Conan the Bunbarian & Xena Bunnier Princess

PaGal · May 31, 2014

I do like that idea and have thought of similar ones myself. I would love to find a large dresser or maybe entertainment center I could convert.

Maybe you should just keep looking and brain storming. It's possible you will come up with something that will work for the buns and your wife will approve of.

qtipthebun · Jun 1, 2014

I like that idea... Mine just took over the walk in closet as their home base, although they are free roaming. Let me know if you figure out the lax litter box thing... Going through it with my two as well.

Troller · Jun 1, 2014

Well qtipthebun, so far what's been sort of working to counter the lax litter box training is the day I clean the cage, I lock them in for the night. I won't say it's worked 100% but I have seen a noticeable effect where they pee outside their box less. I still have to refine my process though.

Troller · Jun 17, 2014

Sadly we will not be getting a house due in some part by being misled by 'professionals', so no upgrade for us. In fact since part of the reason I was pushing so hard for a house was so I can bring my sick mother with me so I can watch her full time instead of being torn between two places, we will probably downgrade and move in with her.

Less space. But there are positives like being closer to my job, and we will be saving even more for next years house search. But I hate it. Its not like we need to move, just I cant be in two places anymore. The buns will suffer a bit, instead of being in a room they'll have the kitchen, but the overall area will be smaller and of course now I'll be in a bedroom. My wife, bless her, believes in the long run this will be a good plan for us but it means delaying for one more year any plans to starting a family and I really didnt want to be 40 starting on that, but we also want more security in the long run.

Just venting. I hope its not too cruel keeping my buns, but I love them and its not like I plan to keep them in a cage or anything.

PaGal · Jun 17, 2014

I really am so very sorry that your plans fell through. I do understand all of your thoughts on moving in with your mom and all. It is wonderful that you do care for her because not every child would care for their parent.

I'm sure Conan and Zelda will be fine. They may have less room but as you have said they won't be in a cage. Who knows, maybe you can teach them to use a harness and take up walking them to spice up their lives. That would be a cool sight to see.

Troller · Jun 19, 2014

Thanks, I appreciate the bolstering of flagging spirits. Spent some time communing with my rabbits and while they still dont enjoy my company as much as they do my wife, they do let my lay with them under the table.

Azerane · Jun 19, 2014

Sorry to hear that your plans didn't work out, it's always tough when you're looking forward to something like that.

Even if they like your wife more, I'm sure the bunnies still cheer you up

I find whenever I'm having a hard day that it just helps to spend time with or simply watch Bandit. It's relaxing... when he's not getting into trouble

kmaben · Jun 20, 2014

Conan and Xena wont hold it against you. We moved on post and the hippity hops got down graded as well. I really have to stay on top of letting them out and yard time. They tend to get bored in the smaller space but no personality changes. Sorry your plans didnt work out the way you wanted. My parents were about your age when they started with us kids. My dad swears I'm the reason he stayed young and my mom swears I'm the reason she's falling apart. You set life plans but then life throws a curve ball at you. Snuggle with a rabbit. My little bad rabbit doesnt like anyone but sometimes fighting with her can be fun.

Troller · Jun 24, 2014

So Conan & Xena got into a fight last night while me and the wife were at work. That's the frightening part of leaving two bonded buns alone, when things like this occur you dont know what set them off you just see the aftermath. Well even worse, because when I got home after my wife she said Conan ran out the bun room as soon as she opened the door but all i saw was the both of them cuddling, you might never know anything had happened.

The signs of a fight were there though. Only Conan fur around, and Xena pee on the second floor of their condo. Xena does payback pee, peeing out of the box when she's angry. In this case though they must have ran in the puddle and flicked pee on the walls high enough to get over the splash guard I had set up. I was tired and really looking forward to bed but I had to clean the mess up before worse happened.

Monitored them tonight, and they seem as happy as ever. Why do buns have to have these type of fights when they are friends...and worse, I wanted to check for any injuries but couldn't since when I woke up I had a family medical issue pop up which used any free time up and now I'm at work so I got to wait to check them thoroughly tomorrow. An eyeball scan shows nothing wrong with Xena, and Conan looking a little fur ragged but none the worse for wear. I'd have my wife do it since she's off, but she has a hard time lifting them where I can do it pretty easy. She says they're fine though.

