Garden Bunny

It's been almost two years ago since Lexy, the bunny, came to be part of our family.  My youngest child wanted a pet when her big sister went to college.  We adopted one of the rabbits that have been abandoned by their original owners. We chose Lexy because she's litter box-trained and looked docile which meant that my daughter could pet her.  She's a house bunny - we had to sign an agreement that we will not let her live outside the house.  But even a house-bunny needs to be in a cage because there are cords lying around that are in danger of being chewed into pieces.  

Discovering the secret spaces in the garden.

This house bunny is a garden bunny by day.  She gets the necessary dose of sunshine and enjoys a little bit of freedom being with the rest of nature out there while nibbling on some fresh greenery.   When no one is there to keep her in line, she is confined in her outdoor cage on the shady area of the lawn.  She used to be scared whenever the neighbor's dog barked from the other side of the fence. Watching her ears twist as they listen to the source of unusual sounds around was quite entertaining.  But now she feels secure - observant but not easily startled.  She has a box she can run into whenever she needs the security of an enclosed space.

Lexy sits in her cage on the lawn.

There have been some changes in the garden, of course including the increase of nitrogen levels on some areas of the backyard.  The wood pellets from her litter box are being used as mulch for the acid-loving shrubs in the yard such as roses and boxwood.  All that is needed is to add extra nitrogen fertilizer necessary to feed the hardworking microorganisms during decomposition process.  These wood pellets mulch are also very effective in suppressing weeds.

Nibbling on everything but spitting out the unpalatable.

Lexy is a quiet bunny but she adds life in the garden - socially and organically.  How is your own pet changing the course of nature in your backyard?