Bucky’s Golden Years

[itsronni]

@Mileybun they are great listeners!!

@JBun hehe I agree! I made sure to bunny proof everything in there! The closet has some upper shelves that I keep his things on, and extremely unfortunately our router (thanks Verizon for putting the box in the most inconvenient place in the apartment can’t wait until we have a house). All the wires I’ve tied up on the shelves and are a good 7-8 ft off the ground (fun stuff resetting the router at 5’ 2”!). No chewing wires for him! Especially not the precious wi-fi ones!

 

[itsronni]

I did speak to a rabbit rescue yesterday about potential gfs for Buckerooni. Don't worry - nothing's happening until AT LEAST he's 8 weeks out (June 20th) from his surgery (poor Priscilla the stuffie is still on the receiving end of his, uh, raging hormones ) , but I wanted to see how the process is since rescuing my parrot took a couple months and I wasn't sure how rabbit rescues do it. Rabbit rescues seem A LOT faster! I really wanted to foster a girl, but thinking about the logistics in the apartment I just don't see how I could with Bucky still being a "stud" . The rescue said whenever I was ready, they were really nice and I like the lady running it a lot. When we get a house I'd love to be able to foster and help out more, if I could keep myself from becoming too attached and amassing a giant herd of rescued rabbits!
Just thinking out loud here now. I'm so-so on the idea of bonding dates - the girl I have my eyes on for Bucky (she's been there two years as of this summer - little 3lb agouti girl who is just darling - and she has the same eyes as Priscilla LOL) might be too skittish for them, and I don't really like stressing Bucky out too much. After the 8 weeks I'd be more comfortable fostering her, but the only place I'd be able to do that is the bedroom, where Bucky often runs around. He has the entire walk-in to himself, so the pens wouldn't be right next to each other, but when he's out and about he would be able to see her through the pen. Would her area need to be in a space he doesn't run around in often? The living room has a lot of space - but we have our cat. He's terrified of rabbits, but with the girl's nervous personality I wouldn't want him snooping around.
I dunno - I might be jumping the gun thinking about all of this so early - but I want to be prepared as possible, and you guys give the best advice!

 

[bunbunbuns]

For me getting my rabbits from my rescue took about a month but thats not including doing foster to adopt which takes a month also
Good luck!

 

[Diane R]

I did speak to a rabbit rescue yesterday about potential gfs for Buckerooni. Don't worry - nothing's happening until AT LEAST he's 8 weeks out (June 20th) from his surgery (poor Priscilla the stuffie is still on the receiving end of his, uh, raging hormones ) , but I wanted to see how the process is since rescuing my parrot took a couple months and I wasn't sure how rabbit rescues do it. Rabbit rescues seem A LOT faster! I really wanted to foster a girl, but thinking about the logistics in the apartment I just don't see how I could with Bucky still being a "stud" . The rescue said whenever I was ready, they were really nice and I like the lady running it a lot. When we get a house I'd love to be able to foster and help out more, if I could keep myself from becoming too attached and amassing a giant herd of rescued rabbits!
Just thinking out loud here now. I'm so-so on the idea of bonding dates - the girl I have my eyes on for Bucky (she's been there two years as of this summer - little 3lb agouti girl who is just darling - and she has the same eyes as Priscilla LOL) might be too skittish for them, and I don't really like stressing Bucky out too much. After the 8 weeks I'd be more comfortable fostering her, but the only place I'd be able to do that is the bedroom, where Bucky often runs around. He has the entire walk-in to himself, so the pens wouldn't be right next to each other, but when he's out and about he would be able to see her through the pen. Would her area need to be in a space he doesn't run around in often? The living room has a lot of space - but we have our cat. He's terrified of rabbits, but with the girl's nervous personality I wouldn't want him snooping around.
I dunno - I might be jumping the gun thinking about all of this so early - but I want to be prepared as possible, and you guys give the best advice!

I am so glad you are going to adopt a friend for him! Can the rescue not do the bonding for you? It would be so much easier. Ideally, if they have several spayed bunnies, he should choose his mate himself.

 

[itsronni]

@Diane R ah that's what I forgot to ask the rescue!! I definitely want him to choose, they have many spayed buns available that he could meet! How do rescue bondings usually go? I'm a little bit paranoid about leaving him someplace for awhile - I hate not having my babies home! I also know this particular rescue has been at or at least very close to capacity for quite some time.

 

[Diane R]

@Diane R ah that's what I forgot to ask the rescue!! I definitely want him to choose, they have many spayed buns available that he could meet! How do rescue bondings usually go? I'm a little bit paranoid about leaving him someplace for awhile - I hate not having my babies home! I also know this particular rescue has been at or at least very close to capacity for quite some time.

