Finally returning to rabbits!

[Barrett]

Hello everyone! I figure this is a good place for my first post.

 

I have been a loooooooong time rabbit fan, and from 1992 to 2010 I had rabbits continuously one after the other. When my cinnamon Holland Lop ‘Halsey’ passed away in 2010 due to extreme old age, my wife and I suspended rabbit operations due to our triplets who were born about a year before his passing. Now the girls are going to be 7 already and my son 5, and we find ourselves just about ready to begin a new era of rabbits. Until now, it’s just been way too difficult to keep the house in order with the kids running the show  and we had been vaguely planning to get a dog sometime in the near future (which kept on getting further away as I recall). The bottom line is that we are still unable to run the household and keep up with a new dog. Since my wife and I have been rabbit fans most of our lives anyway, it was easy to convince ourselves and the kids to make that dog a bunny instead.

 

Now the safeguarding of the house is well underway and we’ve made our bunny selection. I’ve always been a BIG rabbit fan (previously owning an American Chinchilla followed by a Checkered Giant) and I knew either a French Lop or Flemish was next. We decided on French Lop and found a breeder in a neighboring state who has 3-month-old bucks at the ready.

 

Paid the 50% to hold the little guy this week and we are planning to meet up on September 18th to bring our new bun home.

I see a lot of my questions being answered already by some of the awesome posts around here, but there’s always something coming up, so I thought I would start by introducing myself.

-And seeing if I can upload pics. So far, the only pics I have come from the breeder of course. It’s neat because this time I actually know the birthdate of my bunny (June 12th) and even have baby pictures! LOL

Here we go!

http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac173/grummancat/LRF10_zpsmm2aigpt.png 

[Odette]

Hi! Welcome, Barrett!

How exciting! I bet your family can’t wait for September 18.

[Reesebun]

I’m glad you went back to rabbits!

[Azerane]

Welcome to the forum, and welcome back to rabbits. They are amazing animals.

[LBJ10]

Aww, how exciting! Please stick around and show us pics once you bring him home. And if you need any naming help….

[Q8bunny]

Pic-tures! Pic-tures! Pic-tures!

[jerseygirl]

Welcome! I have to wonder if you and you’re wife are more excited then the kids?!

Beautiful bunny !

@Odette, it looks like your girl!

[Barrett]

THANK YOU everyone!

 

As a matter of fact, I suspect I am the one most excited but on the other hand, my daughter Jasmine is ‘hopping’ around the house and pretending to sniff my feet like a bunny so…  That said, I’m a firm believer that the parents have to want a pet at least as much as the kids since the parents will be left with ‘the bill’ when the excitement wears off.

 

And as you can see, I have updated post #1 with a picture, courtesy of the breeder.

As for his name, that’s actually an interesting thing for me. You see in my earlier era of rabbit ownership, I had a tradition of naming my bunnies after World War 2 allied personalities. The Chinchilla was named Winston (Churchill), followed by Chester (Nimitz) and Halsey (William Halsey). So I plan to keep the tradition rolling!

I struggled with it for a while. None of the US Navy names were really hitting me. He’s a French Lop so I considered De Gaulle, but I really don’t care for him.

When suddenly the name “Patton” crossed my mind I got giddy. It stuck!

[jerseygirl]

It’s great when a name fits like that.  

So when he pops his chin on the floor he’ll be saying ‘Patton da head please” ?  

[jerseygirl]

Oh who am I kidding?.. As if a rabbit is going to say “please”. 

[Vienna Blue in France]

Jersey – rofl !! And it’s French, not Jamaican !! “Patton zee ‘ead, Tout de suite !”

[jerseygirl]

Touché

[Odette]

OHHH!!! Patton does look like my girl, Jerseygirl!

He is so sweet. Beautiful agouti pattern too.

Fair warning, Barrett, Patton will steal your heart. Odette has been home seven weeks and the whole house revolves around her.

[Barrett]

Yeah, I personally love single-rabbit environments. It seems to bring bunny closer to us and vice versa. He’ll be one of those bunnies who thinks he’s a dog.

 

My concerns are short-term. He’s living the rabbitry now as he has been for his 3 months alive. Only getting out of the cage about once a week the breeder tells me. It’s going to be a huge adjustment for him, suddenly going to a home where he can be out several hours a day, there are no other rabbits and 4 young kids running around much of the day.

I am concerned that the kids need to slow themselves down and keep their voices down especially in the first few weeks. Just generally not startle him. I’m trying to talk to them about what his early behavior might be like as opposed to what they are expecting ‘straight out of the box’. His hutch is to be located in the downstairs living room where the kids eat breakfast/dinner and the sofas where they watch movies. It’s one of the busy rooms of the house.

 

So while safeguarding the home is ‘easy’, I welcome advice on the less-controllable variables.

As you know, this is my first time having a new rabbit in a home with young kids.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Barrett – welcome! as I rudely interrupted your post with a joke rather than saying “welcome” beforehand !!

First thing : triplet girls? Wow !!!! And then a boy 2 years after the triplets? DOUBLE wow !!

Well done – I think you’ll cope with a bunny !! LOL

Well, how to go about it… ? Definitely don’t overwhelm him and I realise with 4 young kids that will be hard…

I can see 2 options :

Keep him in his cage for a week after arriving in the living room. So he can get used to the running around, the talking, the tele

Or straight away on arrival let him boing around a small closed off area in the living room. Don’t let him have the run of the house straight away or you’ll never get him back in the cage… lol… freeeeeedom !!!

