# Beach Bunnies



## Ape337 (Nov 19, 2011)

Meet Humma Kavula and Trillian!








This is their story...

I found them in a pet store in Northern DE. Apparently they were very loved and taken care of by their former mommy. Her living arrangements changed and she found she could no longer keep them. Her boyfriend claimed he would take care of them for her, took them, drove straight to the pet store and dumped them off!

When she found out where they were she visited them often in the pet store. They are very sweet, and have only been with me since Thursday night soare still a bit shy. Only a bit because they sure do love when I come around and open that cage door and let them run around!

I left my email address for their previous owner so when she shows up again she will be able to check up on their lives 

I don't know how long they lived there, but I do know the manager refused to allow them to be separated when many offered to buy one or the other.

So, other than the fact that they're lops I have no idea what breed they are. Both are named for characters in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one of my favorite movies. Humma is a big clown, I'm still having trouble figuring out how he manages to get that big body airborne :laugh:, but he does it! He sounds like an elephant running around their area! Trillian is more reserved, but she is braver than Humma. When I brought them home, I opened the door of their old cage to let them come out on their own. Humma was indecisive, coming half-out half-in repeatedly. Trillian sat for about 5min of this, got up, shoved him out of the way and came out. She is bossy with him. Today he was busy cleaning, at the same time she was cleaning, then she decided that she was tired of cleaning herself, shoved her head into Humma and forced him to clean her! But they clearly are in love. Humma is neutered, Trillian is in tact. She doesn't know it yet (shhh) but that little fact will be changing.

So now we all live in lower DE on the Western edge of the Rehoboth Bay, hence the name Beach Bunnies :biggrin:. At the moment they are confined to the dining room because their room is under construction. We decided to drywall the sunroom which is where they will be eventually. It's in the end stages now, just some priming and painting, then I'll transfer them there. When they're all settled in their room I'll set it up and take more pics. I hope they like baby terrapins, because I raise 1 litter a year if they come out too soon. But they can't get too attached because I release them each late September. In my area Diamondback Terrapins are in trouble because the mommys get run over on the highway as they cross from the marsh to the dunes to lay their eggs. Well they also come up into my yard and bury eggs in my garden beds. Some years they will emerge a bit early in the spring so I gather them and raise them until September. Apparently if you raise them to 3" they are no longer easily picked off by predators, so that's what I do. I feel it's my chance to help.

Anyway I will post more pics soon! :heartbeat:


----------



## Nancy McClelland (Nov 19, 2011)

:wave:


----------



## Ape337 (Nov 19, 2011)

Here's more pics!:biggrin:





It's really hard to get the lighting right for Trillian bc she's black and half the time she's invisible!





















I love this pic of Humma, he's such a ham he actually sat for that!:inlove:
Humma has got a tuft of white fur on the top of his head that's longer than the rest, it's hilarious! You can kinda see it in this pic.

On Trillian's back is a few white ticked hairs, looks like somebody tried to give her highlights!


----------



## Kipcha (Nov 19, 2011)

Aww, such wonderful bunnies, I LOVE lops! It's great that they are going to have such an awesome home now


----------



## Nancy McClelland (Nov 20, 2011)

cute.


----------



## Serenity73 (Nov 20, 2011)

They are very sweetGood luck w/ the both of them.


----------



## MaxRules (Nov 20, 2011)

Aw, they are adorable. Humma looks like a french lop. He has the same build as my Max.


----------



## eclairemom (Nov 20, 2011)

Cute Bunnies, nice to hear that the pet shop owner refused to break them up.


----------



## Ape337 (Nov 20, 2011)

Thanks everybody! They're zoomin' all over their play area so I think they are happy :biggrin2:


----------



## Wabbitdad12 (Nov 20, 2011)

They are beautiful!

How much do they weigh? They could be Mini or Holland lops, I would lean a little more to the Holland.


----------



## Ape337 (Nov 20, 2011)

Wabbitdad12 wrote:


> They are beautiful!
> 
> How much do they weigh?Â  They could be Mini or Holland lops, I would lean a little more to the Holland.



Thank you! :biggrin2:

Not sure how much they weigh, I'm trying to figure out how to weigh them since they don't want to be picked up. Humma looks about 2x the size of Trillian but I was told they are the same age. :?


