Bucatini’s Happily Ever After

The first story in Bunnies of Bunny Business

One of my favorite things about this business is getting to know my customers, both the humans placing the orders and the bunnies those orders are going home to. I spend a lot of time making things, packing boxes, and trying to keep the printers happy, but there is a particular kind of excitement that comes with an order for a personalized carrier tag or a New Bunny Bundle. Suddenly, there’s a name. Somewhere out there is an actual bunny who is going to have this little thing I’m making, and naturally, I start wondering about them.

I have a whole imaginary personality worked out for some of these bunnies before their orders even leave the house. A tag that says “Rocket” in bold blue lettering? In my head, that is a rambunctious boy bun who chews baseboards, gets into absolutely everything, and then climbs into your lap for a cuddle as though he has never caused a moment of trouble in his life. “Ellie” in pink calligraphy is a different situation entirely. Everything that bunny owns is probably pink. She might even have a tutu. She has very strong opinions about the arrangement of her enclosure, and someone had better be replacing that hay with fresh hay at least three times a day. Obviously, I cannot actually tell your rabbit’s personality from your font choices, but please know that this does not stop me from trying.

So when I saw the name Bucatini on a New Bunny Bundle order, I was immediately intrigued. That is a name with personality. I didn’t know what this bunny looked like yet, but I was quite sure there was someone special on the receiving end of that box. Later, when I had the pleasure of meeting his grandma through email and she shared his picture, I felt very pleased with my completely unscientific bunny prediction system. Those majestic ears! That sweet, curious face! Whatever I had been imagining, the actual Bucatini was even better.

His grandma, Denise, had bought the bundle for her new “grandbunny,” which is a word I am delighted to have a reason to use. She introduced me to her stepdaughter, Shannon, who shared how Bucatini became part of their family. What began as a little email check-in turned into the kind of conversation that reminds me why I love doing this. I wanted to know more about this handsome boy, and after reading his story, I wanted you to meet him too.

Bucatini’s story began at Everybunny Counts, a nonprofit rabbit rescue in Ellington, Connecticut. His mother was pregnant when she was rescued, and she went on to have a litter of fourteen babies. Sadly, not all of them survived. Bucatini and his nine surviving brothers and sisters eventually found homes through the rescue, giving ten little rabbits the chance to grow up with families of their own.

When Shannon and her husband met Bucatini, he was ten months old, and apparently he saw no reason to play hard to get. They walked over, and he immediately began asking for attention and love. Shannon described it as love at first sight, and they knew he was meant to come home with them. I love that part of their story. You go to meet a rabbit, wondering whether you might be a good fit for each other, and the rabbit gets straight to the point.

Once he was home, Bucatini settled in quickly. After just one week, he was free roaming for sixteen hours a day. Two months in, he had graduated to having the run of the house around the clock. Shannon describes him as well behaved, curious, and full of love, which sounds like a pretty wonderful housemate to me. Looking at his picture, I can absolutely imagine him keeping a close eye on whatever his people are doing, just in case there is something interesting happening that requires his involvement.

And then there was his grandma’s welcome-home gift. Denise had chosen a New Bunny Bundle for him, and Shannon told me that he loves everything in it. She also shared that having those things to explore and enjoy helps him put his energy toward something productive instead of the baseboards and furniture. That made me laugh, because even a very well behaved bunny can have a few home renovation ideas. It also made me incredibly happy. I get to see these products while they’re being made and packed, but hearing about a bunny enjoying them in his own home is a part of the process I don’t always get to experience.

There is something especially lovely about knowing this bundle came from his grandma. Before I ever knew his story, there was already a family excited about him, choosing things for him, and making room for him in their lives. A little order on my screen was part of that welcome. Then a few emails later, I got to see the bunny and meet some of the people behind it. I don’t think that will ever stop being special to me.

When Denise asked whether I could share our finished “publication” with the family, I paused. I had been thinking about a social media post, but the more I thought about Bucatini and his people, the more I wanted somewhere to tell the whole story. Somewhere his grandma could visit again, send to someone else, and proudly say, “That’s my grandbunny.” And I realized that there are probably quite a few other stories waiting behind the names I print onto carrier tags.

So Bucatini, with his magnificent ears and very enthusiastic family, has inspired the beginning of Bunnies of Bunny Business. Through this series, I’m looking forward to meeting more of the rabbits who find their way into our little corner of the world, hearing how they found their people, and learning whether any of my font-based personality guesses turn out to be remotely accurate. There are so many much-loved bunnies out there, and I would love to get to know them.

Thank you, Shannon and Denise, for sharing Bucatini with me and letting me share him here. Please give him some extra love from all of us. I’m very glad his name came across my screen.

With love,
Rebekah