Girlfriend’s bun

[MarkBun]

So here’s a baby pic of her new bun, now named Fitzgerald (Fitz for short):

He is now four months old so he’s much larger than in the pic (I’d estimate he’s about 5-6 pounds).  He is a little bit of a terror as he has been doing a poop war against Georgie’s memories (i.e., her scent).  He is a very active and intelligent bun, making zooming laps around the place (whereas Georgie just ‘sauntered’).  He still hasn’t gotten used to us people yet although he occasionally lets us pet him.  Trouble with the girlfriend is that she wants a cuddle bunny and she spooks him a bit when he wants to get down and she doesn’t want him to.  But things are progressing well.  It is just a little hard for the inhabitants of the apartment to make the change from a bun with Georgie’s personality to that of Fitz’s. 

I have given him an old litter box to try out and hopefully will stop pooping everywhere else.  In addition, I’l be making him a new NIC house to live in.  He seems very healthy and happy and his first appointment with Dr. Harvey is this Saturday.  However, I do not think I’ll be able to convince my girlfriend to have him altered.

 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Markus, what a cute little bunny! Congrats for your girlfriend.

To be honest I’m a HUGE proponent of spay/neuter and if I had anything go wrong once with a pet I’d be sick about trying again. I can see where she’s coming from….maybe when he starts to ‘mature’ and starts spraying her, she’ll change her mind I’m sure that would change mine!! Also, was the first bun (before Geogie) that had complications a female as well? That might help to convince her, since altering males is easier.

Anyways, congrats and I hope the new bun settles in and stops with the poop wars!! *HUGS for your GF*

[JK]

Adorable! Boy I sure hope she gets him neutered! He’ll calm down, won’t spray and be a much better companion! That’s your next mission…to convince her it’s really not a choice. That’s a great name!

[Sarita]

He’s cute! I don’t understand why she wouldn’t want to have him altered though – maybe you can have Dr. Harvey help you convince her this is the right thing to do.

[Beka27]

Sarita… in the other thread Markus posted that her past two bunnies (both female) have died within a month (?) of getting spayed.  the last one was spayed and died just this month.  sadly, his girlfriend is beginning to equate altering with sudden death… and i don’t really blame her, i would be very worried.  but it is easier on the boys and he sounds very rambunctious.  he would be a handful if not neutered.  if she wants a bun to tolerate cuddles, neutering is her best bet, and even that is not guaranteed.

[babybunsmum]

he’s so sweet

maybe fitz will convince her that altering is in order with some more territorial marking habits?  for an active unaltered bun, twirling pee is common and a lot of work to clean up after constantly.  i know this first-hand.  geesh.  it’s not great fun to be pee splattered in the face when you’re sweet talking your cute bun.  lol.

i gave baby’s old litter pan to pinky & she loves to poop/pee in it.  she leaves bb’s on the other levels but not nearly as many.  i suspect that’ll be a good trick to help with the poops.  i wonder if fitz’s personality will be like pinky’s?  sounds like it with his zooming laps.  lol.  pinky is 8 months (why have i thought 9 months before?  i just re-counted & its 8.  anyways…) and was 8lbs 2 weeks ago before her diet began.  she should be at 7lbs.  she was always game for head pets – i think she was conditioned at the shelter for head pets – but would run away if i tried to reach past her head.  now that she has warmed up to me she’s a real cuddle bun. 

[MarkBun]

The first bun was actually a male rabbit so it doesn’t matter if it’s spaying or neutering, she just doesn’t want to have any of it. Maybe Dr. Harvey can convince her.

As for his adolescent behavior, she won’t care. She let Georgie get away with murder as far as habits go and if she equates altering to death, she’ll let Fitz get away with even more. I think her words were something like “He can pee on me, bite my ankles and hump me for hours on end but there will be no neutering”. I managed to convince her to get Georgie spayed only because I showed her the research of uterine cancer in buns AND Dr. Harvey saw a mass on her uterus (it was just a fat pad).

[Sarita]

Well without do a necropsy (autopsy) it’s most likely impossible to say why they passed away. Sometimes you cannot even tell then.

I do urge you to try to get Dr. Harvey’s help in convincing her – Dr. Harvey will need all the information on why she is afraid to do this to help convince her.

[MarkBun]

They did an autopsy. Although not certain, Dr. Harvey believes it was a bacterial incident and one that could not be prevented. But it doesn’t matter to her. Bunny happy, bunny altered, bunny dies. Bunny happy, bunny altered, bunny dies. How many times would you go through the same thing before you you’d stop the routine that ends with your bun dying before the age of 3?

IMO, she has every right not to want the surgery. And non-altered males can live a good life.

[babybunsmum]

omgosh i can completely understand why she’s terrified.  i would be too.  all you can do is, well, just what you have done.  give her all the info, have dr harvey explain it as well & then leave it upto her. 

i can’t wait to hear more of fitz’s antics.  seems like he’ll provide a good amount of bun-tertainment

[Sarita]

I totally understand Marksudark but it doesn’t hurt to have her talk with Dr. Harvey about it. Dr. Harvey will hopefully at least be objective about it – I’m sure she has had to have this discussion with many pet owners. Then at least she will have a professionals view on it.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yeh, I would say really I couldn’t argue with her, and being her boyfriend you wouldn’t want to

[KatnipCrzy]

If she ever thinks about getting another bunny- she should really look at bunnies that are already spayed and neutered- that way she does not have to worry about the surgery.  But I know that it does not always work out that way.

[Beka27]

^^^the cutie-patootie pictured at the top of the thread is her new un-neutered baby boy…

[MarkBun]

I attempted to get her to look at shelter rabbits but she’d rather be the rescuer. So, instead of freeing up a space for them to go out and rescue another bun, she just cut out the middle man. Trouble is that that often leads to an unaltered pet. I tried explaining the wisdom of the shelter but it is along the same lines as the wisdom of the alteration. Some people can’t see the long-term picture.

Now me on the other hand – the day I got Maryann, I was already thinking about what to do when she passes on.

[MarkBun]

Well Dr. Harvey gave Fitz a clean bill of health. Front teeth were a little short but they lined up with the bottom and she figures it’s because he’s still so young. We did manage to talk about neutering for a bit but I think it will take Fitz using everything as a urinal before she considers getting it done. I am going to be on her about it though in a couple of months, saying that if it gets done before a year’s out, it will be best for the bun.

However, something REALLY bad happened while we were there. A vet tech walked in and said, “So, here’s the Critical Care for Georgio…” and she stopped when she saw the shocked looks on our faces. Dr. Harvey redirected her out of the exam room and said that that was for another bun in another room. The fact that they had a bun named so close to Georgie and that happened really had both me and my gal shaking a bit. I took a deep breath and told her to let it out, and she cried for a few moments. That just sucked.

Oh, and my girlfriend doesn’t like to have her bun in the carrier while in the car. Well a completely torn up shirt (and scratched up chest) from Fitz trying to get away changed her mind about that. She just cares too much to see what is good for them is sometimes a bit uncomfortable for them.

[babybunsmum]

oh man… what are the odds of a tech picking the wrong exam room AND saying a name so close to georgie’s?  that would’ve been rough.  good thing you were both there together for it.  at least fitz got a clean bill of health out of the visit.  hope those scratch marks are healing up!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Oh lordy, what a moment. So sorry, but glad to hear Fitz checked out OK.

[Gravehearted]

wow – that is seriously odd and disconcerting! i am glad to hear Fitz got a clean bill of health though Really hope your gf will agree to him being neutered!

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