Dan West's Rabbit Page

Kimblesworth, Male

BreedBlack Otter Netherland DwarfWeight2.2 lbs.DispositionCalm & FriendlyBornUnknown, Rescued June 2013DiedJanuary 3, 2020Favorite SnackGranola

This tiny bun was kept full time in a cage in a back room and never allowed to run around. His nails were overgrown and his coat wasn't even soft. He was basically given enough food and water to live and that was it. When he came to live with us, he got a varied diet, free run of the house, and lots of cuddling. He was one of the happiest and most affectionate rabbits I've ever owned. He struggled with an upper respiratory infection for years before succumbing to it. He had a long and happy life.

Wild Bun II, Female

BreedNorth American CottontailWeightUnknownDispositionCautious but curiousBornSummer 2015DiedVanished, Fall 2019Favorite SnackWheat Thins

This wild bun was born in my garden. One day while tending the garden, I found her, as a baby, suffering from heat stroke. I brought her in the house to let her cool off and to have some water. When she was feeling better around dusk, I put her back in the garden. From that point on she wasn't afraid of me and would let me hand feed her. That went on for the next four years. She had several litter of baby buns in our yard and trusted me around them. I fed her daily for those four years and she spent a lot of time around the yard hanging out. The last time I saw her was in the Fall of 2019.I believe some of her offspring still come around and eat the dish of snacks I leave out for them.

Hathaway, Male

BreedChestnut Agouti American Chinchilla?Weight5 lbs.DispositionFriendly & CuriousBornUnknown, Rescued June 2012DiedJune 13, 2019Favorite SnackCarrot

Hath was brought to me late one night after a kid rescued him from an awful shed in a trailer park. He was very thin, had overgrown nails, and scabs from being bitten by other rabbits apparently. After some grooming and some hearty food, he quickly became healthy and happy. He was very friendly and would jump up on the couch to seek out some petting or a scratch of the forehead. He also liked to follow people around and explore. In his old age he was mostly blind from cataracts, but he still got around and used his whiskers to explore now. He died of old age and was likely between 8-10 years old.

Charleroi, Female

BreedMini-RexWeight3.5 lbs.DispositionTimid & CuriousBornDec. 2, 2009, Adopted Sept. 29, 2012DiedSept. 3, 2018Favorite SnackRaspberries

One of only two rabbits I've owned that wasn't a rescue rabbit. I needed a girlfriend for Hathaway, but there wasn't a suitable one available for adoption so I got Charleroi from a local breeder who wanted to get rid of her as she was not having babies that were of the breed's standard. She went from a caged life to a free life of luxury. She was ultra soft/plush and Hathaway was her devoted husbun of six years. She died of old age at almost 9 years old.

Flop, Female

BreedSable Mini LopWeight7 lbs.DispositionAffableBornUnknown, Adopted Spring 2007DiedSeptember 12, 2016

Flop didn't know if she was a lop or not as she had what is called "helicopter ears." This means Flop had one ear that stuck straight up and one that was a lop ear. This gave her quite a bit of character. She was Hop's bonded companion (I adopted them together from a family that did not want them) and rarely left his side until his untimely trip to the carrot patch in the sky. They groomed each other and played quite a bit. Flop was shy around people at first, and a little clumsy, but she was very gentle and feminine acting (unless she wanted a snack from a bag you were holding). She had three mates over the course of her life: Hop, Chatfield, and Kimblesworth. I had Flop for nine years and she may have been a couple years old when I got her so she was likely anywhere from 10-12 when she passed away from general old age.

Chatfield, Male

BreedNetherland DwarfWeight3 lbs.DispositionMischievousBornUnknown, Adopted May 2009DiedOctober 16, 2014Favorite SnackOats

Less than 24 hours after my favorite rabbit WB died, my friend Taresa invited me to go out to some yard sales to cheer me up. This little rabbit was on sale at some hillbilly's house for $15 and was neglected. His nails were horribly overgrown and he lived in a dilapidated and filthy cage. I brought him home, cleaned him up and trimmed his nails so he could hop straight. He lived in the lap of luxury splitting time between hanging out with Flop and lounging in his cardboard condo! He battled a parasite that almost killed him, but he bounced back to peak health afterward. He was very ornery with a big personality. He loved to grunt and growl when he didn't get his way or get enough pets or attention. He died suddenly and mysteriously, but peacefully.

Buff, Female

BreedLionheadWeighta little over 2 lbs.DispositionOrneryBornUnknown, Adopted Summer 2007DiedJuly 18, 2011Favorite SnackDried Fruit

"Buff" was short for "Buffalo" as that's what she most resembled with long fur under her neck and on her chest. I adopted her from a questionable trailer-park family that did not want her anymore. They kept her in a dirty cage most of the time. After coming to live with me, Buff got to play outside and enjoy lots of freedom. She was very loud thumper, especially if she wanted a snack or attention. One of her favorite things was having her fur combed. She was quite vain and had grey/blue eyes.

