Rabbit “Communicator”!!!!….???

[Tate]

I was recently referred to an animal communicator for Fievel and Velvateen because they are still having so many issues with bonding. They take 1 step forward and 3 steps back. I am at a loss as far as what to do and curious to even know what happened between them to make them fight so often. They are both terribly destructive and I can tell overall they are just NOT happy. 

Ideally, I would just take them to a shelter or somewhere they have a bonding service (NOT to give them up!! Just to bond!). But nothing like that exists in the town I am in and I don’t have a car! Boo! SO, I was told about an animal communicator… Now, I have my serious doubts and suspicions but now that I looked at this woman’s website, I’m totally curious! Supposedly, she’s had success finding lost pets, bonding pets (rabbits, cats, dogs, etc), detecting medical problems… Here are the details: it’s $85 for the whole thing plus another $30 for any additional animal, so it isn’t cheap. That’s a lot of hay. And it’s like half of my rent. Haha. It’s all done over the phone… you do an initial consultation for 15-20 minutes and then you get off the phone for an hour and this lady “contacts” your pet and then she calls back with all the deets. My logical side is laughing at my emotional side… Haha. I mean, I’m pretty sure Fievel is thinking along the lines of, “food, food, food, poop, food, TOYS, food, PEDIALYTE, poop, MOMMY, food, poop, poop, poop, pass out”. 

In all seriousness, does anyone believe things like this? Anyone had experience? I know Lucille Moore has a section in one of her books about communacation and she really hasn’t let me down once.  

ETA: I should mention most of her stories on her website were along the lines of “we had one dog and then we got another dog and they were fighting and we don’t know why. Then the animal communicator told us the old dog was threatened by the new dog and was trying to protect his territiory. Then the fighting stopped”. So, ya know not exactly a messenger from God or anything… I have heard really good things about her as well though where there were quite a few detailed testimonials… 

[mint]

I used a “bunny bonding service” for my first ever rabbit Fifi and when I got Moomoo. They absolutely hated each other. Fifi (a boy) was always pretty aloof but relatively outgoing. Moomoo (female) is completely anti-social but very domineering. They both wanted to be the top bunny. They would get in the gnarliest fights, fur would fly, and when I broke them up they would turn on me and bite me in their anger and frustration. I went through months of this when I turned to “professional” help. It was incredibly stressful and horrible.

When I took them to her she put them in an X-pen together and of course they got in a huge fight. She separated them and actually tightened up the x-pen and got out of it. just observing them, they both were kind of looking to me to stop the fighting and save one or the other. She said she would need them for a week away from me and on neutral territory.

So she kept them for that week and I called every day like a nervous wreck to see how they were doing. They got into fights but she was sleeping by them to break them up if necessary. After one week she said she needed one more. My husband thought this was a scam, and we were paying $14 per day each rabbit. I remember when I was cleaning up their space after I dropped them off, I was crying into their litterbox. Insane!

When I went to pick them up at the end of two weeks they weren’t killing eachother. They actually seemed kind of relaxed around each other. She said, for one month, leave them together, do not “bunny talk” to them, do not let them out, and do not interact with them. Only feed them. This was to “cement” the bond.

Of course by week three I let them out and they got in a fight. She told me to put them into a carrier, both of them, and shake it and hold them in there until they calm down, then put them in their pen and don’t interact with them. I did that and they eventually did bond, although it wasn’t the kind of bond you would necessarily like to see. Fifi was always afraid of Moomoo and after that, Moomoo would never let Fifi come to me for pets or any interacting. It was actually kind of sad. And I couldn’t really show affection to Fifi because that would set Moomoo off.

So to make a long story short i don’t know if you necessarily need a third person to bond them, you just need to force their bond and perhaps distance yourself. In hindsight I think it might have been better to keep them separated.

Oh but I will say that when I got Lulu, it improved things a lot. Lulu is the type of bunny who needs to be bossed around, or at least seems not to mind or be afraid. So Moomoo distributed her bossiness to Lulu and took a load off Fifi. The only problem then was that when I adopted Lulu from the shelter, she was super sweet and cuddly, and when I got her home Moomoo corrupted her and now Lulu won’t come near me. Moomoo won’t let her.

