Comments on: "Are you my mother?"

"Are you my mother?"

Johnny Wallflower — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:13:34 -0800

Meg, an 11-year-old yellow Lab and her human, David Jackson, found a tiny baby bunny in the back yard—and two ravens looming overhead. Because Jackson was raised near the woods and knew the birds were a threat, he decided to hang around with Meg and watch the bunny until the ravens were gone. While they waited, Meg and the bunny began to play.

Bonus: Labs and baby humans

By: eggkeeper

eggkeeper — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:22:46 -0800

Holy fucking squee, batman!

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:27:09 -0800

Vallhunds play... different games... with baby bunnies. And grown up bunnies. And rats.

By: the marble index

the marble index — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:38:11 -0800

Oh my goddd that little bunnyyyyy

By: Guy Smiley

Guy Smiley — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:40:44 -0800

And so the raven chicks went hungry that day, and suffered mightily.

By: dazed_one

dazed_one — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:42:42 -0800

And the baby rabbit ended up smelling like a dog and so was rejected by its mother when the adult bunny returned.

By: Johnny Wallflower

Johnny Wallflower — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:45:18 -0800

The story says the bunny was seen with its mother afterward.

By: roger ackroyd

roger ackroyd — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 23:45:49 -0800

Dear Ask Metafilter, is it okay if I name my baby Little John Stamos? P.S. He is a rabbit.

By: cmfletcher

cmfletcher — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 00:27:58 -0800

I could see my own pupper doing this but she would name him George and hug him and pet him and squeeze him.

By: Defying Gravity

Defying Gravity — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 01:12:57 -0800

TINY HOPPY MCHOPPERSONS help

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 02:47:30 -0800

This is my Husky with every toad she finds. She'll sniff it, the toad jumps, the dog jumps back in fear, rinse and repeat. (also works with grasshoppers).

By: she's not there

she's not there — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 02:49:01 -0800

Two weeks ago I had to take my cat, Janie, to the vet for the final time and ever since I've been a total sap for videos featuring pets, despite the fact that they invariably leave me teary. This was no exception. And, oh my god, that bunny is so impossibly tiny. Also, although Janie was a life-long indoor cat and only 5.5 lbs in the end, I'm quite sure she would have been on that cute little ball of fur in a New York second and no one would want to see that video. RIP, Janie, 1996 - 2016

By: Sing Or Swim

Sing Or Swim — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 03:07:30 -0800

It's possible that the baby bunny has decided its only chance of survival lies in a vicious, no-holds-barred, all-out attack on the dog. An extremely cute, utterly ineffective, vicious, no-holds-barred, all-out attack...

By: snickerdoodle

snickerdoodle — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:24:56 -0800

I once stumbled upon a bunny nest while clearing out the underbrush in my yard. A handful of tiny bunnies scurried over my sandaled feet. Readers, I squealed.

By: emelenjr

emelenjr — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:25:18 -0800

The best part: horizontal video. And no incongruous music underneath it.

By: Bee'sWing

Bee'sWing — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:44:21 -0800

The story says the bunny was seen with its mother afterward. In the mouth of a shark!

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:55:50 -0800

I once stumbled upon a bunny nest while clearing out the underbrush in my yard. A handful of tiny bunnies scurried over my sandaled feet. Sadly, the bunnies here like to dig burrows in dirt beneath the long grass of our yard. You never know they're there until you're right on top of them. With the mower. I used to find mowing the lawn relaxing. Now, it's nerve-wracking.

By: I-Write-Essays

I-Write-Essays — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:56:25 -0800

I was expecting either the dog or the bunny to be wearing a gas mask.

By: y2karl

y2karl — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:59:22 -0800

...Despite thinking that dog could swallow that infant vermin without even chewing, I nonetheless find my hatred of existence inexplicably soothed by their gentle interaction. I suppose that's progress ? Bumble Douche ...Itoo mych bif words, my bRaIN is MalFunctionInG. Lorenzo Coolwolf

By: mittens

mittens — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 04:59:25 -0800

I recently got a puppy and had somewhere in the back of my mind that there would be wonderful innocent frolics like this out in the yard with our moles and voles and bunnies, but unfortunately she is a terrier mix so instead it's all KILL ALL THE SMALL THINGS SHAKE THEM SHAKE THEM, which isn't nearly as adorable.

By: darksong

darksong — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 05:21:11 -0800

I am not really a baby person. I am a dog person, though, and after watching that video of the babies' reactions to dogs, I realize why I'm not a baby person -- because I am a baby. This is basically how I react to dogs, too. (Dogs love me. It's actually hilarious. Dogs will run up to me and their owners will say "He never does that! I'm sorry" and I just say "It's OK, it's just me." and then the pup gets some scritches.) That was the tiniest bunny, too. Very sweet video.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 05:53:30 -0800

Dogs have babies all figured out. Probably because their faces taste like whatever they ate last.

