Rabbit Routines
Cinnamon and Brinco have a daily routine. This routine has changed somewhat over the years, and even varies daily depending on what time one of us gets up in the morning to feed them. The overall routine goes something like this:~7-9AM : see John come into the room, chew frantically on the cage door (Brinco), burst out of the cage doing binky runs (Brinco) or being a lop rocket (Cinnamon), freak out over the prospect of getting pellets, stick head in bowl before pellets get there, eat pellets
Until 1PM : alternate between eating, activities (playing, chewing on things, binky running, grooming), and resting
1-8PM : sleepy time
8-10PM : see "Until 1PM" section above, with additional begging and lobbying for veggies
10PM : eat veggies in the cage
10PM-1AM : depending on whether or not Jeanne remembers to open the cage door after veggies are eaten, either: a) lie around inside the cage like lazy lumps, or: b) lie around outside the cage like lazy lumps, with periodic bursts of activity and silliness
1AM : bedtime and craisins!!!!!!
The long period of sleepy time in the afternoon and evening has lengthened over the years -- it used to go from about noon to 4PM. I'm fairly sure I haven't done anything to contribute to this excessive laziness -- they have plenty of opportunities to exercise and play. It's just one of those bunny mysteries.
Within the sleepy time, there are subroutines. These go in phases. My favorite one is where Cinnamon will start out sleeping in the cage while Brinco plants himself in the cottage. Around 4PM or so, Cinnamon will wake up, exit the cage, kick Brinco out of the cottage, and then use the cottage herself for the rest of sleepy time. Brinco, after being rudely ousted from his cottage, will relocate himself to behind the cottage for the rest of sleepy time, looking just a bit wretched.
The Cottage Thief routine will last quite a few days, and then they'll switch to something else. Currently, they have a less structured sleepy time routine, where they both stick close to the cottage. Sometimes they'll both be behind it, sometimes both in it, or one behind and one in the cottage. There is no discernible pattern. When one or both of the bunnies lay behind the cottage, however, they often use the weights as a pillow. (The weights are there to keep them from digging the carpet along the wall.)
Here are three shots taken during sleepy time to illustrate the weight-as-pillow phenomenon. Brinco is doing it here, but Cinnamon is just as likely to engage in this strange behavior (she also does this while laying over on the vent in the summer). I'd like to also point out the lop pudge and paws sneaking out underneath the cottage, which has somehow ended up propped on the corner of the phone book. Don't ask me, I'm just the photographer.
Lazy Rabbits 1
Lazy Rabbits 2
You guessed it -- Lazy Rabbits 3
With all that said, the rabbits have a special sleepy time routine that they do whenever I mess with them. "Messing with them" means either taking them to the vet or, like yesterday, sticking them in their carrier so that I can clean their cage without "help." When I put them back in their room after one of these horribly traumatic sessions, they will spend the entire sleepy time in the cage. On the second and/or third shelves. I assume they feel safe from their mean and evil owner/slave there, in spite of knowing full well that there is a door on every level of the cage and I can scoop them right out of there if I so choose.
I am going to put a reminder note here to tell about yesterday's capture and release for the aforementioned cage cleaning. A.K.A: How to Get on a Bunny's Shit List. Stay tuned!
