So, for your enjoyment, let's see some pics of our adorable Cocoa Puff!
If you didn't have time to plan a more elaborate way to celebrate Rabbit Day, I guess looking at pics of this adorable gal can count.
Isn't she sweet?
She loves her some garden-fresh parsley!
I do love sweet Cocoa Puff. But, I have a confession to make: I suffer from rabbit-related guilt.
One of the things I love about our little backyard farm is that all of the animals that are a part of it are better off for being here. For example, our goats are not livestock -- they're pets. I mean Razz got her teats cleaned with wipe straight from the wipes warmer this morning (need I say more?). Dexter basically has the run of the place. The chickens get fresh grass, a clean house, excellent feed and snacks. The only one who I worry about is Cocoa Puff.
Sure, she is well-fed and watered, has her cage cleaned weekly (Monday's Poop Day, remember?), and has a nearly endless supply of fresh garden goodness. But, she VERY rarely gets to get out of her cage and stretch her legs.
Yes, she has a harness that allows us to walk her, BUT she is very skittish. She's fine once she's haressed and ready to go, but getting her out of the cage has left me dripping blood from my forearms on more than one occasion. She's not intentionally scratching me, but she gets scared and starts kicking those super-powerful hind legs. The bloody forearms combined with the fact that she can sometimes wriggle out of the harness make this not the best option.
Early on, we let her spend a lot of time in her playpen, munching clover. But, now she's gotten so big that she can jump clear over the top and get free.
We do have this pen available most of the time. We basically just use it to corral Dexter when he's annoying visitors, so we could put up some shade cloth and let Cocoa Puff spend some time in there. BUT, the one time I tried it, Dexter just ran around it the whole time, terrorizing her. And, though it's bigger than her 30x30 inch cage, it is concrete-floored, so she's still not getting to graze on greenery.
We thought about moving this pen onto the grass, but Dexter is a digger and would surely get in.
Hmmmm. You sure do cause a lot of problems, Dex.
Anyway, perhaps in celebration of Rabbit Day, you could help us solve our rabbit dilemma and provide Cocoa Puff with a higher quality of life. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Could you put her cage down onto the grass? At least the grass would poke through. Or maybe the meat chicken tractor would provide play space if you put Dex in his pen for a while. Put a block on top to prevent tipping.
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