Certain astute blog readers have noticed the lack of bunny-related posts here lately. Peeper the Bunny is also acutely aware of the extent to which this household has gone, quite literally, to the dogs.
More specifically, little Luka has taken over near every moment of leisure that used to be devoted to the spoiling of bunnies. Of course they’re being fed and petted and cleaned up after, but play and snuggle sessions have been relegated to the dark of night when the pup is sound asleep and I’m forced to tiptoe out to the bunny room in fear of waking the sleeping beast and undoing the night’s work of settling him in for bed. I’m not singing Luka lullabies yet, exactly, but bedtime seems to have become more difficult the last few weeks.
The bunnies, in the meantime, are content in that way that only bunnies can be. It’s in those moments of peace, when the house is dark and finally quiet (read free of barks and whines) that I am most content also, and glad for the gent
le affection of my long-eared companions.
Peeper’s list just states the obvious: bunnies and puppies are very different animals. I have to thank my lucky stars for Buddy’s constant gentleness with the bunnies, but he was a mature dog of six years when I brought my first bunny home. I imagine that the bunnies must not even recognize this growing and yapping streak of black fur as the same type of being as the generally quiet and always obedient dog that Buddy was.
Peeper’s Top 10 Reasons Bunnies Rule:
10. Bunnies are civilized and use pooty boxes; they do not require near quarter-hourly *walks* nor must their *business* be picked up in blue plastic baggies.
9. Bunnies don’t do *tricks* for treats, nor are they expected to be *obedient*. They simply get treats for being cute.
8. Bunnies have good taste. They like fresh lettuce and crisp fruits and vegetables and they have naturally fresh breath. Lord knows what Luka’s had in his mouth!
7. Bunnies are self-cleaning and don’t require the indignity of an unnatural *bath* with the garden hose. Bunnies do not roll in unmentionable things.
6. Bunnies save *humping* for members of their own species. Puppies are not nearly so selective in their *affections*.
5. Bunnies know how to be subtle. Puppies do not. Enough said!
4. Bunnies do not wear their hearts on their sleeves and do not give their hearts to just anyone who comes along offering a cookie.
3. Bunnies dance gracefully when they’re happy, puppies tend to fall all over themselves with joy and are anything but graceful.
2. Bunnies chew up useful things like telephone cords and computer wires. Puppies chew indiscriminately with no proper sense of revenge.
1. Bunnies are quiet. They live and love in near silence. If you’re close enough and they trust you, you might hear them grind their teeth when petted or hear a gentle whuffle, or maybe an angry grunt or a thump of their strong feet, but mostly they do nothing to draw attention to themselves. Puppies, on the other hand, are all about getting attention.
What have I left out? I know there are some readers who have both bunnies and dogs… what are some of the biggest differences you notice?
I’m not a cyclist, so I must be missing something, but can someone help me to understand why the *serious* cyclists won’t use the multi-million dollar bike path at Sandy Hook? It’s plenty long and wide and has wonderful views of the bay and the holly forest and the ocean dunes. They even routed it through some of our favorite birding spots at the Hook – yet those darn people won’t use it and instead insist on putting themselves out in the middle of traffic like they own the road! Do they have some sort of a death wish? Is playing in busy shore traffic part of the allure of cycling?
