I have a confession. I have a soft spot for “naughty” bunnies. I gravitate toward the bunnies whom others fear. At the local shelter where I volunteer, I was asked if I would foster a bunny who bites. Enter: Oreo. Apparently, it was tough to clean Oreo’s kennel. Other volunteers were reluctant to interact with him. Without hesitation, I said, yes! Admittedly, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.
I brought the black and white rabbit home and set him up in a large x-pen in my office. He thanked me with a bunny flop, and I felt quite pleased. Later, when I opened his pen for play time, he ran out straight toward me, grunting, and clamped down on my finger with his sharp teeth. I believe it was warning to me I should not mess with him. He wanted to be boss. I sharply said “no” (while nursing my bleeding finger), then cautiously pet his head and told him he was a good boy. I just knew some love could make its way into his heart. After assessing the bite, my husband and I decided to change Oreo’s name to Samuel L. Jackson. Mr. Jackson is an actor known for playing strong characters in film, and it’s rumored he can become irritated when things don’t go his way. Sam the bunny was proving himself to be a strong character capable of exhibiting some irritation, as well. He was no ordinary bunny, and he needed a name to suit his personality.
Sam chewed through the blankets in his x-pen and rattled the sides to be freed. I stroked his face and cheeks and told him what a good boy he was every chance I could get. I was determined to win him over. I quickly learned Sam needed a lot of stimulation and exercise. I bought him several toys to play with and chew. He loved the stacking cups and learned to toss them to me to play catch. His energy was endless—hopping on and off the sofa, exploring every corner he could access. We were sure to wear socks when Sam was running about, though his little crocodile-like sneak attacks on our ankles had ceased. We laughed that this adorable three-pound bunny could ever cause fear in us humans! I suspect he was starting to feel safe.
As I began to understand Sam more, I realized he was likely maltreated before coming to the shelter. No bunny is born aggressive. He had scars on the bottoms of his hind legs, so I wondered if he was kept in a wire-bottom cage before arriving at the shelter. He craved love and lots of attention. He just needed to learn to trust humans. Whenever I walked into the room, Sam would stand to greet me, then lay his head down to be pet. I sensed he had love to give by the way he groomed his stuffed bunny friend. I knew Sam could never go back to the shelter. He would regress. I also knew he would be difficult to place for adoption.
During our time fostering Sam, our sweet, two year old girl rabbit, Stevie, was kept in a room separate from him, yet she knew there was another bunny in the house. She began to mark her room by building a poop fortress and peeing on everything she deemed hers. Stevie is blind. When I began to entertain the possibility of giving Sam a permanent home with us, I wondered if a bond would be possible between these two unlikely friends. I felt protective of Stevie because of her disability and was always hesitant to bond her with another rabbit. Despite this, I decided to do an introduction.
The first meeting of Stevie and Sam was unremarkable. They didn’t pay much attention to each other, which I took as hopeful. After a few brief dates, Sam decided he would like to be groomed by Stevie. He lay his head down in front of her, only to have her thump in protest. Stevie seemed quite nervous. I worried being blind might cause her to be reluctant to bond. I was unsure about moving forward with their dates.
My sister, her husband, and their grandchildren visited, which created a pause in our dating schedule. I wanted to put Sam in a safe place away from my guests because of his anxiety, as well as protect any hands that might be tempted to reach into his pen. (He is so adorable, after all!) I relocated Sam to my master bathroom and Stevie into my adjoining bedroom during my sister’s week-long visit. To my surprise and delight, Stevie would make her way over to the bathroom and nose-in at Sam through the gate that kept them separated. Over the next few days, they would sleep close to each other on either side of the gate. When my sister left, I decided to give the dating another try.
I set up a large play area in the kitchen with two fresh litterboxes, some enticing greens, water, and toys. Both bunnies were ecstatic with the set up. After ignoring each other for about twenty minutes, Sam went over to Stevie and began grooming her like she was a familiar friend. Stevie welcomed the affection, though was still reluctant to return the favor. Sam leapt through the air with the most awesome binkies I have ever witnessed. He was in love! As the dates progressed, Stevie not only welcomed Sam’s affection, she was happy to stretch out close to him. They have since moved in together, sharing the same room, eating from the same dish, and engaging in an occasional snuggle. Sam is an eager kisser, so Stevie is teaching him how she likes to be loved.
Sam continues to be a character: smart, curious, and never boring. We are all in love with this spirited little guy and have officially adopted him! We are so pleased to welcome him into our family. We knew there was a sweet soul hiding within the scared, biting rabbit at the shelter. Not only did Sam find a forever home, our Stevie gained a lifelong friend. I have to say, two bunnies are a thousand times better than one! It just goes to show, you can’t judge a bunny by his bite.
Author: Jacqui DziakPhoto Credit: Jacqui Dziak
Journal Issue: House Rabbit Journal, Winter 2019