Do you have kid free time in the house ? Where he could come out when they’re not there to sniff and explore on his own?

I suppose it all dépends on his character, whether it be outward energetic or timid…. and then go from there?
Will you have the choice of the 3 bucks when you go there?
With your 4 kids I would go with the most outwardly confident….

Or maybe I’m completely wrong…? LOL

[Barrett]

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 9/04/2016 3:58 AM
Barrett – welcome! as I rudely interrupted your post with a joke rather than saying “welcome” beforehand !!

First thing : triplet girls? Wow !!!! And then a boy 2 years after the triplets? DOUBLE wow !!

Well done – I think you’ll cope with a bunny !! LOL

Well, how to go about it… ? Definitely don’t overwhelm him and I realise with 4 young kids that will be hard…

I can see 2 options :

Keep him in his cage for a week after arriving in the living room. So he can get used to the running around, the talking, the tele

Or straight away on arrival let him boing around a small closed off area in the living room. Don’t let him have the run of the house straight away or you’ll never get him back in the cage… lol… freeeeeedom !!!

Do you have kid free time in the house ? Where he could come out when they’re not there to sniff and explore on his own?

I suppose it all dépends on his character, whether it be outward energetic or timid…. and then go from there?
Will you have the choice of the 3 bucks when you go there?
With your 4 kids I would go with the most outwardly confident….

Or maybe I’m completely wrong…? LOL

Funny you should say all that. I DID have a choice of which buck to get and I specifically asked for the one that was most active which is LRF10, so that much is covered.

What you say about keeping him in the cage with limited time out seems to make sense. Thanks to school, there is actually a lot of time without kids in the house and my wife is often home during that time, so it could easily work. We have outdoor dog pen/fence that we could easily use to cordon off the area around his hutch in the early days. I’m a firm believer in luring an animal back to his hutch with food or treats. The breeder is sending me home with some of his locally-grown food. After that we’ll be taking recommendations. It’s probably safe to assume he will not like being picked up.

Oh- I’m pretty sure I found a vet! An exotic animal doctor almost walking distance from where I work. I’m thinking to contact them before I even bring the big guy home.

[Barrett]

One more thing- we actually have hawks in our neighborhood, so I’m either gonna keep this big fella indoors 100% of the time or…

 

 

Install a Phalanx CIWS on the roof. My brother used to be an officer in the Navy and he says these things worked great! The best thing is, they leave no evidence for Arizona Game and Fish. 

 http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/ac173/grummancat/phalanx_zpsvkhee1ky.jpg

[Vienna Blue in France]

LOL !! Very funny! I guess 100% indoors it is then !!

For the picking up, you never know…. you could always ask the breeder to start touching, stroking and maybe picking up now, Maybe Patton (zee ed!) likes it already. If he hasn’t had a bad experience, maybe, maybe… and he’s still young enough to be ‘moulded’… so to speak…

Some bunny slaves, sorry “owners”, here, have trained their bun with a word to jump back in cage (for night-times or whatever), so that would be good to start with. Yummy treat in cage = bunny hops in and word is said “pre-boing”.

[Odette]

I agree with Vienna Blue– you never know about picking up. Odette had been to two shows (not my thing…not knocking it…but not my thing) before I adopted her at 12 weeks. She was fine being picked up. But she was timid. So, I resisted the urge to keep holding and handling her. Now she is the biggest, baddest, bravest bunny in the land and demands I hold her.

Depending on whether they were raising their juniors for potential show rabbits, he may be fine being handled. If he is outgoing, I think gentle handling is fine. If he’s a little timid, try to limit.

Also, he may be a little scared of inside sounds at first. Make sure there are hiding spots in his hutch. Odette was kept outside for three months of her life, so she wasn’t accustomed to people sounds.

As for pellet recommendations, I like Oxbow.

[jerseygirl]

Ditto on advice already given. It might be tempting to give him lots of freedom because he currently doesn’t have a lot of out-of-cage time but go slow with that. At some point (usually when they reach puberty) you may have to limit his freedom for a while. So if he is not given too much initially, that will make it easier to do when or if you have to. When you bring him home, his hutch will be his haven, not his prison. You could do hutch and pen combo if you like, then slowly increase space from there or just allow him free roam time out of the pen on occasion.

[Barrett]

Brought home the hutch tonight! Well, OK, the “Doggy Den”.

 

You And Me(tm) calls it “Xtra Large” but I kinda wish it was bigger. I guess I needed the “Great Dane” version.

I also picked up the litter box with catching sill and water bottle/bowl. I want a separate ceramic (heavy) bowl for food that will be far enough that it won’t mix with his water and heavy enough that he won’t be flipping it over with his teeth.

As you can see it is still sparsely appointed, I didn’t want to get into bedding or toys just yet. Bedding will probably just be a towel and as for toys- I know what I want to get, but I don’t think I’ll do it until after he’s had some time to adjust. It just felt like getting toys now becomes OVERpreparing.

 

You can see how the outdoor dog pen fence can easily be wrapped around the corner of the room that the hutch is located in.

The kids are getting used to always closing the door when they go out, but I still think I’m gonna to a once-around in the back yard to make sure there aren’t any ways for him to escape the yard before we can catch up to him.

 

I emailed the breeder and she said she’s gonna move him inside and start getting him used to indoor household life! Things are coming together! Still need to get the cords in the house protected, but that and the backyard fence/gate are the only critical things left and we have 11 more days!!

