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Justfor Fun Marinell Harriman
I was pouring myself a cup of coffee when I noticed Lefty bythe coffee-maker. He shook his head as I walked by. Was that a flea hewas shaking off, or was it a playful gesture to gain my attention?Maybe with encouragement he would do it again. In a voice reserved onlyfor the company of animals (hopefully when no human is present), Isquealed, "Oh you handsome fellow!" (I like to call him handsome sincehe has only one ear.) He shook his head again. I continued with a higher pitch, "Oh, you handsome, handsomefellow!" This time he shook his head and propelled his body straight upa foot off the floor. We repeated this funny banter several timesbefore I had to answer the phone. Lefty interacts with us on his own terms. On this particularoccasion he was in the mood to engage me in a game, and I'm alwaysgrateful when he engages me at all. CLOWNING AROUNDWhen Samantha came into our foster home, she was distrustful of humans.She had endured an untreated broken leg, which had to be surgicallyrepaired. Because of her shyness, we thought it best not to let an8-month-old human guest touch her. With his small fingers gripping thecage, the toddler thrust his face tight against the wire and laughed atthe mere sight of the bunny. Samantha did a sideways kick. Theyoungster laughed harder. Samantha did two side kicks and spun around.Still more excited shrieks of laughter followed. Then even sillierantics followed after that. Fortunately the cage was large enough forthe spirals and 180°ree; flips. We finally had to intercede forthe safety of both the performer and the spectator. The child wasbreathless with laughter, and the bunny was overdoing her mended leg.We had never seen Samantha behave in such a way. She wastransformed from a shy bunny into a slapstick comedian. Whatevertriggered her performance must have been an intuitive cue she receivedfrom the child. Let's not assume that all bunnies instinctively love thepresence of all children. But somehow this non-invasive,non-threatening situation brought a moment of magic where their mindsmet in a game-a sharing of humor. I contend that sharing humor is one of the highest forms ofcommunication. Often you hear of human friendships, "We have a lot oflaughs together." Why should we think this kind of communication islimited to humans? Your non-human companions know when you're playing games. Noone disputes this when you toss a ball for your dog to catch, or drag apaper "butterfly" on a string in front of your cat. But when you tellyour acquaintances of your rabbit grabbing a paper from your hand andplaying catch-me-if-you-can, they will smile and nod in courteousdisbelief. PLANS AND STRATEGIESI've played silly games with cats and dogs all of my life. Yet I wasguilty of surprise when Herman, our first house rabbit, accepted myinvitation to play. My perception changed forever when I crouched downand wiggled my fingers in a ghoulish manner (a regular jest with ourcat) and said mischievously, "I'm going to get you."With that information, Herman kicked up her heels andplayfully flung her large frame from side to side for the whole lengthof our living room, leaving me gaping in astonishment. "She gets it!" I said. "She really gets it!" I neverunderestimated her sense of humor after that.A game of retaliation occurred daily with her cat friend, Nice. Afterbeing ambushed from behind the door a few times too many, Hermanrestrained herself until the cat was asleep. An uninitiated observer, seeing a cat comfortably curled up infront of the fireplace, wouldn't have the faintest clue that a game wasgoing on. That peacefully dozing cat was about to have her slumberinterrupted by the whomp of a 14 lb. rabbit landing squarely in hermiddle. Rabbits can be calculating and prankish. They respond tomental stimulation, initiate games, and interact with other livingbeings. These are things that people who live with rabbits already know. OFFICIALLY PLAYFULIn a two-year study, staff members, technicians, and veterinarians atU.C. Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine observed that cage enrichment(in the form of toys and/or another rabbit) "increases the animal'sactivity, suggesting enhanced psychological well-being...."1 They founda continued high level of interest and interaction among the rabbitsstudied.Having their psychological needs acknowledged scientificallyis a victory for rabbits. I find this especially satisfying after mypersonal experience with another university lab a few short years ago.My proposal that toys be given to rabbits in solitary cages wasconsidered ludicrous, since "rabbits don't have the capability ofplaying with toys." A preponderance of evidence says otherwise. Our files are fullof delightful stories of bunny games from members all over the country.    A Porch on a summer morning. 1: A nose-to-nose message passes betweenJerry (left) and Laurie 2: Half a second later Jerry shakes his headand kicks up his forelegs. 3: Tom (in hay box) receives Jerry's messageand kicks up his heels. 4: Laurie begins to get the joke. 5,6: Laurielaunches a vertical jump. 7,8,9: Laurie twists in mid air and thenconcludes the frolic. Frame grabs courtesy Drollery Press | ||||
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