Now that Summer is here, Tiny R has been enjoying the return of tender clover leaves to his diet. He looks forward to the handful I bring in to him every morning. Sometimes there are some young dandelion leaves among the clover. He eventually eats them too but he always leaves them until last. Dandelions are "OK", but definitely not his favorite.
The first few times I put clover in Tiny R's cage, I messed up. I didn't take into consideration the small size of the individual clover leaves and stems. I just put the whole handful in a pile on the wire floor of his cage and thought everything was fine.
Later, when I looked in to see if Tiny R was enjoying my offering of "fresh vegetables from the garden", or in this case, from the side lawn, there he sat looking out through the cage door with a wistful look on his face. And the pile of clover was gone.
"Well, you little piglet, you certainly made short work of your clover," I thought. Then I took a closer look and suddenly I knew why Tiny R looked so unhappy. Most of the clover had fallen through the wire and was beyond his reach.
Poor Tiny R. He apparently had nuzzled the pile of clover around while he was selecting what he wanted to eat first and most of the stems had slipped right through the wire. And there it was, carpeting the bottom of his litter pan, just out of reach.
I felt very bad about the whole thing and immediately went outside to harvest a fresh handful of clover. But this time, I put a small square of newspaper in his cage to act as a tablecloth. Once the openings on his cage floor were covered, Tiny R had no trouble at all keeping his clover in one place while he dined. And when he had finished, Tiny R had a wonderful time shredding the newspaper and playing with it before flopping down to take a short nap.
I Can See You. Can You See Me? We let Tiny R out of his cage as often as possible. The only requirement is that one or both of us have to agree to keep a sharp eye on him and keep him out of trouble. And most of the time it's not too hard. Keeping Tiny R away from the temptation of cord chewing is usually the biggest challenge. But he's gradually accepted the fact that we do not want him to nose around in certain specific areas. And most of the time he respects these boundaries.
I don't know what the average rabbit IQ is supposed to be, but I have a very strong feeling that rabbits know and remember quite a bit more than we suspect. Not only that, but I think rabbits are "teachable" to a certain extent. I am quite sure that Tiny R knows what his basic limitations are supposed to be. I am equally convinced that he intentionally goes over that line sometimes just to let us know that he can be pushed just so far.
Tiny R may be small in size but his sense of importance is huge. He is a proud and independent rabbit and has no intention of becoming a doormat. And he doesn't let us forget it, either.
Some of Tiny R's activities are obviously based on rabbit instinct and behavior. For example, when he lounges outside his cage, he has three spots he feels comfortable in. One of those places is the fireplace hearth. At first we thought he liked it because the bricks were cool and he could stretch out on his stomach to get cooled off. I suppose that may have been one reason for his choice. But as I started thinking about that particular spot from a rabbit's point of view, I could see why he chose it. If I had been a rabbit, I would have chosen it.
First of all, the hearth makes a good look-out site. Tiny R can see everything. The hearth is slightly elevated so he also has the advantage of height on his side. Tiny R can see the front door, the living room, into the kitchen and down the hall. No one can sneak up on him from any direction. Also, he has a multitude of possible escape avenues available if needed.
Second, he is hard to see. Tiny R is solid black and, as long as he stays still, he blends right in with the fireplace tools. The shovel and brush/broom are both black and when Tiny R snuggles up near them, most people don't even know he's there. Sometimes even I don't notice him until he changes positions or stretches. Tiny R might be a domesticated rabbit but he has not lost his instinct for camouflage.
Another place he likes to hang out is by the legs of the piano. The piano is an old upright and Tiny R scrunches up next to the dark wood. If you aren't looking for him, he's very hard to spot. And like the hearth, he has many ways of escaping if it becomes necessary.
The most recent favorite hang-out is under an antique teacart that is near the table where our computers are located. Since we spend a lot of time working on computer projects, Tiny R has decided to stake out a resting place where he can keep an eye on us.
Actually, I think he first got interested in the teacart because I had some magazines on the bottom shelf. Tiny R apparently spotted them and made several attempts to drag them down on the floor to play with them. It wasn't so bad when his nibbling affected a couple of Reader's Digests but I had to put an end to the marauding when he developed a taste for my nursing journals.
Tiny R and I have come to a compromise: he doesn't chew my magazines if I keep them up out of his reach. Yes, I know it seems like it's pretty much a one-sided deal. But my bargaining position was rather weak at the time.
Also, to sweeten the pot, I agreed to keep a sheet of old newspaper, usually the classifieds, under the cart for Tiny R to sit on and/or shred. It seems to keep him happy and I certainly can't complain. Most of the time Tiny R just sits quietly under the cart keeping an eye on the lower halves of our bodies as we do our computer thing.
Of course, I never forget that my "job" is to keep a keen eye on Tiny R. My peripheral vision gets quite a workout. Even though he looks sweet, it is never a good idea to leave Tiny R that close to cords. There has to be at least ten cords of various sizes and uses hanging down from the back of the computer table. From his point of view, it must look like a virtual playground. From our point of view, it looks like a disaster in the making.
There are three things that should never be forgotten: (1) Bunnies have extremely sharp teeth, (2) bunnies love to chew cords, and (3) bunnies are quick!
(Mission Impossible Theme in background) My mission is to keep cords and bunny separated. Tiny R's mission is to make a sneak attack and decimate every cord in sight. Tiny R watches me constantly from his position under the teacart. All he needs is a window of opportunity. Then he could slip under the table to the forbidden zone. I, on the other hand, try to be a little less obvious. My peripheral vision really gets a workout as I try to keep Tiny R in view in addition to working on the computer.