 

[Ava]

Congratulations!

[Q8bunny]

*whistles the Jeopardy theme song*

[LuvFurBabies80]

Congrats on the return to Bunny Land!!! You sound a lot like me a couple of months ago when I was preparing for Sage. We had the dog crate/ex pen set up and fully stocked 2 weeks before we picked her up!!! LOL it is sooooo exciting preparing for a new addition

Triplets?!? and then a 4th! my hats off to you and your wife….I have a daughter…thinking back to baby time (14 years ago…gosh I feel old) I had my hands full, I couldn’t imagine 3 at once!!!

I agree with all the advice given. The only suggestion I would make is instead of a towel maybe look into cheap fleece blanket….towels and the strings could become a little hazardous if your boy is a big chewer/digger. I also agree with Oxbow for the pellet choice they have the young rabbit blend and then the adult formula…reasonably priced and proper nutritional values. Good choice on waiting on the toys….wait see what Patton’s personality is like so you don’t spend money on toys that he wouldn’t be interested in…
We, as you said, “over prepared” and I have a box full of toys that Sage couldn’t care less about….it turns out her favorites are cardboard boxes full of packing paper to dig and shred and toilet paper tubes….both of which come free with purchase

Patton is certainly a handsome fellow and lucky to have been found by you!!! Congrats again and keep us updated with pictures as and tales of your experience…we love to see and hear all about your new baby and how he and your family are adjusting and enjoying each other!!!!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Yay barrett !! Yayay !!
I’ve got a side-lip thingy for the litter tray but don’t use it…. (don’t need it) Zou likes sitting happily and cosily right in the corner of her tray without any obstacles….
I have pretty the same cage for travel – but I’ve stuck a carpet square on the tray as she slipped too much….
I also made a shelf in it by putting 2 crossbars (beams) of wood across the width and by putting a flat bit of board on that (with stuck on carpet!!) it really works and she loves sitting up on it.
Let me know if you want a piccie….

[Vienna Blue in France]

Silly question Vienna !! – Here is the photo….  hope you can work it out, the shelf it’s in my cage in the foreground.

Although the wooden bits are square and shouldn’t roll, I carved tiny slots into the wood so the bars each side of the cage would be slightly inset in them = rock solid….

For Christmas (no freeroam bun in house, boooo)  I borrowed my cousins XXL cage (the black one in the background) and joined the 2 cages up with the run area… still a huge space to play and binky in !  (Zou is right at the back of the XXL cage if you can spot her!)

the weights and wooden blocks in front are tied to the xpen grids as I have one very strong and determined normally freeroam bun !!

[Odette]

Just ten days to go! Good to hear that the breeder is bringing Patton inside to adjust to inside sounds.

The cage setup looks good. I agree with LFB80 on the fleece.

One caution– that pretty wicker hamper is a huge bunny chew temptation! Odette has a taste for pricey Cold War theory texts. I learned that the hard way.

[LuvFurBabies80]

Good catch Odette on the wicker hamper…I didn’t see it at first glance and you are soooo right. I had a nice wicker basket for Walkers toy box and it has been fine for a year….enter Sage and the corners are all destroyed…I have since replaced said basket.

Vienna…that is one nifty set up you got there…and I may steal your weight idea…anytime I put Sage in her ex pen the whole thing gets slid around and panels get rearranged

Anywho…Congrats again Barrett we are all counting down the days with you!!!!

[Barrett]

Thank you all! Yes, really excited!

 

The kids got their first look at the hutch this morning and it passed the stress test (Jasmine and William got inside and pretended to be rabbits!) Jasmine was Patton and William was Halsey (my last bunny). It was… predictable. 

 

Vienna- As for that lip on top of the litter box, you may be right, but I chose that based on past experience. My Holland Lop and Checkered Giant tended to… let it FLY whenever they hopped out of the litterbox. I was going to get one of those completely enclosed litterbox domes for cats, but I compromised.

 Also- I had the same arrangement for an upper wooden deck like that for my Holland Lop in the old hutch! Wow! That hutch had INSANE headroom which was wasted on the little guy, so it made sense. I’d like to see how much room is left when Patton grows up before committing just yet. So far, he’s still about half the weight he ultimately will be.

I will look for a fleece blanket between now and then.

 

ONE MORE THING- I found a local exotic pet vet almost walking distance from where I work! I can’t wait to check in with them. It would be really convenient especially since I’d rather not clip his nails myself.

[Odette]

Out of curiosity, what is Patton’s current weight?

[Barrett]

At last check, the breeder says he was 5 pounds. At 3 months. His father is 13 pounds, so I suppose he’s a bit less than half (?) Assuming he grows as big as his dad that is.

[Odette]

Wow. That’s impressive. French Lops are larger than I realized. I’m learning so much here.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Just wanted to say a big welcome to Binky Bunny!!!! I have 2 bunnies and a 2 year old. Bunnies and kids can be lots of fun!!!!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Yup – 13 pounds is pretty much a little under Zou’s weight – don’t worry – she jumps up by herself, they like cramped areas sometimes !! LOL

[Barrett]

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 9/09/2016 7:12 AM

Just wanted to say a big welcome to Binky Bunny!!!! I have 2 bunnies and a 2 year old. Bunnies and kids can be lots of fun!!!!

Thank you!!

The kiddos are definitely excited though. They put some stuffed animals in the hutch yesterday. Look- we have bunnies already! 

