Rabbits: pet and meat, all in one

As most readers of this blog are aware, I have a rather large, happy rabbit. 

I have had rabbits almost continuously throughout my entire life. My understanding of them, and my own rabbitry skills, have evolved throughout that time. I have gone from a child feeding pellets to my aloof outdoor rabbits to feeding an all-fresh diet to a house rabbit that lives cage-less indoors like a cat.

Blissfully unaware of the rabbit-eating debate today

They are sweet, they are funny, and they are loving. My beautiful Zelda would sit and let you pet her all night long if you wanted to. When I was a teenager, Bandit would sit on my lap for hours as I gabbed on the phone. They are such wonderful pets that I will probably have rabbits for the rest of my life.

At one point, I couldn't have imagined eating a rabbit. But as my understanding of rabbitry has evolved, so have my tastes and the available options. I first tasted rabbit in 2012 at Next, followed by Sprout and Big Jones, among others. I probably would not prepare it at home simply because it usually comes whole, and that is usually hard for me to stomach with any animal. But it is a delicious, healthy, and sustainable meat that is eaten by billions of people around the world, and I order it in restaurants when I can.

I was surprised to receive an e-mail recently from the Red Door Shelter in Chicago asking me to boycott Whole Foods over their pilot program to sell rabbit meat. I get that for many people rabbit is a pet, but for many others it is nothing more than a tasty entree. (And for some people, like me, it is both.) And now the rabbit-haters have appeared in an Atlantic article. So I felt I needed to say something, and this blog is as good a place as any.

Does rabbit have to be a pet OR meat? We don't seem to feel that way about fish. Cows and pigs are mammals, but I guess they are not furry enough? Does one count more than another because it is cute and cuddly? Because I can hold my rabbit's paw, nuzzle his face and tell him he's a good boy? Because his ears tilt curiously just this way or that?

I think there are two takeaways that I would like people to understand about this issue. Number one, if you don't want to eat rabbit meat, don't, but don't push your diet choices on other people or assume that YOUR discomfort is the norm. (But you really should try it, especially confit.) 

Number two, we could all use a lot more gray in this world. Why does a thing have to be black or white? Can't we view it with the complexity that it deserves? 

Get educated, and go out there and experience the gray.

Springing into my birthday

Today, my friend shared her beautiful, professional-style photos from the bunny's shoot this weekend:

How cute are they!  Also - he is so big!  It looks like she could ride him!

I am hoping there are some issues with perspective in this one, or else he is starting to resemble a horse...

Also, Google gave me a doodle for my birthday, which is pretty fun!  And no calories!



I also bought myself a huge pile of tea from Harney and Sons, my favorite.  I got a green tea sample set, Egyptian chamomile, lemon verbena, and loose rooibos!  

Dave says there will be a present waiting for me at the house when I get home, not sure what that will be.

And my boss bought me flowers, which was very nice of her!  They are very springy and fun.

Tonight I'm meeting some friends at the Peckish Pig in Evanston, which is a new restaurant / brewery.  They have many delicious-looking meats and a nice alcohol list.  I'm watching calories, but I will allow myself a little wiggle room today!

Here's to 32!

"Easter bunny" photo shoot

 Some of my friends came over this morning to take some photos of their kid with my bunny, in anticipation of Easter!  Yes, he is big enough to be the Easter bunny.  Actually, I have been seeing a lot of photos of my friends' kids with chicks, bunnies, and ducks in photo studios, but Rosa can be sure that her kid will have the largest bunny of them all.

I mean, look at that thing - he looks like he could wear her shoes!  She got a total kick out of feeding the bunny carrots (after she got over being terrified of him for a brief moment - I don't blame her, he is...shocking).

We knew he'd be very "food motivated," as far as sitting still in the shot area.  He was sometimes naughty, reaching up to grab the treats.

The whole setup was very professional - Rosa works as an art director and has this fancy gear for taking nice shots.  She brought Easter eggs, a backdrop, a chair, and flash lights!

The bunny didn't always cooperate with being in front of the backdrop...

By the end, the bunny was so tired, he just laid by his prize like a lion over the kill.

And, saving the best for last - my friend's husband Franco got this amazing shot of the bunny licking his paw:

I have seen photos of other bunnies like this on the Internet, but this was the first time my bunny had ever been caught like this!  Dave heartily enjoyed this shot.