----------



## LaylaLop (Nov 20, 2011)

They look kinda like mini lops since they seem bigger/longer than hollands, but super cute! Maybe a french or mini cross..

Lucky buns!


----------



## Ape337 (Nov 29, 2011)

Now I believe it....there are ghosts. When my dog was alive, everybody had a good laugh that whenever I went into the kitchen to cook, he took off and hid down the hall. Just because I set off the smoke detector once or twice, or maybe more, doesen't mean I'm dangerous in the kitchen. He died in August.

So, ever since I've had my bunnies, say 2-3 weeks?, they run in their cage and hide whenever I start cooking. I haven't set off the smoke detector in quite some time, definitely not since they've been here.

So who told them to hide??? Creepy... :biggrin2:

I'm really not that unsafe....:lookaround


----------



## MagPie (Dec 3, 2011)

XD haha silly bunnies.

Yeeeah I've set the burner on fire once while boiling water. To be fair my room mate had made macaroni and some of the pasta got underneth and that's what started the fire. She came home and found all the burners soaking in the sink. I told her what happened and said I figured I'd clean them all since I was cleaning one anyway.


----------



## eclairemom (Dec 3, 2011)

My hubby tells me the smoke detector isn't a timer :-/


----------



## Ape337 (Dec 3, 2011)

Well glad to see i'm not the only "kitchen nightmare" :biggrin:

So yesterday hubby was hanging out with the bunnies...trillian comes up behind him and bites him right in the back. He yelled "ow!" and jumped up, then she ran into her cage and hid. She's definitely not as friendly as Humma. She tested my knee out about a week ago too. She's bossy and nudges us constantly when she can get to us. They do not have run of the house, just their area in the dining room until their room is finished, which will be soon. I warned him about her and explained to him why I don't sit with them anymore, unless she's inside and Humma is out running around. He is really sweet and a clown. But i explained that he is also fixed and she is not. So he now agrees that she should be fixed too. Especially since they both are already 2.5 years old, she could get cancer.

Bunny drama. I'm hoping changing her to an it will calm the bites.


----------



## BrittanyandFruFru (Dec 7, 2011)

Trillian looks just like my Fru, so much in fact that except for the fact Fru is male I couldn't tell them a part! His story also begins at a bed store, he was older than than the buns they usually sale because his famiy died in an ice storm and they gave him to the pet store.


----------



## Ape337 (Dec 7, 2011)

BrittanyandFruFru wrote:


> Trillian looks just like my Fru, so much in fact that except for the fact Fru is male I couldn't tell them a part! His story also begins at a bed store, he was older than than the buns they usually sale because his famiy died in an ice storm and they gave him to the pet store.



That's a touching story, which I'm very glad to hear has a happy ending!
That's so funny that Fru and Trillian look like twins! I wonder....is he as much of a troublemaker as she is? She unpotted one of my potted plants today....soil all over the place


----------



## qtipthebun (Dec 8, 2011)

You know I love your hitchhiker names! Great area you live in; I grew up near there. So pet friendly, too! 
I think there's something with black lops and potted plants. My dad's uprooted my avocado tree I'd been growing for years...little creature wanted to sit in the pot. Spaying will probably help Trillian's biting...do it sooner rather than later...bunnies with cancer are so sad.

Q-tip is looking over my shoulder and says that Humma is *really* cute. I tried to explain to her that he already has a girlfriend, but she doesn't care.


----------



## Ape337 (Dec 11, 2011)

qtipthebun wrote:


> You know I love your hitchhiker names! Great area you live in; I grew up near there. So pet friendly, too!
> I think there's something with black lops and potted plants. My dad's uprooted my avocado tree I'd been growing for years...little creature wanted to sit in the pot. Spaying will probably help Trillian's biting...do it sooner rather than later...bunnies with cancer are so sad.
> 
> Q-tip is looking over my shoulder and says that Humma is *really* cute. I tried to explain to her that he already has a girlfriend, but she doesn't care.



