Hay Survey

Clovis seems to be a bit finicky about his hay.  Some pieces (blades? stems?) just don't make the grade and he'll pick them up and toss them aside.  I think it's the thick pieces.  Maybe they take too much effort to chew or they just don't taste very good.  I don't know.

I will admit to buying packaged hay from my local Fred Meyer or pet store which is usually well received.  I am very careful, however to choose a package that looks like tender and tasty hay, or at least in my opinion, looks tender and tasty. Sometimes I go to Sumner Grub, a nearby feed store, and buy a brand they carry.  (I love Sumner Grub. They've got all that farm stuff that's fun to look at. It's like a big old barn with a couple of pot bellied stoves.)  Once I even ordered hay from a catalog that I was sure Clovis would love. No, he didn't.

I really get disappointed when I open the bag and there's all these big stiff pieces and little two inch pieces and handfuls of dust.  I put the crummy stuff in the hay/litter box toward the back because I know it's going to get tossed out with the poo. It's got to be good for something.

So I'm wondering, is Clovis really finicky or if this common among rabbits?

 

Vote for Clovis!

 I entered this photo of Clovis in the Tacoma News Tribune's Pet Pix contest. It's a fundraiser for the paper's Newspapers in Education program which works with local schools to use the newspaper as an educational tool. First prize is $500, second - $300, and third - $200. 

Clovis and I decided if he wins, we'd donate a portion of his prize to Rabbit Haven, a shelter and sanctuary for unwanted and mistreated rabbits, located in Gig Harbor.

If you're so inclined, it's $.25 per vote, $5.00 minimum and the voting ends November 6th.  You can vote online.  If you view the gallery, he's on page 12, or number 143 in the slideshow.

Halloween Costume

 I've been working on my Halloween card. This year's card features Clovis dressed in his skeleton costume.


Last year Clovis went as a ghost.

Both cards are available for purchase on my Etsy site.

Clovie's Playdate - Final Chapter

I had a lot of fun with the playmate project but this is the end, I promise. 

I left the animals out to play all week, waiting to see if Clovis would find one in particular he liked. He actually got to the point where he was laying amidst them all rather than all by himself in his regular spot under the Foosball table, and he did briefly play with one of the little monkeys. I'm pretty sure the motivation to find more food hidden somewhere in the menagerie helped to keep him interested. In the end though, these were meaningless objects and no connections were made.

When I first got Clovis one of my daughter's friends asked me if I would get another rabbit for him so he could have a playmate and my answer was, "No, because I am his playmate." 

Maybe that's why he didn't choose one. He already has me.

Clovie's Playdate - The Movie(s)

Okay, I know what you're thinking.  Haven't we had enough of the playdate yet? (I hope not because there's more...)  But I wanted to share a couple of little video clips of Clovie at his playdate. Clovie binks ahead.

He's a little shy at first...

Things got a little more friendly. (After I hid the snacks...)

Clovie's Playdate - Chapter Two

I arranged a playdate for Clovis and the friend hopefuls.  We had ground rules. No fighting, no biting, and no peeing on each other. Sniffs and licks were encouraged. For an ice breaker, I hid snacks in the play area but Clovie was the only one who got any. (When you're an only bun you don't know about sharing.)

Here he is with some of his new friends.

Whispering in Black Cat's ear.   Wonder what he said...




Nose to nose with a Saint Bernard while Sealy looks on.

"All right, no monkey business you two..."

 

Clovie looks up at me and asks, "What the...? Are you nuts? Can I have more snacks?"

Clovie's Playdate - Chapter One

Undeterred, I gathered up some new potential friends for Clovis. Here they are. It's a good mix of different sizes and species. Of course, they were carefully screened. There ought to be one in the bunch he'll take a liking to.

Snacks

I get a kick out of Clovis. He lays under his chair/burrow all day. There are two doorways in his burrow, one faces his hay box and the other, the door to his room. He positions himself so he can see what we're up to.

At our house, Minnow cat is infamous for begging for snacks.  She even once managed to lure my visiting parents (who had no idea what she was doing) to the pantry for some Party Mix. My husband used to work a few swing shifts each week so during the day Minnow would hit him up for lots of snacks between naps.  It didn't seem fair that she would be the only one to get a little something, so before he left for work he'd throw a little something Clovie's way. Now, whenever we pass by Clovie's door he runs out from his burrow under the chair to see if we have anything.  He's very hard to ignore, especially when he runs up to you with that hopeful look...

Faux Friend #3

Committed to finding a friend for Clovis, I introduced him to Sweetie.  She is a very soft and sweet lop-eared bunny, a perfect companion.

I was encouraged to see Clovis give Sweetie a lick or two... 

Even more encouraged to see that Clovis was willing to share his breakfast with Sweetie...

It all ended badly however, when Sweetie was rejected.