MaMaa is an eight-pound seven-year-old female Palomino rabbit. After rescue from a dumpster, MaMaa and her eight one-day old babies became residents of Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue. After four years of waiting, MaMaa left Brambley Hedge to take up residence with me where she has thrived although it took a lot of time and nurturing to quell her fears. The kind of person who would dispose of her and her babies in a dumpster is not the kind of person who would have cared for her properly and we can only imagine what kind of cruelty she suffered.
MaMaa is not caged and has the run of her room and the entire back yard; I own my home but live in an addition I constructed in the back and it is there that MaMaa and I live together. She likes to explore the yard, find the best hiding places, dig holes, run and jump, and she makes a game out of making practice runs to her hiding places. She gets up with me early and spends her time in the yard, returning to her room when it begins to get hot.
I talk to MaMaa constantly and she has learned many words and phrases. She knows the name of the things she eats, and many other words as well. One morning when she was in the back yard, I told her, “I put apple and treats (Lofty’s) down for you in your room.” She looked at me excitedly and immediately ran to her room and ate them. MaMaa has also become an accomplished beggar. When she wants a slice of apple, she spins in circles at my feet. When she wants Lofty’s, she motions towards the box with her nose.
When MaMaa observes that I plan to lie on the floor and watch TV, she gets in position for petting. She loves to cuddle and demands a lot of petting time.
MaMaa’s early life was obviously a traumatic life, but she has responded well to love, consistency, and the freedom to be a rabbit. I have enjoyed watching her rabbit instincts and behaviors emerge once free of restrictions.
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