When I am called out of town for work, I know I am going to miss out on our evening bunny social time and fuzz therapy. It makes me wistful, especially since I am the Designated Petter. I am the first in line in our bunny social hierarchy, after Emperor Gizmo himself.
Rabbits have complicated social structures, with a Top Bun who commands everyone's respect and layers of other buns in the pecking order below. If you have ever read Watership Down, you know that Richard Adams had observed a few rabbits in his day, and he gave good examples of rabbit behavior. In the bunny world, it's all about Who's Grooming Who. He who gets the grooming has the power. The Top Bun gets groomed by everyone, but rarely bestows grooming. After myself, it is a close tie between my husband and son as to who is preferred for getting petting.
After adopting Gizmo, I knew I had his love when after a few weeks he began to give me little licks occasionally. Of course, all this time I had been petting him like crazy, but it was nice to be recognized for my efforts at last. A few licks turned into nuzzling, then clothes grooming. What is clothes grooming? For whatever reason, bunnies can't stand wrinkles in your clothes. They will nip, lick and nibble wrinkles and seams to get them out. I suppose this is just like behavior in the wild, when they get burrs and bits out of each other's fur. Indoor rabbits seem to have adapted this to people. This is very sweet, but it is hard to dissuade a bunny who is certain that your jeans will be much better off without that troublesome side seam. Many of my clothes are now bunny-nibbled.
In my role as DP, it is my job to have petting available somewhere between the hours of 7 to 10 pm. My place is on the couch, next to the petting spot (designated by Gizmo). The petting spot is on the end of the lounger of our sectional couch. There is great tactical advantage to this area, as it is open on three sides and allows for both total visual recon of the living room and easy escape. Bunnies are brilliant tacticians! To keep the couch from becoming a fuzz pit, I drape a blanket over the end for him to sit on. What's amazing is that this is now the only place he will sit on the couch. He loves the blanket.
Let the petting commence! If I am not paying attention when Giz hops up to the petting spot, he'll give me a nudge with his head. Then we have operation bunny bliss! If you have not had the privilege of stroking one of these fine lagomorphs, I cannot put into words how soft they are. It's no wonder they are used for therapy animals. Stress just flies out of my system when I am running my fingers through his fur.
How do you know that a rabbit is enjoying being petted? First, and most common sense, it isn't trying to get away. J Gizmo extends his head out for a pet, then when you start lightly stroking, he settles down on his haunches. That's the invitation to rub his back too. As he relaxes, he will even extend all four legs and flop on his side in an expression of extreme bunny happiness. As he approaches uber-relaxation, he may turn into a bunny pancake, all boneless and blissed-out. That is what the DP is aiming for.
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