Hop, Male

BreedBroken Black Mini-Rex MixWeight3 lbs.DispositionFriendly and CuriousBornUnknown, Adopted Spring 2007DiedDecember 28, 2009

Hop loved to explore and find things to play with. Oddly his favorite toy was the toilet brush in the bathroom. Sometimes I'd find the brush in the shower and even found Hop in the shower on occasion! Accordingly, he was ultra clean and kept himself well-groomed to the point where his fur was almost blindingly white and very shiny. I was told he was a female, but I am pretty sure he was a male. He was fixed, so it didn't really matter and neither Hop nor I wanted to explore the matter in detail! He was Flop's bonded companion as I adopted them from the same owner.

WB (“White Bun”)

BreedCalifornianWeight8 lbs.DispositionSweet and calm.Born2001, Adopted Summer 2003DiedMay 1, 2009

I acquired this rabbit from a local breeder in PA. She was literally days from being put down and used for meat. The family was going to eat her for Sunday dinner and I saved her on the Wednesday before. She had sore hocks from being in a cage (some of her breed have this problem) and had some lumps on her chest. After I adopted her, her feet mostly healed, the lumps vanished, and she become litter-trained and lived in the house! She had quite a few health problems, but was very spoiled during her six years with me. White Bun was very gentle and had an incredibly plush coat. She was formerly on the awful rabbit show circuit, so her ear tattoo said "RB3A2" (I called her that when she rarely acted up). She loved to flop over on a towel or rug for a nap, would give anyone a kiss, and was the best pet I have ever owned bar none. She was a testament to how much a rabbit can develop a personality and intelligence once released from an awful life in a cage. WB's back legs finally gave out an I had to make the difficult decision to put her to sleep on May 1, 2009.

Sir Huffs-a-Lot

BreedMixed Black/Grey AgoutiWeight5 lbs.DispositionSneaky TroublemakerBorn10/2000Died7/2007

Sir Huffs had been with me since day one as he is the offspring of my first pair of rabbits. He tried to escape whatever enclosure I put him in since the first day he could walk. He has escaped from buildings, tunneled under and jumped over fences. He never actually ran away, but probably spent more time in my neighbor's yards than he did in mine. It was not uncommon to see him relaxing in the middle of the street late at night after a day of scheming a jailbreak. I spent over $300 to fence, re-fence and reinforce my backyard in Pennsylvania to contain his lust for freedom. Other than his mischief, he was sweet and would give you a kiss on occasion. He huffed and puffed when you picked him up, hence his name.

Ratty

BreedNetherland DwarfWeightNot quite 2 lbs.DispositionPlayfulBornUnknownDiedVanished, May 2007

Ratty was the smallest adult rabbit I have ever seen. She was passed on through a few different owners who didn't want her before hitting the jackpot and coming to live with me. She had a malocclusion, so she needed to have her teeth clipped every couple of months. She was generally well-behaved and very calm when being held or picked up, which is unusual for a dwarf this small as they are most often highly-strung. She was St. Jasper's girlfriend.

Saint Jasper

BreedHarlequinWeightapprox. 8 lbs.DispositionScaredBornUnknownDiedVanished, May 2007

Named after my favorite restaurant in town, big Saint Jasper was abandoned by his previous owner at the local Petco where I adopted him after seeing him housed in a fish tank!! He was a great bun, but he was very frightened by almost everything which leads me to believe he had a bad home life before coming here. He lived the good life, but even everyday birds would seem to scare him. He liked to hide in his house and follow his girlfriend Ratty around. After I moved to the rabbit ranch in the "country" he was more calm and assertive.

Sentry

BreedDutchWeightapprox. 4 lbs.DispositionWound UpBornFebruary, 2006DiedMay, 2007

I saw an ad in the paper for free rabbits. Following the death of his sister Fatty, Sir Huffs needed a new mate with which to share his section of the yard. A breeder was getting rid of eight rabbits and I chose Sentry out of the bunch. She had never been out of a cage before I brought her home. For the first few days she took little hops until she learned to stretch her legs and hop like a real rabbit. She darted around the yard at breakneck speed running old man Sir Huffs in circles. She was called Sentry because she patrolled the fence line!

Fat Bun (Fatty)

BreedBroken Black Dutch w/ Blue EyesWeight6.5 lbs.DispositionLazyBorn10/2000Died7/22/2006

Fatty was also the offspring of my first pair of rabbits. I originally gave her to a family who kept her for a year and then decided they didn't have time for her anymore. She was attached to her brother Sir Huffs and whenever he escaped from the yard, she followed a few steps behind him. She was a blue-eyed vacuum that would eat almost anything and kept the backyard lawn trimmed. She tunneled into, and mowed down, my garden in 2003 devouring snow peas, bok choy, carrots, lettuce, and even tulips. She would also give you kisses and stand up on her back legs at your feet if she thought you had a snack. Her recipe for life was: eat, flop, repeat. She died from a respiratory infection. I planted some mint over her grave; something edible seemed appropriate.

