After a week of wind and rain its suddenly toasty hot again. Here’s a picture and a couple of videos from the last lot of sunny weather I didn’t get around to posting. I know I give the impression Scamp is a little terror but that’s only 98% of the time. He does occasionally slow down and a sunny window was enough to tempt him into a nap. One hand for a pillow and one for cheek rubs is his favourite way to relax.

I almost caught him flopping over and there is a lot of wriggling involved in getting comfy.

This is out of focus and kind of repetitive but its a good example of our quality bonding time (rub my ears slave) on the occasions he does stay in one place for more than two seconds at a time.

I’ve been drawing lots of little bunny pictures to illustrate different rabbit behaviours. Just little sketches. They are for a a mini guide to rabbit behaviour I’ve been working on. I don’t know if I’ll ever finish working on it but I’m enjoying drawing the pictures. It really makes you think about the subtle ways bunnies communicate.

Coincidentally, The Bunny Boys picked today to post an excellent photographic guide to the most important bunny behaviours, in memory of their Skittles. It gave me a good giggle! Check it out here: http://bunnyboys.blogspot.com/2010/07/homage.html

Stick around, I’m just waiting for some videos of Scamp to finish uploading in which he demonstrates cute sleepy bunny behaviour.

How many rabbit owners cut their grass, throw away the clippings, and then go out and buy hay for their rabbit?

On the left of the picture is a bowl of grass – I’ve been cutting one each day since the grass started growing this spring. It’s totally free. On the right is a bag of hay, it costs £2.25 and the rabbits usually go through one of these about every 10 days. However I’ve noticed the last bag I brought is still half full and checking back I got it a month ago. Eating more grass means they eat less hay.

With a little bit of maths that means the bunnies hay budget has dropped from 22p per day to 4p. In other words that bowl of grass is ‘worth’ about 18p. That doesn’t sound like much but it adds up, that’s £5 per month (i.e. the cost of getting pet insurance) or if you prefer £65 per year – more than enough to cover vaccinations and some new toys.

So grass is good for your bunny and good for your pocket – are you convinced? What will you spend your savings on?

Note: Don’t forget to introduce grass gradually if your bun isn’t used to it.

Look at these strawberries… I brought them as bare root plants a few months ago and they are now producing some very tasty strawberries. Home grown strawberries are soo much tastier that shop brought and so much more economical too. They were on offer so twelve plants cost the same as one tray of strawberries from the supermarket. Once they are done producing strawberries  they’ll start sending out runners to create more plants which means even more strawberries next year – for free!

The strawberries aren’t the only fruit growing well. The raspberries and blackberries are beginning to plump up,  and the grapes aren’t far behind.

The bunnies like our attempts at fruit growing too. Rabbit’s can eat strawberry leaves and tops.. and strawberries of course (if there were any left). I have to keep chasing Gypsy away from the raspberries.

Scamp is rather chuffed, we got some new shelves and that means boxes! A 8′ long box to be exact – just perfect to make a tunnel.

First thing you need to do with a tunnel … make a second exit.

I’ve been a bit busy with work and enjoying the warm weather in the garden. Scamp on the other hand is still busy trashing the kitchen. He’s perfected the art of jumping from floor to worktop and demonstrated by eating the electric wire to the microwave (cut out the power but didn’t zap himself – how do rabbits do that?). We are presently experimenting with nets, so far this has resulted in a net with even bigger holes and a rabbit napping on the bread board. Maybe the tunnel will distract him.