Thanks! I love that movie!
Funny about the potted plant, she got it again a few days later :X
I'm from Newark originally, moved down to the beach about 8years ago. It's nice here but I miss the convenience of scooting up and down I-95 to philly and baltimore. The hubby and I are talking about moving back. Better pay up there too.
Yea, Trillian is a pretty posessive little bunny....even if Humma's eyes do wander to cuties like Q-tip :wink


----------



## jujub793 (Dec 11, 2011)

eclairemom wrote:


> My hubby tells me the smoke detector isn't a timer :-/


:rofl: funniest thing I've heard all day ( probably cuz I can relate)


----------



## Ape337 (Dec 12, 2011)

Wow, I really believe we sometimes get a second chance to make up for something we regret. 

About 9 1/2 years ago I gave up my 2 beautiful bunnies that I had and re-homed them to a very nice family. I regret giving them up because I loved them and I chose my new puppy over them. He was a Rottweiler with a very high prey drive, (my cats hated him too). They were terrified of him and even when I moved them to another room upstairs far away from him they still never seemed to get over his presence. Whenever he made a sound they could hear they would panic and hide and stomp. They never seemed to get better. I gave it about 2-3 months then decided to re-home them. So I still have guilt about keeping my dog over them when they were there first.

So I'm telling this story to say this: I was looking through my old pictures of my pets and came upon pictures of them. I realized how much the two of them resembled my Humma and Trillian, except Patches and Honey were "ears up". Patches was a male and Honey was a female, both I had fixed. I uploaded their pictures into the gallery but have lost the ability to transfer the pictures into my posts. If you're interested you can hop over to the gallery and check them out. It's uncanny that over 9 years later when I decided to get more rabbits I happened upon these 2. I instantly loved them and knew they looked similar to my old bunnies, but I didn't realize how much! Of all the bunnies I could have had, I ended up with Humma and Trillian. And the fact that their former owner had to give them up at 2.5 years old and I gave mine up at 3 years old.

So this was meant to be. A wonderful woman adopted my bunnies from me so many years ago, and I purchased these bunnies (from the pet store) that their owner couldn't keep years later. It's my chance to give Humma and Trillian the home I didn't give to Patches and Honey. Funny old life, isn't it?

Thanks for listening


----------



## jujub793 (Dec 12, 2011)

Life is strange sometimes


----------



## jujub793 (Dec 12, 2011)

Life is strange sometimes


----------



## Ape337 (Dec 18, 2011)

My poor bunnies....they're finally learning that their mommy is extremely clumsy! Yesterday I walked into their room, tripped, fell flat on my face, veggies flying everywhere!! The noise was earth shattering, and scared the "pellets" out of them.

I apologized repeatedly and they forgave me, but it took hours for them to eat their breakfast. :rollseyes


----------



## Wabbitdad12 (Dec 23, 2011)

*Ape337 wrote: *


> I apologized repeatedly and they forgave me, but it took hours for them to eat their breakfast. :rollseyes


Maybe because they couldn't stop laughing!


----------



## Ape337 (Dec 23, 2011)

Haha Dave! You're probably right! :biggrin:


----------



## Ape337 (Jan 17, 2012)

Spilling my thoughts:

Tomorrow my new bunny Faith is going for her 1st vet check up as I am sure her previous owner (the 12 year old) or her parents never bothered to take her. I will be scheduling her spay surgery for the first available appointment. It makes me nervous since I just lost Trillian during her spay surgery, but she was a bit older than Faith.

Miss Faith isn't exactly perfect with her litterbox habits. It's amazing how much that little bunny can poo! That's easy to clean though. It's the pee that is driving me nuts. She is also starting to nip now. So I know if I want to have any chance of relieving her of these behaviors before they become habit I need to get her spayed.

Also I'm hoping she and Humma can be bonded since he seems terribly lonely now. I know there's no chance of that while she's in tact.

Well, that's the latest. Thanks for listening


----------



## Wabbitdad12 (Jan 21, 2012)

How did the vet visit go?

Well if you have a garden or flowers aroundrabbit poo its good fertilzer andyou have an endless supply.


----------



## Ape337 (Jan 22, 2012)

Faith did very well at the vet. The dr. Said she feels very "robust" compared to Trillian so that's hopeful. Her spay surgery is on the 30th so she's on bene-bac every day until then. She loves the taste!

Yep, no shortage of pelleted fertilizer here! :biggrin:


----------



## ZRabbits (Jan 22, 2012)

:wave: 

Just stopped in to say Hi, from someone from a State next to you... New Jersey.


