Ollie

Ollie Happy To See Me!

We had Rocky about a year or so when we started thinking about a friend to keep him company.

Then we met Ollie and instantly fell in love with him.  Ollie seems to have that perfect rabbit look.  There isn’t one person who meets him who doesn’t swoon over how adorable he is.  I fell in love with his personality.  Extremely calm and affectionate, I thought he and Rocky would make great friends.

Within the first few weeks of having Ollie, I noticed things that worried me.  First of all, he was extremely sensitive to scents.  I had to try multiple beddings before finding one that didn’t bother his nose.  Next was his stomach.  It also seemed extremely sensitive, and again I was left testing different brands of pellets and types of hay until I found something that wouldn’t bother his tummy.  I also noticed when he would be running or playing, sometimes he’d suddenly flop like he’d just exhausted himself a little too much.  This I found very strange because even though Rocky would get tired, he never just dropped down in sheer exhaustion, especially while in the middle of a run or play.  Overall though, once I got the food and bedding issue sorted out, he seemed healthy and normal so I pushed it out of my mind thinking that I was just being paranoid.  After all, Rocky and Ollie are two very different rabbits.

When we brought Ollie in to the vets to be neutered, they found a heart murmur.  They told us his sensitivities were unrelated but were concerned when I mentioned how tired he got when playing.  They said it could be that his heart just couldn’t keep up with how much activity he was doing.  Most importantly they advised against putting him under anesthesia.

Ollie Chilling Out In Our Bedroom

I was completely heart broken.  I knew there was no way I would risk Ollie’s life and take the chance on neutering him anyways but I also knew it meant Rocky and Ollie would never be the companions I had hoped they would be.

It’s been a little over five years since that day at the vets and Ollie is doing well.  We haven’t had him neutered but it hasn’t stopped him from being the most cuddly, friendly and mellow rabbit you’ll ever meet.  Ollie has never been one for much physical exercise and absolutely loves to cuddle in your lap while you give him a full bunny massage.  We’ve had to bath him because of his sensitive tummy and he’s quite content wrapped up in a big, soft towel, sitting on my husbands chest and being pet to his heart’s content.

Ollie Enjoying A Beautiful Fall Day In Our Backyard.

What I love most about Ollie is how much he loves to just be with you.  Unlike Rocky, he doesn’t need to have a good run and play and kick out his legs.  He just wants to be with you or other animals and he’s happy.  Ollie and our golden retriever Murray love to snuggle on the couch.  And even though Ollie isn’t fixed, he plays well with one of our female rabbits, Willow.  Once in a while he tries to pull a fast one on her but she’s much faster than him.  99% of the time, he’d rather just enjoy her company or snuggle up beside her, grooming her face.

You can follow Ollie here:
YouTube: BudgetBunny
Facebook: BudgetBunny
Instagram: @BudgetBunny
Twitter: @budgetbunny
E-mail: info@budgetbunny.ca