Alyssa's Bunny Blog!

I've done some thinking and I will be keeping Evie for multiple reasons. One being that it's not her fault Bugs is a bit of a meanie. She's finally found a family and we are all so attached to her. I have the means to support her and when it comes time for me to go to college, I'll have to decide what I'll do then. I can also attempt bonding at some point in the future. My mom and I discussed where we could keep her, but there's no where else in my house that's safe for a bunny and where she will get attention. We have 3 dogs and a cat and I don't want her to be in danger or feel unsafe. I will be building her a multi-level condo and she will have an x-pen around the condo as a "run". She will be allowed a few hours of time outside the cage. The reason being that with the pen, she will still be able to run and burn some energy, and I feel it's not fair for Bugs to be locked in a cage as he hates it. Evie doesn't seem to mind, as long as she has toys.

I will not be continuing with bonding. It's too risky at this point.

Sorry I've posted a ton today.

 

I'm sorry to hear. Maybe after the vet appt you will have more information on if she is indeed blind.

Maybe a month separation is needed and then you can try again see if it helps any. I'm so sorry it's difficult. He may only like having someone around OUTSIDE his space but not within his space. My bun, Tigger, wants love and attention from his brother Binks but only in the backyard where there is lots of space. In the house or in his cage - ABSOLUTELY NOT. He doesn't want any bun in HIS space.

Bugs may be the same...you never know.

It could also be the breed for Evie. My Mrs. Bon-bons is the same mini-rex, and she is nippy with Binks but Binks LOVES her. I thought she had eye issues and might see well but the vet said she was fine.

She will nip him at treat time, if another bun comes up to their cage she will nip at Binks (reminds me of how my mother rabbits where with the babies, when another rabbit would come up they would nip the babies to get them away from the cage - I wonder if it was to protect them).

During the bonding with them we were at the "date" for about 3 hours without issue. Came home placed them in my daughter's room, at the time, in cages next to each other. Over the next week they came out and spent the day together, 3+ hours. She did not groom him, he loved on her, they would lay together, she would stay near him mostly. The lady at the bunny date said that she thought it would be a good fit, but that Binks would get frustrated if she didn't return the grooming and it could cause him to lash out. It took her 5 days before she groomed him back. After that we did an overnight. My daughter and I took turns being up with them. We had one tussle, that was it. Then the next day they stayed in the cage all day together, no issues, the next night we put them together and they were alright so after that, they moved in together. Now, she will nip him occasionally, like I mentioned above, Binks will occasionally try to hump her (he is a special needs Bunny - long story short - he is missing bones in his hind quarters from Rat Bite Fever and basically has Arthritis and gets pain meds injected weekly) so he can chase her only so much before he gives up. But they ADORE each other even though there are the occasional spats, there has never been a fight, blood shed, etc. They work it out...

She was very hesitant with us, even for the first few months she would "lash out" and I thought it was because she had eye issues and was scared of us. I don't think that she was in a place where she had much attention, her nails were HORRIBLE, she had previously broken when I adopted her, and she did not want to be touched by us. Took a long time, a lot of loving talk, "You are safe with us", "We just want to love you and keep you safe", "We won't hurt you", "We love you, Binks loves you", "It's ok, we are nice people". etc. She loves us now, and no longer digs and bites at us, or lunges, but it took about 6 - 7 months before she would really allow us to hold her/pick her up and snuggle, feel safe. She will come when we call her when they get outside time, she will come to the cages and ask for love/treats/attention by standing on her hind legs.

 

They may just be happier as a single bunnies, and I'm willing to accept that. I will give it another try eventually, but I'm okay with housing them separate too. Evie's nails are also terrible but I'm not comfortable clipping them because they're fully black and I can't see the quick. I can partially see Bugs's quick so I'm sure to not cut it. Bugs likes to squirm and bite so I've been unable to get his lately. I'm just going to have the vet do both of theirs, even though it will cost me money I don't have.

I had to reschedule their appointment because I didn't have a ride. They will be going in on Saturday. The joys of being young.

 

Yeah, but you are VERY responsible! My daughter and I do nails together. I usually hold them, their back to my chest/stomach, my left hand around the front holding behind the back of the front legs (can't bite then), and place them on my leg (covered with a towel so I don't get too scratched up), then I place my right hand/arm around the middle just above the back legs (so they are standing up). Then when we do the back feet I tilt just a bit so they stand on their back "elbow". We use our phone light to shine under and around the nail to check for the quick but always have the quik dry to stop the bleeding. I usually start with putting pressure on the nail for the count of 20 and then we put the powder on. We have hit the quick a few times, we both hate it! But it happens, even at the vet.

Hopefully things will all work out well. If not, know you did your best and don't beat yourself up about it.

 

I just had my sister hold Bugs while I did his. I left his nails a bit longer than I would have liked to, but I can always finish them another day. I have never cut the quick! I have gotten close but never actually cut it. I will get Evie's done at the vet because I'm not comfortable handling her yet.

 

Awesome, glad it worked...hope you gave him a treat...I forgot to mention I usually give a piece of papaya after the front feet and then after the bottom feet - so they get used to the fact they get a treat. I will also will split a banana chip in half and they will get half for front and half for back. It helps with most of them...but I have a few that still hate nails - but it has to be done.

 

It would be hard to give her up. I've grown attached to her and I love her personality and quirks. I wish there was a way that I could split my room in half so they weren't kept in cages, but even then I know Bugs could jump over whatever I put down the middle.

