We had Happy’s first vet visit today, and it’s official! Happy is a girl! I am really glad I was correct about that! Also, can I just say, my Vet is so awesome, and highly entertaining?! When he was checking the sex, he loudly proclaimed, “I don’t feel a penis!” And then launched into a very detailed description of bunny genitals. It must not be a regular thing to tattoo bunnies when they are fixed, because he said he would only be able to tell me if she was previously fixed, if she’d been a male. He is familiar with the farm I got her from, (he buys his Christmas trees there) and he said he was pretty sure she is not fixed. Based on her behavior, and what I have read, I would tend to agree. Next month, Happy will be going in for her spay! The rest of her vet visit was equally entertaining and informative. She is a little over 4 lbs, so not quite as heavy as I thought. (My guess was 5 lbs.) Despite her large dewlap, she is not overweight. I like how the vet described it. He said, “She’s pleasantly plump, but not unhealthy.” Her teeth are good. The Vet told us a story of a rabbit he saw, that had teeth that didn’t line up properly, and had to be trimmed really often because of it. He said he must have trimmed over a foot of teeth over time! Then he had me stand by him so he could show me how nicely aligned Happy’s teeth are, and told me to watch those bottom teeth, because they’re razor sharp! He said her ears are very clean, and eyes are very bright and clear. He was nice enough to demonstrate a few different ways of holding her for nail trimming, and reminded me about the dew claw. Thank goodness. I would have forgotten to do those ones. He called in a tech that raises rabbits for 4H to see if she could help with breed identification. Oddly enough, she claimed that she has seen another rabbit that looked just like Happy being called a Dutch. He said he would have guessed chinchilla, like my boyfriend and I originally did. We all agreed, she is probably some type of mix. Our Vet, and the techs were all very impressed with Happy’s good behavior. I told the Vet how I rarely ever pick her up, because she will come when I call, so he placed her on the floor so I could demonstrate. I thought she might be too scared, but when I scratched my fingers on the floor and called, she hopped straight to my hand. Everyone seemed to get get a kick out of how sweet she is. We discussed her diet, and I am proud to say that I have been feeding her all the appropriate things, and choosing good treats. Overall, I feel so good about Happy’s first vet visit. The Vet says he feels certain that Happy will have a much improved quality of life living here with me, and my family. That makes me feel all squishy inside! Lol
Of course, Happy was not amused by any of this nonsense. Although she was quite the lady, letting the Vet and techs, hold her, prod her, and check her various orifices, she was not pleased. Once home, she decided to show her displeasure by refusing to groom, or be groomed, refusing to take treats from my hand unless I asked her to “Up,” snubbing all other attempts at interaction, and finally, giving me the loudest THUMP she could muster, before being a naughty buns and breaking the rules, by sneaking under the couch, out of her designated area, and choosing to go back into her cage for the evening. I understand. I don’t blame her for being angry with me tonight. I just hope she will forgive me tomorrow, and show me her bunny forgiveness. I must admit, I already miss her sweet bunny kisses, and our snuggly lap time. I am feeling the full force of the dreaded, “Bunny Grudge,” I read about. I am learning so much about her strong personality! I could swear, we were meant to be. Happy is just like me: super loving and sweet, but also with quite the temper, and a bit of a spoiled brat. I love it! And now that I know for sure she is a girl, I look forward to buying her a bunch of fun pink, girly things! My boyfriend is cringing already. I was eyeballing the cutest little pink hoodie harness at Petco the other day. It would have fit her perfectly, and I have already been getting her used to harnesses! Of course, these would be worn strictly for photo shoots, and never used to actually walk her, or left on her for any length of time. Of course, I will have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of adorable photo ops, vs. Dreaded Bunny Grudges.
Thanks to all who take the time to read my my posts, answer my many questions, and help me out on the road to becoming the best bunny-mama I can be. Have a wonderful New Year everyone! And many more to come!