By: crush-onastick

crush-onastick — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:16:25 -0800

We had a Lab who used to retrieve the baby bunnies from the nest in the yard every crop of new bunnies. He'd come prancing into the house with a mouth full of baby bunnies, wagging his tail (and his whole back end). Then we'd take him outside, tell him to "drop" and they'd plop out of his reluctantly opened mouth, dazed and covered in spit, slowly hopping away. And we'd worry about them. We'd see them, weeks and months later, and wonder why the bunny kept coming back to the nest in the yard that smelled like dog. We supposed it was better than the field out back that smelled of fox.

By: middleclasstool

middleclasstool — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:39:18 -0800

I have no idea what to do with my hands while I watch this over and over, I keep not knowing what to do with my hands

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:40:48 -0800

We'd see them, weeks and months later, and wonder why the bunny kept coming back to the nest in the yard that smelled like dog. Bunnies are cute, but bunnies are stoooooooopid.

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:48:32 -0800

...but unfortunately she is a terrier mix so instead it's all KILL ALL THE SMALL THINGS SHAKE THEM SHAKE THEM, which isn't nearly as adorable. You've not experienced the true horror of nature until you've heard the screams of baby bunnies late at night as the neighborhood cats invade their nests. Did you know a baby bunny sounds just like a human infant in dire distress? It's not something you can ever unhear.

By: INFJ

INFJ — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 06:50:52 -0800

that baby bunny is so tiny that I can't help but squee in delight.

By: INFJ

INFJ — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 07:07:16 -0800

Also, I'm sorry for your loss she's not there. Been there, done that. It's never easy. I'm a bit distraught at the moment because I adopted a 10y Maine Coon in March 2015. He spent a lifetime as a street cat, but is one of the sweetest most laid back furballs I've ever had the chance to love. I noticed he was scratching the dickens out of his ears, to the point where he had scabs on top of scabs. Off to the vet we went.* Found out he had a double bacterial ear infection, severely infected teeth, and to top it all off he has FelineAIDs. (though, thankfully not Feline Leukemia) The vet told me that if his ears don't improve on the meds, that it's probably time for him to rest. He has improved, thankfully. Now to set about getting his teeth sorted out. I know adopting a senior cat has it's risks.. but I was hoping to have at least five years of love. I'm also stressed out because the adoption center I got him from said he tested negative for FelineAIDs. I wouldn't have adopted him otherwise, because I have other cats. He's not an aggressive cat so I don't think he would have spread it to my other ones, but now I have to get them tested too. (*He is, by far, the hardest cat to crate up. He doesn't like to be picked up.. and knows, knows, that you aren't just coming over to pet him - but that you're going to try to hold him. He's also not motivated by treats)

By: My Dad

My Dad — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 07:53:40 -0800

#teamraven

By: Johnny Wallflower

Johnny Wallflower — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:03:02 -0800

Make your own FPP during FearOfDeathOctober, you monster! normally #teamraven myself, but they can be murderous, literally

By: Celsius1414

Celsius1414 — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:10:33 -0800

No need to choose sides. Nature is what it is. However, all the above animals, including ravens, are awesome. So I am on #TeamAwesome

By: maryr

maryr — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:16:06 -0800

October would be the appropriate #teamraven month. Bunnies are cute, but bunnies are stoooooooopid. Evolution has fine-tuned bunnies to out-procreate their predators, proving once again that it is not survival of the fittest but reproduction of the horniest that hones life on this Earth.

By: uberchet

uberchet — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:19:04 -0800

Bunnies are cute, but bunnies are stoooooooopid. I remember people bringing the odd bunny to my veterinarian dad, and insisting they were "just as smart" as the dogs, and my dad very obviously biting his tongue. Good businessman, my dad. If you could make a fluffy pile of rubber, it'd be about as smart as a bunny.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:23:00 -0800

Once she gets up, the dog seems to be nudging the bunny forward - nosing at its butt to make it jump. Is that something mom dogs do with puppies?

By: Drosera

Drosera — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:28:31 -0800

That poor dog is struggling with how cute that bunny is just as much as we are...

By: The Underpants Monster

The Underpants Monster — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:55:28 -0800

Wish I could go back in time and show this video to my childhood Lab before he went over to visit the neighbors' prize show rabbits.

By: Johnny Wallflower

Johnny Wallflower — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:56:59 -0800

The desire to help rabbits seems to be a human instinct.

By: Johnny Wallflower

Johnny Wallflower — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 08:58:40 -0800

Always with the negative waves The Underpants Monster, always with the negative waves.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 09:35:07 -0800

Once she gets up, the dog seems to be nudging the bunny forward - nosing at its butt to make it jump. Is that something mom dogs do with puppies? Yeah, sure, but I wouldn't assume that the dog is feeling maternal about the rabbit. Poking with their nose is also AFAIK a pretty common play enticement, and also just a way that dogs mess around with unfamiliar things. I am very far from a dog behaviorist but I see more "The fuck is this weird little thing?" than "A precious baby!" in that Lab.

By: Johnny Wallflower

Johnny Wallflower — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 09:40:54 -0800

Another video of rabbits that is not so cute, eh.

