Thumper

We have adopted a bunny. Now the number of animals officially out numbers humans in our home. :-)
This latest addition to our furry family was rescued by a neighbor. He saw an adorable, little white fluff ball hiding next to the creek near the boundary of his property. 
Bless my neighbor's heart, he found he could not leave the little rabbit there to become easy prey to foxes, cats, owls, wild hog or any other predatory critter.

So, he scooped the bunny up and showed Thumper (a perrrfect name, btw)  to his wife. But his wife, who is a full time Mom to their toddler and 4 months pregnant, was definitely not keen on this idea. I am gathering it was all too much for the Mrs. who promptly sent out a neighborhood group email.

Yep, call me a sucker or . . . on the other hand, I would rather be labeled the "great homeschool Mom who saw a wonderful opportunity to incorporate hands-on life science into our curriculum"!
*cough, cough!*
In reality I am a sucker who saw a way to rationalize the split second decision to adopt said white fluff ball.

First item on the agenda after the white fluff ball hand-off was to find/make/borrow adequate living quarters for Thumper. I knew I needed to have a  plan in place before hubby came home.
I have learned over the years that it is much better to spring a new pet on my husband  introduce a new pet to my husband if it does not involve the need of his immediate action to build, buy or renovate anything.

My son enthusiastically took charge of the bunny housing dilemma. He put together a beautiful habitat that was meant to be temporary but we are so happy with it that we will keep Thumper in it all summer.

He used smooth wire closet shelving and reconfigured it to create a nice open and airy hutch. He lined the bottom with 1/4' coated hardware mesh. It is easy to move and very adaptable. Today he added a thatched roof over half of it.  He also told me that a neighbor planted bamboo in the woods behind their house and wants it thinned out. So, we are planning an excursion to gather the new material for an even better thatched roof. It is copperhead season here in the piney woods of Texas so I am not in a huge hurry to start that quest but it is definitely on the agenda for May . . .ish.  :-)
I am happy to report that hubby likes Thumper very much!  I only got an impishly silly shake of the head when I sprung it on him  introduced him to our newest arrival.

And, of course, we are all learning (more specifically, re-learning) more about bunnies.
Bunnies should get a good rabbit pellet and a little fruit and vegetable each day.  Note that apples & lettuce are not good in big doses. There are certain types of hay that are better than others.
I hear that bunnies go nuts for basil and small branches from apple trees.

