Blogging Off

Today is my last day (for a while at least) of filling in for BHV. It's been fun and thanks for your support and comments. Apologies for the rather disproportionate number of posts about my own little furry family - I just have more photos of them than the bunnies at the Rescue as I usually forget to take my camera, or forget I brought my camera until it's starting to get dark and the bunnies are all looking far too hungry to sit still enough for long exposure shots. So here's me and my two pairs of fluffsters signing off*.

Normal service will resume shortly!

(*Clarence and Beatrice photo courtesy of BHV.)

Can't get the staff

"Mrs Two-Legs, you really do like to make a mess when you're 'cleaning' don't you?"

Floofy Greens Face

"nom nom"

Funny Stretchy Boy

"Ahhh and just stretch out this last leg... and it'll be time for another nap."

Climbing Games

This is my most favourite bunny game. Lie on the floor with snacks and see who'll climb on me. Milo has been good at this for a while. Boo used to be cautious and always keep one foot on the floor, but has recently discovered that it's safe and now jumps up enthusiastically, particularly if she hears the rattle of pellets in their tub. Haven't managed to get a photo of her playing this game yet but here's a rather blurry one from a while ago of little Milo.

"eee gimme the snack already"

If you play this game, be warned, you are likely to get lightly coated in fluff and damp muddy footprints and to get the occasional damp paw or ear in your face. All in a day's fun!

Snoozy Boo nap time

Fort BooMo

I wouldn't normally spend £15 on what is basically a cardboard box but I couldn't help myself.

"You spent how much of our allowance on cardboard instead of snacks?!??!"

"Actually, this looks kind of fun! Ooo what's in here?"

I was slightly concerned when we constructed it about whether Boo would fit through the doors.

"Hm, this is a little smaller than I'm used to..."

"But no need to worry, Mrs Two-Legs, us bunnies can always get through a smaller space than you expect."

A few weeks later....

I might be cute but I am not a toy - I'm a Real rabbit

Sorry for the late post today. Vicki here, attempting to fill in for BHV. I'm afraid I've failed to come up with a witty line for this evening, but here's a pic of one of my furries having a snack.

When he periscopes he always reminds me of the Velveteen Rabbit - if rather less shabby. And then it makes me sad to think of all the Real bunnies out there who are treated more like toys and don't get to show their natural behaviours like the Velveteen rabbit was eventually able and like this little chap gets to.

"He gave one leap and the joy of using those hind legs was so great that he went springing about the turf on them, jumping sideways and whirling round as the others did" (Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit).

Reminds me of the joy we see when a bunny who's been confined to a hutch their whole life arrives with us and gets their first taste of a decent bit of space.

Pain in the (hairy) neck

"I know you say there are some matts on the back of my neck...."

"...but did you really need to comb off this much of my floof?!"

"And what the heck have you done with my ears??!"

A brief moment of sunshine

With such wet dreary weather this Christmas, any moment of sunshine is precious. The other morning a small patch of sun appeared on the lawn for about half an hour. My husband was soon out there with his camera attempting to get Boo and Milo to sit in the right spot for long enough to get a photo.

"I'm sure it's not normal for us to get a picnic on the lawn at 10 am." 

The Boo Snackleys

The most exciting new happening is Caroline being on the radio yesterday, but since neither Caroline nor radio's have cute fluffy ears, here's a couple of random pictures of Vicki's buns eating snacks while bonding at the Rescue last month.

"[munch]"

"Ditto"

Two buns in a tub

We all know that every bunny needs a friend - but sometimes I wonder whether they know this given some of the challenges of bunny bonding! I recently made my second attempt ever to bond bunnies at home. The first time I was successful. This time I was not.

As I might have mentioned in one of my earlier posts, our beloved Buddy passed away in August from kidney failure, leaving bossy queen Boo on her own. Not long after, by coincidence, we came into custody of a cute little bunny named Milo (see Little Devil) who at the time we did not know whether we would end up keeping or just fostering for a bit on his way into the rescue. Well we fell for him and thought we’d give bonding a go.

So, I set up the our foster bun accommodation as a bonding area (neutral territory I hoped) with the playhouse split into two with metal panels so they’d be able to see and smell each other but not touch. After 3 days spent next to each other (switching them between the sides now and then to get them used to each other’s smell) I let them out for a bonding session in a large pen area. After an initial couple of minutes of not noticing each other there was chasing and attacking (and a bite to my arm). I gave up for the day. Two days later I tried again with the same reaction.

Deciding a change in tactic was needed I started trying short sessions in an even more alien environment – the bath.

These sessions went somewhat better with not as much outright aggression, and on a couple of occasions Milo attempted to groom Boo. Strangely he seemed intent on grooming her eye-balls quite vigorously which was not always appreciated. After nearly a week of these sessions she would still lunge at him sometimes and I was nowhere close to trusting them together.

We were then due to go on holiday, with the bunnies taking their break at the rescue. So I asked Caroline to see if she could persuade them to be friends, and if not to bond Queen Boo with a boybun who she would accept.

Five days later I had an email from Caroline to say that they were bonded! She clearly has the magic touch. They have been home with us again for a fortnight now and are very happy in each other’s company with lots of following each other around. We haven’t seen all that much grooming each other yet, but there has been no sign of upset on their return to Boo’s domain. And to be honest they are both such busy, active bunnies that there isn’t a lot of time for sitting about washing.