Saturday, October 8, 2011

Maple Cottage adopts Tim Tam the Bunny

Each year, when asked what she wants for her birthday, the response is the same.

Miss Bok (2):  'Wanna bunny mummy'
Me:                 'Maybe when you're a big girl, like 7'
Miss Bok (3):  'Wanna bunny mummy'

Me:                 'Maybe when you're a big girl, like 7'
Miss Bok (4):  'I want a bunny mum'
Me:                 'Maybe when you're a big girl, like 7'
Miss Bok (5):  'Muuuuum I really really want a rabbit for my birthday!'
Me:                 'Maybe when you're a big girl, like 7'
Miss Bok (6):  'I'm nearly 7.  You promised me a rabbit mum!'
Me:                 'OH CRAP!'  (when did turning 7 happen????  It seemed so far away!!)

So...Miss Bok(6) turns 7 this month.  And I have to make good on my promise.

Well I've been searching around for a bunny and decided to adopt one from the Rabbit Runaway Orphanage.  They take in bunnies that have been found, taken away by the RSPCA, or taken to the vet to be put down by owners who have decided that bunnies aren't for them after all.  The Rabbit Runaway Orphanage does amazing work.  Last weekend we went to visit them in Olinda to pick out a suitable bunny.  

The orphanage really is a bunny haven.  Even the location is magic, up in the Dandenong Ranges.  The drive to Olinda is gorgeous, we head up into the hills often.  The shops have the most beautiful wares.

We fell in love with so many of the bunnies, but many are very sick and need constant care and careful monitoring - not for a household with two small children. The care, passion and dedication Bryce and Judy have for their orphans is heart warming.  

Miss Bok and I picked out 'Cuba' (Miss Bok has since renamed him to Tim Tam).  He was taken to Save a Dog by kind people who found him, took him to a vet who then brought him to the orphanage from there.  He is a very sweet boy and we brought him home this weekend.  


Isn't Tim Tam adorable??

Plenty of greens in the garden for him to eat...

He has his pick of greens from the vegie patch - today it is 
purple sprouting broccoli leaves and red oak lettuce 






His area is here, with litter tray, food, cat house to sleep in - and free range (you can tell I'm a hen keeper when I can't find better terms to use than that!!) when we are home as he's been very good with using the litter tray so far.







I've learnt a lot about bunnies.
  • They should live inside because the strain of disease the government released to control the wild rabbit population has no cure or vaccine in Australia and many pet bunnies living outside die when they are bitten by mosquitoes
  • They can be toilet trained
  • They don't smell!  (I guess unless you don't clean out the litter?)
  • They really shouldn't eat a lot of carrots - or even a lot of vegies!
  • They are very affectionate
Miss Bok is absolutely delighted!  Her birthday is in a week or two so Tim Tam as she has renamed him, is her early birthday gift.  Master Bok (2) is delighted as well.  


 

Mr Bok wonders if we are becoming a farm.

The chooks haven't met him yet.  I wonder what they'll make of him?

21 comments:

  1. What a great pet. Miss Bok is very lucky. Love the name, I'm sure he will soon be very much part of the Bok Flock.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How wonderful that you rescued this bunny! So happy for your daughter and what a great b-day present.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That fantastic! Tim Tam has no idea how lucky he is. Rabbits are lovely pets for young children. Just adorable :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tim Tam is so cute. What a lucky little bunny. My son in law got his little girl a bunny for Easter. He and my husband found breeder--a 12 year old 4-H member who grows her rabbits for 4-H (and to show) and to earn money. Peter is a little himalayan bunny. He is very cute and very gentle. He used to have the run of the house, but rabbits will chew electrical cords and telephone cords and computer cords. He loves to cuddle and be held, but do be aware that rabbits can become aggressive and bite, as well. Little Miss Bok will lover her bunny. He will be more fun than a kitten. Have you watched any Youtube videos of rabbits. You will laugh out loud.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So cute, be she will love that birthday for years to come.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good on you for getting a rescue bunny. He looks absolutely gorgeous.