Lovely bunnies. Hope all goes well on the 30th. 

And we have a lot of pellet fertilizer here too. lol. Great for the garden. I tell my bunnies they have to earn their keep somehow. And boy do they ever. lol But the gardens much better for it. But I don't tell them that, might go to their heads. 

Pleasure reading about your bunnies. Look forward to the update.

K


----------



## Ape337 (Jan 22, 2012)

Hi Karen!
Nice to see another mid-atlantic neighbor on the site! :biggrin:


----------



## Wabbitdad12 (Jan 29, 2012)

Glad the visit went so well.


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 1, 2012)

Thanks Dave

Faith's spay went perfectly. One of the technicians told me when Faith was done she carried her around wrapped in a towel until she recovered and wanted to be put down. I thought that was sweet.

Well since the vet wanted her to be kept warmer I put her in my office. They split my sunroom usually and I keep it at 60*f in the winter. When she recovers I hope to bond them. I didn't realize how much Humma liked having another bunny in the same room. I knew he missed his partner Trillian bc he was depressed. But when I got Faith and split the room for them, he really perked up! He started to binky again and he usually sits on top of his cardboard box mountain so he can watch her.

Well, since Monday he has become a nut! He started throwing his stuff around the room and making tons of noise. He went to her side of the room (since I took her x pen into the office) and managed to get into her cage??, ate her hay, hubby rescued him from the cage(since he went through the top). He did this up until yesterday when he started moping.

So when I dumped her litterbox last night I showed him her dirty box so he could smell that she's still here. I felt bad that he was so down. I keep telling him she's still here and when she's recovered I'll bring her back. I know that's silly but I do talk to my bunnies :biggrin:


----------



## MagPie (Feb 2, 2012)

Awww poor little Humma.

Glad Faith made it ok and hope they get to see each other soon


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 2, 2012)

Thanks Emily 

We've moved Faith back into the sunroom. She seemed too scared in the office so we thought she would be more calm in her area where she can smell all the places she chinned. So we bumped the heat to 68*f, and she really did seem happier in her familiar surroundings. She had her last dose of pain meds today. And there is no problem with her appetite! I think she's doing quite well.

As for Humma, boy he sure knows she's back! He sits and watches her again. Maybe there will be a love connection?? Hope so :wink


----------



## MagPie (Feb 4, 2012)

Aw I hope so cause that's adorable. Glad she's doing good.

I had a hard time keeping Harvey quiet after his neuter. He really just wanted to bounce all over the place.


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 17, 2012)

Finally a some pics of Faith! Resolved my tech issues:rollseyes









I love her grey to white fade :biggrin2:


And here's humma in his fountain


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 17, 2012)

Just throwing my pooch in here

Chewbacca (R.I.P.) 1/11/02-8/24/11 :rip:


----------



## ZRabbits (Feb 17, 2012)

So sorry for the loss of your Rottie. They are an excellent breed. But then again, I'm prejudice to the working group. The bigger, the stronger, the better. 

Thanks for sharing.

Love the pics of the bunnies. Now I know what you mean by the fountain.

K


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 17, 2012)

ZRabbits wrote:


> So sorry for the loss of your Rottie.Â  They are an excellent breed.Â  But then again, I'm prejudice to the working group.Â  The bigger, the stronger, the better.Â
> 
> Thanks for sharing.
> 
> ...



Thanks Karen, hubby and I were really not ready to lose him at 9.5 years old. My vet told me that Rotties are dying younger than mine now, usually to cancer. I hope to have another someday, when I have time again to train a puppy. He was such a friendly, loveable boy. My vet called him a big goof!


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 17, 2012)

Well, Humma and Faith had their first date today.....

Not bad, but not good either. Hubby and I put them in the bathroom together. It's a neutral place and with a lineolium floor we hoped that would throw them off a bit. We put them down at the same time and put a plate of greens in between them. They both ate merrily with each pausing a second to look toward the other and sniff.