Thank you!!

[Odette]

Their bunnies look like Patton. That’s cute. 9 days!

[Vienna Blue in France]

That’s very cute!!
There’s nothing quite like waiting for something exciting !!!
(PS Zou wld have that water over in a toss of her timotei hair!!)

[LittlePuffyTail]

Aw….that’s so adorable!

[Barrett]

More than a week to go and I’m wondering if I should make some sort of contact with the vet? I doubt I’ll be ‘shopping around’ or anything, but something tells me it would be a good idea to get in touch with them. They advertise services for rabbits including dental and surgery.

 

How soon after getting my bun should I make a check up appointment? What’s the rule of thumb for nail clippings? Once a month? Sorry if this is covered in other threads, but it’s convenient for me to reference the info into one thread. Time to talk vet! 

[Q8bunny]

If the vet has a good reputation, it can’t hurt to make contact and open Patton’s file. I’d wait until he’s settled a bit before scheduling a complete initial checkup to establish good health benchmarks etc.

As for nails, clipping frequency depends entirely on the rate of wear for your bun’s nails. Chewie gets his trimmed every 2-3 months because he’s a very active totally free range bun in a flat with wall-to-wall tile floors. Other buns need their nails trimmed every few weeks. Really depends…

[Barrett]

A week from now, we will have our new bunny living with us!!

 

Got the pet taxi ready for bringing him home as well as vet visits. They didn’t have these kind of duffle bag/mesh porters last time I got a bunny LOL. It says rated for 22 pound dogs, so we should be just fine but you know me- always wishing I had more room for the guy. 

 

[Azerane]

Just be wary, he may eat his way out of that in a single car trip if he feels so inclined.

[Vienna Blue in France]

LOL – I was about to same the same thing !!

Try in a carboard box inside the bag…? Then he can have somethng to chew on….

[Barrett]

Great! Now I’m worried.

 

The breeder recommended a top-opening porter and the first thing I have to do with Patton is drive him 3 hours back to our house. 

[LuvFurBabies80]

I was looking at those mesh bags as well when I first brought Sage home…and we had a long drive home so I was worried about the chewing factor. I too was told to look for a top opening carrier. I ended up finding this on Amazon. Hard plastic travel pet crate with a top and side opening.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0062JFGFC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Vienna Blue in France]

Well Barrett, if he’s next to you in the car you can keep an eye on him and talk to him. I still think my idea is cool. At least other acrummy stuff too in the bag. Sometimes chewing is boredom and other times for toothypegs… so some irrestible food could prevent that.

I’d be tempted to put the litterbox in it for him to sit in and so weeing and pooing won’t harm your vehicle’s upholstery!!!

[Barrett]

Posted By LuvFurBabies80 on 9/12/2016 11:43 AM

I was looking at those mesh bags as well when I first brought Sage home…and we had a long drive home so I was worried about the chewing factor. I too was told to look for a top opening carrier. I ended up finding this on Amazon. Hard plastic travel pet crate with a top and side opening.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0062JFGFC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks but that one is much too small to ask Patton to squeeze into for 3 + hours. I’m looking to see if they have a larger version.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Can you not fit your dog crate in the car with the back seats down….? Just an idea…. thats how Zou travels under the English channel !!!

[Barrett]

I’m afraid not. Due to the DVD player for the kids, we’ll be using my Dad’s Chevy Tahoe which has NO (repeat) NO storage space. With all 4 kids plus my wife and I, there isn’t room for more than this thing (or something the same size).

[Barrett]

Anyway, I caved and got a plastic case with hatch on top from the pet store near my work at lunch. I’ll try to track down the receipt for the one that I already bought and take it back.

[Odette]

Depending on where you bought it, they might give you an in-store credit if you can’t find the receipt. Trust me, between hay, pellets, litter, chew toys, and toys Patton will most likely ignore, you’ll use it.

[Vienna Blue in France]

HOW are the kids (and wife) going to NOT get excited and want to touch and speak and stroke Patton in the car ?!! Or veeery gently maybe…. LOL

[Barrett]

New picture from the breeder this morning! It looks like Patton is being properly conditioned for his new life.

 

 

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 9/12/2016 3:56 PM
HOW are the kids (and wife) going to NOT get excited and want to touch and speak and stroke Patton in the car ?!! Or veeery gently maybe…. LOL

We’ve been working on our bunny etiquette.  

[Q8bunny]

Squeee! Look at that tum and those footsies!

[Odette]

He’s a big boy already!

I’m glad he’s been raised with a child. That will help ease the transition. Saturday is the day!

[Vienna Blue in France]

He IS a big boy already !!

[Barrett]

Yep! You see why I was concerned about getting him enough room in that pet taxi! Remember he’s only about half his full adult weight.

 

Oh the big day is Sunday. We go up to Flagstaff on Saturday but meet the breeder in Sanders on Sunday. 

[Hazel]

Posted By Barrett on 9/12/2016 12:54 PM

I’m afraid not. Due to the DVD player for the kids, we’ll be using my Dad’s Chevy Tahoe

I remember when I was a kid, if we got bored during a long drive we’d get to look out the window. How times change.

Patton is so cute, and big!

[LittlePuffyTail]

TOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Barrett]

Posted By Hazel on 9/13/2016 5:14 PM

Posted By Barrett on 9/12/2016 12:54 PM

I’m afraid not. Due to the DVD player for the kids, we’ll be using my Dad’s Chevy Tahoe

I remember when I was a kid, if we got bored during a long drive we’d get to look out the window. How times change.

