Jaedan and I are new to this site…

[Jaedan's Slave]

Hello everyone,

  I’ve been lurking around this site for the past year and finally decided it was time to join. This site has been very helpful and I am very happy to see so much love for these wonderful pets.

 Jaedan is my (now) six year old English Spot. He was living at an exotic animal education facility where I volunteer until the day he climbed up on the hutch and beat up the squirrel monkey he was sharing an enclosure with, all for a bit of food. I took him home and we’ve been together ever since. That was six years ago and I couldn’t be happier. We’ve been through college together, long (long) car rides, camping trips, and plane flights and he has taken it all in stride. He sleeps on my bed at night, is free roaming almost 24 hours a day, and tries to boss everyone around.

He is my first (and only) rabbit and I have learned so much from him and about rabbits in general and I have been surprised so many times I have lost count at how amazing these animals are. We are currently working on a few agility obstacles for fun and have almost mastered the tunnel command. Next are jumps and maybe a hoop. All to get him some exercise and to have fun.

Jaedan likes: stairs, open doors, keys, the crinkle of the salad bag, and a nice scratch between the eyes and on his cheeks.

His dislikes: the plunger and the bathroom trashcan (I have no idea, anytime he sees them during his bathroom inspection he has to go over and shove them out of the way), closed doors, the cat (I don’t blame him), and his paws being touched.

[bunnylova123]

Squirrel monkey? That sounds a strange set up. How did you teach him agility? I’ve tried with Vienna a few times, but she just looks at me then goes straight for the treat, or eats the thing I am trying to train her with. She is normally very bright though, I even saw her walk on her hind legs this morning, she’s just stubborn.

[QueenTwitch]

He sounds like such a character, I don’t think I’d be keen to argue with a squirrel monkey…

Welcome!

[FrankieFlash]

Welcome!

He sounds like a very loved house rabbit. I love to hear that. More pics if you get the chance

[Raindrops]

Jaedan is such a wonderful name! I also love English spots… love to see some pics

Good to see he has such a wonderful home! 

[Jaedan's Slave]

 

 

 

Hi everyone and thank you for the welcomes!

Bunnylova123: Yes, it was a weird set up now that I think about it. I think the idea behind it was that the monkey and the rabbit would not interact since the monkey would not go to the ground. No one expected the rabbit to climb up on top of the hutch and we are still not quite sure how he made up. Though, the first day I brought him home and put him in his x-pen, he climbed straight up and out of it without a second thought. In retrospect now, I would advise against putting a monkey and a rabbit together only because the rabbit would eat anything and everything that was dropped on the ground, including poop and dropped pieces of food. I am the only one at the facility who now has true rabbit knowledge, and I thank Jaedan for that. 

In terms of the tunnel and training: Jaedan is incredibly food motivated, he’ll do anything for a bit of lettuce or apple. In the beginning I had him follow my hand with the treat to the entrance of the tunnel and then quickly switch it to the other hand at the other end. I have a specific noise and motion that I use just for treats so that, plus reaching my hand into the tunnel to entice him, got him to go through it. It took a few minutes of him trying to cheat before he would go through it with me guiding him. By the end of the second session he was going through it no problem and now offers it when someone looks like they are bringing him something. I guess what I am trying to say is that it’s a bit of coaxing, lots of encouragement, and lots of patience. Keeping the sessions to just a few minutes at a time keeps them motivated and attentive and so does doing it when they are hungry

Queen Twitch: That poor squirrel monkey didn’t stand a chance. I wasn’t there to see it, but the lady who did said the poor thing was screaming and when she went down to see what was going on, she was huddled in the corner and Jaedan was boxing her. Even though I didn’t see it, I believe it; after all these years he still has the mean streak in him and will attack the cat if he comes over to inspect Jaedan’s food dish. He’s like his momma, don’t mess with our food!

Before I had Jaedan, if you told me that rabbits played with toys and had personalities, etc,… well, being an animal person I would have believed you, but I never imagined what characters they truly are. Jaedan still cracks me up with his antics and behaviors- no matter how frustrated I get when he does something naughty, I can’t stay mad at him when he does a bunch of small binkies as he gets shooed away. To me he’s saying “Oh look how clever I am. I’m so hilarious!”

Frankie Flash: Thank you. Yes, he is a very well loved house bunny. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little fond of him More pics to come!

Raindrops: I love the name, too. Because no one had any real rabbit experience, we thought he was a she and so for the first few months I had a Jada until I started to see some changes (if you know what I mean). Luckily the name was an easy fix. I also thought he was a Checkered Giant for the first year or so and was so proud of myself that I had raised a very calm and sweet giant compared to the normal breed reputation. I’ve learned a lot since then!

[Caroline22]

His tongue! Oh my, he’s adorable.

[Jaedan's Slave]

Caroline22: Thank you, thank you

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