Here is a list of plants that are toxic to rabbits.
A
Agave (leaves)
Almond
Aloe
Amaryllis (bulbs)
Andromeda Anemone
Angel's Trumpet
Apple (seeds)
Apricot (all parts except fruit) Asian Lilly
Asparagus Fern
Australian Nut
Autumn Crocus
Avacado (leaves)
Azalea (leaves)
B
Balsam pear (seeds, outer rind of fruit)
Baneberry (berries, roots)
Barbados Lilly
Begonia
Betel-nut Palm
Bird of Paradise (seeds)
Bitter Cherry (seeds)
Bittersweet (American & European) Black Nightshade
Black Walnut (hulls)
Bloodroot
Bluebonnet
Boston Ivy
Buddhist Pine
Busy Lizzie
Buttercup (leaves)
Black Locust (seeds,bark, sprouts, foliage) Blue-green algae (some forms toxic)
Bloodroot
Boxwood (leaves,twigs)
Bracken fern
Branching Ivy
Buckeye (seeds)
Buckthorn (berries, fruit, bark)
Bull Nettle
Buttercup (sap, bulbs)
C
Cactus Thorn
Caladium
Calendula
Calico Bush
Calla Lilly (rhizome, leaves)
Caladiur (leaves)
Carnation
Carolina Jessamine
Castor Bean (seed, leaves - castor oil)
Celastrus
Ceriman
Chalice vine (all parts) Cherry tree (bark, twig, leaves, pits)
China Doll
Chinaberry tree
Chinese Bellflower
Chinese Lantern
Chinese Evergreen
Choke Cherry (seeds)
Christmas Candle (sap)
Christmas Rose
Chrysanthemum
Cineraria
Clematis
Climbing Nightshade Coffee Bean
Cone Flower
Coral plant (seeds)
Cordatum
Corn Plant
Cowbane
Cowslip
Crown of Thorns
Cuban Laurel
Cuckoopint (all parts)
Cutleaf Philodendron
Cycads
Cyclamen
D
Daffodil (bulbs)
Daisy
Daphne (berries, bark)
Datura (berries)
Day Lily Deadly Amanita (all parts)
Deadly Nightshade
Death Camas (all parts)
Delphinium (all parts)
Devil's Ivy Dieffenbachia (leaves)
Dogbane
Dracaena
Dumb Cane
Dutchman's Breeches
E
Easter Lilly
Eggplant (all but fruit) Elderberry (unripe berries, roots, stems)
Elephant Ear (leaves, stem)
Emerald Feather English Laurel
English Ivy (berries, leaves)
Eucalyptus
F
False Hellebore
False Henbane (all parts)
False Parsley Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fireweed
Flamingo Plant Florida Beauty
Flowering Maple
Flowering Tobacco
Foxglove (leaves, seeds)
G
Garden Sorrel
Geranium
German Ivy
Ghostweed (all parts) Giant Touch-me-not
Glacier Ivy
Gladiola
Glory Lilly Gold Dust
Golden Chain (all parts)
Golden Pothos
Green Gold
H
Hahn's Ivy
Hairy Vetch
Hart Ivy
Hawaiian Ti
Heartleaf Philodendron
Heavenly Bamboo Hemlock, Poison (all parts)
Hemlock, Water (all parts)
Henbane (seeds)
Hogwart
Holly (berries)
Horse Chestnut (nuts, twigs) Horsehead Philodendron
Horsetail Reed
Hurricane Plant
Hyacinth (bulbs)
Hydrangea
I
Impatiens
Indian Hemp
Indian Rubber Indian Turnip (all parts)
Indigo
Inkberry Iris (bulbs)
Ivy, Boston & English (berries, leaves)
J
Jack-in-the-Pulpit (all parts)
Japanese Euonymus
Japanese Show Lily
Japanese Yew
Jasmine Java Bean (uncooked bean)
Jerusalem Cherry (berries)
Jessamine
Jimson Weed (leaves, seeds) Johnson Grass
Jonquil
Juniper (needles, stems, berries)
L
Laburnum (all parts)
Lace Fern
Lacy Tree Philodendron
Lady Slipper Lantana (immature berries)
Larkspur (all parts)
Laurel (all parts)
Laurel Cherry
Lily of the Valley (all parts) Lima Bean (uncooked bean)
Lobelia (all parts)
Locoweed (all parts)
Lords and Ladies (all parts)
Lupine
M
Macadamia Nut
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Manchineel Tree
Marbel Queen
Marijuana (leaves)
Marsh Marigold
Mauna Loa Peace Lily
Mayapple (all parts except fruit) Meadow Saffron
Medicine Plant
Mesquite
Mexican Breadfruit
Mescal Bean (seeds)
Milk Bush
Milkweed
Mistletoe (berries) Mock Orange (fruit)
Monkshood (leaves, roots)
Moonflower
Morning Glory (all parts)
Mother-in-law
Mountain Laurel
Mushrooms (some)
Mustard (root)
N
Nandina
Narcissus (bulbs) Needlepoint Ivy
Nephtytis
Nicotiana Nightshades (berries, leaves)
Nutmeg
O
Oak (acorns, foliage) Oleander (leaves, branches, nectar) Oxalis
P
Panda
Parlor Ivy
Parsnip
Patience Plant
Peace Lily
Peach (leaves, twigs, seeds)
Pear (seeds)
Pencil Cactus
Peony Periwinkle
Peyote
Philodendron (leaves, stem)
Plum (seeds)
Plumosa Fern
Poinsettia (leaves, flowers)
Poison Hemlock
Poison Ivy
Poison Oak
Poison sumac Pokeweed
Poppy
Potato (eyes & new shoots, green parts)
Precatory Bean
Primrose
Primula
Privet (all parts)
Purple Thornapple
Q
Queensland Nut
R
Ranunculus
Red Emerald
Red Lily Red Princess
Rhododendron (all parts)
Rhubarb (leaves) Ribbon Plant
Ripple Ivy
Rosary Pea (seeds)
Rubrum Lily
S
Sago Palm
Schefflera
Self-branching Ivy
Sennabean
Shamrock Plant
Silver Pothos
Skunk Cabbage (all parts) Snake Palm
Snowdrop (all parts)
Snow-on-the-Mountain (all parts)
Solomon's Seal
Spindleberry
Split Leaf Philodendron Star of Bethlehem
Stinkweed
String of Pearls
Sweet Pea (seeds and fruit)
Sweet Potato
Sweetheart Ivy
Swiss Cheese Plant
T
Tansy
Taro Vine
Thornapple Tiger Lily
Toadstools
Tobacco (leaves) Tomato (leaves, vines)
Tree Philodendron
Tulip (bulb)
U
Umbrella Plant
V
Vetch (Hairy)
Vinca Violet (seeds) Virginia Creeper (berries, sap)
W
Walnuts (hulls, green shells)
Water Hemlock
Weeping Fig Western Lily
Wild Carrots
Wild Cucumber
Wild Parsnip Wild Peas
Wisteria (all parts)
Wood Lily
Wood-rose
Y
Yam Bean (roots, immature pods) Yellow Jasmine Yew (needles, seeds, berries)
Yucca