I thought I should finally introduce Bugsy

[Bianca]

After losing Terry a year ago to kidney failure I wasn’t planning to adopt another. Terry was part of a group of 4 so the leftover trio still had each other. Maggie was a bit upset at first, but eventually became close to Greebo. Lily stayed the same weird little rabbit who gets along with them all roughly grooms their eyeballs and then goes off to do her own thing. 

But then I fostered Bugsy. I wasn’t planning to foster more rabbits. But Bugsy was surrendered by his owner who could no longer afford all his vet bills after constantly having his teeth burred – only to then be told by his vets he needed expensive surgery to remove them. So the RSPCA removed his teeth and I was asked to foster him post-op for a bit because I did that for Gandalf. 

Bugsy lived in a cage in my living room, which is where the trio were free-ranging. I made sure they couldn’t reach each other but that was the only room I had to keep him. I noticed that instead of getting angry at him, the trio began to hang around Bugsy. Lily in particular was obsessed with him. This went on the entire time I fostered him, so I made the decision to adopt him once he was recovered and then desexed. 

I have had Bugsy since October now I think, and he very quickly bonded to the trio once he had been desexed 8 weeks. 

Bugsy enjoys begging for cuddles (he will stand on his hind legs with his front legs on you until you pick him up), trying to raid the kitchen with Greebo, having little snuggles in the sun on my (short) filing cabinet with Lily, and eating food with Maggie. 

As I have typed this I realise I don’t have any good photos of him. But he is a small dwarf lop with a very shiny black coat that does not photograph well because it reflects everything. I’ll try to get some good photos soon! 

[Dface]

I’m so sorry about Terry, I missed the thread of him passing, it’s always horrible.

Congrats on your new bunny! What a lucky little guy to have landed with you… I’ll never not be in awe of your bonding magic

[Bianca]

It was such a shock. He was only three and his kidneys completely shut down and the vet could feel tumors in him. I brought Maggie to the vets with him throughout the ordeal though, so he wasn’t alone.

I think I just get lucky with bonding rabbits. Terry was some sort of bonding wizard, but the others aren’t bad either. At the moment Gandalf and Ginny live in the lounge room, and occasionally I have had foster rabbits in there too – sectioned off obviously so they can’t bite. I took a female in a while ago just for the night because she was refusing to eat after desexing. But got her home, bit of critical care, and she started bringing her hay to the side of the cage to share with Ginny through the mesh. Ginny was full on flopping next to her. So that bun was fine by the next morning, went back to the RSPCA, and has since been adopted by an angora expert which is great, because she is an angora.

I am currently fostering 4 young rabbits. Gandalf just wants them to somehow groom him through the barriers. Ginny wants them to bring her food like the angora did but so far her training isn’t working. My dog tried to teach them how to play tug of war with a toy bigger than them, but they didn’t really learn that either.

Greebo, Maggie, Lily, and Bugsy live in my study now with day access to most of the house (except the massive living area where the others are). Bugsy and Greebo love exploring and go on adventures together – mostly to the kitchen. Lily sometimes pokes her head out the study. Maggie thinks that would be a lot of effort and why would they effort like that when humans bring food into the study?

Eventually I would like to have all 6 bonded. The four and Gandalf don’t seem too fussed about each other – Gandalf is very sneaky when people go through doors and has met them (supervised because he isn’t as sneaky as he thinks he is) a few times without drama. Ginny on the other hand isn’t such a fan. For all she loves any foster rabbit I bring home, she has a bit more of an issue with Greebo and Maggie. So I think that will be a long, slow process.

[Dface]

That is an absolutely horrible shock and Im so sorry it happened but at least he had a wonderful life with you, in amazing company the whole tine!

I have heard the more you have the easier it is to bond, based on the rabbits ability to pick and choose who they like (i knew a guy with over 20 who he never bonded and they all just lived harmoniously) was an insane house!
But there Ginny sounds like she might be a bit of a stickler, is it only in her room that she dislikes them or their room? Some rabbits can become defensive away from their territory because they feel threatened by the larger group.
I dont think I’ll ever truly understand the social complexity of rabbits!

[Bianca]

I think it might just be a coincidental bit off luck with the foster rabbits all being a lot more passive towards Ginny. Whereas Maggie and Greebo both like to wander around like they own the place and Ginny is like “EXCUSE ME?! How dare you not acknowledge me!”

I might start bonding once the fosters are gone though. I will put the four in where the fosters are (it’s a big enough area) and that way they can see and smell enough other, and touch if I alter the barriers when I trust them. Might need to make the barriers higher first though. Bugsy has an insane jump on him!

[Dface]

Haha ladies always have such sass..!
Good luck with the bonding though.

My pair dont bother jumping, one doesnt see well enough and the other doesnt see the point…but we got a third bunny…
And I had forgotten what a pain in the butt it is to have a spring loaded rabbit in the house!

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