(This blog post is interspersed with pictures taken in our home over the past week.)
Steve was good enough not to leave me when I came home from the last rabbit show I attended with a new "foster" rabbit. To be fair, I did call and ask him about it before I brought her home. He claimed I had already made up my mind and it didn't matter what he said. He might have been right, but since he said yes, I guess we'll never know.
I don't go to rabbit shows much anymore. I don't really enjoy interacting with the public (shocking, I know). I feel a little guilty about it, since I do have a lot of rabbit knowledge and experience, but not guilty enough to go very often. Anyway, the director asked specifically to come to a show that was going be significantly understaffed, so I went.
Wandering around before opening to get to know the rabbits being shown, I came across one sitting in the corner of her pen with a very distinctive sulking look that I've seen often from my bunnies when I make them do something they don't want to do. I read her sign. It said, in part:
Kiara
Kiara nicknamed Kee is a special lovely and very small black Havana mix bunny with one tiny dot of white on her nose. She was born 11-2009 and has been in foster care ever since. She is very loving and needs lots of time and attention... She’ll jump all over you and is very sweet. She also has a distinct independent streak.
The description also admitted that she was a bit "spoiled." I asked the director what her story was. The director said that Kee had been with her nearly since birth. Ah, so that's where the spoiled part came in. Buster, the rabbit Steve and I raised from 8 weeks old in a plush, secure, household environment is a complete spoiled brat. We adore him. But he's spoiled. Kee sounded like she had the same affliction.
Trying to coax her out from the corner so that hopefully she would get noticed and adopted, I opened the front of the pen and sat down. I reached over and petted her a little, then sat back. She regarded me suspiciously for a minute or so, but then hopped forward... straight on to my lap! The director commented that Kee wasn't fond of most people, but sure liked me.
At this point, I knew I was in trouble. But little Kee reminded me so much of Buster and our deceased rabbit Kuipo that I found her irresistible.
I brought her home as a foster to make sure she would adapt to our environment, since she isn't generally fond of having other rabbits around. She ignored them and seemed right at home. So we adopted her.
We have renamed her Kiwi and are thoroughly enjoying her excellent (if a bit spoiled and pushy) company.
3 comments:
She looks like she has tons of personality.
Carolyn
she looks very shiny and beautiful. Could you possibly find me a dwarf with a great personality?
We don't get many dwarf rabbits through the system up here (there are none in the foster system currently). It all depends on the breeders in the region as to what ends up in rescue. Speaking of that, I highly recommend going through a rescue if you're interested in an indoor-only rabbit. Rabbit.org will have House Rabbit Society chapter listings under "adoption". Animals shelters may have a decent variety, but rescues often know more about the personality of the rabbits in their care.
Why a dwarf rabbit, though? I'm biased due to my bad experiences with them, but the dwarf rabbits I've encountered tend to be more territorial, nervous and generally mean than other breeds. I hate to malign their reputation, but that's the experience I've had. Bigger rabbits tend to be more gentle and mellow. But I suppose each individual rabbit is different.
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