Patton is so cute, and big!

Oh God, tell me about it. When I was young, we could make it all the way to California with a Walkman. But once Grandpa takes the kids on his first road trip, you can’t unring the bell…

 

I have a product question, and it didn’t seem to fit any of the threads in the Habitat section, so if you don’t mind I’ll keep it here.

 

It was mentioned that I get an inexpensive fleece blanket for Patton’s hutch but I saw this at Petco tonight. A Drymatetm ultra thin cat litter mat.

Drymate Cat Litter Mat

It’s not rubbery, but it has a soft grippy quality. Thin and comes in a 29X32 size that would probably fit nicely in Patton’s room. Also, it’s designed to limit the spread of wayward litter so…

Would this be safe/suitable bedding for Patton’s room, or should I keep looking for that fleece blanket. I’ve never bought a fleece blanket before. Target??

 

Thanks all!

[LittlePuffyTail]

I think that would probably be a tempting chew. I suggest instead a Snoozzy Mat or something similar. Snoozzy mats are flat, soft mats to put in dog kennels. They come in different sizes. I use these and memory foam bath mats in my buns’ condos. Great for preventing sore hocks. However, some bunnies are big time chewers, especially young ones, so I suggest any type of mat be monitored closely for chewing at first.

[jerseygirl]

I’ve never bought a fleece blanket before. Target??

Yep, Target or Walmart probably has them. I’ve even bought them in supermarkets before. 

And try fabric stores. You can just buy it off the roll. The edges don’t need hemming as it doesn’t fray.

http://www.joann.com/fabric/fleece-fabric/

Though, you probably have some around the house from when the kids where babies.
Thrift shops are good too, for lots of bunny stuff.

[Barrett]

Posted By jerseygirl on 9/14/2016 9:42 AM

Though, you probably have some around the house from when the kids where babies.
Thrift shops are good too, for lots of bunny stuff.

Nostalgia. Off limits.

 

I’m feeling better about the size of the new pet taxi now that my 4 year old son (5 next month) decided he was going to try it out yesterday. 

 

“Oh hi Dad!”

[jerseygirl]

Lol !!!

Sardines!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Having 3 elder sisters has obviously had some effects on him…..

[Q8bunny]

Will he be joining the cast of the new Ocean’s movie?

[Vienna Blue in France]

Q8 ??? errr, why ?

[Q8bunny]

There’s always a little guy who can contort into luggage in the Ocean’s movies.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Ohhhhhhh !

[Barrett]

It’s really helpful when the whole family has to fly!

 

I finally got some cord protecting tubing from the hardware store today. In all my previous years of having rabbits, I never got the stuff before. New ways, man. New ways. 

[LBJ10]

WHAT BUNNY!!!!! *grabby hands*

[Odette]

Sunday! Almost home, Patton!

Re the fleece blankets, WalMart has 30×40″ toddler blankets for under $4. They hold up well to hot water laundering too.

[Barrett]

Got the blanket, got the litter in the litterbox, got a tub with a lid for the litter. Got the cords wrapped in cord protectors. Got the living room floors cleaned.

 

Leaving for Flagstaff tomorrow afternoon! Exciting! 

 

Gonna be a 5 hour drive home with Patton. NOT exciting. Wish us luck!

[Odette]

That’s a long drive. Safe travels.

I can’t wait to finally “meet” Patton. I know you and your family must be extremely excited.

[jerseygirl]

Safe home coming Patton Z Head !

Is it too early to start a chant? Pics! Pics! Pics!

[Q8bunny]

One more day! So excited! Safe travels to all. *joins pics chant*

[Vienna Blue in France]

We are ALL very excited too…. wow 5 hrs one way – you’d think there were rabbits closer by !!

Mine was destiny – Zou was born a 3 mins drive away at the end of the road

[Barrett]

Yeah, but French Lop pickings are slim in Arizona. The closest breeder I could find was Farmington New Mexico, and that’s who I’m meeting, close to the NM/AZ border.

The next closest breeder I could find was FRESNO! 

[Vienna Blue in France]

Still excited…!!

[Q8bunny]

Donde esta el conejo??

[Barrett]

Posted By Q8bunny on 9/17/2016 10:27 PM

Donde esta el conejo??

Farmington New Mexico right now. Meeting the breeder tomorrow just inside the AZ border to pick him up.

[Azerane]

So excited for you and your family. And yes, pics are a must! I can certainly understand making a long drive for a pet. There’s a possibility that in 3 or 4 years time we’ll get to own a dog, while rescuing would be ideal, I’ve always wanted a chocolate tri merle border collie. I’ve already picked out two breeders that I know I would want a dog from, both are 8-10 hours away, but worth it I definitely don’t get over excited about future pets.

Drive safe!

[Vienna Blue in France]

It’s “tomorrow” !!
It’s tomorrow !!!!!
D’oh ! Not quite yet really over there…. snifff..

[Vienna Blue in France]

How many hours behind ARE you over there……? ;P

[Q8bunny]

It’s Sunday night here… where are you guys?

SHOW ME THE BUNNY! (I’m sure he’ll have us all at Hello)

[Vienna Blue in France]

Well, they say never work with children or animals, and there’s 4 of one and one very small cute of the other….
AND a five hour journey home….

[Odette]

I think the time is around 9 am Sunday morning in Flagstaff. Maybe we’ll get a check in before they start the trip home.

