Living with house rabbits over the years has shown me that rabbits are full of surprises.
They can be clumsy and clunky at times. In fact, often, their jumps off the coffee table remind me of this:
(via Imgur)
But then they go on to exhibit feats of acrobatic brilliance. Their binkies and Bunny 500s, with their exuberant choreography, are thrilling to watch.
They can be extremely cautious and timid, tiptoeing and bowing their heads as they slowly inch forward to investigate a new sight or smell. Yet there are times of sheer audacity when they balance precariously on an unstable stack of boxes or the back of the couch.
Sometimes they make their presence known with thunderous gnawing on their cardboard castles and wooden toys, uncannily timing it for when you’re in the middle of an important phone call.
And yet, they have their moments of ninja-like skill. You go to toss something in the trash can and realize your rabbits are flopped by your feet. How long have they been there? you wonder. Minutes? Hours?
Contrasts like these are well-known to bunny people, and they’re a large part of why we love them!
Well said! Any non-rabbit owner would not understand our love and loyalty to our sweet pets, but we continue our house rabbit love and ownership with pride. The one comment is so true and hits so close to home! Yesterday I was calling our realtor and Daisy was gnawing on her wood block and it was SO loud! As a “mom” of two house buns, I can not agree any more that they are such good pets, much better than a dog or cat in my book.
By the way how is Coco’s eye infection? I’ve been waiting to hear about it.
I have another question, How old are your buns? Our rabbits are 2 and 3.
Another thing, I need some tips on bonding rabbits. We recently went to an organization with a bunny named Reese’s we are looking to adopt soon. They have a bunny “dating service”. Not for love, just for bonding! We are paying for sessions with our 3 y/o rabbit Daisy and Reese’s, who just turned a year old. How long does it normally take for them to get used to being around each other? Any experience with bonding your two buns? Daisy started out fine but ended her second session earlier than usual because she got a little grumpy around Reese’s playfulness and lunged. Her third session is this weekend.
Yes, it’s crazy how loud their gnawing is sometimes! When I’m on the phone, I wonder what people on the other line think it is. (Construction?) Cos’s eye infection has cleared, thankfully. I’ve been keeping an eagle eye on it though to make sure there’s no sign of the infection returning.
Coco and Cosette are about 8 years old. (Coco’s age is more of an estimate. We’ve had him for almost 7 years now.) When we bonded them, it was a pretty slow process. There was a lot of lunging on Cos’s part. She was very grumpy during most of the sessions where we’d put them together. But eventually they figured things out and were able to tolerate/ignore one another. Gradually, they became close so that they actually groomed one another and snuggled together. So in terms of a timeline, I’d say it took a few weeks for them to tolerate each other. And for me, that was fine. I just didn’t want them hurting one another. The actual friendship was so gradual, I’m not sure how long it took, but I believe they’re both much happier for the companionship.
A wise person said – “Rabbits are not to understand.”
I am very happy for Coco!
Thank you for the advice. I did research a little bit on how to make the bonding a success and I think we are fully prepared now. I knew the mild aggressiveness or territorial-ness was normal and obviously they would not go right to each other and snuggle up and groom but that’s what we are aiming for!
We want to get another rabbit because I really researched the benefits of bonding and as Daisy gets older, I hope the bonded younger rabbit will provide her with a companion in her senior years. (And all the more rabbit sweetness for us!)
There is really no injuries or damage, just a lot of fighting so to speak. Reese’s was playful sniffing Daisy and then when there was no response she kept picking and picking. Reese’s got a mouthful of white Daisy fur and ran off with it, Daisy chasing her and being a grumbling grump. Daisy was in her “musing bunny” mood and did not want to be bothered, but Reese’s personality can be “bothersome” where she will pick and pick and pick and pick. Both rabbits like the toys in the pen but the “Bun Dating” supervisor suggested to remove a wooden rabbit hut that Daisy favors and she gets territorial about. We will continue the sessions until we adopt Reese’s then will do them at home and introduce Reese’s to her new house.
I am using a tactic where I will cut Daisy’s pen in half with a section and get her used to that, then when the new bunny arrives get Daisy and the new bunny used to the pen with each other inside. Finally, once I know they
are both bonded I will remove the section. Luckily I already have bunny-proofed the house, have supplies and stuff (and will purchase new items for Reese’s) already, and have her arrangements for arrival set up. Since we already own a rabbit there isn’t as much to do for her arrival – all the more easier for Reese’s, Daisy, and me!
Thanks again for the advice – it’s nice to get some real experience since your buns have been buddies for a long while.
Request: If possible, Daisy and I would love to see a Coco and Cosette video – don’t think I’ve seen one on the blog before!