Bonding Bunnies: Our Experience

When deciding on whether or not to add a rabbit to our home, we researched what a rabbit needs in order to live happily. We learned that rabbits are social creatures that crave interaction and stimulation. After examining our schedules, we realized that we could not fulfill all of the socialization needs for a rabbit. We decided that adopting two rabbits would make more sense, so that the rabbits would have an ever-present friend. We then learned that while rabbits crave companionship, they have also been known to violently fight with other rabbits, even to the death. We knew that if we couldn't adopt a pair of already bonded rabbits, we would be in for a delicate adventure.

I had my heart set on owning an angora rabbit. I have this mini-obsession with learning the arts from the days of my great-grandmother; I have learned to crochet, I learned tatting, I’ve dabbled in quilting, and I wanted to learn to spin fiber that I harvested. We do not have property for sheep, so an angora rabbit seemed like the answer. After more than a year of volunteering at a rabbit shelter, a well-mannered gray angora rabbit was surrendered. It didn't take long for me to fall in love. She was not bonded to another rabbit so we knew that we would need to find another well-mannered rabbit to attempt the bonding process. Enter the outgoing and lovable Jack. He is the only rabbit that I ever met that gives kisses on demand.

We began the bonding process at the shelter by placing them in adjacent crates. I was ecstatic when they started lying as close to each other as possible, seeming to not only tolerate each other, but enjoy one another’s presence. It is most healthy for the rabbits to be spayed or neutered and so Jack and Lucy were scheduled for their special surgeries on the same day to facilitate the next step in our bonding process. As it is with humans, rabbits can bond through shared stress. So we put them in individual carriers and allowed them to watch each other as we drove to the veterinarian. Several hours later, I picked them up and took them home to stay. We placed them in individual crates, within a few inches of each other so that they could support each other through the healing process.

According to information we had read, it takes about two weeks from the neutering surgery for the male hormones to work their way out of the body, so we waited two weeks before putting the rabbits together. We wanted to be in a small enough space that we would be able to intervene if there were problems, so we took the bunnies and went into a bathroom. We put a quilt on the vinyl floor so they would be able to have some traction and let the bunnies loose. Lo and behold, Jack was still frisky so we separated the rabbits and decided to try again in another week. The next supervised play time was a complete success! The bunnies sniffed around each other and Jack soon plopped down in front of Lucy.

After several more supervised play sessions, we put Jack and Lucy in one crate with a divider. Now they would be able to reach each other but also get away if needed. This situation lasted for about a week until the rabbits took matters into their own hands (paws?). We came downstairs one morning to find that the divider had been breached and the rabbits were together. They have been together ever since.

Disclaimer: This is not a how to guide for bonding bunnies, simply our experience.

Introducing: Jack and Lucy

Did you know that the expected life span of a pet rabbit is 8-10 years? Unfortunately,  rabbits are often advertised as "starter pets." This is far from true as there is much to do when caring for a rabbit and that work lasts for 8-10 years. This false advertising has led to many rabbits being abandoned.

Two years ago my husband and I began volunteering for a rescue shelter that cares for these abandoned rabbits, works to educate the public on responsible rabbit ownership, and screens and trains prospective rabbit owners. Almost a year ago, we welcomed two rabbits from the shelter into our home. Here are the stories of Jack and Lucy.

Jack is a brown dutch rabbit. He was found wandering in a backyard not long after Easter in 2013. Our best guess is that he was an Easter gift that was let loose when the Easter fun had ended. He is quite the spunky fellow so it is also possible that he escaped. Domesticated rabbits are not fit for outdoor living. Thankfully, he was caught and cared for. A lady had him for a few months when she realized that rabbit ownership required more than she was able to give and she contacted the shelter and arranged to surrender Jack. When Jack arrived at the shelter, he appeared sick and the shelter manager didn't expect him to survive. After a few hours, he calmed down, leading her to believe that he had been traumatized by the car ride and not sick. Jack has personality to spare: the only rabbit I know that gives kisses on request!