[Barrett]

WE GOT HIM!

 

Just got home. Gotta feed kids and get ’em to bed before I can take care of pictures. All is well!

[Odette]

Yay!!!

Welcome, Patton! You and your new family had quite the adventure.

[Barrett]

Posted By Odette on 9/18/2016 9:39 PM

Yay!!!

Welcome, Patton! You and your new family had quite the adventure.

He looks a LOT like your avatar!

 

Anyway, here are some highlights from day 1. I’m letting him scamper around the downstairs living room right now. He’s had some periscopes and some spirited scampering! 

Kudos to Little River Rabbitry for doing such a great job conditioning him in the last couple of weeks! I’ve never had such tame rabbit right from the beginning. More later! For now, I’m half watching him, half updating

[Q8bunny]

Squeeeeee! He’s perfect!
You guys must be over the moon. Prepare to spend hours stupidly just staring at him breathe and twitch his whiskers like many of us do with our buns.

[Barrett]

Man, does he LOVE being pet!!

 

There is only one thing that concerns me right now, and I’m not sure it SHOULD concern me. 

He has been acting extremely normal, happy and tame. Laying down a lot, eating drinking, pooping, the whole bit. When he first ventured out of his hutch, there was some running around and scampering (no full-on binkies yet).

However, even as he rests and enjoys petting, he seems to be breathing a lot faster than I would expect. In every other way, he seems totally relaxed. Even as I type with my right hand and pet with my left, he’s soaking it in.

 

I’m telling myself that he just had a long day of traveling and is still calming down. That if he was scared, he wouldn’t lay down so much or act so normal.

 

So under the circumstances, is this normal? I don’t have video yet.

[Odette]

He is perfect! And, Patton does look a lot like Odette. The agouti pattern on his neck (blonder) is even similar.

Bunnies have a fairly rapid heart rate. Patton has had a lot of excitement. As long as he’s not hot or overheated, I’d think the breathing is fine. I was several years between bunnies so that concerned me with Odette too.

Glad you have Patton home and he is happy and adjusting well! You have a lovely family.

[Barrett]

Posted By Odette on 9/18/2016 11:13 PM

He is perfect! And, Patton does look a lot like Odette. The agouti pattern on his neck (blonder) is even similar.

Bunnies have a fairly rapid heart rate. Patton has had a lot of excitement. As long as he’s not hot or overheated, I’d think the breathing is fine. I was several years between bunnies so that concerned me with Odette too.

Glad you have Patton home and he is happy and adjusting well! You have a lovely family.

THANK YOU!

This picture is LITERALLY hot off the press. Just less than a minute old. As you can see, he is otherwise at ease. 

[Odette]

So sweet. I think he’s getting sleepy. Imagine how safe and happy he feels.

His eyes look good and his body is completely at ease. He’s not in any distress. Like I said, I’d forgotten also how fast bunnies can breathe.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Yayyyyy. Gorgeous cherry on the cake to complete the family!!!! I would say just let him settle for a few days to the new environment. Little hearts do beat 10 to the dozen.
Don’t overwhelm him too much too soon. Let me chiiiilll.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Not let ‘me’ chiiill but let HIM chiiillllll (man!)

[Q8bunny]

Ooof! So handsome and chill… like Carey Grant.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Yay! Big congrats to your family!!!!!

My big bunny always seems to be breathing very rapidly when he’s laying down. My vet assured me he is fine. It’s always a good idea to get a new bunny checked out by a vet so you should mention it if you are worried.

[jerseygirl]

Wow! You spoilt us with the photos! I couldn’t stop grinning reading you finally had him and then all the pics.
Congratulations ! He looks like a very cruisey bunny. Super cute!

[Azerane]

Congrats! Very cute. What a gorgeous little addition to the family. Everyone looks very excited

[Barrett]

THANK YOU everyone! Yes, we’re still really excited. The kids were good and followed my orders not to let Patton out before I got downstairs to monitor.

He’s a very dutiful bunny! Last night he took me on a tour of the downstairs living room to show me all the things I forgot to rabbit proof! Wasted no time!

 

As for this morning,  made the HUGE mistake of letting him out when only 2 of my kids were done with breakfast. Surprise, surprise! The other two were suddenly full and couldn’t eat anymore!

I feel a little bad keeping him cooped up for the whole night as well as the day when I’m working. At this rate, he’s only getting about 6 hours a day outside his hutch. With time, I hope to be able to leave him out during the day when I am at work.

[Vienna Blue in France]

I think 6 hrs out for playtime is great for a bun to begin with. They’re only lazing around any other time. My Zou is out now (or rather “in”! LOL) with me in the kitchen and is flopped doing nothing. And that is 5.30 hours more than he’s ever had. So don’t feel bad – he’s only been home a day !

[Barrett]

… and living with bunny was never the same again.

 

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! 

 

[Azerane]

Yes, don’t worry too much about daytime hours, my bunnies lounge most of the time during the day. They have adjusted to my active times in the house, when I get home from work etc. Patton probably will too.
My schedule is to let them out when I get up for work in the morning, it gives them about 1 hour out of cage time while I’m eating breakfast, getting dressed etc. Then I lock them back up before I leave for work. Then when I get home, they’re out the rest of the day until I go to bed.
But really, as Vienna said, he’s probably bean locked up most of the time all day for most of his life so far, so even 3 hours out of cage time daily would be a huge improvement. I like 4 as a baseline. Once he gets used to his new life, you might even find that with his cage door open, he’ll go back inside the cage to lounge around.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Your bunny is really lucky to be living with your family.

