Goodbye, Cloudy

It’s with great sadness that I share the news that we had to return Cloudy back to the Animal Care League. As much as we tried, Cloudy and Hugo just didn’t get along – despite all the attempts and bonding sessions we held for them.

This outcome is challenging, for a few reasons. We’re old hands at bonding, and so Liz and I felt like we were familiar with the process. This is by no means our first rodeo, and we know the ups and downs of bunny bonding – we know what it takes, and we’re not ones to easily give up.

On top of all that, Cloudy is the most expressive bunny we’ve ever had. She is most definitely a fan of humans, and it started to dawn on us that perhaps she’s really a single/solitary bunny. That she might not want to have a mate, and might be better off as a solo.

In the initial bonding sessions, there was a moment where Hugo groomed Cloudy and it seemed positive. And she returned the grooming, which was a great sign.

But since that first encounter, it hasn’t returned. And each subsequent encounter had both of them a little more aggressive towards one another. Hugo was looking to be groomed, and Cloudy seemed perpetually impatient. If there was a lull, Cloudy would nip and Hugo and it would set the whole tone off.

We tried a lot of tricks, towards the end there – things that we considered “last resort” strategies: taking the bunnies for a shared, stressful experience, trying to use food/jam as a way to entice grooming.

As the sessions progressed, we could see that Hugo was becoming more and more impatient. And Cloudy remained obstinate, and would fall to biting/nipping quite quickly. Eventually, we had to come to terms with the fact that their bonding sessions weren’t progressing forward, and had to call it off.

This was a hard decision. I’ve never seen a bunny quite as affection as Cloudy, and it’s difficult to say goodbye to something so small and cute, that wants to shower you with love and affection every chance she gets.

But at the end of the day, as much as we loved Cloudy, we need a friend for Hugo. And it’s heartbreaking to say that Cloudy isn’t the one.

I know with certainty Cloudy is going to be a great fit for some family out there. And others will immediately fall in love with how affectionate she is. I think her perfect home is somewhere out there, but it’s a challenge to admit that ours… is not that home.

Related:
Hot Licks
The Biggest Flop Ever
Bunny Speed Dating: Animal Care League