Normally you drop off the bunny and you might give the rescue a list of potential mates you would like them to try. The rescue then introduces your bunny to a few of their bunnies and picks the most promising match. The bonding process takes at least a week. During that week you neutralise your house, clean thoroughly, get rid of any smells of your bunny so that the newlyweds have neutral territory when they arrive. Yeah, I totally get that it's very upsetting to bring your bunny elsewhere for a while but it's definitely what I would do if that service is available.

 

[Mom to Minx]

It's like he was sitting back there trying to decide if he was going to stay mad at you, then thought better of it when he saw that door closing He sounds like a character

With the xpen gone, if he's a chewer at all, just make sure everything is properly bunny proofed.

Oh happy day; oh happy day!!!!

 

[itsronni]

Hey everyone! Got back from Florida yesterday and all the boys are doing great! Bucky has full roam of our bunny proofed bedroom now. I’ve been making some diy tunnels out of blankets for him to run around in and he LOVES them!
My boyfriend took care of them all while I was away and said Bucky will now run up to him and sit on his foot for pets, which he also started doing with my future mother-in-law (FMIL? Lol), so he’s been getting allll the love. I gave him plenty of massages and scritches when I got home. He wasn’t angry with me at all for leaving - he was just happy to have me back.

I’ve also attached pics of Beepers (my baby!! ) and Gilbert (Gilbert is overweight - we’re working on it, I have him on weight loss food now, and I’ve been trying to get him in with a vet - his weight fluctuates a lot ).

Updates will continue to be a bit sporadic, have a lot going on right now family wise. Have to go to Florida again next month to drive my grandmother to her new condo. They moved my grandfather to a home (before we got there so I was unfortunately unable to see him… it’s about a three hour drive away from where we were) on the west coast of Florida, so my dad and aunt got her a condo over there.

 

[Mileybun]

Sorry you didn't get to see your Grandad
But all the guys are looking amazing! I would love a cat

 

[itsronni]

@Mileybun thank you! I'll be heading back in late June to go drive my grandmother over to her new condo which is right by the long-term care home, so I'll be able to see him then. It's been tough here with everything going on, I really dislike leaving home and my critters but I know it just has to be that way right now, so I can go say goodbye and spend time with my family. How have you and your buns been by the way?

My boys are really what keeps me going through all this, they make me laugh so much every day I couldn't be more grateful! Bucky has a new habit of dumping his water bowl. I had just given him fresh water yesterday, and was sitting on my bed. I heard a RUSH of water from his room, thought that was a very odd noise for a rabbit to be making, and sure enough he was sitting there proud as a peacock next to his empty water bowl! So his laundry was done yesterday as well, and I'm off to Petsmart after work for a very heavy bowl. I love him to bits, I really do. He's also been so friggin' cute lately - loves to get a good scratch on his butt! I really thought rabbits wouldn't like to be scratched, only stroked, but this weirdo LOVES it. Almost ran me down yesterday begging for more!

 

[Mileybun]

Eeee what a funny boy!! Do you know Miley is doing really well at the minute (not to tempt fate or anything!), thanks for asking!
I'm glad you'll be able to see your grandparents soon
Miley has a lovely habit of dumping her toys in the water bowl, I've been out today to get her another one as her cardboard tunnel was soaking up her water this morning

 

[itsronni]

@Mileybun that's great to hear! Do you have any pics of her? Bucky loves to put his toys in his water bowl too lol!

So this is a very unexpected update! My mom's friend asked her if she could take a female, fixed bunny... and of course my mom told her that I would love to... so now we're getting Ellie. She's a broken lop (half lop? One ear is down and one is up, super cute.). The woman adopted her from a popular shelter down in south NJ a couple years ago for her kids, kids got bored after a week, as kids do, so... yeah, she's coming to me. Said to be very sweet and very soft. She's about 3 years old and I'll be getting all her papers from when they adopted her. I feel awful when buns have been rehomed once, let alone twice. My parrot is a double rehome too so I'm a bit of a sucker for these ones.

I'm torn about it, I've already told the woman yes but I really did want to go to a rescue. I guess if her and Bucky end up hating each other I get to adopt two more now... Ohhhhh it's so hard being someone who can't say no!!! Especially when one about falls into my lap like this! But Ellie will get a loving home no matter what - my boyfriend and his mom have caught the rabbit bug too, and to quote my FMIL, "I want TONS of rabbits!!!!" Lol! Glad we're all on the same page there!

