Jess Bunny's 10th anniversary

[criswell]

Today is the 10th anniversary of Jess Bunny coming to live with us with her sister Roxy. Roxy sadly left us in December 2018 but despite arthritis and failing eyesight, Jess Bunny is still going strong.

We saw them in Pets at Home adoption centre on 7th May 2010 but they weren't available to adopt until the 10th. That gave us time to get most of the things we needed for them, but we were still waiting for their hutch to be delivered. On Monday 10th we got to P@H before it opened because we didn't want anyone else to have them and they we hadn't been able to reserve them. We were so pleased they were still there. We made them a home in the outside toilet where they stayed for a few days. We had a cardboard barrier across the doorway for the first day until they got used to us but even when we took that away they wouldn't come out. I'm not sure they'd been outside before and they didn't know that grass was food. They were 7 months old when they arrived.

Jess and Roxy much preferred the company of each other unless we had a treat to give them and they got on okay most of the time. It was lovely seeing them grooming each other even though they had their squabbles too. Roxy was very cheeky and mischievous and Jess was more serious one who gained the nickname 'Crabby Rabbit'. I think she had quite a lot to put up with with Roxy so it's no wonder she got a bit grumpy.

Roxy left us quite suddenly and peacefully in December 2018 and we thought Jess might miss her but quite the opposite. She became much more relaxed and happier, like a different rabbit. She had finally won the competition and the garden and food was all hers! She no longer gets referred to as 'crabby rabbit' and I'm so glad she is still with us. She gave us a real scare last Sunday and we weren't sure she would make it through the night but the next morning she pushed her way out of the hutch and ran off down the garden like usual. Later that afternoon she was jumping in flower pots as if nothing had happened. It's now a week later and she is still doing really well.age 10 years 7 months. She's amazing and I love her so much.I feel so happy and so lucky that she has been my bunny for 10 years.

I just took this photo of her enjoying a dandelion leaf

And these two photos are from earlier in the week

[jellybean]

Lovely pictures criswell, I like Rabbit's but know little about them.

Is that a good age?

Those two certainly got a great home when they came to live with you.

You enjoy the good life for many more years to come Jess xxx

[ffiscool]

Lovely photos. Happy home anniversary Jess

[criswell]

Thank you ffiscool and jellybean. For Jess's size of rabbit the usual upper age range quoted is 9 to 10 years, so she is doing really well. Dwarf rabbits tend to live longer (12 to 15 years).

I'm grateful for any more time I have with Jess. After Roxy died we hoped Jess would make it through that winter. Then we hoped she'd make it through the summer, then the next winter. Now we are hoping she'll make it through the summer again.

[blue48]

Happy anniversary to Jess. What a lovely wabbit tale

We had a rabbit when we were kids called Flash, who escaped one day and some time later we found out that the neighbours had killed and eaten him. I was just a baby so I don't remember, but it was one of those family stories than got talked about over the years, so I feel like I knew him. I was born just after WW2 when food was still rationed so I bet the neighbours thought they'd stuck lucky when he hopped into their garden. My mother nevespoke to her again. Poor Flash

[Marianne Marlow]

Happy Birthday To Jess Bunny.

blue48 How awful. Poor Flash

[criswell]

Thanks Marianne Marlow and blue48

And poor Flash. That's terrible. I'm not surprised your mother didn't speak to the neighbour again. I'm glad you weren't old enough to know what had happened at the time.

[willowsmum]

criswell Jess is gorgeous. I hope she had a lovely anniversary.

blue48 poor little Flash, such a sad story

[criswell]

Thank you willowsmum . She had a really good day with lots of fresh dandelion leaves whenever I visited her. Plus dried dandelion leaves and a few pieces of sultana sprinkled around the garden for her to forage for. She loves sultanas.

[samwiseg]

I dont know that much about rabbits but one thing I DO know, is that if they get a stomach upset you should feed them frozen pinapple juice?! Apparently they lick it like an ice lolly and there is something in the pineapple that sorts them out?

I just love your rabbit Jess criswell, she is really beautiful

Sorry to hear of your tale though blue48 I wouldn't have talked to her either. Besides you cant live on rabbit forever because it has no nutritional value like other meats so even more reason she should have left Flash alone

[willowsmum]

criswell it sounds like Jess had a perfect day

[skysmum]

I'm a bit late but better late than never, Happy Home Day Jess Bunny and what a gorgeous girl you are

I had a little Lion Head, Hazel, she was 12 when she left us, such a sweet girl she was

[blue48]

May 12, 2020 18:46:59 GMT skysmum said:

I'm a bit late but better late than never, Happy Home Day Jess Bunny and what a gorgeous girl you are

I had a little Lion Head, Hazel, she was 12 when she left us, such a sweet girl she was

Oh my, just googled lion head rabbits.  How lovely

[criswell]

Jess Bunny would like me to say thank you to for all the good wishes you sent her. I really appreciate them too

She's continuing to do well, and keeping herself very busy and happy. She is due for her vaccinations at the end of the month so I hope she will be able to have them.

Here's a picture of her from Wednesday. Any plants I want to keep away from her are in much taller tubs. These short ones have grass and dandelions in them.

[blue48]

Please tell Jess Bunny she is very welcome