Baby’s Bungalow Fosters

Hamlet, an adult harlequin bunny, has arrived at Baby’s Bungalow!

He has definitely proven to us that all rabbits have totally different personalities, just like humans. While our first foster was a young bunny that didn’t quite feel comfortable with strangers, Hamlet knows exactly what he wants and will make sure you know. He’s very vocal, in the way that rabbits can be.

His lack of shyness tells me he’s ready to be the “man of the house” wherever he ends up!

Personality Profile

Three words to describe Hamlet?

Grunty
Bold
Hungry

Hamlet will grunt his needs

There’s a common stereotype with rabbits that they are very quiet and it’s very hard to tell what they want. They’re not like dogs, which have a wide vocal range of barks, whimpers, and whines.

But Hamlet pushes his communication skills to the limit.

You will know if you’re doing something “wrong.”

He has grunted:

When we were too slow opening the playpen so he could run around
When we reached out to pet him too fast (making him uncomfortable since bunnies have a blind spot right in front of their nose)
When we were too slow getting him his food (Why is your hand still there anyway? You need faster reflexes, obviously!)

It’s important to note that grunting in general is a communication technique, not necessarily an immediate indication of aggression. Hamlet has not bitten anyone! But we’ve also heeded his warning grunts. We’ve been respectful of his personal space and his (demanding) preferences.

Hamlet will claim your home

It took about a week for Hamlet to feel comfortable enough in the space to leave the playpen. We left the door open every night and sat nearby to supervise. But he only finally came out when he heard me unwrap a (very expired) lollipop for myself, not realizing that the crinkling was not me getting him a treat.

Once he was out though, boy was he out!

He immediately started running around investigating. After reviewing the area, he acted like he owned the place! He even came right up to me while I was sitting on the floor and bumped me with his nose, a “pet me now, please” signal.

Since then, he’s just been hoping right out and looking around every night.

Hamlet doesn’t know a treat he didn’t like

If you offer it to him, Hamlet’s eating it!

He loves all kinds of treats and hay, everything from rabbit biscuits to strawberry tops.

Don’t let him trick you into feeding multiple rounds of pellets! He’s definitely a bun that would fake starvation after just being fed.

Fast Facts about Hamlet

Here are some good things to know about Hamlet before considering adopting him:

Litterbox: He’s been trained to use the litterbox, and his habits are immaculate. Just know any bunny will accidentally kick out some poop as they’re jumping out of the litterbox.
Neutered: He has been neutered, so you don’t have to worry about the pricey surgery.
Petting Preference: Hamlet loves to be pet but likes pets to the head the best! And HE decides when you’re done petting him. If you stop too early, he’ll bump you with his nose and lower his head back into position for more! Hamlet is definitely one of those rabbits I can see asking you to pet him through an entire movie on the couch or something.

Update!

Thomas was adopted and bonded with another rabbit in his new home! A lovely happily ever after!

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Join Our Warren

It’s been a few weeks, and I think it’s high time we introduce you to our first foster rabbit!

According to the House Rabbit Connection volunteers, Thomas was found abandoned in a park with his brother. They were housed side by side in x-pens until they were able to find separate foster families. Unfortunately, they can’t be reunited until they both have and heal from a neuter surgery.

We made sure we had Thomas’s area all set up before we picked him up. When the time came, we made the drive and then plopped him in his new x-pen.

Since we weren’t sure of his litter box habits, we put down a tarp the House Rabbit Connection provided for us. Male rabbits who aren’t neutered can sometimes spray really strong smelling pee as part of their hormonal behaviors.

Thomas’ Eating Habits

Rabbits like routine, so we tried to maintain that same schedule of treats/feeding.

Thomas has proved very flexible with his food preferences. He seems to ALWAYS be hungry and goes through hay like nobody’s business.

He gets lettuce, treats, hay, and fresh water every day.

Interactions with the Hoomans

Our son loves to feed him his daily treat through the x-pen. Thomas runs up to greet him every time he comes over (and definitely not because our son likes to feed Thomas individual strands of hay every ten minutes).

It’s important to note that we always supervise our son when he’s around Thomas. For one thing, we want to make sure their interactions are safe. For another, we know our son is a little too interested in the cocoa puffs Thomas produces from all that eating!

Thomas is a bit more tentative about petting.

My husband was the first one to really be able to get past Thomas’ skittishness. Turns out Thomas doesn’t love head pets like our past rabbits, but he’s alright with the occasional pet along his back.

A Great Family Bunny

This bunny doesn’t seem bothered by anything, really. Air conditioner noises don’t faze him, and he’s fine with toddler screeches.

In general, he seems very curious about the world around him – not a surprise since he’s a younger bunny.

Thomas has his quirks, which are fun to watch!

One night, we ran over when we heard a loud thump and couldn’t figure out what had happened. We figured it out the next day when we saw he had jumped onto a big pet hidey crate. He’s pretty loud leaping off of it when he’s had enough time looking over his dominion from higher ground.

We also figure out Thomas can squeeze into very tight spaces! When he first came to us, we had the sliding door to that hidey shut. We figured he’d want to get used to a smaller area in the new environment before expanding out.

Wrong!

We looked over and all of a sudden he was inside hanging out – with the door closed. The door’s been open ever since!

Adopt a Bunny From House Rabbit Connection

Thomas has a neuter appointment scheduled in Connecticut for the beginning of July.

After that, he’ll need some healing time before he’s either rebonded with his brother or adopted as a solo bun.

Until he’s adopted, we look forward to seeing Thomas bloom now that he’s off the mean streets!

Update!

Thomas has been neutered and will soon be up for adoption! He’ll be a solo bun, since his brother was “foster failed.”

Some things we’ve learned since he was neutered:

Thomas does not have a fear of hardwood floors! Some bunnies do, which can make rabbit proofing your home easier since they’ll stick to carpeted areas. Thomas is ready for adventures and exploring.
He does best when you ignore him while sitting within reach! The second you act like you don’t care whether he comes near you, he immediately has to investigate you and sniff around. Watch to make sure the book you’re reading isn’t nibbled!
He’s still getting used to new foods. While he’s good with romaine lettuce, parsley, grass hay, oat hay, and Timothy hay, Thomas is a bit suspicious of cut strawberry tops.
Thomas is a taste tester! He started chewing on the tarp we had down, so we had to replace it with a small area rug (which he’s so far left alone). He’s taken little nibbles out of wicket baskets. And watch out for cardboard toys. Rabbits can shred them, but ingesting can be dangerous to their digestive system (GI Stasis risk). Thomas unfortunately likes to eat cardboard.