The issue came when they were done eating. They both moved toward each other to take a closer look, and Humma chomped her face! Hubby immediately squirted him with the water bottle and they both froze for a few seconds. Faith didn't seem fazed by Humma's reaction. She approached him again and when he reached for her she flattened her chin on the floor and froze. Humma chomped again! Again the spray. They separated and ignored each other a minute or 2, then Faith went to find Humma again. Same result. She submitted, he chomped. He must not be biting hard bc I didn't see marks on her, but we were also very quick with the spray. He chomped her backside once too, then we decided to end the date. We gave both tasty hay for a minute, then separated them. The date was around 10 minutes.

Well, we will keep trying. I'm not experienced enough with rabbit bonding to now how bad this date was. They never actually fought so I think it's ok? I felt so sorry for Faith bc she was sooo submissive to Humma, and he chomped anyway....


----------



## ZRabbits (Feb 17, 2012)

Poor Faith, what a sweetie. Maybe Humma is just a bit more nervous and is just telling her to back off? It's good it's just a warning and not a real bite? Like a warning nip you get from a scared or maybe a dominate bunny to back off? But after a while they kind of feel it's going to be alright?

Sorry, my first bonding experience was awful. 

I would keep trying. Both of you are right there and the spray bottle seems to be working. 

Faith is there for friendship. Maybe her sweet ways will in time sway Humma. Hoping it does.

BTW, love your set up. Truly impressive. Being noisy, I went to the Gallery (after reading another thread, lol) and looked you up. I love the set up for the plants as well. Sorry, laughed at the dirt digging. 

K


----------



## Ape337 (Feb 18, 2012)

Haha! Trillian was a pistol! I kept trying to figure out how she managed to jump that wall hubby built. All the while she was opening the door and walking right in, smart bunny, dumb human!

Thanks @ the set up. I collect cacti and didn't want my buns to get pricked by thorns. The nastier members of my collection are well off the floor just in case anyone else gets in there.

IDK the cage just kept getting bigger! We were having so much fun building it. Funny part is, Humma has free run 24/7 so it didn't really need to be that big. But he likes jumping those levels, and he sleeps on the top shelf. Trillian used to sleep up there with him too, so maybe if Humma accepts Faith they will sleep there together.

You're not nosy, I poked through your blog :biggrin: that's what the online stuff is for right?


----------



## Ape337 (Mar 24, 2012)

Well, hubby and I have given up on trying to bond faith and Humma. They just don't like each other. It's ok they will just be kept apart. I only worry bc I know bunnies usually don't want to be alone. We'll see where that goes.

Humma has been getting introduced to the main part of the house. I trust him bc he doesn't chew hard wood like baseboards or hard toys so I wanted too see if he would have a go at the furniture. As I suspected he has no interest in furniture ( except sitting on it )! He has no taste for carpet either, except that it gives great traction for extra high speed racing, lol!! We are thrilled that he is able to come into the main areas of the house. My house is small, only 1 floor, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and the hall, dining room, living room, and kitchen w/laundry room and pantry. Humma hates linoleum floors so he totally ignores the kitchen/laundry/pantry areas. I haven't let him in our bedroom yet, we will see. He is so fun, and is such a friendly, good natured rabbit. I just adore him!

Faith is a sweetie, but does chew everything so she can't be trusted yet. She's not a year old yet so she's still a baby. We taped the molding around the windows in her area bc she started munching. We used double sided tape, it's invisible, but it works!

I still feel sad that they are singles, but maybe in the future we can get them some partners.


----------



## ZRabbits (Mar 24, 2012)

Sorry to hear Humma and Faith didn't bond. It happens. 

Just curious though, why not have them bond to you and your husband. Kreacher and Dobby, who failed to bond together, are now very happy with their bonding time to me and my husband. They get all the affection they need from us. I don't know why it has to be another bunny. I thought the same, that two together wouldn't be lonely. We both work, we are not around ALL the time, but our bunnies are well adjusted and very content. 

Just thinking out loud, sorry. lol

Wishing you luck finding bunny dates for Humma and Faith. 

K


----------



## Ape337 (Mar 24, 2012)

Thanks Karen 

I don't know, Humma had Trillian when I got him, but when she died he was really sad. He seemed to really perk up when Faith entered the house, but they just can't be together. Some of the info I've read suggests bunnies like a companion of their own kind. He's about 3.5 yrs old.. I feel a bond with Humma, he circles my feet, grooms me, and lets me give him a good scratching every day. I feel loved. I hope he knows it's mutual!

