddie, he made an exception. He walked onto the old cold ceramic tile to greet Madelyn. She walked over to greet him too. He was too small and frail to share an area with Madelyn, yet every day for the next couple of months, including the day Amigo passed, Amigo and Madelyn would greet each other and sit near each other. He suddenly looked younger than his years and I often wondered what they said to each other that gave them both happiness. He was a thin sable point dwarf with beige fur and brown markings on his ears, nose, feet and tai and Maddie was the white fluffy lionhead with blonde/light brown ears and spots on her side. She would see me holding him every day as he gave me tons of kisses, something he rarely did until he lost his brother. I think he was passing on the knowledge to Maddie because soon after he passed she began to give me kisses when I would caress her in just the right spot on her side or behind her ears.
It was a rare day when I did not hold Maddie as we sat silently or as we watched a television show. She was a lap bunny who fit perfectly on my lap. I would use both hands to caress her sides and she did not want me to stop. She enjoyed the gentle rocking of my chair and was such a good girl. She would not even try to move away and she would not chew my clothing, pee or poo during the entire time she was on my lap. I would often 'sing' her a rhyme-Momma has a pretty girl, a pretty-pretty-pretty girl, Momma has a pretty girl a pretty girl who's nice. Momma has a nice girl, a nice-nice-nice girl, Momma has a nice girl a nice girl who's pretty. Then I would tell her first God made you nice, then he made you pretty; or first God made you pretty, then he made you nice. She told me God made her pretty and nice at the same time. How can I get such a present from heaven and then have her taken away.
Several times a week, more if she was shedding, I would comb her long hair. Sometimes I would comb in straight up and she would look like she had a halo around her face, or I would put it all near her ears and think of how nice she would look with a tiara. Once in a while I would take my hair scrunchie out of my hair and place it loosely around her long fur and ears and she looked like she was doing aerobics at the gym in the 80's. I would tell her how us long hair girls had to stick together. She would just sit there and give me the soft chattering sound and start licking my wrist as she got groomed. This was a blessing because she has long hair like her mom, mostly on her head; though she does have some longer hair around her rear and large pretty white tail.
Each morning she would jump around in circles and over her litterbox when she saw my spouse with the pellets. She always had hay, plus she got greens every night (her favorite was dandelion or carrot tops); yet she would dance for her ration of pellets every morning. She quickly ate it while my spouse was washing up, then she would pick up her empty food bowl and toss it around trying to get him to give her more. When he resisted her charms and remove the empty bowl, she would stomp her large white feet (they were so clean and white, even on the bottom) to get his attention. I was the person to give Madelyn her evening ration of pellets and I often got the same excited dancing. She learned her Momma Bunny would not give in to her so she rarely tossed the empty bowl for me.
Since March my spouse has been home from his part time evening job, so she started to dance for him when he came home from his full time job and then he got to give Maddie her evening ration of pellets. In that short time she stopped dancing for me (I often told her it was too early for her evening pellets) and she only entertained my spouse with her dances. Sometimes I would watch from the doorway and she would stop if she saw me enjoying the show. Even when she was relaxing it made me smile to watch he lying with her big feet stretched to one side-almost as if to show me how clean and pretty her toes were.
Post exceeded length continued on post.#6
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