By: dances with hamsters

dances with hamsters — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 10:08:28 -0800

Kudos for David for recognizing that the rabbit and his dog are the focus of his video. If this video were taken by nearly anyone I know it would have been dominated by the human talking to the dog or trying to nudge the animals together. (And shot in portrait mode.)

By: SecretAgentSockpuppet

SecretAgentSockpuppet — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 10:36:58 -0800

We have a rabbit warren under our shed, and dozens of bunnies. We also have a 70 pound herding dog. The rabbits are not even a little afraid of her. They'll hop right over to the garden and proceed to eat it while she wags her tail at them. The biggest jackrabbit of the tribe likes to run the fence line, and Dog chases bunny until they get to the property line, then Dog turns around and Bunny chases Dog. It's hysterical.

By: cairnoflore

cairnoflore — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 10:59:46 -0800

If this was a video of my terrier the bunny would be dead. I liked this one much better.

By: deludingmyself

deludingmyself — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 11:22:58 -0800

Aww. Also this looks just like the farm dog I walked up to as a kid, intending to pet, when I realized she was crunching something in her mouth. A dog savvy child, I paused a moment, holding a fist out for sniffing, not wanting to disturb a strange dog enjoying a crunchy morsel. Dog glanced up at my hand, wagged happily, and then turned back to her prize. Amd thus did I learn that to a big enough dog, baby rabbit skulls crunch like Doritos.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 11:24:03 -0800

Domestic rabbits, which are descended from European rabbits and genetically distinct from American cottontails, aren't as smart as dogs but aren't necessarily as stupid as some people think. The stereotype comes from seeing single rabbits that have been confined to cages in backyards or basements all their lives. Rabbits given freedom to roam and opportunities to interact with other rabbits and humans show lots of smarts and personality.

By: Celsius1414

Celsius1414 — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 11:24:23 -0800

I am very far from a dog behaviorist but I see more "The fuck is this weird little thing?" than "A precious baby!" in that Lab. Given how much dogs focus and depend on an aft approach during introductions, I wouldn't be surprised if you're correct.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 11:35:11 -0800

The stereotype comes from seeing single rabbits that have been confined to cages in backyards or basements all their lives. Rabbits given freedom to roam and opportunities to interact with other rabbits and humans show lots of smarts and personality. No doubt for some, but for me the stereotype comes from observing the behavior of wild suburban rabbits. They are less than canny.

By: Seekerofsplendor

Seekerofsplendor — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 12:03:22 -0800

A cat would, of course, just kill it and try to chomp off its head. Dogs rule!

By: joannemerriam

joannemerriam — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 12:19:36 -0800

Our pet rabbits are extremely clever in one very limited way (finding ways to get out of their pen) and are extremely stupid otherwise. My husband calls them nature's auditors. A smart rabbit is about as smart as a stupid cat.

By: she's not there

she's not there — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:42:20 -0800

...And thus did I learn that to a big enough dog, baby rabbit skulls crunch like Doritos. deludingmyself: wild-ass guess here—did this experience factor into your career choice? I'm thinking this story would go a long way toward explaining what's going on in the head of certain writers/directors of particularly dark films. I'm not naming names because I don't want to risk spoiling movies or possibly revealing your true identity. (OK, Todd, just between you and me, I love your work. But, Christ Almighty, I hope you're getting help.)

By: Kabanos

Kabanos — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:54:11 -0800

Me: Okay, I've got to admit that really is a cute little bunneeeeEEEEE... (Bunny hops) Me: *HEAD EXPLODES*

By: reprise the theme song and roll the credits

reprise the theme song and roll the credits — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 19:47:37 -0800

A cat would, of course, just kill it and try to chomp off its head. Oh, I dunno, it might not.

By: lore

lore — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 20:28:18 -0800

Well, jaws are involved.

By: deludingmyself

deludingmyself — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 21:25:09 -0800

she's not there, that sounds about as far from my career as anything besides like, creationist fundamentalist preacher, so no dice there. I can't even pretend to enjoy horror movies, so you've definitely got the wrong human.

By: she's not there

she's not there — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 21:53:21 -0800

I can't even pretend to enjoy horror movies... And yet you can just toss off the phrase "...baby rabbit skulls crunch like Doritos". Perhaps you missed your calling.

By: schroedinger

schroedinger — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 01:26:01 -0800

One of my childhood cats was an extremely independent calico who was a master hunter despite being around 8-9lbs and on the smaller side. One memorable kill was when she brought home a rabbit. It was as big as her, yet there she was, dragging it across the garden cobblestones. That would have been memorable in of itself, but what really topped off that horrifying scene were the baby bunnies that she brought home for days afterwards. Dammit Callie, you didn't even eat most of them! um, but this dog with the bunny is pretty cute

By: The Underpants Monster

The Underpants Monster — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 06:24:43 -0800

One of my childhood cats was an extremely independent calico who was a master hunter despite being around 8-9lbs and on the smaller side. Calicos are extra feisty because they're really two cats in one body.