I bought a 25 pound bag of pellets a few weeks ago. There is 4 cups for every pound. That would make 100 cups. Bugs and Evie eat a combined 1/4 cup of pellets a day. It would take 4 days for them to eat a cup. At this rate, it will be about 400 days until they finish the bag so over a year. I know they'll expire before then but I don't want to have to throw them out until I have to. Can I extend the expiration date by putting the pellets into the fridge or freezer? I bought the bag when I had Lola and they ate 3/4 cup a day combined so I figured the bag would last them about 4 or so months. Next time, I'll just get a smaller bag.

 

Good question! I buy 10 kg bags too and bought two last time because delivery is cheaper that way. I have more bunnies than you and only one is a dwarf so I am pretty sure we'll eat all of them before next August but I think that storing in a cool dry place won't hurt. Not sure if they will stay dry in the fridge?

 

it does take a while to bond.... not always immediate... did you try putting on on a cage within the mutual cage so they can sniff and get used to the smells and presence of one another?

 

feel free to watch out kritters 24/7
http://bark-9.com/KRITTER.html

 

They are allowed to sniff each other through the cage bars. I'm going to wait at least a month before attempting to bond again.

The bunnies had their checkup earlier today and the vet said they both looked good. Evie actually weighs half a pound more than Bugs does! She looks way smaller than him. Bugs was making a mess and being crazy and he had the vet and vet techs all laughing at him. Everyone in the vet office came back to pet and look at them. I had a blanket and hay in his carrier and he pushed everything out! It was pretty funny. Whenever the vet would look at him, he would push her hand away. The vet looked at Evie's eyes and ears and she said everything looked fine, which was a huge relief for me. The vet said that we need a Flemish because Evie and Bugs are so tiny, to balance it out. My mom said absolutely not because they're huge. I'd like to have a Flemish, but I don't have the space or money for one now anyway.

Yesterday, my mom sent me a picture of the litter of English Spots her boss's bunny just had and she said her boss will give me one for free. Her boss knows about Bugs and Evie and he said he can't imagine a better place for one of them to go. My mom said she doesn't necessarily want another bunny in the house, but she thinks it's up to me to decide if I want a third. I am aware of the risks of getting a third, but then I could attempt to bond it with Bugs or Evie or even potentially both of them. I'd probably get a female because I could bond her with either of them and I could form a trio if I wanted to. I know it's not an ideal way of getting one of them a friend (and I'm not declaring Bugs and Evie un-bondable right now either). I'm okay with having a pair and a single, but I'm not completely opposed to the idea of having them three separate either. It's something I will just have to think about. I'm pretty content with Bugs and Evie now.

 

Happy 4th to all of you Americans from Bugs, Evie, and I! I don't have a picture of Evie because these were taken a couple of months ago and she doesn't like things on her head.

 

What a handsome boy!! Happy 4th of July!!!!

 

I put Bugs and Evie together in a laundry basket in our basement. Neither bun has been down here so it's 100% neutral. I planned to be down here for 15 minutes tops, but it's half an hour later. There was a nip from Evie because Bugs was in her way but he didn't nip back and it didn't escalate. Bugs did thump, so there's that, but that's probably because he's bored and hates being in small spaces. There has been lots and lots of kisses, which I was not expecting at all. Evie has given most of the kisses and when she wants kisses back, she will ask me instead of him. I think she likes how his fur feels because hers is way different.

I'm trying to not get my hopes up, but I may actually have a bonded pair! I'm probably going to take it very slow this time though.

 

Yay!! Great news! They make such a cute couple!

 

I do think that the week long break they had helped. There has been no nips today and only one yesterday. They have been together for almost an hour in the laundry basket and there has been lots of kisses and snuggling. The next session will be done in the bathtub, granted the rest of this session goes well. If there's nipping, we will go back to the previous step. I won't move on if there's nipping because they've already shown me that it can and will escalate.

Whenever I think about then being bonded and living together, it makes me nervous. I don't want a fight when I'm not home to break it up. Is it normal to be anxious about them being together? I would like to get them bonded by the end of this month so I have most of next month to be sure they're going to be okay together all day before school starts up again. At this rate, they will be (hopefully) at least spending nights together without problems in a week or two.

(Sorry the picture is dark, my kitchen isn't the most well-lit area)

 

Bugs ate over half of the rasins in the bag today. My sister loves to come in and give the bunnies a treat once a day. Today, she left the bag of rasins on a stool near the litter box. I came home from work to discover the bag of rasins chewed open and most of them eaten. That's a ton of sugar and I can't imagine how his little tummy feels. I'm suprised he didn't eat them all. He's not pressing his tummy to the ground and he's acting normal so I'm just going to keep an eye on him. I'll probably give him a couple doses of simethicone as a precaution throughout the rest of the day. I'm guessing it'll probably affect his poos and appetite for a while, but I'll keep an eye on him. He just flopped on the air vent, so he is still himself.

Can't say I'm mad at him. If someone left a bag of candy in my room, I'd eat most of it too.

 

I hope he's ok after that sugar rush! He must have thought it was his birthday.

This little poppet I recently rehomed ate a tiny piece of a coat lining this morning! There was I thinking it was good that he never seemed to chew fabrics, though he will go for carpet. Am keeping him running round and encouraging him to have extra hay, just in case.