Faith is around 7-8 months old. She is still nervous around us since she was spayed in January. I don't really know what happened to her in her old house so she might have been traumatized. She was really affectionate before she was spayed but I think it was hormone driven behavoir. Hubby could hold her, she circled his feet grunting/honking, and she groomed him. Since her spay she refuses to be held and is jumpy and scary. She seems to be way less scared around me though. I feel like she will improve with time and maturity. I've read that rabbits don't really develop their personalities until after a year old, don't know if that's true or not. I don't think I would try bonding faith with another rabbit until she gets a bit older and more comfortable.


----------



## ZRabbits (Mar 24, 2012)

*Ape337 wrote: *


> Thanks Karen
> 
> I don't know, Humma had Trillian when I got him, but when she died he was really sad. He seemed to really perk up when Faith entered the house, but they just can't be together. Some of the info I've read suggests bunnies like a companion of their own kind. He's about 3.5 yrs old.. I feel a bond with Humma, he circles my feet, grooms me, and lets me give him a good scratching every day. I feel loved. I hope he knows it's mutual!
> 
> Faith is around 7-8 months old. She is still nervous around us since she was spayed in January. I don't really know what happened to her in her old house so she might have been traumatized. She was really affectionate before she was spayed but I think it was hormone driven behavoir. Hubby could hold her, she circled his feet grunting/honking, and she groomed him. Since her spay she refuses to be held and is jumpy and scary. She seems to be way less scared around me though. I feel like she will improve with time and maturity. I've read that rabbits don't really develop their personalities until after a year old, don't know if that's true or not. I don't think I would try bonding faith with another rabbit until she gets a bit older and more comfortable.



I have to agree with what you read about rabbits personalities really set in stone at 1 year old. Dobby and Kreacher next month will be 1 year old and just recently have matured and I can really see their different personalities shine through. 

I think your wise to wait for Faith to hit that 1 year mark. Those teenage months, even though she's spayed still kind of linger. It did for my Dobby and Kreacher even after they were neutered at 4-1/2 months. 

Lucky me though, get to go through the teenage months with Neville and Luna. Should be interesting. lol. But I had really good teachers with Dobby and Kreacher. And will be a little prepared. Also through Dobby and Kreacher, have found out how individual rabbits really are. 

K


----------



## Ape337 (Mar 24, 2012)

Well I can't wait to see Faith's personality come out, she's already a sweet bunny.

And good luck with 2 teenagers at the same time! Whew!!


----------



## Ape337 (Nov 4, 2012)

Thought I'd update my little blog...

In late July we added Freckles to the household. He is one of the bunderground bunnies from Florida that were set to be euthanized due to space constraints. Fortunately everyone involved in the bunderground was able to transport these bunnies to their new owners and all were saved!
Freckles is probably the sweetest bunny I have ever met, and the most chronically ill bunny I've ever met. Idk what his life was like before, but I know he entered the shelter in mid-may 2012 and was neutered in late may. From there he was placed in a petco store in the adoption center. There was some sort of issue with petco so he was returned to the shelter at the exact same time that a bunch of other rabbits were coming in, hence the space issue.
Anyway he came to us around the 21st of July. Sweetest bunny evah! Extremely gentle and friendly, loves people, can be picked up, petted, and handled.
We've battled illness since he came to us, and still have no clear answers. Started with the typical small poos, and not eating cecotropes. Back and forth vet visits, then to a specialist in PA. She said he has cecal dysbiosis. She did attempt to fully explain the rabbit digestive tract to me and it's functioning, but it's rather complicated. I appreciated her attempt, but I would need to read it myself as I learn by seeing and writing.
Anyway after weeks of scares we are up to an elevated liver enzyme, weight loss, and anemia. Vet thinks might be a bleeding ulcer. So yesterday we started him on an antacid from the vet 2x a day. I've ordered some vitamins online for him as per vet request to boost his red blood count. He's still on a hay/critical care diet, no pellets, treats, or veggies. We've added alfalfa hay also to boost up his weight. He was only about 3.2 lbs to begin with, then dropped to 2.9 lbs in spite of no diet change. This morning we weighed him and he's back to 3 lbs thank goodness, and he is more active now. We're fighting like heck for this little guy for as long as he wants to. ray:


----------