[Q8bunny]

Mine’s got some stray poos and a bunch of hoppers from back in June that I’m too afraid to empty out in case their crunchy corpses are still twitching

[Vienna Blue in France]

LOL – you’ve got 4 willing furball catchers right there Barrett, just at the right height (foor level!) too…. just pop a small bin/basket somewhere and get the kids to catch the furballs when they see them and see how quickly you can fill the bin up (kids like visual challenges). If there’s a knitter in the family you could have a winter bonnet made out of Patton’s fur like Moxie’s mom did. (or just throw it away)

Then he really would be Patton zee head.
Pat. On. zee. head. Get it ? !

[Barrett]

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 9/20/2016 12:03 PM

LOL – you’ve got 4 willing furball catchers right there Barrett, just at the right height (foor level!) too…. just pop a small bin/basket somewhere and get the kids to catch the furballs when they see them and see how quickly you can fill the bin up (kids like visual challenges). If there’s a knitter in the family you could have a winter bonnet made out of Patton’s fur like Moxie’s mom did. (or just throw it away)

Then he really would be Patton zee head.
Pat. On. zee. head. Get it ? !

Oh I get it but I wasn’t talking about FUR. I was talking about bunny poo! I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the black and decker corporation. That dust buster makes rabbit poo magically disappear with the greatest of ease! This guy has a really um…

 

 

HEALTHY digestive system 

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 9/20/2016 7:41 AM
Your bunny is really lucky to be living with your family.

Thank you for saying that!

[Vienna Blue in France]

And I meant to say after your family photo that all the kids have your mouth and features!! (obviously they are all a lot cuter!)

[Barrett]

I FINALLY witnessed my first full-fledged binky tonight! Patton was walking around the room in front of the sofa and he finally decided to just jump straight up in the air for me! No twisting, but this is close!

 

I’m told by my daughters that I missed the first flop a day or 2 ago. Here’s hoping to see it soon!

[Q8bunny]

With his giant hind legs to come, binkies will be an explosive affair

[Barrett]

Posted By Q8bunny on 9/24/2016 2:05 AM

With his giant hind legs to come, binkies will be an explosive affair

One would think so, but I’ve been led to believe that as rabbits go, French Lops tend to be pretty mellow and less active. Does that mean binkies will be rare? I can certainly attest that Patton DOES like to lounge quite a bit! More it seems than my previous breeds did (but again, it’s been 6 years since my last bunny, a Holland Lop).

Does anyone here have more experience with French Lops that can shed some light? Thanks!

 

Isn’t Odette a FL?

[Q8bunny]

Not necessarily. But even if infrequent, you’ll enjoy them that much more, I’m sure.

[jerseygirl]

I FINALLY witnessed my first full-fledged binky tonight! Patton was walking around the room in front of the sofa and he finally decided to just jump straight up in the air for me! No twisting, but this is close!

I call those popcorn binkies.

One would think so, but I’ve been led to believe that as rabbits go, French Lops tend to be pretty mellow and less active. Does that mean binkies will be rare?

Depends on the individual, I’d say.

I have a 13lb rabbit that seems pretty sedate… but when I bring her out onto a carpet area, I’ve seen her do a few binkies and shimmies. Quite funny to see. The flooring made all the difference but unfortunately. I cannot have them living on carpet in their room.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Hmmmm, I don’t believe I have seen Zou binky since she was operated on… I think she’s grown into a woman…
She boings around quite happily, but there are no take-offs. I suppose she does half popcorns. I shall have to move the BIG rug into the kitchen to see if its flooring related…

[Odette]

Posted By Barrett on 9/24/2016 2:11 AM
Isn’t Odette a FL?

She is a mini lop. She’s seven weeks older than Patton and around 4 lbs.

[Barrett]

Finally witnessed my first flop this morning! It was short and over before I knew it but it WAS a flop. As soon as he flopped, he righted himself back up, so I couldn’t get a picture. But here’s hoping we won’t have to wait too long!

[Barrett]

Well, I know I said earlier that Patton would be staying inside all the time, but he has begun digging at hard wood (or plastic) floors and I have some dog fence on hand so I decided with constant presence and supervision, to let Patton out in his run this afternoon for about 1 hour.

He DEFINITELY seemed to appreciate it. Real grass to bite and real dirt to dig. We will try to do this at least most days if not all.

[Vienna Blue in France]

A diggy box, that’s what he needs…. mine is a huge square flowerpot with about (only) 5 inches of dirt in the bottom (otherwise it all just came flying out) and she looooves it.
There’s nothing in there of interest to a hoomin, but I think she’s digging hard to try and see her Austrayyylian BB cousins !!

Some people have cardboard boxes with rolled up pièces of newspaper in them, or shredded paper.. all sorts of different ways of satisfying their digging DNA

[Vienna Blue in France]

Here is the diggy box

I forgot to mention that previous to Zou’s arrival, in it once lived a lovely Jasmine plant which strangely enough didn’t surive being chopped in half at the very bottom….   Zou used to jump up onto the roots, and sit there (I thought ‘sunbathing’ when really she was tucking in!) and then when the plant was no longer there she still laid on the top and started digging, so that’s when I got the idea to take out most of the earth so I didn’t have a muddy kitchen !!