Sorry for the long answer…hope this helps!

[LBJ10]

Hmm, sounds odd that she would do it over the phone. Most animal communicators that I have heard of come to you. Have you looked at outside sources for reviews? I mean, of course there are going to be good testimonials on the website. Why would they put bad stuff on there? Also, I think $85 is pretty pricey for something that is over the phone. Those psychic hotlines don’t even cost that much.

[Sarita]

I’ve done this and it was over the internet – I sent a photo. It was a very long time ago and I cannot remember the cost. The lady who did my communications was referred to me by Kathy Smith who wrote “Rabbit Health in the 21st Century”.

My thoughts on this…still not sure, still a bit of a skeptic but I thought it was fun…not helpful, huh :~) I did it with 3 rabbits.

[Tate]

Mint- I would not like to leave either of them with someone I didn’t know, but I’m at such a loss! That’s pretty crazy about what happened to Fifi and Moomoo. I generally hear such good things about “professional” rabbit bonders! I guess I just have to keep at it in the mean time. Unfortunately, I will have to be somewhat distanced from them in the fall when I start back up at school. My schedule is crazy! That’s actually been my biggest motivation to get them bonded now so they aren’t lonely.
LBJ- I know, right?! But apparently this is how all animal communicators do it… or at least a lot of them. I have been looking at a few different ones on the internet and they all do it this way! One said that it’s more beneficial because they can focus on the pet rather than the surroundings… Hmm… I did a google search on the lady I was referred to. She has good reviews elsewhere, but at the same time… I gotta believe these people are really hoping for the best… they must be biased in some way? The $85 is actually on the low end too. Granted, I only looked through the first page on google searches because I’m lazy but only one was less than $85. :/
Sarita- Good to know! I’m tempted to do it just to see what kind of personalities she comes up with for them! Hehe.

[MimzMum]

Sarita, was that Karen… Kathy Smith’s friend who communicated with Murray and Mithril? I’ve often thought of writing to Kathy and asking her if she knew any communicators on the west coast that would assist with my three so that I’d have a better idea where I stand with them becoming a trio.

I totally think it’s possible, however I am sure there’s lots of folks out there ready to take money from someone while claiming to have a superior understanding of your particular situation. It’s not a proven science nor is it regulated in any way. It would really be up to you and how much you are willing to trust in such a person.

That being said, there’s also Save A Bunny’s Marcy, who seems to have a supernatural affinity with the rabbits there. She doesn’t do any long distance communications that I know of, she just seems to be able to connect with her rescues. I know I feel a certain ability to read my own animals, but that’s only because I am with them everyday. Hence why it’s good to have someone who can be ‘hands on’ with your bonding bunnies. But yes, they must be trustworthy…I would also have a hard time just leaving my three for a weekend or more to have someone else get them to be buddies.

[Tate]

MM- This communicator is in Seattle… Do you want her info?
I am seriously considering calling this woman to set up a time. I feel like at the very least, it could offer a different perspective about the situation. I think if it did help in some way, it would become some sort of addiction for me though! We’ve had so many pets over the years, I’d have to contact them all!

[Tate]

Appointment set up for tomorrow! I’m excited. It could be a complete waste of time and money BUT perhaps it will get us back on track. Let you know how it goes.

[jerseygirl]

Ooo, looking forward to hearing how it went!

I actually made a topic on this (animal communicators) in the Lounge one time. I’m similar to you, skeptical but curious etc. I love hearing the stories regardless if I believe 100% or not. I’m sure there are some geniune “communicators” who are able to read animals better then the average person. And by read, I don’t necessarily mean in a supernatural way. It might just be intuitive and seeing behaviours we’re missing. Prob a bit of psychic ability used also at some level. Wow, I’m sounding vague! But yeah, you’d also come across complete loons out to make a buck.

I did a search on Rabbits Online also on this topic to read what people said. A member mentioned a lady from a guinea pig forum who was supposed to be really helpful. That community seem to know of her alot but I can’t remember her name. She apparently did work with mainly ratties but lots of other small animals too.

