Bonding Kirby & Penny - Moving in

[kirbyultra]

elrohwen wrote:

They're doing fantastic! Don't stress out - they're doing very very well. I can't even stress how well they're doing. haha. Being together in each other's territories this early on is great. I would plan on moving them in together soon and sleeping near them for a few nights.

I think I was too stressed out. I wasn't sleeping well and I think it made me easily susceptible to germs

I gotta run a bunch of errands today so their time together is going to be shortened a bit, but I'll try to put them together for some time at night.

I'm just wondering if they live together, Kirby may be on more than a diet. He may starve! She eats everything She drinks everything too What can I do about that?

I weighed Kirby and Toby today just as a benchmark. Kirby's lost a lot of his chubbiness. I am glad the diet worked out. I've been dieting him for weeks...months... He was 5.9lbs in November. Now he is only 5 lbs, 3 oz. I think that's a good place for him. Toby is only 3 lbs 1 oz. I'm kind of shocked because I coulda sworn he was heavier the last time he was at the vet's. But I have been restricting his pellets as well for a while, save for the while he was molting like nuts.

 

[elrohwen]

He may just learn to eat faster. The first couple days my two were together, I don't think Hannah got any pellets. She wasn't particularly interested in them before bonding, and after they lived together Otto ate them all. He would take all day eating them and she still wouldn't get any.

After 3-4 days, she was digging into the pellets as soon as I set down the bowl! She figured it out I still think Otto eats more than her, but hay makes up for some of the balance.

Is there anything Penny won't eat? I try to provide some veggies I know Otto won't eat that Hannah likes so that she'll get them all. But Penny might just eat everything in sight.

 

[juliew19673]

It sounds like your the only one getting stressed out - lol.. Could your buns be picking up on your vibe and than get antsy to stop bonding as "Mom" is not taking well to bonding?

I agree if the other women you know who are more expert at thisandwould stick withthe 2 minute rule or what if you went just 3 minutes for awhile as they seem to be able to handle 2 now. Its a long slow process at times or you can do what my buns decided to do (read my last entry in my blog) however I do not EVER suggests this, but it worked very quickly.. lol.

Good luck and will look for updates and tips thatyou find that work for you.

 

[kirbyultra]

elrohwen wrote:

He may just learn to eat faster. ...

Is there anything Penny won't eat?...

Uhh, nope. She eats everything. Even things that I try to keep from her. ESPECIALLY things that I try to keep from her! Like parsley. Seems to trigger extra cecals in her almost immediately!

I don't know, I guess Kirby'll have to figure it out or not eat.. Poor baby. He's my favorite bunny. To see him not be alpha and then see her not give him kisses, and eat his food... makes me so sad

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

kirbyultra wrote:

elrohwen wrote:

He may just learn to eat faster. ...

Is there anything Penny won't eat?...

Uhh, nope. She eats everything. Even things that I try to keep from her. ESPECIALLY things that I try to keep from her! Like parsley. Seems to trigger extra cecals in her almost immediately!

I don't know, I guess Kirby'll have to figure it out or not eat.. Poor baby. He's my favorite bunny. To see him not be alpha and then see her not give him kisses, and eat his food... makes me so sad

Hey babe I have been following its a bunny thing. :hug2:

I know and you know it will all work it self out. I give Storm and jessi a little more so they both get enough. Maybe you can work something out.

 

[kirbyultra]

Mrs. PBJ wrote:

Hey babe I have been following its a bunny thing. :hug2:

I know and you know it will all work it self out. I give Storm and jessi a little more so they both get enough. Maybe you can work something out.

Thanks Kat... *sigh* I am glad someone understands.

Ugh, it's gnawing at me inside, still. She's squatted herself in front of Kirby's hay basket and eating herself silly (literally, silly. There's hay on her head LOL:spintongue). Kirby meanwhile, had to sit on the side of the basket and eat off the floor. My poor King Kirby! My King! Eating off the floor! :grumpy

Earlier, I saw that Penny had gone upstairs in his condo and eaten some hay, then left. Then I saw Kirby sitting on the side of the basket nibbling hay and I thought it was weird. I asked "Kirby, why are you sitting on the side?" And then I peered over the hay basket to see over the hay... I saw a puddle of pee there. And Kirby looked up at me as if to say "now you know. she peed." I gasped and just screamed "That WENCH!"

Anyways, don't get me wrong. I don't dislike Penny. Just the opposite, in fact. But it's just funny to villainize her a little for my own entertainment lol In reality, it's great that they're able to eat together inside Kirby's territory.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

POh the peeing and the pooping if there is not a box there I would put one there.

My two have poop wars everyday. I am constantly cleaning poop I would add a few more litter boxes although I know you have your issues with her and that. Any where she would eat I would put a litter box for a short while.


The bun where up to four at one point now they are back to 2 one in the cage one out of the cage. But mine get closed in the cage at night. If they could free rome I would only have one.

 

[kirbyultra]

A litter box wouldn't fit where the hay basket is because it's inside a condo.. I don't really know where else would be helpful, but I guess I can put more litter boxes on the floor.

They are not having poop wars. Not at all, actually. But Penny just has bad litter box manners. If she eats, she pees and poops.

Ok I found a way to make it sorta fit. I slipped the litter box under the ramp, so it's there, but the ramp leads right into it I better remove it when they're not bonding.

 

[kirbyultra]

LOL check out what I saw on the webcam.
At least my poor Kirby got the top bunk.

Penny: "Hey Kirby, you got nice digs."
Kirby: "Ahh, shaddap. Tryin' to sleep here!" *shakes head*

 

[kirbyultra]

I gave them 6 hours together today in the rabbit room, all cage doors open. Everything went well. No accidents until...