Lucy is an angora. She appears to be an English angora but the woman who surrendered her indicated that she is mixed with lionhead. Lucy was purchased from a breeder who did not fully explain the needs of this breed. Lucy needs frequent brushing and a  complete haircut every 3-4 months. When she was surrendered, it appeared that she had not received a single haircut in her first year of life and her bottom was matted with waste. Her owner simply didn't have the skills to care for her and chose to surrender her. Lucy is laid back and is willing to be held and cuddled for long periods of time. I have cut her hair three times since we brought her home and she is soon due for another haircut. I have taken lessons on spinning fiber and consulted with a shepherdess on her care and health. I am eager to spin her locks into yarn that I can crochet. Did you know that angora fiber is 10 times warmer than sheep's wool? Well, you do now!

Owning a rabbit, or two, is a rewarding experience but it comes with work. If you or someone you know is considering adding a rabbit to your family, consider adoption, be sure to have your rabbit spayed or neutered, and do your homework first to be sure that you are ready for the length and intensity of the commitment. 

Follow @TrostleMichelle for more Jack and Lucy fun!

Like my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/trostlestreasures 

Prayers of Resurrection Expectation Part 4

As we continue to draw closer to Easter, let's continue to pray specifically for our churches: that we, as the Church, would experience Christ in new and fresh ways.

Again, the prayer time is set up in a five minute time frame with a new topic each minute. So, get out your cell phone timer, set it for one minute, and let's pray.


Minute 1: Thank God for the many good gifts that He has given to us. (Matthew 7:11 and James 1:17)


Minute 2: Pray that we are salt and light to the world. (Matthew 5:13-16)

Minute 3: Pray for our church’s ministry to young adults.

Minute 4: Pray that God will reveal how He wants us to minister to the people groups in our local community.

Minute 5: Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Psalm 80:19

As you go through your week, pray for the different ministries of your local church.

See you in a week for the final installment of Prayers of Resurrection Expectation. Our expectation is soon to be fulfilled!

Prayers of Resurrection Expectation Part 3

As we continue to draw closer to Easter, let's continue to pray specifically for our churches: that we, as the Church, would experience Christ in new and fresh ways.

Again, the prayer time is set up in a five minute time frame with a new topic each minute. So, get out your cell phone timer, set it for one minute, and let's pray.

Minute 1: Dear Father, thank you for the people you have brought to the local church.

Minute 2: We ask that you work in the hearts of each person that attends this church, that they would identify their talents and put those talents to work for Your glory.

Minute 3: We pray specifically for our ministry to youth.

Minute 4: May each of those who follow You have the courage to talk to others about You and the gift of living daily with You.

Minute 5: Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. Psalm 86:6

As you go through your week, pray for the leaders of your local church.

See you in a week for the next installment of Prayers of Resurrection Expectation.

Prayers of Resurrection Expectation Part 2

The first week of Prayers of Resurrection Expectation was a huge success! I organized the five minute prayer time into five chunks. At the beginning of each minute I started a timer on my phone and then said a quick prayer. The remainder of the minute was open to anyone to say a quick prayer on that topic. Of course, we were all praying quietly for the entire minute and God hears those prayers, too!

Here is this week's schedule so that you can join the prayer fest.

Minute 1: Thank you, dear God, for creating the church, where we can grow in our understanding of Your love for us.

Minute 2: Lord, help our church leaders be able to discern Your direction for our church and ministries.

Minute 3: Lord, we pray specifically for the church's ministry to children.

Minute 4: Lord, we ask that many who do not know You would come to the Easter Egg Hunt (or an upcoming program at your church) and be drawn to You. 

Minute 5: Lord, we trust in You to do things in and through our church that are so great, we could not even imagine them right now, as Your word states in Habakkuk 1:5 "For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

I also provided a few topics for prayer throughout the week.

• Pray for revival within the church.
• Pray that we proclaim Good News to those who are lost.
• Pray that we are welcoming to the new people that God is sending to join our church family.

