We’ve had a few more bonding sessions with Daisy and Carmelita this week. Things seemed to start off positively (the two were really great with one another, at Liz Rench’s house). But the last few sessions took a turn, where Carmelita has gotten a lot more aggressive.
Things were a little rough downstairs for the last session, so we decided to relocate upstairs to the bedroom. Even more neutral ground. Liz had a lot more guarding to do.
Carmelita and Daisy, sharing a pen for the first time. This was our first (brief) intro for them together, and Liz sat inside to moderate.
Two females bonding is not unheard of, but is typically a tougher match. So there was some hesitation here, bringing Daisy and Carmelita together. But they got along pretty well on their first date, and Carmelita was a strong candidate.
To me: Dig Dug is a Victorian era grandfather. Who got hit with a shrinking ray, and also got taken back in time to his 5 year old body. But he retained all his facial hair. This is all I could think of, every time I looked at him.
The only thing this guy is missing is a tiny, checkered vest. And maybe a monocle.
While Liz and I have had a lot of experience bonding bunnies over the years, we were nervous about tonight. With Daisy’s failing eyesight, we weren’t sure how she would respond to a new environment (and the introduction of a new bunny).
Over the weekend, Liz and I had an appointment scheduled at Red Door to visit with their bunnies. It’s a shelter we’ve been to oftentimes in the past (where we found both Quincy [originally Marciano] and Phineas [originally Cowboy]).
I am incredibly saddened to share the news that we had to put Phineas to sleep tonight. We knew he was struggling, but were hoping to have a bit more time with him. There’s a lot more to write and share, but I don’t know how soon I’ll be updating this particular entry. I’ll have…
When I started to follow him, he paused and looked back. Almost as if chiding me for not keeping up.
Snapped this brief moment, after all the nail trimming was done. Got to see her resting and still for a few beats, where she was ok to be held for just a little while.
When a bunny flops on its side (and exposes its belly), it’s a true sign that they are comfortable and relaxed. That they’re not worried about anything trying to eat them, and they’re just… feeling good.
With the last few weeks being a real struggle for Phineas, it’s great to see slivers of his old self.
It’s a pretty nice rug. But in my mind, I’m just going to accept the fact that it’s going to get wrecked by the bunnies. And if we can happen to maintain it, and re-use it in a future room… great. But in my head, this thing is already a lost cause. And already belongs to the bunnies.
One of our last visits to the vet showed that Phineas had lost a substantial amount of weight – a very concerning thing. On his latest visit, he’d gained a bit more… but is still a ways away from where he “normally” should be.
I’m happy to report that today’s weigh-in has him at the same level. So no loss of weight (a good thing), so he’s at least maintained his weight over the last week or so.
Tonight, I happened across this moment where Daisy was lying next to Phineas… but then Phineas decided he needed more greens. So what did he do? Climbed right over Daisy, of course!
Liz took Phineas in for another checkup today, and we got some really sad news. Phineas is not doing well, and it seems like he’s not likely to recover back to full health.