The Duchess Of UP Diaries, Luna edition.

[Aubrisita]

So I caved and decided to start a blog for my girl. Before I dive right in, a little background.

On January 13th, I had to say goodbye to my special lil buddy, Stache. He was my first bunny and he turned me into a devout bunny slave. Lol. I will always be thankful to him for helping me through some tough times.

Fast forward 2 and a half weeks and I find myself at the SPCA, looking for a special bunny to fill the bunny less spot in my heart. Enter Luna, then known as Bunnicula. She was seized in a cruelty case, and is missing an ear. (According to her previous "family", it just fell off). The shelter staff tells me that no one wants her, everyone who looks at her calls her ugly. She is aggressive, she can't be handled. She tells me she has no idea what they are going to do with her. I look at her and say, I know what what you are going to do with her, she is coming home with me.

This blog is our journey to discovering each other.

These two pictures were taken at the SPCA, the day I adopted her.

 

[Aubrisita]

Ok, the second picture didn't attach, here it is.

 

[Aubrisita]

The poor girl was spayed on Friday, the day before I took her home. They sent me home with pain meds, she took it from me the first night but she won't take it any more. I feel like I was stressing her out more trying to get her to take it. She is eating, and drinking so I decided to skip the pain meds. I have them and I guess I can burrito her to give them if need be.

She LOVES hay, yippee! She also likes her veggies. I am glad to see that she is a good eater.

We def. have a few issues to work on. She charges and grunts at me when I open her cage. She shies away when my hands go anywhere near her. I let her hop around a bit this evening and for the first 5 mins, every time she hopped past me she thumped. I just sat there and watched her and talked to her quietly and eventually she was going past me without thumping. She was out for almost 20 mins. I am supposed to limit her activity, due to the spay, for the first week.

I am already totally in love with her. How can you not be, she is a survivor and a fighter.

 

[Tauntz]

After such a horrible start to her life she deserves a wonderful loving home! So glad she found it with you! I hope Luna will soon realize she now has a loving home with humans who not only know how to treat a bunny but love them too. Wishing you & Luna many happy, healthy & loving years together!

 

[JBun]

Well, the people that said she was ugly, clearly don't know bunnies. She's GEORGEOUS!!! Missing ear and all I'm so glad you started a blog for her. It will be fun to see the progress she makes coming around to you and realizing she is now in a safe and loving home. With any luck her aggression is hormonal and it will fade as the hormones do, but if not, she is with a patient and caring owner that will show her there's nothing she needs to be afraid of any more.

I'm so happy for your new adventures together

 

[Azerane]

Hah, I bet she's going to be the biggest character!! Just look at that face

Glad to hear that she's eating well. I admire you for taking on the challenge of an aggressive/defensive bunn, but I'm sure with lots of love and care she'll come around.

I've never understood why animals with missing appendages are less likely to be adopted. As a kid, I had this book (still have), about a cat with three legs. Ever since then, I've wanted a cat with three legs, lol. If I ever come across one at a shelter, it's probably coming home with me

 

[lovelops]

She is *not* UGLY and anyone that thinks that needs some glasses!! That just proves how little they know. I'm so glad that you got her and am giving her the love that she needs. I say this chasing Brooke out of the bathroom for the 100th time tonight as she has discovered toilet paper and wants to play with the roll on the wall! She thinks it's something good to eat.. sigh... anyway enough of me..

Brooke charged and grunted at me when I first entered her Xpen area also when I first got her, so don't worry about that. I started working on nose rubs and hugs and treats with her. Now I walk up and say Brookie.. and she comes running... so it took about 2 months? Some times when I wake her up she will grunt and snort .. but that is to be expected. All in all, I think it will work out great. Just give it some time...

I'm going to see if I can attach the pics of one of my buns flopping over on the side for you also.. I found one of Brooke in the first litter box we built here..

Vanessa

Vanessa

 

[Chrisdoc]

So glad you've started a blog for her.How can they say she's ugly, that is one lovely lady, I think the missing ear makes her a punky bunny. I am sure she will settle down and she has someone there to teach her how to trust and love back. I can see she has loads of character so it will be fun to follow her.

 

[Aubrisita]

Aw, Brooke looks very cute all flopped like that. I hope Luna will be relaxed like that one day. She didn't charge as soon as I opened the cage this morning. She grunted a little bit the closer I got to her while I was giving her hay. She also thumped at me. She flopped once, it was brief but it happened!

This picture is the nighttime veggie line up...one bunny and 7 guinea pigs. The sound when I walk into the room carrying that is amazing, lol.

 

[lovelops]

Aw, Brooke looks very cute all flopped like that. I hope Luna will be relaxed like that one day. She didn't charge as soon as I opened the cage this morning. She grunted a little bit the closer I got to her while I was giving her hay. She also thumped at me. She flopped once, it was brief but it happened!

This picture is the nighttime veggie line up...one bunny and 7 guinea pigs. The sound when I walk into the room carrying that is amazing, lol.

Thanks! I'm going to have to send you photos of Lady too. She looks adorable. Luna is already relaxed like that, she flopped once and you've already had her what? A week maybe if that? It's a good sign that she did not charge immediately! See! Progress is coming along!

My goodness I started laughing at your line up! Your worse than me! I have my 4 plates for the bunnies and of course we got 4 treats and stuff for the 4 dogs! I'm sure everyone is happy as hell to see the food train coming! Brooke comes running the minute she see's the food!

OH, something funny happened this morning. I got Cassidy my Canadian Chihuahua out of bed (he sleeps on the bed with me at my feet) and carried him over Lady and she stood up on her legs and started marking him! She marked his paws and then started smelling his back. He made a small growl when she marked him but I thought it was cute! Lady marking a dog!!! Who would have thought!