Goodluck! I know I’ve been tempted at times. Sometimes we’re too close so we can’t see things objectively like an outsider could.

[Monkeybun]

Bah. All you need is Petzy

[RabbitPam]

LOL, MB.

I am also curious to hear how it went and what she said if you do go through with it.
Sarita, can you elaborate on your experience?

And am I wrong in thinking this is for communicating with the current bunny in the house to find out what is needed or wanted from the bunny’s perspective, as opposed to a medium speaking to a pet who has crossed the bridge? Sorry to not be informed. Thanks.

[Tate]

It actually went really well! I went into it excited and skeptical.
As a preface, I think she really could be a pet psychic… She could also be very knowledgeable about animals in general and especially aware of pet-pet relationships living in one house. Really, the things that she told me to do were personable, yet could apply to many situations.
This is basically what I told her: I have two rabbits, Velvateen and Fievel. Velvateen I’ve had since last Spetember, Fievel I’ve had since January. They seemed to bond almost immediately without any real “bonding sessions”… no neutral territory or anything (Hi yeah I’m a n00b and totally dumb). The first week of May, they started fighting for no reason. Both were checked over by a vet and cleared.
I didn’t want to go into any specifics, obviously. So here is what she told me:
A.) It all boils down to Velvateen. He was always weary of Fievel in some sense and thought he could be a threat. The REAL problem with Velvateen is that he senses another animal in my life (not Fievel) that has… stolen my affection.
My thoughts: The weekend before they started fighting, we were all at my parents’ house. My cat, Monkey, also lives there. He is my cat but stayed with them because he is not an apartment cat and is happy with the parentals. Monkey sleeps with me every night when I’m at my parents’ and I do feel so bonded and close with him. Also, at my apartment, my roommate has a dog. Luckily, they moved out right around when I went to live with my boyfriend for the summer so they won’t be there when we go back home. Hilary, the animal communicator, said that Velvateen really has some misplaced aggression. It would be dumb for him to go fight with Monkey, so he’s taking out on an animal much more appropriately sized, Fievel. *Whew*. We’re hoping that when I go home and the boys are the only pets in the apartment, they will start to chill. Fingers crossed!
B.) Fievel is threatened by Velvateen. Hilary said that he feels V gets all of the attention. Fievel has tried hard to ignore V as much as possible but that hasn’t worked because V now feels the need to take out the agression on him. SO now Fievel has become aggressive towards V as almost a preventative measure.
My thoughts: TRUE TRUE TRUE!!! Velvateen is my little baby, my shadow. He’s personable for the most part and we “groom” each other… He wases my face and in return he gets tons of kisses on his head… we do it for 5-10 minutes at a time! Fievel just isn’t like that. He is very much a rabbit… everything on his terms, no petting, heck don’t even look at him! It’s hard to give him attention because he doesn’t want it from me (he loved attention from Velvateen however). When I first got Fievel, he wasn’t interested at all in Velvateen. I thought it was so strange because he was a baby and the time so I figured he’d be wanting a buddy and curious about everything. He began very markedly turning his back to V as well. And now, just for the last month or two, he’s been initiating fights. Also, when I’ve tried bonding them, Fievel attacks Velvateen when I’m petting V. He’s never done that!
C.) The remedy: The cat won’t be a problem as we are leaving next week. It will take time for Velvateen to see there isn’t any other animal in the apartment but he’ll catch on. They both need separate “jobs”. Right now, I praise them both for being lovey and affectionate towards me. That’s great for Velvateen because he’s naturally like that, but where does that leave Fievel? Hilary said it was important to praise him for HIS qualities. Praise for when he’s being stubborn or elusive or when he’s loafing. That way they won’t be trying to fill the same space. She also said to talk out loud to them and focus on each rabbit when I’m talking to them. They will never understand the words I say, but they can pick up on what I’m visualizing in my head.
So, overall I’d say a positive experience. Like I said, not sure if she’s a psychic or not. But she really gave me a different perspective on them. It’s going to take a while for them to work through their own little differences, so I’m holding off on bonding them for probably another month or so, maybe less. I would recommend her for sure, but probably not just to see what your animal is thinking.

