The Bunnies We Know

 We've been stepping outside late at night to look for the aurora borealis, and last night and this one, there was a rabbit in the shaded yard. Last night, I got too close to it and it ran away, so this time, we stayed away from it and it stayed. We want it to feel safe in the shaded yard.  When the snow came, we shoveled some of the snow off the grass in case the rabbits wanted it and perhaps they understood the message of welcome or were surprised to access the grass. Who can tell? 

 Domesticated animals try to communicate with you -- and most are good at it. But if you become interested in a wild animal, such as the Eastern Cottontail, the burden is on you to learn its language .  We have watched videos. We have observed. We have learned. Rabbits are territorial. They will claim land. They will also observe and listen. Rusty believes that I claimed the front lawn and forbid it to go there  (I was trying to ask it to move, not to leave forever). I still hope to explain otherwise. We had snow today and I uncovered the part of the front lawn where Rusty was sitting on that August day. I still hope to tell it that it's okay to go on the front lawn. The coming weekend will be warmer and we hope to see rabbits.  We will use what we have learned. We have learned from the Bunny Lady's guide to Rabbit Body Language . Here's a pet rabbit that knows when its owner has another fever . Predator animal pets like you to be excited. Prey animals are worried th...