An awwwwwwww day.

[Equilibrium]

4B> anything with a slide out tray is good!!!
--
hava> You ARE a hoot and a half!!!

[Equilibrium]

Here's a photo from last night when your Bunbun made the "rounds". He was the star attraction. He let everyone hold him and was ok with being passed around and kissed. And.... those hands are big hands. They're attached to hairy legged teenagers over 6' tall weighing in at well over 180 lbs just to give you an idea of how he's growing.

[BooBooBearBecky]

Equilibrium....Oh that is just the sweetest photo!

I must say, I'm really getting excited about adopting Bun-Bun. I sure hope I make a decent bunny mom.

[Equilibrium]

And.... guess who this is again getting held by a 9 year old.

[BooBooBearBecky]

Bun-Bun is very photogenic!!!

HUGs to Bun-Bun!

[Equilibrium]

He's getting even more photogenic. I've really got to get an updated photo. He's started his transition to his permanent color of silver and I have to tell you he's lookin' mighty fine. I was gone for the week and hadn't really noticed he'd begun his color change until I took a good look at him when I got home. He's got oodles of silver gray hairs coming in. He is really starting to look good.

[soundsgood]

Ohmygoodnessgracious-me-oh-my-oh that's one cute bun. Silver fur, too? I'm slayed... Next time you post a photo Eq, tell how big that bunny'll get if you please.

I've a 9-year-old child of a friend from downstairs who's yet a bit too consistently energetic and impatient to get bunny to volunteer to do what he wishes. We've tried only four times in four visits, but I worry that four times without success and he's given up hope since he hasn't been back in a couple weeks.

Any suggestions to quickly get him a successful bunny encounter gladly accepted.

Oh dear, this question may be a thread hijacking. If so, ignore

[Equilibrium]

Uh huh!!! Silver fur. This breed starts out jet black then slowly changes over to a silver gray coat with slate gray muzzles, Champagne DArgent. Argente Champagne in Europe.. It's called a Champagne d'Argent and they're a meat rabbit with a 30/70 ratio of bone to meat. They make really great pets. They're MUCH more laid back than a California or New Zealand.
--
I'll get photos of Bunbun's mom and dad today or tomorrow so you can get an idea of what he'll look like as an adult. 1 thing though.... 4B took a pet quality rabbit not a show quality rabbit so he might not end up with a perfect undercoat or true silver like his parents. The pets can have darker undercoats and blotches which isn't desirable in a silver. The parents are about 10-12 lbs each. I haven't weighed em in a while though. They're definitely not a dwarf size that's tough for little hands and these aren't anywhere near the league of a Flemish Giant weight wise. We think they're just the right size for laps and this region of cold temps.
--
That's funny you mention a 9 year old. I just got 1 of those coming over by me for little visits too. I've been calling the little neighborhood girls my "garden gifts". The 9 year old I've got coming over is so good with the bunnies I can walk out of the room and leave them in her lap. She's the loudest of the 3 girls but she's the quietest around the rabbits and I think that helps a lot. I'll admit we handled the rabbits before they were ever put in her lap otherwise she would've ended up looking as if Edward Scissorshands got to her. Baby bunnies can scratch the crap out of you if they get spooked and pretty much everything spooks them. I have some secret weapons for "taming" up bunnies. Our younger kids are always breezing in and out with their friends.... none of the friends can pass up holding the bunnies and get this.... they kiss them. Cracks me up every time I see young men kissing rabbits. Our oldest is handicapped and VERY gentle. He's pretty much hanging out at age 10 for the rest of his life. We set him up on the couch and hand him a rabbit. He pets them and sings songs to them and they get visits from our dogs while they're in his lap and after a few months of all the handling and smooching.... they're pretty social. We've found that a bunny in a towel close to your beating heart helps them calm down faster too. The 1 way to really get them to tame up fast is to feed them little treats when they're in your lap. They'll bond real quick that way. We're not doing that with Bunbun though... we want him to bond to 4B not us so we just handle him and sing to him. The other bunnies that are going to little kids though are getting lap treats. We needed them to calm down faster so they'd be less likely to scratch the crap out of a kid that handled them improperly. Kids that get scratched tend to freak and let go. Drop a baby on its head at this age and.... that'd be a dead bunny. Big difference between someone 4B's age getting scratched and a 7 or 9 year old getting scratched. 4B will have a good grip on her baby.... the kids usually don't.
--
Threads get hijacked all the time. Threads go off topic too! Not too many folk care.... if they do.... they'll speak up so hijack away!!!!
--
BTW.... since we're all hijacking here.... our youngest leaves for college this fall. We're probably not going to fare well as empty nesters sooooo.... we decided we're going to throw our hat into the foster and adoption ring again sometime next year. It's been a long time.... we're older.... more experienced and.... not in as good of health as we were when we 1st started so here's hoping we can pass the physicals!!! A girl is what we want this time around. Has to be a girl.... we've had more than our fair share of testosterone running around here for the last 25 years. It's time for a change and actually the boys want a little sister anyway. We're thinking a kid around the age of 10 or older would be a good fit. We'll seeeeeeee!!! Looks like in the next year or so we're going for a 2-legged "kid" (human) and a 4-legged kid (goat). How's that for raising the activity level around this house!!!

