The Picket Project

Here we are in the month of March and I have yet to post anything in 2019 regarding my favorite bunny in the whole wide world.   I figure it's time for a Picket Project update and let her fans know how she is doing.

We're getting nearer and nearer to Picket being a year old.   It's hard to believe that in two months, it will be the anniversary of finding her in the middle of Yeager Street here on base.   There's not a day that goes by that we question our decision of not releasing her back to the wild.  We always said we would allow Picket to determine what we would do and she has spent the past 10 months enjoying the lap of luxury and being absolutely spoiled.

Hey Mom, take pictures of ME!!!!!!!! 

One thing that amazes us is how much Picket loves being loved on.  She loves to play and she loves to be shown affection.  We can kiss on her, rub her ears, lay down with her, and cuddle with her, so long as we respect her space as a wild animal and allow her to dictate how much attention she wants and when.  There are days when she decides she doesn't want anything to do with anyone, so she stays in her hutch (we open her door every morning and she is allowed to go in and out as she wants).   However, most of the time she can be found either sitting on the couch or laying down on the floor in front of the tv.  She really seems to enjoy being in the same room as us. 

I mentioned that Picket is absolutely spoiled..  This is the understatement of the year.  She's learned that Daddy will practically give her anything she wants, even if that's sharing his multigrain Cheerios or half of his banana.

Picket has also quickly become my companion when it comes to doing Yoga at night.  It really makes you concentrate on keeping proper form on high planks, runners lunges, and downward dogs when you have rabbit running underneath you trying to get your attention.  She also LOVES to jump on my back whenever I try to do tabletops or Cat/Cows.  She seems to think we get on all fours just for her amusement - she will jump on our back and ride around the room that way... LOL

Pics waiting patiently for me to go into Cat/Cow lol 

 Picket has claimed the kids toy box in the hallway.  Ash tends to keep all her stuffed toys in this particular toy box and Picket has decided this is the perfect place to play.  She will pull out some of the toys out of the box and toss them on the floor and then just hide among the rest of the animals, blending in with them.  I hate to tell her, but those huge ears give her away ;)

She just finished blowing her winter coat which has been fun, let me tell ya.   Over the last couple of months, she got really fluffy with her winter coat.   If you notice in most of the photos above, her fur looks a bit ratty/patchy in places - she had already started her molting.  Fur was EVERYWHERE.  Every time she jumped on our lap or if we were petting her, there was tons of fur coming off her.  Luckily, she allowed us to brush her with a Furminator with a cat attachment on it and that really helped her with the shedding process.  Her winter coat was a really dark brown/cinnamon color but with this molting, her fur is returning to a lighter grey color. 

Above - Picket's dark, shaggy winter coat   Below - A much lighter and shorter grey coat. 

I still love getting my bunny snuggles.  I'm still the only one who has every had the pleasure of having this rabbit snuggled up on my shoulder and I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world.  Rabbits do this little teeth chattering when they are content and happy - it's almost like a rabbit's version of a purr.  I don't know if it's as common for hares to do it as it is for regular rabbits but Picket does it each and every time I'm holding her.  She doesn't sit as long as she did when she was smaller but I'll take it anytime she does it.   LOL