It was a fun morning, but the bunny and I were totally exhausted after this.  Dave wanted to make some gnocchi for dinner, and I was so impressed and inspired by that that I marched right up to the store to buy some potatoes for myself.  I have never made gnocchi before!

By my recommendation, we are doing the Smitten Kitchen gnocchi.  I love all of her stuff, so I couldn't be more excited.  Cooking the same thing is a fun date to do while long distance!

Baby bunny in Evanston

When Dave worked at Northwestern years ago and said that he loved the bunnies who live on campus, I wasn't sure how many bunnies there really were.  Answer:  a lot.  Here is a little guy I saw on Wednesday:

I forget how little bunnies can be!  This thing is probably the size of Max's head alone.

Sick day with bunny

I stayed home from work sick today, and I'm glad I did, because I was pretty gross.

Laying on the couch all day really gave me a bird's eye view of the bunny's activities.  Which were precisely nothing.  I went down to the basement to get some more Kleenex, and he was passed out by his cage.  Silly thing.

So, I am up in the computer room checking e-mail now and he came up to hang out with me.

Yes, that's him next to our router.  He is a big boy.

Bunny's unsuccessful hiding place

"If I can't see them...they can't see me."

New Christmas tree!

On my 30 before 30 list is to purchase a Christmas tree, and I figured I'm running out of time if I want to actually put it up this year. I know someone who was selling a small one, which is all I need, and I bought it from her today for a mere $15!

I hope everyone appreciates how utterly crazy this tree is. Yes, there's an owl and several peacocks, as well as Harry Potter, Dumbo, Cinderella, and the Care Bears. Awesome. Next year I want to get some matching garland for it.

So I've decorated for Christmas, and tonight I want to address the bulk of my Christmas cards. We've been busy all week, so I get the impression that the bunny has been happy to hang out with us tonight. However, I think he might be getting a little fat:

Jesus, look at this loaf of bread.

Also in good news, my iPod still works. I didn't post about this, but I washed the stupid thing in the laundry, and this is after Dave washing his (and killing it) a few years ago. I did the trick of putting it in rice for a few days, and it worked. It's charging as I type. Oh, second-generation iPod Shuffle, how I love you!

And I'll need it, because I'm scratching something else off of my 30 before 30 list next week: running a full 5k! You might think I'm crazy to do it in winter, but actually, running in the cold is much easier for me. I think I've discovered that I have a tendency to overheat, and the cold air helps. Whereas Dave keeps his hat and glove on for the whole run, I always take mine off about halfway. (Then I stuff them in my hoodie pocket and look fatter than I already am, but that's beside the point.)

Anyway I've been training, and I ran two miles today. Not very fast, mind you, but I did two miles without stopping. And next week with the iPod, I will win the day!

Bunny Mac

Well, I haven't done a bunny-related post for a while, so I figured it was time.

Dave and I bought our next desktop computer - a refurbished iMac - and it is one beautiful thing. The bunny and I have been hanging out with Dave in the computer room as he sets it up. Not that there is much to set up, as everything has pretty much worked itself out with the printer, internet, etc.

In fact, this is my first post on said iMac, and it is indeed fun! The mouse and keyboard are totally wireless, and the computer and monitor are one component. In fact, aside from the printer cord, there is only one cord for the whole computer.

I do believe I've converted Dave into an Apple person.

Can you believe this bunny?

I'm looking forward to doing my Rosetta Stone on this computer, which has really nice graphics and sound. And I'm sure Dave's looking forward to playing the latest iteration of Fallout, the game. And there are less cords for bunny to chew, so that's something!

Cut a rug

It's been a while since I've posted a bunny photo, so I figure today is a good day to kill two birds with one stone and post about the bunny AND my new hallway rug.

Exciting, huh?

We have been using a carpet remnant by our staircases so that the bunny can hop onto it and avoid the slippery hardwood floor. As you can guess, the carpet remnant is jagged, ugly, and kind of stupid-looking - not to mention it slides all around when bunny jumps from it - so we used an IKEA gift card to go pick up a beautiful new hallway rug. (Thanks, Deb!)

As you can see, the bunny appears to be enjoying it, with his big dinosaur paws sticking out like a sphinx. The new rug is retro, stripey, and awesome. I love it.

