# Melvin and Friends



## linsssey (Apr 12, 2013)

My name is Linsey and I am a college senior. I grew up in the country around many animals. My parents joke was that I knew everyone by what pets they had. Honestly, It was the truth. I am crazy obsessed with animals. My family has a small hobby farm where we raise our own animals for meat and assorted other animals. I also showed and raised sheep through 4H. I have been in contact with pretty much every kind of domesticated and farm animal there is, and I still want to know more. 

Anyway, I currently live in a small apartment with my roomie, her cat, my dog, and my bunny. In May I will be graduating with my Bachelors degree and moving to Syracuse to live with my boyfriend. He also has 2 cats and a puppy, and a huge heart.

Lets just say I have lots of opportunities to get my animal fix in! 

Anyway, Back to my lovely pets.

First, I have a 3-year old Belgian Malinois mix, named Ellie. She is absolutely my baby and the light of my life. She was actually a gift from a friend. Her and I have one of the strongest bonds ever, she isnt happy unless she is next to me or she can see me. I do have problems with her though. Belgian Malinois are often used in the military or police departments for their extreme drive. Ellie is extremely protective of me and my belongings. I have had to work hard to override this.

My bunny is named Melvin, and he is a joy to be around. I have had him about a month and a half and he is a young mini-rex, possibly a mix. My dad brought home him and a few others and Melvin managed to sneak into my car and make in back to school with me. He is not free range, but he is out of his cage for at least 5 hours a day when I am home to supervise. He is full of spunk and not very cuddly but he loves to interact with me.

Recently He has started to date my dog. He is obsessed with her, and with playing with her. He loves grooming her, chewing on her tail and ears, and laying next to her. He has gotten to the point where he will dead bunny flop next to her for hours.

Luckily, Ellie views the rabbit as hers and although she doesnt really know how to respond to his advances, she does give him kisses and protects him from my roommates cat, Zachary Binx.

My family also has 7 other outside bunnies, laying hens, a border collie/coonhound mix, and we just got 50 baby chicks. So expect a LOT of pictures of random animals. 

More pictures to follow!


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## linsssey (Apr 12, 2013)

My Favorite pictures of Melvin (So Far!)


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## linsssey (Apr 12, 2013)

This is Cucumber, Zucchini, and Pickles.





Ellie with a Chick





My Boyfriend's puppy Duncan





Zachary Binx (Roomie's Cat)





Richard & Zoey (Boyfriend's cats)





** I resized these pictures on photobucket, so they should shrink!


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## Ilovemyrabbit (Apr 13, 2013)

I loved reading about your pets! Melvin is adorable! And I think its so cute that Melvin loves your dog and grooms her. The cats are very pretty too. Wow, you have 50 chicks?! That's a lot of chicks! Is Melvin neutered? If he is not, that might be the reason he is so interested in your dog.


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## linsssey (Apr 13, 2013)

Thanks! Melvin is not yet neutered but will be this spring/summer. And yeah, I think that is the reason for his interest in Ellie. When I graduate in May, he will have his own room in the house I will be moving into. I want to eventually find a bunny that will bond with him but that will be well after he is recovered from his neuter.


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## PaGal (Apr 13, 2013)

Welcome and I adore Melvin, he looks like a sweet heart and such distinct coloring. I for one will be more than happy to see pics and hear about your other animal friends. Although I come here for Thumper, like you I enjoy all animals.


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## sweet_buns (Apr 13, 2013)

Awe i just love how Ellie is protective of Melvin and i always think it's so adorable when other types of pets get along with bunnies. Too cute.


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## linsssey (Apr 13, 2013)

I have been reading everyone's blogs from start to finish and reading other threads to research owning a house bunny. When I get a new pet, i kind of become obsessed with finding out the most possible!

Melvin weighs somewhere between 2 and 3 pounds and seems to be steadily gaining weight. I do not know his exact age because he came from a box of bunnies my dad said he "found" at a farm auction. My little brothers (who are both 12) said that they were thrown out when they didn't sell. That was about all the story I got from them. We also have Melvin's brother, who looks a lot like Melvin and had his sister, who passed away shortly after my dad brought them home.

