The Diaries of Merlin Puffsbottom and Naja Seraphina

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Charlotte: Isn't it?? Their love for carrot overrides all the enmity. But only as long as the carrot's there.

Chris: Aw thanks, I sure hope they do! It would be super embarrassing to have to go back to the rescue and be like, "Um, uhh, so... turns out it didn't reeeeeaally work out, heh... here's Naja back...er." :baghead

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Big Momma, our anemone, is splitting! It looks gross but she's still all bubbled up so I guess she's happy. I thought she'd snaggled herself on a rock somehow and it really freaked me out for a second there.

Back to flufflebutt news - Sasha keeps trying to nip Merlin on the nose. This is not encouraging progress at all. We were sitting down watching TV, with a pen fence up separating me holding Sashybun, and hubby holding the Murly Wurly. For once Merlin was behaving himself and seemed only mildly concerned and interested in her presence, which is surprising because she was technically in his undisputed territory. He went to look/sniff at her, and she slipped her tiny face through the bars to nip at his nose. Twice!

They weren't bad bites, he's not hurt, but this does get me worried. Will I ever be able to put them together again?? How do I discourage her from nipping? Do they make tiny bunny muzzles? Lol. Oh Sashybun. Merlin's such a groucho grump normally, it would be great if you didn't discourage him when he's actually being nice.

Here's what I don't get. In neutral territory, she mostly ignores him or runs away from him. Both times Sasha bit him, she was in his territory, which the total opposite of what I'd expect. Why is SHE being the aggressor in his territory? Is she trying to execute some sort of bunny coup to take over his kingdom, maybe. Ugh, I feel so clueless and helpless.

:duck:
 
Maybe in his territory she's trying to assert herself as top bun, so even though she can smell his scent she wants to make him aware that she's in charge? It's a tough situation, I'm sorry their bond is coming along so slowly. :(
 
That's what I'm thinking. Ah well, I'm expecting bonding to be a long hard road anyways, given her history and his bratty personality. Hopefully we get some sunshine so they can go out on the deck for a nice long session!
 
Bonding is sometimes a real headache but you just have to perservere, you will learn to read the signs and let them sort out the pecking order. Sometimes it's the bun who you least expect who ends up ruling the roost. I have just finished today changing my set up to house all three together again, it has been a long road back but we finally got there. I am sure your two will work things out.
 
Chris: You're right. Though at this point I would be very surprised if Merlin ended up being the boss, lol.

BunnySilver: Heh thanks :)

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Well, we did get some sunshine and balcony bonding time! And after lots of nips and heaps of work, we moved around some furniture and made a tight co-living space for Sasha and Merls. Really hoping this gets them used to each other, so we can open the cage door, expand the pen and put in their tunnels, toys, huts, and other fun stuff for a sweet bunny duo pad.

First, the bonding:
Same old setup, but with one divider panel instead of two. Yes, this did allow Sasha to nip at Merlin one or nine times. He's not got any bite marks, which is miraculous. Hubby wanted to let her nip him so he learns to be quicker at evading her, and so she learns that nipping doesn't achieve anything. I squealed and held her head down whenever she nipped. Hubby rolled his eyes at me lots.

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What a chubster.

The living room setup:
Put Sasha in Merlin's old cage to mix the scents up, and put Merlin in a small pen area right outside her. Right now we left their toys and Sasha's cardboard hut out, so that they'll hopefully interact with each other lots and lots. She still nips him through the cage when he goes up to sniff at her, but he doesn't seem too fazed about it. I keep checking his nose for marks. He's like, Mum it's sweet bro. I got the moves. She ain't catching any of this smooth ass Bunny Lightning.

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I just keep staring at them like a creepy stalker. Hehehehehehhhehhehhhehehheh.
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On closer inspection, when she nips at his face she pulls out fur. Which she then eats. Why Sasha whyyyyyy?

Imagine Merlin with bald cheeks. That would be so weird. Don't do that to my Murlybun Sashy :(
 
Lmao! Sorry, you're just so funny the way you write them, haha. Poor Merlin! I hope he learns to keep his face out of reach! Bonding is a long process. Sending you good vibes, hope they start getting along.
 
Sasha's teaching the Murly Wurly BAD HABITS. Now he tries to bite her through the fence too! But he's not very successful. Actually it's kind of cute, like watching a child meekly pick up his toys after Mum told him to. Sasha's nipping is intentional, fast, calculated, she engages the enemy and always lands her shot. Merlin goes up to her while she's sitting nonchalantly by the bars, cautiously sticks his mouth in and opens and closes like he's biting through rubber, and he only reaches the tips of her fur but he tries anyway. It's not aggressive at all, not a "GRRR I WANT TO BITE YOU" bite attempt. It's almost like Merlin thinks she's teaching him Proper Etiquette and now he's politely trying to reciprocate.

:headsmack

UGH it's supposed to be the other way round! Merlin's supposed to teach Sasha how bunfriends socialise and you know, not bite each other?? I don't even know with these two anymore. I'm throwing in the towel for today.

They seem relaxed with their co-living arrangement though. They eat and drink, and flop out in their respective areas. That's a good sign, right?
 
OWWW! My first whopper of a bunny-related injury! Neither rabbit is to blame though. 'Cept maybe Merlin for being a fatass.