We're mostly moved in now except for a few boxes, shoes, and craft supplies scattered throughout the house. My goal for this weekend and this week is to sort through that and get it a little more organized. I specifically need a necklace tree, shelves in the basement, a pegboard in the basement, bicycle hooks in the garage, and a few other things.

Yay for unpacking the last boxes!

Max's nook

So, for a while, Max has been cute enough to surprise (and sometimes terrify) me by leaping up onto the couch to settle next to my leg. Sometimes I can see it coming, and sometimes I can't. Let me tell you, when you're relaxing with some TV, not much is scarier than seeing an airborne bunny soaring toward your face from halfway across the room.

Still, it's pretty cute that he's still this attached to me. He doesn't fit next to me on the couch as well as he did when he was a baby, but he settles in and I'll pet him and hold his little paw (as at right). It can be kind of annoying to have an enormous bunny on my lap while I'm trying to type or crochet, but oh well. That's the price of essentially having a dog in bunny form.

If the vague birth date given to us by his Russian breeders is accurate, his birthday has probably already passed this month. That means my little boy is a year old already, and in October we'll have had him for a full year. How quickly time passes! (And how quickly my bunny-dog arrived at the 15-lb. mark! Yikes!)

Bunny picnic, sans Max

Today was our annual BunnyFest picnic, a chance to mingle with other rabbit owners (and, of course, the rabbits themselves). The idea is to meet adoptable foster rabbits, and also to socialize and show off your own bunny a bit.

Here's a cute little foster bunny I petted, though he didn't like his nose being touched:


Look how small he is compared to my hand! I am so used to my bunny that I feel like Max is average-size, so when I see regular bunnies now, I think they look more like hamsters. 

I also liked these mop-like little lionheads (at right). They were definitely enjoying laying together in their hay litterbox.

Unfortunately, it was raining, so we didn't bring Max down. We were going to keep him on a leash or in a cage on the ground, but I know he wouldn't have liked getting wet. He'll have to make his debut next year.

It was our first year without either Zelda or Moby, as they both passed away last fall / winter. I still miss them a lot, especially my Zelda girl. But it is kind of interesting to think back to two years ago, when we attended the picnic and Zelda met a Flemish giant - Max's breed - whose head & ears were as long as her whole body. It is weird to think that we don't have her anymore, but we do have a Flemish.

At any rate, it was the first year we've had not-so-great weather, so I guess I shouldn't complain. Maybe Max will be a little calmer by next year, too, and he won't be afraid of the other bunnies like he is the squirrels who visit our porch.

Farmer Sherman's garden

Today Dave and I scuttled to the south suburbs to help plant my parents' newly expanded garden. It was a lovely occupation for such a beautiful day.

My dad had already bought some tomato and green pepper plants, but my mom and I went to Lowe's and Smith Bros. for some more plants. We overbought a bit, but we came home with some more tomatoes and peppers, as well as jalapeno peppers, summer squash, zucchini, and cucumbers.

Of course, we intend to take some of this home when the plants start to fruit in about a month or two, but mainly we wanted to help out my parents, who haven't been super well recently. My dad has struggled with some bronchitis, and my mom's eye isn't clear yet. Regardless, spending the day in the glorious sunshine and working on the garden was the perfect opener to Memorial Day weekend.


Of course, we weren't the only ones who got a bit of outdoors time. At my mom's suggestion, we brought Max in a bottomless cage. (There is a top, thank goodness, because nothing can hold Max in. He jumps over our couches at this point.)

He didn't really like being near the neighbor's dog, but otherwise he was very well behaved and seemed to enjoy the breeze. And, of course, he got to eat his fill of grass.

Unfortunately, he is shedding at the moment, and I brushed him in the yard, sending tufts of hair flying. This was good for local birds, I'm sure, and good for Max, because at least I aired him out a bit and removed a lot of loose fur. Still, he looks like crap. Look at this racing stripe of baby fur on his back:


So, yes, it was a great day, and I look forward to more relaxation this weekend. And, of course, I look forward to beautiful veggies from my parents' garden this summer!

Max goes out, wimps out

I took the bunny out for his second walk of the spring season, and he had some fun eating, but I think he's still a little freaked out.

Our house is right off of 53, so there are a lot of cars and motorcycles driving by and making a lot of noise. Further, the cars and people in the parking lot kind of wigged him out, as did the birds in the trees. And the creaking fence that surrounds the dumpster.