AJ, Female

BreedChestnut Agouti Netherland DwarfWeight2 lbs.DispositionHigh-spirited and mean.Born11/24/2000Died7/15/2005

AJ was retired from the rabbit show circuit where she won a couple of times. I bought her in 2003 because she was the cutest and meanest rabbit at the rabbit farm. She was ALL bark and no bite though. She was the smallest of my rabbits so she thought she needed to act tough by growling and thumping all the time. She actually liked to be held and petted, but catching her was a challenge. I did not give AJ her name (it was tattooed in her ear), so it didn't stand for anything as far as I know. She was felled by the rabbit disease pasteurella along with her pal Mr. Cordial.

Mr. Cordial

BreedGrey DutchWeight4 lbs.DispositionFriendly and outgoingBornUnknownDied7/14/2005

I looked all over the area for a another Dutch rabbit after one of my previous rabbits died. I couldn't find one anywhere. I visited a pet store where they said this rabbit was just brought in because a family couldn't care for him anymore. They had no other info about him. He turned out to be one of the best behaved rabbits I have ever owned. He used his litter box faithfully and loved to chew sticks from a pear tree. He seemed happy all the time. He was stricken down by pasteurella in summer 2005.

Fumble

BreedChestnut Agouti Netherland DwarfWeight2.5 lbs.DispositionFriendly and FiestyBorn7/31/1999Died6/2003

Fumble was the first house rabbit I got. She was very attached to me and would sleep on my pillow above my head at night. Later she was Petey's girlfriend and they were inseparable. Died of unknown cause.

Petey

BreedBroken Black Dutch w/ Blue EyesWeight4.5 lbs.DispositionScaredBorn10/2000DiedVanished, 8/2003

Petey was everyone's favorite rabbit. He was very handsome and all muscle. His right eye was blue but the top portion was brown (pictured). He would sit still and let you pet him for as long as you liked. He just vanished without a trace from the yard one day. Because he was scared of everything and never would even attempt an escape, my guess is that a hawk flew off with him. A few days later a hawk grabbed all the neighborhood wild rabbits too.

Baby Bun

BreedBroken Black DutchWeight3.5 lbs.DispositionFriendly and LoveableBornUnknownDied2/2004

I bought Baby Bun from a mall pet store. I usually wouldn't buy a rabbit from a pet store, but I felt sorry for him and he seemed to really like me and really hate the noisy mall. He was very well behaved and affectionate. He would often just flop over and go into a deep sleep. In fact, you could pick him up while he was sleeping and he wouldn't wake up. One day he just suddenly dropped dead as I looked on in horror. My guess is a that he had a sudden stroke or heart attack caused by a congenital condition. He lived a good life!

Skunky

BreedBroken Black Dutch w/blue eyesWeight3.5 lbs.DispositionFriendly but DimwittedBornUnknownDiedVanished, 8/2002

My neighbors were moving and wanted to get rid of their pet bun. I agreed to take her and changed her name from "Thumper" to "Skunky" because she looked like a skunk with the white stripe on her head. Apparently she started her life at a nearby mansion where she didn't get along with the resident angora rabbits. By coincidence, the same day I brought her home, my friend brought me her rabbit, Spencer, to watch for a while. The union of those two resulted in Petey, Sir Huffs, and Fat Bun.

Spencer

BreedMixed Black/Grey AgoutiWeight~5 lbs.DispositionAngry w/tendency to bite!Born1992DiedVanished, 10/2000

Spencer spent his long life cooped up inside a bedroom. When he came to my place he was eight years old. I put him in the outdoor pen but he kept escaping. Finally, I just let him live free in the yard. I didn't have the heart to keep him locked up in a cage. Every morning he would be at the back stairs for food and drink. He chased wild rabbits and a real skunk. Amazingly, he actually chased a deer across the yard one day. He was old and began to lose weight. One day he just wandered off into the woods and never returned. After living alone in a house for so long, you could tell he loved the outdoors and became mellow and loveable in his golden months.

Wild Bun

BreedAmerican Cottontail (wild)Weight~ 4 lbs.DispositionCautiousBorn2001DiedVanished, 2003

The rabbit adopted me rather than the other way around. He came to live in a bush behind my house when he was just a little bun. He would often squeeze through the fence to interact with my pet rabbits. When I moved a block over in the neighborhood, he followed and set up shop there. He would eat food out of my hand and would put his front paws on my lap if I was sitting on the ground. I caught him one time and gave him a grooming and a flea treatment. I have some great photos of him (like the one on the left) as he would let me get very close with the camera. Later he went blind in one eye and I believe he became a victim of the neighborhood hawk.