RabbitPam, she does everything. She can communicate with both living and dead animals. She does a lot of working finding lost pets… whether they are still alive and just hiding somewhere or if they were hit by a car or killed by another animal.

[jerseygirl]

Oh wow, you’ve given a great recap. Thanks!

This is so interesting. Just reading this gets me thinking again on things with my own rabbits in a different way. I’ve done this before but not followed up on it in my approach. The pictures in your mind thing is interesting. I’m going to give that a go. lol It’ll take some practice but hey, nothing to lose right?
 

But she really gave me a different perspective on them

I think that is key.

Alot of things she’s suggested regarding the animals feeling (plus from other accounts I’ve read of sessions like this) is actually the same as what is present in human to human relationships. What is often at the heart of an issue.  It reminds me a lot of behaviours with children who are so receptive to things around them. Little barometers.

When you do go back to your old place, the change in environment itself could be positively propel the bonding anyway. It’s often something used in bonding, new spaces, neutral spaces, switching things up etc BUT it really has me thinking now that there could be more at play in that the change is not just physical for the rabbits. That the presence or lack of other pets/people or our own feeling when in a different location has impact on the dynamic also. That a change in environment can be stressful or more calming for them due to these things. All good stuff to remember.

Sorry for my over use of the word “interesting” lol. It’s not meant to be a patronising “interesting”. Just can’t think of a better term.

[RabbitPam]

That is very interesting (LOL @ jersey – it is!). I like the idea of images in my head to communicate. I will try that with Sammy.
It is so hard to know what is bothering them, like with babies, because they just don’t speak at all. Thumping and sulking tells you there’s a problem, but not why.

This morning I cleaned out her floor sheet and put down a fresh one, vacuumed, and put back her stuff, but I’d love to toss her oldest cuddle cup. But they get so attached that I didn’t dare, and when she chewed on the bars, I put it back, but far from its usual place. If only I could just hear her tell me what she likes!
Anyway, praising a calm bunny is good advice, so good luck with them. I think Fievel may really respond to that kind of respect and appreciation. Tell us about any subtle changes.

[jerseygirl]

Isn’t it funny?! Rabbits get their chance to speak and what do they say? “We want to be no.#1 in your affections. We want Praise, Respect and Attention”.

Aren’t us rabbit slaves already falling over ourselves to do this?!!!

[Tate]

Haha, I just realized how long my post is… oops! Hehe
The other thing the communicator said was to talk to them out loud and repeat a sentence to them every time that “highlights” their qualities. So, every time I talk to Velvateen, I say “Velvateen my rabbit that loves me unconditionally” and for Fievel I say, “Fievel my stubborn buffalo”. Saying it out loud helps me to visualize it so that they can pick up on it. She also said that on average, it takes them 10 days to pick up on what your “saying”.
Lol it IS interesting! I think she had a lot of insight as to what was going on.
I do feel bad for Fievel. It’s not that I ignore him, but how do you give attention to an animal that seems to want none? He is responding to me talking to him more and he will turn to look at me but whenever I try to give him pets, he promptly turns his back on me. Yet when I give Velvateen pets, Fievel just watches us through his cage and seems jealous. Silly bun.

[jerseygirl]

Posted By Tate on 07/31/2011 10:05 AM
Haha, I just realized how long my post is… oops! Hehe

I wasn’t referring to it’s length.   I found it really clearly written out is all. Pertinent.   If I posted a recap, it would be very scattered.  

Those sentences she suggest; I bet you’re going to feel pretty silly doing that at first. heheh  Still, talking to them is good.  Though I’m not sure you want Fievel thinking he;s a buffalo…do you?    Mmm, though I do call my rabbits various other animals sometimes. I’m adding to my post. I just literally had to get up and stop my little goat (TimTim) from pulling carpet. I removed him but didn’t reprimand. I’ve been wondering whats underneath this old carpet. Now I know.

I do feel bad for Fievel. It’s not that I ignore him, but how do you give attention to an animal that seems to want none? He is responding to me talking to him more and he will turn to look at me but whenever I try to give him pets, he promptly turns his back on me. Yet when I give Velvateen pets, Fievel just watches us through his cage and seems jealous.