So, as a result, bunny took refuge in his momma, namely hiding under my leg.


Sighhhh. He still doesn't understand how big - and safe - he is. He used to be pretty easy going about walks though, so I probably just need to get him used to them again.

When he gets going, he really enjoys eating:

What a little cutie. I can't wait to keep taking him out this spring / summer and fattening him up on free grass, clover, and dandelion. Speaking of free I've been getting free lettuce from a produce market nearby because they throw away all the spare leaves. I have brought home two big bags of romaine, cabbage, and fennel in the past week, and even though I look a little weird at the produce market, it saves a lot of money on bunny lettuce!

Bunny surgery success

We had the bunny's neuter surgery today, and he is fine and recovering. I love my vet, so I wasn't worried, but there is always anxiety whenever you put a bunny under a knife. (Especially since losing both Zelda and Moby late last year.)

In addition to the surgery, Max had his first checkup today, and my vet proclaimed him in excellent health. I warned her that he doesn't like to be picked up, and when she came back after weighing him, she said, "Wow, you weren't kidding." So, I don't know what he did to terrorize my vet, but he did something.

Oh, and he only weighed in at 11.25 pounds, which was kind of less than I thought he was, but then again, he'd hardly eaten anything this morning, so he is probably more like 12 pounds as a general rule.

I picked him up a couple of hours ago and he's been out of it, but I've heard him munching on his lettuce (when he's not using it as a pillow). The vet tech said he fell asleep eating some cilantro when he was in the vet's recovery kennel, so I guess everyone thought that was pretty cute. So my bunny is recovering, and now hopefully he'll be less territorial. Crossed fingers!

Bunny Sunday

Bunny had a lazy Sunday.


Part of it is my fault; I fed him a lot of lettuce, and then he pretty much passed out. Look at his face as he dreams:


What a weirdo.

By the way, I scheduled his neuter surgery for March 22, so my poor little guy had best enjoy his "intactness" while he's got it.

Couch bunny

The beast bunny has made a habit of the last few days to jump up on the couch with me. I can be doing anything - crocheting, messing around on the computer - it doesn't matter. He lays on my arm and demands attention.


Yeah, he's pretty awesome.

Max-imum growth

I got some awesome new photos of our big boy, Max, so I thought I would share. Here he is, at right, cuddled up in the corner. He spent the better part of the day today like this - in the corner or under the dining room table.

Of course, he follows me around, but I was baking during the afternoon, so he slept pretty much the entire time. I thought he was sending me evil looks at one point. Maybe bunny wants bread?

While he still fits under the table - thank god - he's starting to get a little too big for some of his old favorite spots. He barely fits under his open door now, and also under some of the chair legs.

Unfortunately for him, he may be getting too big for one of his favorite pastimes: eating hay, face-first, out of the bag.


Look at that bunny butt. I don't know how I get any work done around here!

Sick Max

Our huge beast bunny, Max, had some minor health problems last night, but all is well.

We noticed something was wrong when Max didn't pursue his usual favorite activities:

• Begging for food
• Running maniacally around the apartment
• Chasing Little Man
• Hopping on couches
  

I checked him, and he had a bit of a waste elimination problem. Poor little guy. We looked up what to do, and we gave him plenty of water, greens, and hay before bed, as usual.

When we checked him again this morning, he had some accident streaks on his cage floor, but he was much perkier. It looked like he pretty much took care of the problem and was very interested in food again. However, because the bunnies are pretty much 100% bonded now, poor Moby had to stay in the cage with a depressed 10-pound rabbit that couldn't control its own bowel movements. Poor Little Man!

I read about what might have caused it, and the likely culprit is too much sugar. No, not table sugar - as far as I know, he has not gotten into any cookies recently. I have been introducing some sweet fruit to him as a treat, including small pieces of pear, apple, strawberry, papaya, and pomegranate.

The pomegranate was what did it, probably, but we're going to limit his sugar intake anyway. He seems extra sensitive to it, and since he loves greens so ridiculously much, they're a treat in and of themselves. (Maybe a little piece of pear or apple every now and then...)

Can't wait to spend time with my recuperating bunny tonight.

Max "stands up" to some romaine

Max & Moby vs. cabbage