And thanks for the positive remarks folks, it does make me feel a bit better. Nice to get it off my chest somewhere since I seem to be doing the stoic man thing and keeping my lips shut off the keyboard.

PaGal · Jun 24, 2014

Who knows why they do some of the things they do. Maybe some rabbit couples are just like some human couples, some get along fantastically and others although they stay together fight a lot.

I have worried about the same thing with the girls. I know most will say intact buns cannot truly be bonded but they do everything a bonded pair does. They will mount each other though and now and then one will chase the other but there has never been any wounds, not a one. So maybe it is no different then when you see wild buns playing together. I figure if there was going to be a full out attack it would have happened by now since it has been over two years they have been together.

Hopefully it will be the same with Conan and Xena, just a minor tiff now and then but no harm.

40 is not so old for starting a family and as you said you will be able to save more for the house search. That is never a bad thing especially if it means you will have less money to owe in the long run.

I think you will also really appreciate the additional time with your mother.

Azerane · Jun 24, 2014

That's unfortunate that they had a dust-up, but at least it doesn't sound too serious and they're getting along still.

Chrisdoc · Jun 25, 2014

My two boys have had quite a few tiffs during their time but have never seriously fought for quite a while. I have to have faith that they are happy together, I know they hated it when they were separated and they are all so much happier together. I´m sure they will be fine, just like an old married couple having a fall out and then making up.

Troller · Jun 27, 2014

An odd thought came to me today. I saw that they must have had another minor tiff, looks like Conan returned the favor today and Xena was cowed, and I realized that even at their worst they never really hirt each other but that one time during the bonding process when the next after one of their dates I noticed a cut on Conan's brow, above his eye. I thought it must have been from one of their dust ups, so i took him to the vet, got it fixed and suspended dating. Its in the blog here somewhere, and it got me questioning if I could even bond these two.

Yet an odd memory came up. I recall during one of the dates, I actually think that one, where While trying to get Conan out I accidentally git him with carrier door. It didn't look like any damage happened but I could swear now it might have been what actually cut him. I mean even in their fights the only thing Ive ever seen out of them is fur pulling and some scratches. I can't say Xena didn't do it, but it seems strange that this was the only time it ever happened. So I wonder.

Yeah Chrisdoc I read your blog where a few month back you had that issue. I guess it happens, but did you let them choose each other or did you do what i did and get bunnies together and hope for the best?

Chrisdoc · Jul 1, 2014

The smaller two were together from birth and Bandy joined them after 4 months. I just put him in and let them get on with it, he was only tiny at that time so they all grew up together. Bandy has never had issues with either of them but they have had their moments.

Troller · Jul 3, 2014

Interesting. Its really fascinating the differences in approach from place to place. In Europe I read that rabbit owners and rescues are more casual about bonding rabbits where here in the States everyone urges to let rabbits choose each other. I wish there were studies on these things.

Well on to home front matters. I'm tired of my rabbits never coming out of their room and their room just too small for me to relax in comfortably so I decided to force the rabbits to be in the living room with us. Its a little cruel herding them out there but its the least they can do for the free room and board supplied to them. Turns out its been pretty cool.

Now I cant say they enjoy it entirely, but they do get their fresh veggie treat there, its only an hour, and theres still space for them to lounge around. They hop on the couch, on me, over my face, and then finally relax. It was my wife's first time experiencing it (Ive done it for 3 days now) and She thinks its a blast. I hope they eventually realize its done out of love, and they just look to damn cute all close up.

PaGal · Jul 7, 2014

Over time they will probably get used to the new space and enjoy being there even more.

When I let Thumper out of the bun room he doesn't seem to stay in the den long unless I have hay available to him in the den. Almost always if I don't provide some and he leaves the den and I go to check on him he's in his cage munching his hay.

Troller · Jul 8, 2014

My buns tend to not concentrate on hay so much. Makes no difference whether its fresh or has been there. They like their set up and venture out of it rarely so I got to force them from time to time to be more social lest they become hermits.

Speaking of the forcing for attention, here they are looking so unhappy at spending time with us in the living room.