Thursday, June 17, 2010

Bunny Boy

Some of you may know that Skipper, the youngest and smallest of the Lockett Clan, was crook a couple of weeks ago.

Sure, his vet appointment and medication cost more than he did (with de-sexing, a hutch, water bottle and a weeks' worth of pellets thrown in!) two years ago, but a week after my final grapple with holding him still, forcing his reluctant mouth open and squirting in some liquid antibiotics, he seemed to be on the mend.

Which meant .......

















..... Bunny Bath Time!

Normally, he's self-cleaning, but the accumulated dark brown crud on his back legs of ancient dried blood and urine were obviously a mix he wasn't prepared to lick off during his leisure time. Plus the vet advised me not to give him a bath until he'd recovered or the shock might set him back.
















The laundry trough was one-third filled with warm water and a few squirts of organic body wash. He looked so tiny in there, soaked and bewildered.

I put my most ancient Polarfleece top on; the one I wear when I'm cuddling him because it disguises the handfuls of fine white hairs that he discards like pollen. Sapphire stood by with the camera, alternating between laughter and "Careful, Mum!"













He was surprisingly calm during it all and rather sedately allowed me to towel him down. Gently, of course.

Again heeding the vet's advice - no hairdryers because they're far too hot for rabbits' delicate skin and fur - he was wrapped in another dry towel and sat with me in the living room directly under the wall heater.














I even dared fancy that he was quite enjoying the warmth and attention as well as being allowed inside whilst Love Chunks was still at work. I know that I was enjoying it - he may only weigh one-and-a-half kilograms but he's still worth a kiss or three on the nose and stroking his warm ears and silky soft fur is both mesmerising and therapeutic.

A couple of hours later he was dry and ready to be placed on the lawn outside with a fresh carrot. Sapphire was doing her homework and I decided that it was time to read through all of the Age magazines and weekend inserts.

Love Chunks arrived home to hear my shocked snort. "Oh he can't read, you daft old sod," he said, ruffling my hair.

Of course I knew that. Still, this particular Saturday insert was one that would never make it into the pile of papers used to line Skipper's hutch.

9 comments:

Pandora Behr said...

Just a bit too cute. He's too good for stew.

Cat J B said...

Aw, he is very cute. My youngest sis raises bunnies for meat, not sure I could do that. Although she did recommend a Minilop as a good pet for my kids, and they are veeeery cute, I may just have to get one. Or two.

Elisabeth said...

Once upon a time we owned something in the order of ten rabbits, five of them tiny babies, like pinkie mice. I've written about these critters elsewhere, http://sixthinline.blogspot.com/2010/01/life-is-plotless-things-happen.html

Your dedication to this little fella amazes me. But I know the feeling. We once had a tiny rabbit all of twelve weeks old whom my daughter named Willie.

One morning we woke up and Willie's back legs were paralysed. To this day I don't know what was wrong but Willie was a gift from a neighbor and I desperately wanted him to live, in part because my daughter had named him after her father, but the vet decided it was kindest to put Willie down on a Sunday. As in your case, the vet bill cost more than all the rabbits put together, but what's money in situations like this?

Long live your bunny.

Kath Lockett said...

Yep he is just a bit too cute. I've never had a rabbit before him and still miss that the 'feedback' (ie purring from cats and tail wagging from dogs) you get from other pets but he's so tiny and so lovely to hold.....

River said...

Don't be so sure that Bunnies can't read, Kath. After all, they do manage to leave the preferred flavour of Easter eggs for the many people who are choosy. and how do they do this if they can't read the labels?

Helen said...

awwww, he looks so sad and pathetic all wet like that. I'm glad he's feelng better now though and I'm sure the TLC was much appreciated (and it doesn't matter if he can't read, that's just not a nice thing to do).

Anonymous said...

Does this mean we can now call you Gilligan, on account of you're Skipper's little buddy?

Kath Lockett said...

I can't see why not, Anonymous - I've certainly been called worse things!

.....just last evening, for intance - picking up litter on Mt Alexander Road, some passerby driver decided to lean out of the window and call me a 'slut'. For picking up rubbish with a small orange dog?????!!!!

Baino said...

Cute overload and cruel and unusual to expose him to the wabbit wecipes! Does he no scratch and bite? I've never owned a rabbit, quite the contrary, they've taken over my shed as their condo and are beginning to own me! Bloody squatters.