I finally feel that Melvin has become comfortable with his new home. Don't get me wrong, he has binkied and bunny-500 since I first brought him with me. But usually when he was finished he would go back to his cage and stay in there. In the past week, he has started staying out of his cage relaxing, exploring, and chinning everything in sight! And of course his fascination with Ellie has recently become a lot bigger.

Melvin also seems to like my roommate's cat a lot too but we have kept them apart.Zach used to be an outside cat and although he has yet to attempt to stalk or attack Melvin, we keep them apart to avoid it from happening. I have never really been a cat person and Zach is the first cat I have lived with. He isn't bad but I still really really like my dog and bunny. 

Anyway, today I drove to my parent's home, it is about an hour from my apartment. Somehow, my breaks failed and I cannot drive back tonight like I had planned. I am hoping Melvin will be alright and not too upset about being stuck in his cage! My roommate went home for the weekend and I am also supposed to be watching her cat. Luckily I stocked up both of their food and water before I left, so they should be okay until the morning when I get back.

My boyfriend is also coming to visit for the next two days. He lives three hours from me and I see him when possible. We are going to try to introduce his puppy with Melvin. The puppy, Duncan, has seen Melvin through his cage and is over all not that interested in him, so here is to hopping it goes alright!


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## holtzchick (Apr 14, 2013)

Melvin is absolutely gorgeous and omg couldn't help but laugh at a bunny named Pickles!!! How cute of a name  

Bleh I know what you mean about protectiveness with Ellie, I used to have a Belgian Tervuren as a kid and it was such a struggle even to have extended family over because no one was so as much allowed to even touch us in the slightest way. Myself being so young, and my dad not knowing how to train him properly (he tried) were afraid that we had a future law suit on our hands with him. We lived on a 14 acre hobby farm and my dad had wireless fencing put up, regardless, he still went to our neighbors house and insisted on attacking their dog, then other times he was gone for a week to show up again so after that it was only chain/leash/outdoor run for him. Then again wasn't our fault we bought him at a year and a half old and the people never took the time to socialize the poor dog. He had his times though. They're just amazing! 

Sorry ill let you continue back to your blog now


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## Ilovemyrabbit (Apr 14, 2013)

Melvin is definitely a young bunny. Maybe a vet could help you determine his age and tell you when he should be neutered.

I'm sure he is loving his new home! I love it when bunnies binky and do bunny 500's its so cute! And it shows he is happy in his new home. 

We are thinking about getting a cat but we are afraid it will hurt Ash. I think its best to keep the cats and rabbit apart. 

I'm sorry your breaks failed. But I'm sure the Melvin and the other pets will do fine. I bet Melvin will be so excited to see you when you come back.

Duncan is so cute! I hope Melvin and Duncan act nicely to eachother. If they do bond well, Melvin will have two bodyguards, lol.


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## agnesthelion (Apr 14, 2013)

Aww Melvin and all your animals are adorable. I LOVE the picture of your dog with the chick on his head. Giggle, giggle 

I have a mini Rex too. Thry are spunky and intelligent that's for sure!


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## linsssey (Apr 25, 2013)

holtzchick said:


> Melvin is absolutely gorgeous and omg couldn't help but laugh at a bunny named Pickles!!! How cute of a name
> 
> Bleh I know what you mean about protectiveness with Ellie, I used to have a Belgian Tervuren as a kid and it was such a struggle even to have extended family over because no one was so as much allowed to even touch us in the slightest way. Myself being so young, and my dad not knowing how to train him properly (he tried) were afraid that we had a future law suit on our hands with him. We lived on a 14 acre hobby farm and my dad had wireless fencing put up, regardless, he still went to our neighbors house and insisted on attacking their dog, then other times he was gone for a week to show up again so after that it was only chain/leash/outdoor run for him. Then again wasn't our fault we bought him at a year and a half old and the people never took the time to socialize the poor dog. He had his times though. They're just amazing!
> 
> Sorry ill let you continue back to your blog now



The Tervuren is my favorite of the Belgian breeds! That sounds a lot like Ellie. I think Ellie is also mixed with English Shepherd and Cattle dog. My parents have a hobby farm and that were Ellie was brought up until she was almost 2 and I moved into an apartment that would take her. I have been working with her to get more socialized with people. She absolutely loves kids and woman. She really does not like men at all though. And has to be locked up in my bedroom when anyone she is not familiar with comes into our apartment.