So I'm putting up the photo of the dog she marked, Cassidy and pics of her flopped on the floor...

More pics please of Luna... it sounds like you are doing a great job with her.. at least today she did not charge at you and that is a good thing!arty0002:

Vanessa

 

[Aubrisita]

Aw,Cassidy is too cute! It is funny that Lady marked him, lol. I LOVE looking at flopped bunny pictures, Lady looks so cute on her side like that.

I just have to say that I have the best cats ever. Tonks has been trying to meet Luna ever since I brought her home. Last night I let them meet for the first time. Tonks went up to Luna purring. Luna charged Tonks. Tonks just sat there and looked at her. She didn't react at all. I immediately took her away, I didn't want to stress Luna. I got the dirtiest look from Tonks for doing that. I am just going to let them sniff each other through the cage for now. Luna is very curious about Tonks, as long as Luna is in her cage.

Question: there is a little alcove spot in my room that I plan on sectioning off with an xpen for Luna. Her house will be in there but it will be open so she can go in and out and hop around. She def. has aggression issues. Is it ok to do that now or should I wait till her aggression issues are more under control? It probably doesn't matter does it, I know the rule of thumb is more room the better. Also, if her aggression issues are hormone related, how long till they are all out of her? She was spayed jan. 31.

So I know they aren't rabbits, but I had to include a picture of my kitties.

 

[Aubrisita]

Argh, I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but I can only get one picture to post at a time. Here is the other picture that was supposed to go with that post.

 

[lovelops]

Argh, I am not sure what I am doing wrong, but I can only get one picture to post at a time. Here is the other picture that was supposed to go with that post.

Hey what a great photo and her eyes are looking brighter! You notice that?
Her eyes look totally different from how they did in the first picture!!!
She looks so happy!

And YES, I thought it was funny Lady marked Cassidy and thanks for the compliment. I did not want you to think I was high jacking your blog by posting the photos!!! I would give it a bit more time if you are uncomfortable.. but how do you feel? Do you think she needs more room?

Vanessa

 

[pani]

Vanessa is so right; Luna definitely has a MUCH happier look in her eyes than she did at the shelter. It's beautiful.

 

[Chrisdoc]

She does look so much better, now she has that "what are you doing in my face taking photos" which means she´s feeling very comfy. I think part of the agression is probably fear from the you initially bringing her home as she´s never been used to kindness so she probably will get over that. If you feel she needs more room and would be happier, I would do it now. She does really seem to be settling in. The cats are just lovely, I can imagine Tonks not really getting all this but looks like he wants to be friends so they´ll get there. I am so looking forward to the first pics of that couple.

 

[Aubrisita]

I am glad that her eyes don't look as sad, I thought she looked brighter too but I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or not.

I think I am going to set her area up and just give her limited access to it. I am still limiting her activity due to the spay. I just feel bad, her previous "family" had her in such a small cage she couldn't even turn around, and at the SPCA she was in a tiny hutch, with little to no exercise because they were scared of her. I guess she was VERY agressive there. Here she is in a medium sized dog crate, her final home is going to be a large one. I guess I kinda want to give her as much room as I possibly can as soon as I can. Classic over compensation, lol.

 

[Chrisdoc]

No I think you're just giving her what she needs and deserves. She was probably agressive because she was terrified and she's improving cos she's not as scared and is learning to trust you. I think that over time you may even have a cuddle bun, I really hope she learns to feel that safe. She probably does need to adapt to having loads more space. Little by little

 

[Aubrisita]

So we have had a good night here! I tested the xpen and it went really well. All I need to do now is get the big crate from my ex this weekend and we will be good to roll. Luna was out for over an hour with me sitting in her area with her. She seems more comfy with me, she didn't thump at all when she went by me, she actually stopped and sniffed me quite a few times. She drank water and chilled by me. I gave her a few treats and she took them. I even snuck in a few back pats and she accepted them! Nose rubs are still a no go, she flinches and runs away. She is a chewer AND a digger however. I got "the butt" when I told her eating cardboard was not an ok way to get fiber. Lol. All and all, I am a happy bunny momma tonight.

 

[Aubrisita]

Oh, and she came over to me when I called her name. Luna Bean or Luna B seems to be sticking for some reason.

 

[lovelops]

You know it looks like she is really happy. Just the look on her face when she is sitting in the pink plastic bin and also in the back of her cage, even the photo of her looking at the camera. You can tell a change is coming over her. And it's good that she is coming over when you call her name. That's really a positive move. Things are looking up and it looks like you are making great progress with her.

I've been working from home since I got my ribs broken and fractured and last night we brought Brooke into the hallway and bathroom area to run around in and chill, and I sat beside her in the bathroom and was petting her, and next thing I know my head is on the floor and a big bunny nose is in my face.

I'm thinking what is going on? I had no idea I dozed off.

I started petting her again and next thing I know I'm waking up with her nibbling on my hand. I fell asleep on the bathroom floor with Brooke beside me! Either I was snoring or something and she didn't like it so she was nibbling on my hand or maybe she was trying to wake me up I dunno..but that has NEVER happened before. So I need to cut back on work while I'm trying to get better!

So have you given her any toys to play with yet? I gave Brooke when I first got her a little green 'baby' stuffed animal and she sleeps with it and even cleans it. One time my husband went to move it and she grunted at him and reached her paw across the baby to stop my husband from moving it! She's really attached to it. Luna might do something similar with a small toy. Brooke's cute when she sleeps with it beside her. Lady just beats the crap out of her chicken at times..
she is so grumpy!

Keep on posting it looks like things are going great!

Vanessa