    I have a rescue rabbit - his name is Moomoo because his markings are like a cows. He had been shaved when we got him, we didn't realise he was an angora rabbit, quite a lot of grooming required but he's lovely so I don't mind.

    You definitely need to watch the wires, I had to replace the power cord for the TV and my camera charger because I left Moo unattended.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks everyone :) You'll need to post pics of your bunnies so that I can see! No cables in the room he's in at the moment but a great reminder for me to get cable protectors for the rest of the house!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Mrs Bok, we have two gorgeous bunnies who have been with us for nearly two years now. They love the scraps from the garden too. Beware that they can't eat everything from the veggie garden though. Broccoli leaves aren't a good idea, and only the outer leaves from cabbages and caulis. I can send you the list of yes and nos if you like of what to give them.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you a list would be fantastic! thebokflock@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a great BD present and what a cute bunny! We had a pet rabbit years ago. He was great and never chewed any wires in the house.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well I'm certainly not a bunny kind of person, but if they were all as cute as he is I could be converted. Miss Bok is a very lucky person.

    Note to self though, 7 comes around too quickly so choose an older age, maybe 17, when trying to hold off on getting unwanted presents.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I have had that exact conversation with Roboboy and a budgie put picked age 10. One of his friends is getting a SNAKE for the 6th birthday and I am really hoping that is not the next request.
    That rabbit is the cutest bunny I have ever seen, love how his ears flop down and his colour. I don't think we are allowed rabbits in Queensland, your daughter is sooooo lucky. melx

    ReplyDelete
  13. He's a very pretty colour! I second the above comment re: wires though. My sister-in-law had a pet rabbit which used to roam about the house and he nibbled on a number of their electrical cords, and the skirting boards and door frames! He was very friendly; rabbits are quite nice animals as pets.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tim Tam is lovely. We're not allowed to keep pet bunnies in Queensland without a license, but it is lovely to see other's pets!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Tim Tim is gorgeous with those floppy ears! Birthday wishes to Ms Bok.
    The chooks and the bunny could make short work of the garden plants. I find my hens take absolutely no notice of anyhitng that comes in to the garden either birds or cats, they look at them with a superior stare and then go about their business ignoring them.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Poor Mr Bok - I hope he adjusts to farm life soon!
    Tim Tam is very gorgeous, certainly makes me want one of my own!
    Hope you will all be very happy together - what a nice addition to the farm.
    And Thank you - enjoying the posts very much..
    Kaz

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a gorgeous little chap, Missus.

    I had a little bunny wabit when I was a kid. 'Dutch' was his name and he needed a friend so I got a guinea pig named 'Cornet'.

    They never had such a posh indoor home like that though...lucky little bunny.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh, he is beautiful! You're so full of love, giving him such a nice home!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi, and let me just say... Tim-Tam has found himself the best family in the world to call his own! It is so wonderful to know you have saved a little ones life! I love the work Rabbit Runaway Orphanage do and was so happy when they celebrated their win over saving their orphanage earlier this year. I would love to visit one day. I think Miss Bok will be the best bunny mummy (like my little girl who is also 7!!) and will enjoy the reward of Tim-Tam's total love and trust. Skipping forward to your next post, I love his housing it's 'bunny heaven' and he is sooo cute. congratulations and lookforward to hearing his many adventures within the Bok-flock.

    ReplyDelete
  20. ooh now I wanna bunny too! He is absolutely beautiful! A friend of mine had one for ages when we were in our early twenties and he was such a friendly little thing too. Such a good pet for children.

    ReplyDelete
  21. He's very very cute. I wonder what the chooks would make of him? I had to laugh about Mr Bok thinking you are becoming a farm. It's a slippery slope. My god daughter is always wandering why we have straw all over the car - probably we should get a van! Happy Birthday to your little one and enjoy the blog meet. I've made some really lovely friends through the blogging community and feel very lucky to have met them. Jacqui x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for leaving me a comment!!

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...