DEAR JENNY: I recently moved to a new home. I heard the humans say “adopted.” This new home is okay, mostly, but there is one real problem; they have cats! I don’t like cats. Their slanted eyes, sharp teeth, and sharp claws. I got chased by one once and I’ll never forget it. They are demons in fur!! What can I do? — HOPPER
DEAR HOPPER: Oh dear, that’s a tough one. I live in a home with many different species. Dogs, rabbits, and birds. I’m used to the dog; he’s been around a long time. He’s not too bright so I don’t worry about him. If he comes too near, I growl at him! Boy does he get surprised. But I digress, back to your problem. There’s a trick I’ve seen my mom do. She’s a rabbit rescuer so she knows all the tricks. She takes the cat (or dog if that’s the problem) and puts them in an exercise pen so they can’t get out. Then the bunny gets to be on the outside and sit to look at the cat. Of course, this gives the bunny a chance to tell the cat how mean and stupid they are, ha-ha. I know that makes me feel a bit better. After a while, the bunny gets comfortable around the cat and things get better. I’ll add one note to the bunny parents; If your rabbit is afraid of your cats, don’t let the cat just roam around their area. Keep the cat confined and always be there to supervise when they come into the bunny room. By giving your rabbit the space, and time to get comfortable with your cats, they will learn to tolerate each other and with time they might become friends. — JENNY
DEAR JENNY: Recently my rabbit, Harriet, started limping a little bit. Then she was normal again for two days, but today I saw it again. Should I wait to see if it gets better or should I call the vet? — CONCERNED
DEAR CONCERNED: Since you have seen this limping more than once you definitely need to call your vet and make an appointment. This could be any number of things; Maybe a sore leg or a sore foot, or if your bunny is older, it could be some arthritis. I have a little bit of that myself. I’m sure the vet will want to examine Harriet and take some x-rays. It’s important that the vet figure out what’s going on so they can decide a treatment to help Harriet feel better. If your rabbit is elderly, keep a close eye on them for mobility issues as they can be a sign of older bunny ailments. I hope that Harriet feels much better soon! — JENNY