I gave them a plate of lettuce to share. Kirby sniffed it up and as soon as he realized there was no parsley in it, he lost interest. Penny was gobbling it up. Since she was sitting still, Kirby took the opportunity to groom her. She got ticked off by it, flicked her ears at him. He didn't quit so she got mad. Dropped her lettuce, boxed him and both buns hopped away. She promptly picked up the nearest piece of lettuce and continued chomping. Happened in a matter of about 6 seconds.
hwell:
Kat's additional litter box idea worked really well for Penny who sat there to dine (due to lack of space she was forced to sit in the box). :thumbup I've taken it away with bonding being over since Kirby has to hop over it to get up and down. Litter boxes are slippery. Not what you really want to be stepping in after coming down a ramp!

:eats:< -- Penny

anic:<-- Me, for a long time. I think that removing myself from the rabbit room completely helped my stress level. Without having to stare at their every movement, I have been doing much better. Watching them on my private webcams really helps remove myself and yet keep an eye on them (I can hear them from the other rooms though)! Kirbykam is still the same, it mostly looks over Kirby's area. Toby's webcam had to be renamed. It is no longer Tobykam. It is now... wait for it... PennyPeep.

:shame

 

[elrohwen]

Hannah marked with pee quite a bit during bonding sessions and their first few days together. It may be that (or she may just have lousy litter habits).

Definitely try to keep your stress level down. I recommend a glass of wine or two while bonding

And I know what you mean about watching their every movement. I spend 24 hours a day with the buns for the first 4 days of their living together and watched everything they did. Even now, a week and a half later, we keep our bedroom doors open (before we closed them) and head downstairs if we wake up to any noise. You'll learn to trust them with time and know that they're not going to start a fight over things. I still get tense though when my guys start humping and last night somebody pulled some fur out of somebody else. But I'm more calm now that I know they're not going to get into a knock down drag out fight.

 

[kirbyultra]

been dragging my feet the last few days. Got a cold and other stuff going on. The buns haven't had as much time to bond as a result. But they did get a couple hours together yesterday. Same old, same old.

They are eating hay together still. It's very cute.

Kirby and Penny spend a lot of time lounging around their own areas, not really together. But they don't fight. The most they'll do is wack each other once, and then hop away but they don't do it often at all.

I have some late night stuff to do so I"m gonna leave them together overnight and see how they do. So far they're squatting in their own spots.

 

[kirbyultra]

Hi everyone. I think it's time to move them in together... they seem to be doing fine together over several days. To date they have never had a real fight. Just a couple nips and buns running in opposite directions away from each other. They have gotten better and better. They're comfortable with each other however, they still don't snuggle. Kirby grooms her but she is still kind of uncomfortable with it, and sometimes runs away. They can "share" food: Penny eats way faster than Kirby and eventually she eats all the food for the both of them They nibble on hay together peacefully.

I think they are ready... they aren't lovey dove but they seem to be very civil together.

What's the correct way of doing this...? I still do want to have an enclosure around their space because there are wires and things in the room. It's bunny proofed but I still don't feel good about letting them run the whole room 24/7. So what I have done is dismantled Penny's xpen and connected the xpen to Kirby's xpen. The result is now they have 2 xpens connected together into a rather large space, and that is connected to Kirby's Leith condo so they can both freely move about.

Is it a mistake to take away Penny's xpen as "her" space? Do you think based upon my observation that it is ok to put them together now?

And I'm just kind of scared and reluctant about this because Penny eats everything and Kirby may not have any pellets and lettuce to eat Or water to drink!

 

[JadeIcing]

Sounds like a good pla:thumbup

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Have you thought about getting a cat water think the ones that are bigger. I have one for Jessi and Storm. Also Ali gave me the idea to feed them on a plate. Like what we eat off of.

Also i would hand feed kirby his parsley.


I thinks it time to move then in together they will work it out.

 

[kirbyultra]

Mrs. PBJ wrote:

Have you thought about getting a cat water think the ones that are bigger. I have one for Jessi and Storm. Also Ali gave me the idea to feed them on a plate. Like what we eat off of.

Also i would hand feed kirby his parsley.


I thinks it time to move then in together they will work it out.

You mean those like, continual flow thingies with a big "water bottle"? I don't know what they're called but I have seen them in pet stores. I don't wanna do that because I am convinced Penny can and will drink the whole thing! And then she will urinate everywhere.... :grumpy You know her litter habits are still really lousy. :yuck

Hand feeding the parsley sounds like a great idea! I will do that. It's his fave so I'm sure he will eat that up.

They're together now and well, they're still lying around separately. Kirby on his 3rd level of the condo and Penny on the floor on the other side of the room.

 

[kirbyultra]

Here is the old configuration. Condo and xpen for Kirby. Penny in her own pen.

Here's the new digs - this is just what I threw together... it may not be the final configuration of the rabbit room. The xpen is all jagged because of the way it needs to connect to the condo. Not loving it but it'll have to do for now. I think this is plenty of space for a bonded pair to run around in.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Storm and Jessi did not start laying together for about a week after being together 24/7.


Now they sleep in one spot together if their not laying their together they are separated. Like right now Jessi is on top of their cage sprawled out and Storm is in the pin asleep.

The pin is like a bunny heaven.


I would try the water thing. Has she been tested for diabetes? All that water drinking is not normal.

 

[hln917]

kirbyultra wrote:

Toby's webcam had to be renamed. It is no longer Tobykam. It is now... wait for it... PennyPeep.

:shame

You come up with some of the most hysterical phrases!

 

[kirbyultra]

Mrs. PBJ wrote:

I would try the water thing. Has she been tested for diabetes? All that water drinking is not normal.

Believe me, I know it's not normal. Already been to the vet. $400 in vet bills later, she's still drinking water like it's spiked with crack. I just don't have that kind of money to blow.