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## linsssey (Apr 25, 2013)

I haven't been on here in so long! I have had so much school work. Melvin is moving to my boyfriend's house tomorrow. I can set up his cage and x-pen how I want them, instead of hoping my boyfriend gets it right. I have decided moving him now will be a lot less stressful then when I move out completely from my apartment in three weeks. He can settle in to his new home and be happy.

He will also be visiting the vet's for a pre-neuter check-up and everything. I feel guilty for not having taken him to a vet before this but have had difficulty finding one that would take him. Of the three vets I live around and contacted, only one would take rabbits and they were currently not accepting new clients. I tried to switch my dog to them over a year ago and they were not accepting new clients then either. They are the vet EVERYONE likes. Luckily there are a lot more vet options where my boyfriend lives. Now I just have to find a new vet (that I like) for Ellie and my boyfriend's troop of animals. 

Duncan did alright with Melvin. He wasn't interested with Melvin until he started binky-ing. And at that point we kept him up on my bed and let him watch. Then Melvin decided to jump up and hang out with the puppy and all was good.

Duncan is a good dog but he is still a puppy and has a problem with selective hearing. He is also a very nervous/unconfident dog in new situations, unless Ellie is around him. Somehow Ellie has become very motherly to other animals. She surprises me every day. 

My boyfriend is a city cop in syracuse and while he was working on Christmas eve he found a small cold, abused puppy in the middle of gang territory. He brought him to a shelter because his apartment did not allow dogs. A month later, His mom talked him into adopting the puppy. We named him after a therapy dog that works at my school and that I am obsessed with. My boyfriend's mom took Duncan to training classes and the instructor told her that Duncan had the perfect disposition for a therapy dog. Imagine that! Anyway, Duncan is going to be my new project this summer! I am going to work with both Ellie and him at becoming confident in new situations in the hopes that I can further Duncan at becoming a therapy dog. I plan on becoming a Speech Therapist and it would be great if I could incorporate a therapy dog into some therapies.

Anyway, something random about Duncan... Have any of you gotten your dog DNA tested? The shelter labeled Duncan as a pit bull/cattle dog mix. My boyfriend's mom sent in his DNA and it came back as a mix of Bull terrier, American Bulldog, Irish Wolfhound and Jack Russell. So He is quite the interesting mix!


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## JBun (Apr 25, 2013)

Melvin sounds like such a well adjusted socialized rabbit, to not have any problems being around dogs. My rabbit saw a cat and totally freaked. That's interesting about the dna results. Just goes to show you that it's not really that easy to guess a mix dog's ancestry just by looking at it.

Here's the rabbit vet lists in case you need them for your new area(don't know if you already have them). Hopefully there's a good one near you.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f28/finding-vet-13366/
http://www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html


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## linsssey (May 21, 2013)

I have not posted on here in a few weeks. Melvin went to live with my boyfriend while I graduated and moved out of my apartment. I haven't seen him in three weeks and I miss him a ton! I know having him move before me was a lot less stressful for him because moving out was hectic and took 2 days.

I am supposed to move to syracuse with my boyfriend now but a wrench got thrown in my plans. My cousin from Germany came here for my graduation and is staying until July so I have to put my life on hold for a bit and hang out with her. =] I haven't seen her in about 4 years!

In other news, my boyfriend and I got another rabbit. She is a french lop and absolutely adorable. We went to pick her up from the breeder last evening and have left her alone in the cage since than. However this morning she was periscoping and begging at the door and when i opened it she wanted to be all over us. She is 8 weeks old and already the biggest bunny I have ever had. She is a little sweetie. We are not positive about what we will name her but so far our favorite name is Prim, short for Primrose. =] If anyone has any suggestions that would be awesome!


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## Ilovemyrabbit (May 21, 2013)

Sorry you've had a hectic week. I hope you get to see Melvin soon. Have fun with your cousin!  Its always nice to see a friend you haven't seen in a while.

Oh gosh, the new bunny is SO pretty! What nice color, I don't usually see bunnies with that color. I love the name Primrose I think it suits her. Here are some other suggestions, Holly, Betty, Shane. She is so adorable! I love her coloring. She's a gorgeous little gal.


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