[soundsgood]

Thankyouthankyouthankyou for your insightful words on kids, taming and a further glimpse into your realm.

Good luck with the empty bed and with filling it! How exciting and generous! Love that you're willing to bring an older child into your family; I understand many are not. Have always thought that's the way I'd go were I to foster or adopt. Very, very cool.

Funny you mention singing. From the start, that seemed a right thing to do around Bunny-One. Sang to her forth and back on the 12-hour round trip drive to the folks while she was in a strapped-in cage in the back of the van; I think that helped her cope since we were out of eyesight. She appears no worse for wear thank goodness since I've been taking her for drives from the beginning of our friendship.

Getting Josh to sit still for more than a minute is the challenge, LOL.

My guess is that Bunny-One wasn't socialized (rather, traumatized) in her first home. She's doing pretty well though since I work with getting her into my arms voluntarily twice a day for increasing lengths of time (with treats longer and longer spaced out). I sit cross-legged on the floor with my back against the stove so there's a bit of an angle at the torso. Hop to leg, crawl up to the arm that waits horizontally across my waist. She sits with her bum on my hand and forepaws on my shoulder. Cutest thing.

After 6-8 months of this and finally learning how best to pick her up without stressing her, she calms very quickly once securely held as you say, close to the calmly beating heart.

You know, I love how she smells: of hay.

Good to read about your meaty breed since if it gets really wacky, it seems rabbit raising might be a way to go. Have discussed outdoor hutches with landlord, but had not yet figured what rabbits one might want to raise up for such a purpose. Thankfully, Bunny-One's mostly bone and doesn't ever remind me of dinner.

[BooBooBearBecky]

Originally Posted by Equilibrium

BTW.... since we're all hijacking here.... our youngest leaves for college this fall. We're probably not going to fare well as empty nesters sooooo.... we decided we're going to throw our hat into the foster and adoption ring again sometime next year. It's been a long time.... we're older.... more experienced and.... not in as good of health as we were when we 1st started so here's hoping we can pass the physicals!!! A girl is what we want this time around. Has to be a girl.... we've had more than our fair share of testosterone running around here for the last 25 years. It's time for a change and actually the boys want a little sister anyway. We're thinking a kid around the age of 10 or older would be a good fit. We'll seeeeeeee!!! Looks like in the next year or so we're going for a 2-legged "kid" (human) and a 4-legged kid (goat). How's that for raising the activity level around this house!!!

Equilibrium-
You never cease to amaze me. I think you're absolutely awesome! When I grow up, I want to be just like you.
Actually I wish had been one of your kidlets. Or better yet, one of your pets!!!