I‘m not a cat person, but I suspect they’re more like bunnies than dogs. A well-trained dog can be disciplined with a stern voice, a severe look even.
Not so the misbehaving rabbit.
How might a sweet little bunny misbehave, you wonder?
😉
I’m not sure what it is that comes over them, but once in a while a bunny decides to act up and there’s just no dissuading them from whatever it is they’re up to.
For Peeper that usually means eating my books or jumping on and off the couch or clanging things around in her cage in the middle of the night.
I don’t mind the noise-making so much; usually I interpret it as a call for attention, some bunny-specific need that I’ve failed to meet during the course of the day and the banging in the dark is just her way of getting revenge.
Book-eating, though, makes me mad. She knows it, too.
The other morning, she got it in her head that she was going to tear up the dust jacket of one of my books. She was in full view of me as she hopped innocently toward the bookcase. I called her name and she stopped for the briefest of moments, then went ahead and tore off a corner piece. I needed only to stand up from my computer before she was headed in the opposite direction. No sooner had I sat, then she was back on her way to the bookcase.
We went on this way for a bit… me threatening her with my approaching steps and her retreating behind her cage, just out of reach, with a bit of glossy book jacket as her prize. I’d sit and forget about her until she did it once more. Then I’d be up after her again. Up and down. Back and forth. She had that cheeky look bunnies get when they know they’re being bad, and that saucy little way of turning her back to me.
Just plain fresh.
If it were Luka misbehaving, I’d only need to call him over with that voice, my teacher voice, and maybe wag my finger in his face to correct him. But a bunny? What to do?
Putting her back in her cage to discipline her, after the ordeal of catching her, would only cause a Terrible Mad Bunny Tantrum.
Not pretty.
So I did what I always do with Peeper… the most awful penance imaginable… I scooped her up and kissed her. Over and over again.
She hates that.
😉
It works though.
Oh such harsh punishment. Probably the kind you enjoy. Interesting that Peeper hates it.
I would think too that bunnies are more like cats than they are like dogs.
I just smiled when I read this. Do any of your bunnies suddenly start “THUMPING” in the middle of the night? For no apparent reason. Always makes me wonder if they’re trying to warn me of an impending earthquake!
Oh, yes. Once a bunny gets a notion, they can’t be dissuaded, although I’ve found that a nice long nose-rubbing session sometimes helps. Makes you wonder if that’s what they really wanted after all.
I’ve just given up …
I see Peepers has you trained pretty good too.
Lucky Peepers …
Typical mothering approach. Could lead to even worse behavior in adolescence- pot, taking the car, not coming home at night.
She’s very kissable- she’d be pretty much covered with slobber over here. I just sent a friend your way- he’s the director of our rehab program, originally from NJ and coming up for a week vacation in hopes of doing some good (non-Florida) birding so I suggested he go through your archived links to birds.
Have a great day, Laura.
I loved that story… I had bunnies once but they were outside in pens..none in the house.
answer to your questions on my blog regarding Sandy Hook. I went to NJ to go on a river cruise with the Riverkeeper in Hackensack and see shore birds, but the hurricane stirred up the waters and rain came and it was cancelled. I googled and came up with Sandy Hook and so it was really not planned out. (I also looked at Jamaica Bay, I see you went there recently) My husband was along and it was really hot and humid, so after scouting the area and seeing no birds, I opted for the History House. I did not get to the Bird Observatory! I wish I had had your phone number…Maybe next trip. email me Jlynn88186@aol.com
Gee, I hope she doesn’t get mad at her older brother.
😛
I’ve heard that bunnies do whatever they want. Sweet. TMBT is hilarious.
I’ve lost count of how many books and notepads etc. that Niblet’s gotten to. Letters I’m writing, crosswords I’m working on, books I’m reading — all fair game. And that “I can run soooo much faster than you!” look just takes the cake.
I’ll have to remember the scooping up and kissing. He hates that!