Indie & Maxie
This photo was taken on Indie’s very first day at Red Rabbit Farm, and it perfectly captures her personality. She was proudly independent, and such a little lady.
Max had always been a bit of a bulldozer. He had more or less willed Coby to first tolerate him, and then care for him. But when Indie arrived, she didn’t need any coaxing. She took charge straight away.
First day at Red Rabbit Farm, Max trying to nap while Indie lounges across him keeping watch and grooming him.
I had been warned that not all joeys in care form a strong bond, and I’ve seen how true that is when visiting other homes caring for little ones. But within minutes of meeting, these two were inseparable.
Indie had grown up in a home where she was considerably younger than the other four joeys, all with very strong personalities.
It was clear that Indie could see Max was a bit sad, so she immediately let him know she was there to look after him. He was quite thrilled with all of her attention.
Indie was only a couple of weeks older than Max, so they were on the same feeding schedule. At nine months old, they only needed bottles three times a day.
Each morning, I would get up early, open their nursery, and they would follow me into the kitchen to supervise the making of their bottles.
We would then head out to the veranda, where they would gobble down their special kangaroo milk formula, I was using Wombaroo, while the wild kangaroos wandered through, enjoying the grass on their way up into the bush.
After my breakfast and a bit of quiet time for them, lounging around the veranda, we would head off on a property walk. I don’t know that I have ever experienced anything as magical as taking a walk with two joeys. They are hilarious! It’s not a strenuous walk, there’s a lot of stopping for a little munch, there’s watching them play and sharing their joy when they zoom around really stretching out those long legs.
When they race out of site, it’s never for long. They rush back to my feet basically expressing “did you see how clever I am?!”
Max on my left and Indie on my right. Me in the middle making sure that I don’t step on those long toes.
I slowed down this playtime a bit to relish the fun they were having.
Daytime is for resting.
Yes, I put out a mat on the grass. The ground was often damp, so it gave me a place to sit, kept their pouches from getting wet, and they loved it. It even made a little noise when they bounced around on it. At this age, they would normally be climbing back into their mum’s pouch after a run around, where it’s warm and dry, so this worked well.
Max had obviously gotten up for a little wander, probably to pee and poop, but Indie was tired after doing zoomies and just wanted to stay cosy in her pouch. When Max came back to the mat, he lay down beside her and held her hand.
Just one of many heart-melting moments I was experiencing with these two every day.
Another thing that makes my heart go pitter-pat is what we call the “helicopter tail” action. It happens when they get so excited they jump for joy while trying to keep their balance.
Indie always did it the best.
And below is Maxie showing off his speed and bravery.
Another quirky thing about these fabulous creatures is that they sometimes regurgitate their food. This behaviour, known as merycism, is the act of re-chewing to further digest plant matter. It’s an involuntary process that helps break down coarse food fibres, improve digestion, and produce essential saliva that buffers their stomach acid.
It often involves a characteristic “pumping” motion through the abdomen, sometimes bringing up a green, fermented mash to be re-chewed and swallowed. It’s quite clear they don’t mind the taste.
They don’t do this when they are very little, but as they grow older and begin consuming more grass, and eating very quickly it starts to happen.
This was Maxie’s first time:
The nursery I set up was mainly for the middle of the night, to keep them safe, and for those times when the weather was too miserable to be outside. It just so happened to be my ensuite, which made late-night feeds much more convenient.
But my favourite part was the windows to the outside. From the safety of their hanging pouches or soft beds, they could look out and watch the wild roos and wallabies wandering about after dark.
Indie is on the bottom left and Maxie is on the top right in this photo.
That’s Max, looking up at me, while they enjoy a little “snack pack” of dirt and grass, wondering why I’m interrupting nighttime snack time to take photos.
Indie’s head is on the left and Max on the right, they just loved snuggling with each other, next to me on the couch in the evenings before their late night bottles.
After their bottles and a little time outside in the dark, peeing and pooping, snacking on grass, and hopping about, it was time for bed in the nursery. Just like human babies, routine is important.
At this age, they would still be spending a lot of time in their mum’s pouch. Nighttime isn’t just for sleeping, a lot of grazing happens while they are hanging out of the pouch, so I like using what are called “3D pouches.” I believe they mimic a mother’s pouch quite well, giving the joeys the ability to squirm and move around in a way that closely matches what I see with the wild ones. They can get out, have a wander, and climb back in again.
This is Indie getting tucked in.
When they weren’t eating, sleeping or cuddling each other, they loved showing off their mad hopping skills.
But no matter how much fun they had racing around the property, there was nothing as comforting as jumping back into that pouch. I made my pouches with a double lining of soft cotton, with just a little bit of spandex so they could stretch and contract. Watching joeys in the wild, I can see how they stretch their mother’s pouch as they move about. I’m sure that bit of resistance helps build their little muscles.
Kangaroo joeys aren’t considered “predator-proof” until they reach 10 kilos (22 lbs). I’ll share that transition a little later. For now, let’s jump into the stories that inspired Maxie Roo Is Just Like You!
