I hate to say this, but when God was handing out brains, rabbits were in another line.
Oh, they’re cute, all right. And they can hop and run fast. And I’ve never heard of one attacking anything (except, perhaps a veggie garden!)
But why are mama rabbits so dumb?
I mean, we have a large, fenced backyard, perfect for the Sheltie to run. We have trees and bushes, where the Sheltie can lounge or play hide-and-seek.
It’s not a yard where anybody would be dumb enough to drop their litter of babies, then run off and ignore them for hours on end.
Backyard bunny nest
But leave it to an as-yet-unseen Mama Bunny — that’s just what she did.
The other day, I watched from a window while the Sheltie went out to potty. He doesn’t get a cookie reward unless he accomplishes something, and I’ve known him to fib!
Well, he kept nosing around this one spot, circling it, examining it, curiosity written all over his furry face.
He’d found something.
Having just proofed an article on rabies in wildlife that a friend had penned for the local newspaper, I feared the worst.
A dead animal. With rabies.
So I braved the outdoors to check. What I saw was a patch of rabbit’s fur on the ground, and the fur was moving!
Mama Bunny had thrown caution to the wind and dropped her babies right in my backyard. Right where the Sheltie could get at them, if he was so inclined.
Now every time he goes out, I’m having to remind him to keep away from that bunny hole. So far, he seems to understand.
But he’s mighty curious. And every time the door opens, he high-tails it outside, right to THE SPOT.
Where he watches. And listens. And sniffs.
I can only hold him off so long. When those babies pop out of that hole, he’s going to have a field day herding them around the yard!
If the neighbor’s cats don’t get them first.
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Oh no…now I am going to be worried about those bunnies …i should have seen Bunnies in the title and stayed away. Every once in awhile we have a dumb little bunny hop through the yard and camp runs a muck as I run out to save it’s dear little life–I hope the mama comes back soon and your boy keeps being such a good boy! I won’t ask the outcome of this story….
So far, so good. The babies must still be tiny and helpless. Thankfully, my Sheltie is leaving them be, though I’m afraid Mama Bunny is fair game! Nah, he doesn’t want to eat her (I don’t think!), but he does love a good chase!
Oh, Debbie, I can relate to this story! Our yard has been overrun with bunnies this year and I am always wondering how the babies will be safe with all the predators roaming the land (our home is surrounded by 130 acres of woods) Wayne says the predators will proliferate since the bunnies are at the bottom of the food chain. Max ,our Golden, loves to chase them,too. We have two beautiful mallards in a pond near our home and one year we found the remnants of the nest of babies and their Mom in a woodpile. I’ll tell you, I really grieved for them. Back to bunnies, I suppose they are kind of dumb but at least they’re fast 🙂
Yes, Kathy, they make up for being dumb by all that cuteness! Sorry to hear of the mallards’ babies and mama. Nature can seem so cruel. I guess our fenced yard appeared to be the perfect place to build a nest for bunnies, but didn’t Mama B. see or smell the Sheltie?!
Oh, no! Please tell Sheltie to leave the wee ones alone. Better, yet, put out an all-points bulletin for the Mama Bunny and tell her to hightail is back to protect her babies. Someone should really call CPS on her!
Sheltie says not to worry, Sir Henry. He says he’s just curious, not hungry! And the wee ones are so tiny, they don’t have much meat on them anyway, hehe!
Hope Mama Bunny comes back for those babies.
I do, too. I know rabbits are nocturnal, but this is kinda ridiculous! I mean, I haven’t seen her in days. Is it possible wee ones don’t need to feed right after they’re born??
Mama IS a ‘dumb bunny’…I’m glad Sheltie is leaving them alone. I’ve never seen a rabbit’s nest and I don’t know if I would have figured out that’s what the patch of white was.
The rabbits around here just stand stark still like if they don’t move, they’re invisible. If I stand in one place long enough, they seem to get uncomfortable and hop away real fast (and the neighbors might be wondering who’s dumber: me or the rabbit…)
Our rabbits seem to freeze as well — must be some sort of protective measure. I bet your neighbors get a kick out of watching you “play rabbit”!!
Yeah, predators are everywhere, but why in the one place you know there’s one waiting? I bet she isn’t saving for college either.
Haha! Nothing like procrastination — AND stupidity!
Your Sheltie is a good boy. My Lucy would DIG! And she loves her furry toys, so I’m not sure she’d realize the difference between a toy and a live baby rabbit!
Thus far, I can’t see whether the wee ones even have fur! I think they’re born pretty “slick.” Since the Sheltie has only seen the outside covering moving, he acts a bit puzzled over what’s inside the hole. Wait ’til he sees bunnies pop out of there! He’s not much of a digger, but oh, how he loves to chase!