Does he ask for attention sometimes? Like come up and bump you?  I wonder if he’d be more receptive to pets when you’re giving Velvateen pets? Can you have them on each side of you?

[Tate]

Oh Fievel is SUCH a buffalo! The way he looks… his legs look like tree trunks! And he’s a bit bigger and more filled out that Velvateen, so I think anything looks monstrous next to him. He also uses his head in a buffalo-ish manner…. Velvateen will bump me but always with such grace. Fievel uses his head as a battering ram! He also has an unusually long tongue… Hehe. I originally thought of calling him a buffalo because there was a picture on Disapproving Rabbits of a brown Holland Lop in the grass and the caption was, “Oh give me a home, where the bunnyloaf roam…”. Lol.
Fievel tolerates pets when they are both in the bath tub doing bonding sessions. I think he just gets too stressed out during them though that he doesn’t care too much. He does come up and bump me and yesterday he chinned my foot which he hasn’t done in months. But when I try to touch, he runs away. I’m thinking he might enjoy the reassurance of me talking to him and maybe that’s enough attention for him at those times. When him and Velvateen were buds though, then he wouldn’t mind head pets.

[RabbitPam]

Chinning your foot is a big communication from him.
May I suggest you just lift your foot and gently pet his head with your toes instead? My friend has a dog that has very good reason to fear hands (she rescued the dog from abuse) so he growls and bites if you try to pet him. But he LOVES to be pet with a foot! And he’s calmed down so much that I can pet him very briefly with my hand just in front of his tail if he doesn’t see the hand, just feels it.

I mention this because it sounds like Fievel wants to be pet, but on his own terms, and it’s a gradual process.
Maybe the phrase could be “Fievel, my brave little buffalo” as he gets the courage to get closer to you.

[Tate]

RabbitPam, I just found out today that he loves to be scratched on and behind his ears! He actually laid down in front of me today when I was doing it! We’ve been making big improvements in the way we “talk” to each other. In just a few days, he seems to be a totally different rabbit.

[RabbitPam]

LOL
I got an email from him yesterday. He said training you is coming along really well.

[MimzMum]

This is fascinating! I am loving these mental images and then using specific phrases to address a particular rabbit. I mean, I talk to my rabbits all the time, (they are very good listeners…or they fake it well) but I wonder if I am sending out any mental images simultaneously?

I tend to try to empathize with them on their various feelings during a day, but like Pam was talking about in the antrho thread, do I just project how I feel instead of really waiting for the image THEY want me to see to coalesce in my mind? This would be a wonderful meditation exercise…”See the bunny…BE the bunny”…

The head butting to get your attention thing reminded me of the recent bonding sessions I’ve had with my lop and my lionhead. She was very mobile in the pen on the first day and of course I was standing in there to be sure no one got bitten. She would thoroughly investigate a corner and then turn and bonk! I was in the way so she would tap me with her nose. Since I talk like a ninny to my pets in private and public anyway I said, “Oh, I beg your pardon, did you need to get by?” and moved. Off she went in that direction. And she kept doing it. No great revelation..all bunnies can nosebonk you to get you to move your fanny…but like I said it just reminded me of what she did. Mimzy will do this too, but he tends to follow a bonk with a nip, so he is my grumpy old man. Pip is more of a freight train than a buffalo. ^_^ And Fiver, my mini-ex, is my little Cassandra. His foot thumping is on the increase these days and for the life of me, I do not see, hear or feel what is setting him off. Perhaps he is trying to tell us it’s closer to 2012 than we think?
There is, btw, a volcano currently somewhere in Alaska that is showing signs of impending eruption. Before the great quake in Japan earlier this year, ALL my bunnies were on high alert and acting very nervous and irritated. And how often has my cat seen something go by that I think there is nothing there…well…maybe there IS? A warble…a wave or vibe…a wrinkle in time?
How frustrating must it be for THEM to communicate to US through our thick skulls and dulled senses? We just don’t pick up on the cues and clues all around us the way they do.

[Author]

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