But I have a secret weapon that Tiny R does not yet understand. That innocent sheet of paper that he likes to sit on under the cart is a kind of Trojan Horse. The paper makes a crinkling noise whenever Tiny R moves. When I hear that newspaper sound, it's my signal to glance over and see what he's up to. So far he hasn't been able to get away with anything. I've been able to cut the little schemer off at the pass. I wonder how long it will take before he figures out my sneaky surveillance method?
And that's it in a nutshell. When dealing with a rabbit, the best defense is a good . . . . Well, you're dealing with a rabbit so the word "offense" sounds a little brutal so I'll just say "advance planning". But a good defense is an absolute must. If you plan your defense wisely, you've at least got a chance. If you forget? . . . . . . Well, fella, your life as you know it (as well as a lot of the stuff you now own) is definitely over. Consider yourself warned. The rest is up to you.
Limericks About Tiny R Tiny R is a black, neutered male, Mini-Lop bunny who lives with us. He is a House Rabbit.
Tiny R is an extremely intelligent and alert little fellow and is curious about absolutely everything. I have already documented some of Tiny R's stories on the internet. In fact, he has had his own page for several months now. If you are interested, a link can be found at the bottom of this page.
Tiny R is a very charming companion as long as you understand, and never, ever forget, that he is a RABBIT!! We have learned to accept the fact that Tiny R is not a dog. We watch him like a hawk whenever he is out to romp and play. That way he is kept safe from danger and our possessions are not full of chew marks!
Well, maybe just a few chew marks. Did I mention he's sneaky and fast?
August 1996
Here are a few observations about Tiny R in limerick form:
Tiny R is a one-of-a-kind.
A rabbit like him you won't find.
We've become steadfast chums.
When he's happy, he hums.
His demeanor is sweetly inclined.
Chewing on cords is a habit
Enjoyed by our sneaky House Rabbit.
He thinks it's great fun
When we race with our bun
To get there before he can grabbit.
Tiny R is our cord-chomper's name.
Chewing cords is his fav-or-ite game.
Power, printer or phone,
He won't leave them alone.
Our poor "com" center's just not the same.
Rabbits like to do just as they please
But it's easy to make a bun "Freeze!!!".
When you've tired of his game,
With a squirt gun take aim
And just give it a good, solid squeeze.
That is one way to make your bun learn
That your "NO!!" simply cannot be spurned.
With a look of surprise
His acts he'll revise
After making a 180 degree turn.
Pardon me if my thoughts cause offense,
But some bun owners seem rather dense.
To let your bun roam?
Chewing up your whole home?
It simply defies commonsense.
Tiny R finds it hard to ignore
The mysteries behind a closed door.
He pushes and nudges
And if the door budges
He slips in and starts to explore.
A putter can do more than putt
When applied to my Tiny R's butt.
When R's under the bed,
And I nudge him ahead.
His eviction is open and shut.
The putter extends reach of my paw,
And becomes my " long arm of the law ".
When R's tail touches metal,
He's ready to settle.
He surrenders, but it's really a draw.
If "R's" digging continues unchecked,
He'll soon have my whole carpet wrecked.
So I chose to install,
Baby gate, wall to wall,
My carpet to serve and protect.
This action to curtail and suppress
My bun's digging was not a success.
He knew what to do;
He chewed a hole through.
And what he did next, you can guess!
August 11, 1996
There once was a rabbit named "R"
Who wished he could have a small car.
He could drive it to town
And start asking around,
"Do you know of a good salad bar?"
Welcome To Mom's Clip Joint It couldn't be put off any longer. Tiny R's toenails were getting just too long! When he sat still and I could get a good look at his feet, I couldn't keep from noticing those sharp, needle-like things poking out from his furry paws.
I had read about the need to keep rabbit's toenails clipped but had not gotten up the nerve to attempt it. I had already bought a dog nail clipper and had it on hand for the job. It worked great on the dogs but the dogs were pretty docile. I knew Tiny R would be more of a challenge. He was so quick and so squirmy!
I wanted to make the experience as pleasant as possible so I made a plan. First of all, I knew I needed help. So I asked my son, Eric, to stand by. Then I got a cardboard box from the garage. It was cut off so it was only about 2 inches high. My plan for the box was to use it under Tiny R so he wouldn't be able to slice us up with his toenails while I trimmed them.
Then I got out an old bath towel. Tiny R was used to playing with towels and having them thrown over the top of him or dragged in front of him when we played with him. I figured we could wrap Tiny R up to keep him calm while I worked on one foot at a time.
Well, Tiny R is a very observant rabbit. And very smart. He saw the unusual preparations in the works and figured out he was probably scheduled to become part of it. But he had other ideas.
Taking a lesson from our dogs when they see us bring out the big galvanized tub, Tiny R took off.
Two or three minutes of evasive maneuvers around the living room and finally Tiny R was in custody. We placed him on the towel which I had spread out on the floor. We wrapped it around him with his head sticking out and placed him inside the cardboard box. There were a few more half-hearted flurries of activity before Tiny R gave in.Eric held one edge of the towel together around Tiny R's neck like a fat collar. It didn't hurt him at all and Tiny R settled down. Then I reached in and carefully extracted one of his front paws. With the dog clippers, I carefully snipped off about 1/4 inch. Tiny R jumped a little but didn't try to get away.
I put a little piece of graham cracker in the box where Tiny R could smell and see it. I thought it might distract him. Then I continued until all his toenails were clipped. Eric and I were both amazed that he took it so well.
After it was all over, we gave Tiny R his graham cracker and let him get down. He hopped a little way off and settled in to enjoy his treat.
We had all survived. No scratches, no pain and no hard feelings. We were all still good friends.
Everything was back to normal. And, whew! Was I ever glad!
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E-mail address: bettyann@cassano.com