I do not have a tree that grows bunnies, but I do have a tree that bunnies live under.
We love this tree. Thanks to pal Stephanie Shaughnessy for IDing it as a Weeping Nootka Cypress. It covers the ground and makes a perfect hiding spot for a family of bunnies. They come out and bounce around, look for food and entertain us. But they’re under threat – as bunnies always are.
An orange tabby cat prowls the neighbourhood, and I’ve seen it sniffing around the base of the tree. We think it lives across the street but we’re not sure. It’s hunting the bunnies and I’m not having it! Unfortunately, it’s so quick that I haven’t been able to photograph it, so I commissioned this expensive artist’s rendering.
My feelings about outdoor cats have been well documented on this page. If this cat harms one of the bunnies, it’s not going to be pretty. I would never harm the cat or any other creature, but I would try harder to find its owner and give them a piece of my mind. Or not. It wouldn’t change anything, I’m sure, but it might make me feel better. Let’s hope it never comes to that!
The black lab puppy next door also took off after one of the younger bunnies one night. The dog didn’t have a hope of catching the rabbit but still, it got away from the kid who had it on a leash and ran across the road. This also displeased me! Life must be tough (and short!) for an outdoor bunny.
I’ve had pet rabbits and they’re litter-trainable and affectionate. I recently unfriended someone on Facebook for their long, detailed post about making rabbit stew. Yes, I eat other meat – I get it. I’m a selective hypocrite. But I’m firm on my pro-bunny stance. Once you’ve given a bunny a name, took a nap with it beside you on the couch and brushed its fur as it made squeaky noises of delight, there’s no going back.
I had one as a pet as a child. It was stolen from me by a bully up the street and I could see it running around in their basement. It was heartbreaking, but I do remember what a great pet that “Tippy” was.
That’s terrible!!! 🙁
I feel the same way about the outdoor cat who prowls our backyard looking for little quails. (Dammit, they can fly – why don’t they???) I wish that beautiful Persian-looking rescue would wear a bell and give them a fighting – or flighting – chance….sigh. Nature isn’t cruel but it IS indifferent, I keep reminding myself…..
So, the cat from my expensive artist’s rendering (!) hung around our sliding door to the deck. Derek kept saying, shoo! It would leap off and chase a songbird, and then come back. Without saying a word, I knew what to do. I went to the fridge, got a cold bottle of water, and whooshed it out through the screen. The cat got soaked, jumped into the air (silently swore in “cat”!) and ran off. I don’t think he’ll be at our door again soon!