I was lifting him out of his pen. I had to step inside to do it because I'm short. For the same reason, I have to tiptoe to get over the pen fence. Well I got inside fine, but once I picked him up and went to get out, I misjudged the extra weight, lost my balance and slammed my @%$$#%@@#%@&%$# crotch down on the fence.

Now I'm bleeding a bit and walking around like a penguin with toilet paper stuffed down my undies. **** you, Merlin.
 
Ohhh, ow! Laura!! That sounds so painful!! :( Those pens can be dangerous. Everyone in my house has tripped on ours multiple times.
 
Oh ouch! :S I'm SO paranoid about tripping over the pen and breaking a toe! Not to mention sending it crashing down on top of an innocent bunzo... :cry1:They are dangerous. Was thankful I wasn't a dude, impact could have torn out quite a bit more than just some skin.

Anyway, we tried out a face-to-face bonding session. There was some charging and nipping, as expected, but no humping yet. Hubby is quite protective of his matey potatey (his words!) Merlin, he kept blocking Sasha off with his hands whenever she tried to charge at him. And vice versa. So to be fair, they couldn't really get near each other even if they did want to hump. Should we have let them?

I mean, I know they should be allowed to work things out on their own, including all the chasing, humping and other shenanigans, but it seems like she wants to do is CHOMP CHOMP. I'm torn between wanting to let her get at him to work **** out, and wanting to prevent injuries. Merlin bit out a tiny hole in Rosebun's ear in a fight once, that traumatised me more than Rosey. Ugh, you bunnies. Peace, man. Not war. Peeeaaaaace.
 
As a politics and criminology student I'm a seething nihilist at the best of times, but there's something about bunnies that just makes everything bad in the world go away.

When I'm sitting in the pen, giving Sasha head rubs and Merlin strokes, it's like I'm suspended in a microcosm of happiness. Like a bunny's aura encapsulates its own little refuge of warmth and serenity, and with every little nonchalant foot scratch they're extending me an invitation to join in. I feel so incredibly, amazingly fortunate that they let me join them in their gentle little world, that every time I step into the pen Merlin welcomes me by trying to get underfoot, and every time I open the cage door and reach in, Sasha welcomes me by demanding pets in her usual way.

Cage territorial behaviour is so common and natural with bunnies that I'm surprised Merlin, and even more so Sasha, doesn't display it with me. For someone who's dealing with so many emotional and social barriers that I barely have a close friend in the world, to know that not just the bunny I raised but also the one I just met are always happy to have my company in their home.. you could melt aluminium on my cold black heart.

Today I was sitting in their cage, stressing out over school, and talking to Merlin. He was loafing in his little man cave, I reached my arm right in for a cuddle and he didn't mind at all. Here I should note that his man cave is his Room, his Batcave, his castle, and countless times he has defended it bravely from my hubby's prying hands. He sat up, scritched his nose and did a dead bunny flop, with my arm right there and my face inches from his.

The bastard fell asleep.

I wanted to cry. Ok maybe I did cry.

I felt so accepted. And his soft sleeping face with eyes almost shut reminded me of Rosebun, and how lonely it felt without him, for both of us. The last we saw of Rosey was that crescent moon flop, the soft peaceful face, the eyes almost shut. I am a lonely mother.

But now I feel braver, for Merlin, for Sasha, and there are new challenges to be met. Not least, to begin with, extricating my arm from Merlin's little body without waking him up.
 
I don't understand what we're doing wrong. Today we took Sasha and Merlin out for another face to face bonding sesh. This time hubby stayed out. There were big fights almost right away. At first it was Sasha going after Merlin while he kept running for cover, but then he got mad and went for her too. Honks, tails up, it was bad. Bubs got REAL cut up stopping this one. He's got a huge bite on his wrist where Sasha bit and held on. I am feeling quite guilty and I know he's feeling a bit ill towards Sasha now.

What are we missing? Merls and Sashy seem fine living side by side, apart from the odd nip. I feed them vegetables together through the bars. I don't want to stress bond them because I KNOW there will be a bite-fest going on in the carrier.

Sigh, I know bonding is difficult but it's hard not to like a failure. They were doing SO well the first time they met, I don't know how I fecked it up.

Feeling quite discouraged. :(
 
Oh Charlotte, how did you do it? So jealous of Felix and Clem! :purpletongue

Spending some one on one time with Sashybun today. She's loving the out time, although it's in our dinner area, which is where Merlin has his happy dinnertimes with daddy sneaking him hoomin foods. Is the scent mixing good or bad? I dunno. Merlin's got the run of his pen and her cage while it lasts, so I guess that evens things.

She's so good with me, but so bitey with hubs and Merlin. Why do you have to be so difficult Sashibibunny, they're the ones you have to charm, not me! I'd honestly be happy to keep her separately if it never works out with Merlin, but hubs wouldn't want that. The whole point of this was to find Merlin a buddy, and that's what he's focused on. :/

It's hard to equate the sweet tiny bunny binkying everywhere with the evil bite monster that scares both a grown man and a rabbit twice her size.
 
15 minutes later...

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I think there's enough poop on my floor to make at least one life-sized Sasha poop sculpture.


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We must replenish the poop stocks!

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Yikes, that's a lot of poo for 15mins.

Sorry to hear they aren't playing nice. :( Don't give up, it's only been what, 2 weeks? I'm sure they'll surprise us all! :)
 
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