Chapter 112 - Marking Territory
It was a warm afternoon. Merlot was sound asleep under the bed in the guest room when she was awakened by a whirring sound coming from the other room. She opened one eye and sighed. She knew what it was. The poop-eating machine was at it again.
“All that work last night. Now I have to do it again!” she thought. Enzo had taught her the importance of keeping the borders of their territory marked. “You never know when you might be asleep or gone to the vet when some other rabbit might come in and try and claim your territory! It’s important to put markers up and keep them fresh,” he had said.
Their territory was the entire main living area of the house. It wasn’t so bad when the two of them kept the territory marked with their poop pellets. But now that she was alone, it was a LOT of territory for a small bunny to keep marked! She had to eat extra food just to make enough poop! Merlot thought, “Dad thinks I don’t know how to use the litter box. But by the time I mark all my territory, there isn’t much left for the litter box!”
Every night, after Dad went to bed, she went to work. She had to prioritize what areas to mark. The most important area was around Dad’s office chair. She was not only claiming the territory, she was claiming Dad! After that, she marked the entrance from the other parts of the house and her spot by the window in the living room. She gave up marking the bathroom and guest room.
The next morning, when Dad got up and came into the office, he’d see a ring of poop clumps around his office. He’d just smile and shake his head and say, “Merlot! I see you were busy last night!”
Merlot is busy keeping her territory marked now that Enzo is gone.
Would you like to read more of Abigail's blogs? See them all HERE.
Maurice lives with two rabbits, and does most to of the typing for Merlot, our novelist.
