BunTastic!

[Fancy77]

:yes: pictures whoo hoo They r looking great!!!! That is a nice molt Bert has going on, kinda cute

 

[Torchster]

The kids are doing pretty will. I was just laying around with Bert today and I think Bert fell a sleep. His eyes were just barely open, but I think that he was having some kind of dream. His nose would twitch from time to time, and he would chew. I was all curled up in a ball. I started to think that maybe he wasn't feeling well, until something woke him and he gave me a big old yawn and went over ate some hay. I'd like to think that my little baby was dreaming that he was in a giant field full of carrots.

I think that I've gone as far with Petunia as I can. I don't think that she will ever get any more warm than she is. But that's ok.

 

[kahlin]

Aren't bunny yawns the cutest? When I see one I always tell the bunny in question that he/she has such a tough life.

 

[Torchster]

Yeah bunny yawns are cute, I'm also surprised by the mouth full of teeth they have. I'm sure it isn't easy to eat all that hay and greens stuff, but they sure do have a pretty big set of teeth!

I just wish I could make more inroads with Petunia. I know that she will never be a lap buny, and that's ok. If I have treats she will come running, but unless I have presents, she would really rather not be around. Granted, at times, I can approach here for a quick head rube, but that is few and far between. I wonder what else I can do.

 

[kahlin]

How long have you had her? We've had Finley 3 years and it's still a work in progress.

At first we couldn't touch her if she was out of her cage. But she's graduated to the point where she'll nudge my feet and hop away to her 'pet-me' spot. And sometimes she'll come over the couch and sit close-ish so I can pet her while I watch TV...at really uncomfortable lengths and positions on my part. She doesn't make it easy on me!

I didn't do anything special with her, just gave her time...and loving and kisses whenever she'd let me. I don't even think I spent much floor time with her because it wasn't something she was into.

With other bunnies, I have read to them before and that helped a bit.

How is her relationship with Bert? Are they madly in love, or a dysfunctional bond? I think part of the problem I had with Finley is that she was in a dysfunctional bond and she didnt feel that safe with him - even though she loved him. As a result, she was on edge and wouldn't relax enough to get to know me.

 

[Torchster]

Am I the only one here who can't bear to go the rainbow thread? It just scares me so much.

 

[Fancy77]

I hear ya it is a tough thread. It took me for ever to get up the nerve to go there. I never say much cuz I dont have anything inspiring to say lol but I still wanna extend my condolences. take your time no one gets upset if you cant go there.

 

[Torchster]

Anyway Kahlin, I think that Bert and Petunia have a pretty good bond going. I got Bert first, but gave him back to the rescue I got him from to do the bonding. My only orders were something smallish, and a different color. So after a number of bunnies, it seemed to work between well between Bert and Petunia.

I would describe Bert not as dominate, perhaps aggressive with bad manners. Petunia as shy and withdrawn.

When I first got both of them home, a few times when I was petting Bert in front of Petunia (to show her I was a good guy, and that Bert didn't seem to mind it) she would come over and try to scratch me with her front paws, kind of this 2 pawed punch, if you will. I didn't see it as aggressive behavour, actually, I think it was defensive behavour. She only ever did it when I was petting Bert and only went after the hand that was petting him with. I think that she thought I was hurting Bert. She stopped doing that on her own.

What little history I have with them is that they were both 'rescued' from the wild. If true, it wouldn't surprise me if Bert just wandered up to someone and said take me home, although how someone could just throw their bunny out, is beyond me. Someone at least took him to a shelter and the rescue I got him from got him from a shelter. He is pretty comfortable with people. Petunia has a similar history-but with her black and white coloring, I find it hard to imagine she would last long out doors. My gut feeling is that she has more bunny social skills, but far less people social skills than Bert.

After several months of work with Petunia, I am wondering if perhaps I need to 'handle' Petunia more. Currently, I only do this infrequently, only when needed. Petunia and I are to the point where I can sometimes pet her head, but only for a minute, and only in place where she feels safe. Perhaps if I were to handle her more (aka pick her up) she would become more comfortable. While I doubt she will ever become a lap bunny (which is fine), I do have to handle her from time to time, for her own good (like vet visits). Currently she becomes this little ball of nerves if I pick her up - her breathing becomes fast, she freezes up, she will not take treats...she clearly HATES it and seems very scared. I would just like her to get to the point where she just gives me a dirty look and life goes on, that is really all.

 

[kahlin]

She sounds a lot like Finley - although Finley wasn't a stray.

