This made me tear up a little this morning when I thought about how Blanco was misunderstood at the shelter when he was called an aggressive rabbit. Nobody was going to give him a chance with that label. He's proved to me that he just needed someone to care so he could show LOVE! Xoxo

I am amazed more and more each day as Blanco learns to trust me. He has been coming up for pets everytime I go out there and chins both me and Craig all the time! He has been loving his tunnel toys.

We are thinking of trying to speed things up with building his new home so that we can get him a friend soon. We are hoping things work out with the bonding process. Thankfully we will have some help with the bunny rescue that has been helping me SO much!

Lots of pictures to add...

LOVE

Kisses for mom!!

Playing in the new grass patch we put down for Blanco

Mmmmmm basil!

Tunnel time!

One of Blanco's favorite treats.

I love all things orange.

Eating out of mom's hand!

Mmmmm dandelion leaves!

Pretty eyes!

Blanco LOVES these!

Love these English cookies! Maybe if I call my mom 'mum' from now on, she will give me MORE!

Mmmmmm...cilantro!

"Is that a banana I see??!! Here I come!"

"Waaaah...I want more banana!"

Bunny 500 in the morning! Tunnel time!

My awesome custodian saved me this perfect bunny box...

Usually he loves to run through it, but sometimes he climbs on top!

Blanco is still doing well! No biting and he even has been coming onto my chest when I lay on the ground and  has been chinning my face! We both sure have come such a long way since those first few days when I was terrified of him! I was thinking back to when I would wrap my ankles in aluminum pans because I was so afraid he was going to bite me when I was cleaning his area. Look at us now!

 As weird as this sounds, I have been laying on the ground a lot to try to bond a bit with Blanco. I figure if I get on his level it will help. Plus, I realized that if I look up I have an amazing view of the clouds passing by and this palm tree. No matter how long it's been since I moved to California, I am STILL fascinated by palm trees. To me they symbolize living in paradise.

My view when I am looking up from laying on ground

Chinning my face!

He hasn't sneezed up any more snot since the beginning of August and I am thankful Linda has been giving him antitbiotic shots every few days to help. His nose is green by his nostrils, but I can't help but think it is just stained, since he has not had a wet, runny nose or has sneezed at all. I really want to get him a friend soon, so his nose issues have to go away! :)

He started spraying again at times. I am trying to figure out WHY. The other day he sprayed so much pee on me I had to take a shower. Man, was I made but I never let it show. Instead I try to understand why.
My only theories are:
~still hormones from neutering
~territory (this is MY space)
~just habit...it's possible he was neutered so late that the spraying is something we need to deal with
~he gets mad at something I have yet to figure out.

So, whenever we let him out of his cage now, we stay away from him at first until he has a chance to run around on his own and pee somewhere (he ALWAYS feels the need to pee in the yard somewhere - mostly by the door to our house.) Craig is certain he saves pee just for when he is let out. Anyway, doing this has been helping with the spraying issue the past few days.

Look at me lounge!

I love my mom so I chin her.

AWESOME gift from Michelle!

One of his new favorite treats - dandelion leaves!

Blanco has been doing great! No biting all month other than the occasional nibble on my sneakers! :) He and I have come a long way with trusting each other. It makes me so happy to see him run around the yard and jump with joy. He has been more and more comfortable coming to us for pets and sitting in our laps. Craig has been much more involved with him lately - I find him sitting outside in the backyard with a beer and Blanco - it makes me so happy to see the 2 of them bonding more and more! I feel very lucky that Craig loves Blanco as much as me and has never complained about him when he pees by the door (we hose it right down) or when we have to walk around the yard to pick up poops.
Craig made him a little tunnel out of cardboard and he LOVES to run through it now!

He's also been doing the "Bunny 500" in the yard where he runs laps around the yard. At first I thought it was just exercise, but I learned today that it means they are overjoyed! Extremely happy!! Like jumping with joy! Wooooo! :)


Last week I noticed some discharge from his nose and one day after he was grooming his face, he made a weird noise and snotted out a bit of mucous from his nose. I called Linda and she told me that he most likely just has a "bunny cold." She has been helping me with antibiotic shots and teaching me so much about bunny health. I am so thankful for all of her education and help!

bunny kisses are the best!

love!