(I’ve got a funny video of Zou in there trying to get a stick out 50 times (and not succeeding ) but I’ve no idea how to load a video on…)

[Q8bunny]

She’s such a stinkin beauty!

[Barrett]

Thanks Vienna! That’s an awesome picture/setup!

 

For now at least, the pen seems to be working and I’d like to stick with it, even adding some fence and enlarging the pen. When summer hits again (100+ degree heat) I may need an indoor option!

 

[Odette]

Zou is gorgeous. I bet Odette would love a digging box.

I bet she’d like going outside like Patton too. I’m not that brave where we live.

Barrett, notice how Patton sits right up against the pen? I noticed that Odette would always sit with her butt pressed against the edge of her crate, the wall, wherever she was sitting when we first brought her home. She would have all the room in the world, like Patton does here, yet her bottom would be against something.

She doesn’t do that anymore. Anyway, we thought it might be because she was penned with other bunnies at the breeder (first twelve weeks of her life).

[Barrett]

OMG It HAPPENED! After almost 2 weeks it finally happened! Patton was finally just feeling so darn good watching the kiddos take their baths this evening that he finally flopped FOR REAL! His first full-fledged flop. Hopefully many more to come.

 

I’ve been putting a lot on this flop because to me it’s a firm indication of just how happy and satisfied my bunny really is. Maybe I put too much faith on it… 

 

Anyway, sorry for the quality of the image, but I only had my old cell phone handy to get the picture. But hey- verification of the first spectacular Patton flop!

[Q8bunny]

We now resume out regularly scheduled breathing

[Q8bunny]

We now resume our regularly scheduled breathing

[Vienna Blue in France]

And the trumpets sound !! Barrett is now at ease !!! phew

[Odette]

Awesome!

[Barrett]

I’m just gonna listen to you folks from now on.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Look at those 2 avatars one above the other – Odette and Patton – cousins… there’s obv something about the names with doube ‘t’ !!

[Barrett]

Posted By Vienna Blue in France on 10/01/2016 1:39 PM

Look at those 2 avatars one above the other – Odette and Patton – cousins… there’s obv something about the names with doube ‘t’ !!

That’s funny because I was just mistaking Odette for a French Lop the other day!

[Q8bunny]

It’s the hair-dos. They both part their hair down the centre.

[Vienna Blue in France]

They’ve also both got that same “Bored. Hurry up!” look on their face ?

[Odette]

They are almost the same age too. It will be strange when Odette stops growing and Patton keeps growing! This may be the last time they are close in size.

[Barrett]

Posted By Odette on 10/02/2016 4:36 PM

They are almost the same age too. It will be strange when Odette stops growing and Patton keeps growing! This may be the last time they are close in size.

How much does O weigh? Patton was 5 pounds when we got him so he must still be pretty close. Maybe 6 tops.

[Odette]

She won’t cooperate with weighing tonight, but she was 4.4 lbs a couple of weeks ago. She’s grown in the last week. She might be 5 lbs., but I don’t think she’ll get much bigger. The profile pic was taken at 16 weeks.

[Barrett]

Wow. The trip to the vet revealed a weight of 7.8 pounds for Patton! At 3.5 months old!

 

Finally got one of those play tunnels that was the right size for Patton! I just had to look harder in the cat section!  Here’s one toy that he knows what to do with already! Didn’t even need any special encouragement.

[Q8bunny]

LOLed at the last pic. Funny bunny.

[Odette]

Patton still has a baby face, but he’s so big!

The cat tunnel was a good idea. I looked at ones on the bunny aisle at a major chain pet store and I guess they’re made for ferrets or other small animals because Odette would get stuck.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Awww…he’s just too much adorable.

[Vienna Blue in France]

I was looking at the first 2 photos thinking, cute, but those hangy tie things won’t last long…. Lol… Then I saw the third photo

[Barrett]

Funny how even though I had rabbits for many years before Patton, in the time between Halsey and Patton I seemed to forget just what a mission chewing is for these guys! So Patton was reminding me over the last few days.

 

And I went out to Petsmart to get some chewy stuff while I still have a home!

[Odette]

Some rabbits aren’t chewers. Odette is. I think she chews when she’s bored.

Those willow balls are awesome. The sticks are great too. I haven’t tried the chew tunnel, but I think I spy Patton’s tongue tasting it.

Also, I put a big box in the corner filled with hay and some chew toys. Odette likes to dig through the hay to get to the toys. She won’t touch the toys by themselves, but in the hay box, they’re gold.

[Barrett]

Posted By Odette on 10/15/2016 1:44 PM

Some rabbits aren’t chewers. Odette is. I think she chews when she’s bored.

Those willow balls are awesome. The sticks are great too. I haven’t tried the chew tunnel, but I think I spy Patton’s tongue tasting it.

Also, I put a big box in the corner filled with hay and some chew toys. Odette likes to dig through the hay to get to the toys. She won’t touch the toys by themselves, but in the hay box, they’re gold.

Haha I was going to point that out separately, but yes, you spy correctly!

 

[jerseygirl]

Haha, 2 tounge pics now! You’re doing well!

[LittlePuffyTail]

Squee!!!!

[Vienna Blue in France]

Odette – yes ! A cardboard box is the magic toy which make all contents seem magic too !!!

[Barrett]

Hey look! I finally am getting video of Patton! It’s not terribly exciting I grant, but it DOES have 2 periscopes, and a very comfy looking bunny.

 

[Q8bunny]

Ermagah, Patton’s like a BuildABear come to life!

[Author]

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