I personally don't know that I would suggest handling her more (picking her up anyway). I think that just might make her more scared - but definitely check with others on that...

I handle mine only when necessary, and I can't say that it's made it any harder to work with them during vet visits or forcefeedings.

 

[Torchster]

Ya know, I've heard that socialize a bunny to people, they handle them a lot at a young age. Now, this doesn't work 100% of the time, and some bunnies will never be a people person, but I wonder if it can work on an older bun? Any thought from the bunny experts around here?

 

[Torchster]

Well, I did it again, I went to the infirmary. It just makes me so sad to see what some people are going through and have gone thru. These people clearly care for their bunnies very very very much. The make countless sacrifices for their babies. And to see what they are their bunnies go through is just completely heartbreaking. It makes me so sad. I can't imagine what they are going through, but I fear some day I will have to go through the exact same thing.

 

[Torchster]

Bert isn't feeling well again. I've been trying to give him symethicone. It won't have any of it. I've tried everything I can to give it to him. Put it on his paw, 3 different times I managed to get him into a bunny burrito-no small feet in and of itself-and he thrashed his way out. It is so hard on him to do this. He really doesn't tolerate it at all. He just thrashes so hard that I am afraid I am going to hurt him.

My nerves are just frazzeled. I'm just so tired of fighting with him. It so hard to handle him. I can tell he isn't feeling well, he is tired, and he is fighting with me with every ounce of strength he has left. I when I give him a minute to rest, he looks so exhausted. I'm just at wits end. WITS FREAKIN END.

I really don't know what to do anymore. I try so hard to give them a health diet, clean water, clean cage, let them out to get exercise...sigh.

 

[Torchster]

Well, it now 4:00 in the morning. Been fighting with Bert most of the night. I finally switched to Regalin. Some on the board don't recommend the stuff, but the fights over symetcone (how ever ya freakin spell it) seemed counter productive and were getting a little painful, for me. My arms are pretty scratched up now. Now he fights to get away from me. He's as shy of me as Petunia is. I just don't think the stress of trying to give him more is worth it. At some point it has to be counterproductive. Its been a long night for both of us.

He used to tolerate the Regalin stuff, but now if he even see the sygrene (however ya spell it, I don't really care right now) and he is in fight mode. I managed to put some on his paw and got him to lick it off.

God its been like 6 hrs of trying to get it thru his thick head that I am just trying to help, that is all.

I did see him eat some hay, and there are some poops in his litter box (I have separated my two bunnies) but they seem kind of small, and they aren't as numerous as I might expect. He doesn't completely fail the treat test, but just isn't feeling well.

I'm just so tired. I only have two hands and can barely hold on him anymore, let alone try and force feed him anything. One of these days I'm so afraid that I am going to hurt him while trying to give him some meds. He really doesn't go into any kind of scared mode, its all fight with him, every single step of the way.

 

[Torchster]

The only update I have to this blog is the infirmary threat at the moment. I'm too tired to even try to update here. He is in the hospital for the next few days. There goes my christmas shopping money, but if comes home OK, that will the best christmas present I ever got.

 

[kahlin]

I hope he improves quickly.

 

[Torchster]

Tonight is the first night in a long time with out any bunnies in the house. It feels very weird. It feels so empty. I thought that it was best the Bert and Petunia stay together at the vets. Him being in a strange place and just getting knocked out, and probably in pain from the surgery, I thought that it was best to keep them together. At least he can have something familiar near him.

That have visiting hours tomorrow from 12:30-2:00 and I plan on taking full advantage of that!! I can't take him any treats or anything, but I can give him lots of nose rubs and let him know that I still care for him.

On Monday I can bring him home. He and Petunia will have to still be separated for the most part - I will have to lock him in the cage to keep track of food and water intake, but I think that I will be able to let them out together for a little while.

 

[kahlin]

It's hard to have an empty house - but it's for the best. And I'm sure they'll both be happy to see you today.

 

[Torchster]

Well I spent about 1/2 hour at the vets today visiting my babies. Bert mostly showed me his backside and Petunia was too scared to even take her favorite treat (wheat thin) from me. I'm not sure she even recognized me.

Bert seemed ok, but he wasn't back his old self. He seemed to be doing ok. Saw him kind of pick at his hay. He seems ok.

 

[Fancy77]

How is Bert today???

 

[Torchster]

Today is the day, I hope, that I get my babies back from vet. I haven't heard from them yet, but they are probably waiting to get back some lab work that they were doing.

Then tonight, my house will be filled with my little bunnies again! Woot.