It warms my heart whenever he sits in my lap. We have both come so far with trusting each other. I will never forget how afraid I was of him the first week I had him after he but be badly twice. I have learned how to read bunny behavior and he has learned how to read me better. It's been such a beautiful journey so far!!

Blanco is loving the new setup in the garden (well, he's not happy that I fenced off my kale and lettuces, but he did get a flat of wheat grass and a dirt area all to himself!)

Linda came over the other day and brought this awesome statue that she painted to look like Blanco!

She came in the yard and hung out with us while Blanco had the run of the yard a bit. I asked her if she could please check his privates (and his nail length), since I had been having a hard time picking him up to check. I felt so horrible that Blanco bit her on her finger, but she was such a trooper through it all. She taught me all about what to look for to make sure he is healthy "down there." I appreciate her knowledge and support so much. For someone who runs a busy rabbit rescue, she finds the time to EDUCATE. I look forward to having her come to my class this year for a Humane Ed lesson!

Blanco got his first package from his Aunt Susan!!! She has always been so supportive and has always treated all of my animals as members of the family. 

I doubt I will ever be able to use the vest, so I will donate it, but we appreciate her thoughtfulness so much! Here Blanco is chinning his gifts - "Mine!!!"

I've been trying to think of new ways to enrich Blanco's time in the x-pen. Today I made him a dig box with recycled paper and he LOVED climbing in and out and digging through the paper. It was super easy to clean up, too!

"Thanks, mom!"

I've been letting Blanco run around the yard more each day as long as I am out there to supervise him. This has become one of my favorite parts of my day. I love watching him run around and play, especially knowing that he probably would not be alive today if Lisa did not post that video of him in the shelter.  It still makes me sad to know he was labeled "aggressive" at the shelter. It makes me think of all the other animals who are given that label just because they are scared. I am sure there are so many dogs, cats, and bunnies that might not get a chance of a home because of a label like that.

I wish I could save ALL the animals who need homes....they ALL deserve a chance.

He LOVES having the run of the yard!

Checking out the rosemary

It might be time to bunny-proof the garden!

Guess what?!!

I saw that Blanco started to "binky!!!!!" This is when bunnies basically do a happy dance for you by jumping and twisting in the air!
I have to admit, I got a bit teary-eyed when I read this about binkies: "All this is a rabbit's way of telling you straight out that it is happy and overall pleased with you and its life."

I sure hope this is true and that Blanco is happy with his life :)

I hope one day to get a video of him binky-ing!

Today he jumped in my lap and sat for a bit to let me pet him. He also tried to dig my yoga pants! I need to get him some kind of dig box soon - he sure really seems to love digging!

In mom's lap!!  Dig, Dig Dig!

Just chillin'.....

Blanco has still been settling in nicely. He has still been spraying pee a bit at me - most of the time I think it is because I startle him or he feels that "his space' is being threatened, but yesterday he seemed to do it "just because."
People have assured me that it's just his hormones and that it still takes about 6 weeks after neutering for them to calm down a bit. We shall see!

He still does not like me  picking him up. Part of it, I am sure, is my lack of confidence when trying....and NOT trying enough! To get him from the play area to the hutch I have to bribe him into the carrier with a carrot then transport him that way. Someday I hope to just pick him up and bring him over, but for now I am thankful the carrier method works easily! Luckily he is very food motivated - even getting him from having the run of the yard back into the hutch is easy with the right food!

Craig and I are in the beginning stages of planning the new bunny home. We knew his hutch / x-pen area were just going to be temporary. We plan on still getting Blanco a bunny buddy, so we want to coincide a new home with when we get Blanco's new friend so that there are no territorial issues with the old setup. There are SO MANY amazing setup ideas online - this one is my dream setup, if only we had grass!

My *DREAM* setup!

Some recent pictures....

Chinning mom....and to think he was labeled "aggressive!"

With Jenny