Ellie will be coming this Saturday, and the lady is bringing me her cage and everything, too. Ellie will live in a large pen, so I'm going to use the cage for one of my quail, who got injured this weekend and is now residing in "quail jail" - what I call my hospital enclosure, haha (they're not the brightest critters and hurt themselves often - they always keep me busy!). That worked out weirdly well - I almost bought a new hospital cage for the quail the other day but something told me to hold off, and low and behold! Hopefully that's a sign everything is happening as its meant to! Won't be doing any intros or bonding attempts for a few more weeks, of course.

On Bucky, I made him a "super tunnel" out of a couple cardboard boxes and he runs through it all night long. I sleep like the dead but my boyfriend said he heard him up at 3AM running through it! Lol! I also cut up a paper towel roll into three smaller ones and stuffed them with hay to see if he likes them. He begs me for pets alllll the time now. He likes it when I bring my pillow and blankets on the floor to lay down with him. Oh, and he gave me some more bunny kisses this weekend. Always an honor! Lol!

 

[itsronni]

Here’s some pics of Bucky and my hurt quail (because why not? ):
Yup, THREE litter boxes - and he still chooses to pee in the corner! Puppy pads for the win. I have to pick up a couple bigger litter boxes to replace the corner one and the box - thinking about using one of those under bed storage units instead.

 

[Mileybun]

Aaah QUAIL! They're the cutest birds ever
Can't wait to see some pics of Ellie!!! How exciting, I hope they love each other
Yes I always have loads of pictures of Miley Please enjoy her bright orange booties for her sore hocks lol!

 

[itsronni]

@Mileybun OMG she is just darling! She looks so regal! I love her glorious mane. I hope her hocks feel better!

Here’s the pics I have of Ellie!

 

[Mileybun]

Aha thank you! She's never been called regal before, I'll tell her, she'll love that
Ellie is GORGEOUS! I love her ears

 

[Mom to Minx]

Aaah QUAIL! They're the cutest birds ever
Can't wait to see some pics of Ellie!!! How exciting, I hope they love each other
Yes I always have loads of pictures of Miley Please enjoy her bright orange booties for her sore hocks lol!

Such a cute face!,

 

[itsronni]

Can't believe it's already Thursday! Ellie should be coming home Saturday evening, and I've been wondering where the best place to put her pen would be? I have a couple options, either our bedroom or the computer room (wires would be bunny-proofed with NIC panels or something similar). I'd rather have her in the bedroom because of the computers, though, just to completely eliminate the wire issue. BUT Bucky free roams our bedroom now, would he view that as intruding on his territory? Not like they would be out together for awhile anyways - Bucky's 6 weeks post surgery is Tuesday, although Ellie has been spayed I am still a little worried he might be too obsessive over her due to his hormones. She'd be in her pen while he roams, and then I would just close his door while he's done so she could come out, too. Or bring her into the living room to let her exercise.

I don't think the living room would be a great place for her pen, it's close to the kitchen (worried about fumes - not sure if they're as sensitive as parrots to these things but I'm nervous!), and our cat will be out there. He's still scared of buns, but he IS a cat. And he jumps on everything too, so I'm worried about keeping him out of there when we're not around. I'm also a little nervous the others in the house might not be keen on that... It was a pain just getting my hurt quail upstairs... but then again I literally got a text from my boyfriend as I was typing this about how he was petting her and she was purring for him!!! Hehe he's a keeper. So funny how a little quail can get us wrapped around her claw!

So I guess it boils down to: could I put her pen in our bedroom without causing too much issue? I expect the territory peeing, puppy pads will save the day again! I also have a huge waterproof mat for dogs that I was using for Bucky for awhile, but ended up switching him to the puppy pads because he likes to go to the bathroom in the corners.

 

[Mom to Minx]

@Mileybun OMG she is just darling! She looks so regal! I love her glorious mane. I hope her hocks feel better!

Here’s the pics I have of Ellie!

She’s a keeper! Many long years Ellie bringing joy to your new family. Hugs

 

[itsronni]

@Mom to Minx thank you, I agree! Can't wait for her to be home!

I have one more question to post in here if any of you might know - sorry my brain is everywhere thinking about bonding! I also browse the RU forum, based in the UK, and they seem to have very different bonding techniques than what I see on here? Well, maybe not VERY different, but it seems instead of bonding dates, they recommend putting them in a neutral space for a long amount of time until they show signs of being able to be alone together so that the buns don't have to re-establish their hierarchy each time they meet. What are the pros/cons of each method? I thought that the USA and UK were pretty similar in our knowledge of animals, so seeing this difference is throwing me for a loop.