Let's continue to pray and trust that God is listening and working!

Prayers of Resurrection Expectation Part 1

Over the course of the past few months, God has been speaking to me about my attitude. Not that I have been living each day with a bad attitude, but that my attitude has been driven by my “to do” list. I have spent a fair amount of time on auto-pilot: wake up, go to work, come home, make supper, clean up the dishes, think about doing laundry, watch some tv, go to sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When I say that God has been speaking to me, I don’t mean that I am audibly hearing His voice. I am using this language to refer to a continuing impression that God is placing on my heart. I further believe that this impression is from God because the Bible reinforces the message in Isaiah 40:28.

Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.

The message was loud and clear, I sent my Son to Earth to die for your sins. He not only died but He conquered death and is alive, reigning with Me in Heaven so that you will be able to spend eternity in Our presence! Where, o child, is your joy?!

What a message that I need to hear, especially as the Easter season approaches. Each moment of my day deserves to be filled with joy despite my circumstances. My church family deserves to live each moment filled with joy. Every human on Earth deserves to know the joy of Jesus!

So for this season leading to Easter, I have decided to organize a weekly prayer time at my church that is focused on shaking the joy back into us. I am extending this invitation to the blogging world as well. Join me each Thursday leading up to Easter (or whenever your schedule allows) in anticipation of celebrating Christ’s resurrection with Prayers of Resurrection Expectation.

The Most Hurtful (Well-Intentioned) Words

Sometimes, even when we call ourselves Christian, even when we are doing the “right” things, even when we have faith that can move mountains, the deepest desires of our heart go unfulfilled.

That is the land in which I am living: the land of unfulfilled dreams.

The specifics of my situation are not important. I do not want the nature of my dreams to cloud the glorious message that God has been teaching me. We all have unfulfilled dreams or know someone who does and I am sharing this with the intention of passing along the lessons that God is teaching me, sharing the specifics of my situation will only serve to alienate those who have different struggles.

Recently, I was trying to hide my tears over this unrealized dream by hiding in the church library. Much to my dismay, I was caught. The person who caught me is someone that I trust and admire so it didn’t take long for me to begin spilling the details.

She listened patiently, and then said something disturbing, “If God wants you to have/be _______, you will have/be_____.” With that, the conversation ended, and I was left in shock.

At first listen, this is accurate enough. God is all-powerful, so, of course, if He wants it to happen, He has the power to make it happen. But this well-intentioned sentence, meant to instill peace, is a thinly-veiled monster.

First, this statement may lead some to picture God as an evil, wish-granting genie, drumming his fingers on his desk and cackling as he withholds answers as a form of torture. This could not be further from my understanding of the truth of the nature of God.  "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:9-11. The Bible clearly tells us that God desires to give us good things. The truth is, if God is not granting our wishes, it is because He wants to tell a greater story through our lives.

My other issue with this statement is that it belittles my level of emotional distress. It is as if this person believes that knowing God has the power to grant the desires of my heart means that my heart should not hurt during this time of waiting. That is so far from the truth! The realities of this world are painful! Sin has broken God’s perfect creation and even Jesus felt the pain.

Recently I was listening to a Christian station on the radio and heard a commentary that spoke to the heart of my pain. When Jesus walked the Earth, He had a friend named Lazarus. Lazarus became ill and his sisters sent for Jesus to come to his bedside. Jesus waited for two days and by the time he arrived, Lazarus had died. Now, Jesus, being all-powerful God, knew that He had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Being all-knowing God, Jesus knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. And yet, He took the time to cry. If Jesus cried over the brokenness of this world, then it is certainly ok for me to cry.

If you find yourself in a situation in which someone is struggling with unrealized dreams, and you have the best of intentions, try to not utter these words. Most times, the best gift in these situations is simply your presence in the midst of the pain.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of these words, try to extend grace. Look past the words to the intention of the person. Know that they want what is best for you and are trying to lessen your pain and point your heart toward God. And then, turn your heart over to God and rest in His love while you wait.