Introducing: Dylan!

Introducing Dylan to the family!

The day after we picked up Tea Cake in Bradenton, I received a phone call from our 4-H leader, Mrs. Flowers. She had a friend who needed to find a new home for her 1 year old English Angora buck named Dylan. Dylan was bred by Mrs. Flowers so we knew he was top quality, and he was already litter trained. So we said that we would be happy to have him!

We drove up to Punta Gorda to pick him up on April 11th and brought him home. We were very encouraged when we were NOT sprayed with urine at any point! Nor were we nipped when we handled this sweet boy. Neither did he scratch our arms and legs when he held him so that we looked like we had been attacked by Edward Scissorhands. Pretty promising!

JoyAnna meeting Dylan!

Dylan is such a sweetie!! He has such a different personality than Tea Cake. He's more like a dog. In the morning he runs around in circles in his cage because he's so excited to see you. Adorable! Dylan just loves, loves, loves to be affectionate. He is gentle and sweet. Whenever I hold him, he likes to climb up and nuzzle my neck. Tea Cake, on the other hand, is more like a cat. He loves his space. Of course, there are times where he does like to be appreciated, too. He is just not quite as snuggly as Dylan is.

Josh and I introduced the boys after the kids went to bed the evening we brought Dylan home. Let's just say it wasn't pretty, folks. So we put them back in their cages and thought we'd try again in the morning...this time separating them with a baby gate. Bad idea. James and I spent the rest of the day scrubbing the lanai and the baby gate.

Tea Cake and Dylan staring each other down through the gate.

 Dylan does not use the litter pan that I was using with Tea Cake. I don't know if it's because it's not the same as the one he had before, or if he is going through a "I'm-Not-Sure-About-This-New-Family-Rebellion thing". He does not discriminate when it comes to places to relieve himself. And, unlike Tea Cake, he does not have a "favorite" spot. He goes all over. He goes while he is running. He goes while you're carrying him. He goes while you are holding him on your lap and burying your face in his nice soft wool. Still...we just love him! Anyone know any tricks for getting urine stains out of bunny wool?? Help!!

Trimming

Now, I find this odd since Tea Cake is supposed to be the "uncivilized" bunny. He lived outside! But Tea Cake WILL NOT go potty if he is not inside his cage. He will hold it for hours if he is having playtime on the lanai. Or he will occasionally use the litter box. I've even given him playtime in the laundry room where I have their cages set up and Tea Cake will actually hop back into the cage, go potty, and then hop back out. No one trained him to do that, he just does.


I went to Tractor Supply to get some more pine pellets, sweet PDZ and a litter box...the kind used for bunny cages. I figure that's probably what he's used to, so maybe he'll recognize it and say, "Hey! Now THAT'S where I'm supposed to do my business!!" But they were ALL OUT of bunny litter pans.

A handful of fluff

I decided that I would trim Dylan down. He wasn't happy. Probably because I had no idea what I was doing. I have never given a rabbit a haircut before. (James took the pictures for me... I think he did a pretty good job!) I was never able to do his belly or tail area by myself because I couldn't figure out how to hold him still by myself. Now I know that I need someone to hold him for me. Duh.

I couldn't help but laugh when Josh came home from work and greeted the bunnies on his way through the laundry room from the garage. I heard, "Helloooo, Wabbits....Dylan! What happened to you!? You poor thing!"

Then I had to convince him to hold Dylan so I could trim the rest of him. That was harder than actually getting the job done!

Dylan hated me for a whole day and a half afterwards.