Bonding and Baby Food
Liz, sitting with the bunnies… and with some baby food at the ready. Fake it till you make it.
Posts Tagged "hugo"
Hazel: First Blood
It felt like things were ok, and I allowed the bunnies to get close – but it was too early. Hazel in particular has come out of her shell, and has gotten a little… feisty? Sassy? She’s a lot more opinionated, it seems.
Well, there was a bit of a scuffle and I tried to insert myself to break things up. My hand caught a bite that was intended for Hugo, so this injury came from Hazel.
Hazel and Hugo: Bonding Session
Tonight, I was really wary. So I kept them apart as much as possible. Both bunnies seemed riled and amped up. So I had a screen between them for most of the night. I was able to calm them both down (eventually), but probably 45 minute passed before they were in a calm state.
A New Bunny, and the Hopes of a Foster Fail
Our drywallers needed to stay late today, so I ended up remaining at home while Liz took Hugo back to Red Door for another round of speed dates.
The goal was to see how things went with Kavorka, and maybe Salt. Hugo was pretty stressed out on his second meeting with them, so we were curious to see how things would go this time around.
Hugo’s Speed Dates: Red Door Animal Shelter
A session with Salt, which seemed to go rather well. A bit later, Toni would let us know that Salt was “a little boy crazy.”
Liz’s Early Birthday Celebration
I ended up needing to miss a woodworking class last week (and needed to go in on the weekend, to do a makeup class). Liz decided she needed the night off as well, and decided that we’d both miss… and go in together, today. Our makeup work: sanding. We were encouraged to bring headphones. I wasn’t sure where we’d be…
Baby Food Bunny Bonding
It’s not quite a “last resort,” but it’s close. During our bonding session tonight with Hugo and Cloudy, we decided to bring in some baby food – as a way to entice some grooming.
When one bunny grooms another, it’s a positive sign. And there’s this whole power dynamic to it all, in terms of who is in charge (the one being groomed).
But for us, we’re wanting to encourage this grooming along. Hugo did groom Cloudy a while back, but it’s been a while now. And so far, Cloudy hasn’t willingly groomed Hugo back.
Taking the Bunnies for a Drive
We did something like this a long time ago, with Baxter and Quincy. And our hope tonight is that Hugo and Cloudy would get a little closer together, having gone through something stressful together.
Bonding Session (with Felix)
So far, Lizhas been doing all of the bonding sessions. She’s been sitting with both Hugo and Cloudy, keeping them separated as needed, and then trying to encourage them to get together (carefully, without biting).
Tonight, we decided to change things up and let me sit in, instead. Their sessions tend to go longer, as it takes them some time to calm down. So probably an hour for them to settle, and then another hour to see if they’ll get along.
Cloudy Gets an Elevator Ride
I think this move is meaningful because it’s a sign of trust. And Liz is always over the moon, when it happens. But I also think it’s an indicator of how fearless Cloudy is – she reminds us a lot of Phineas, in that way.
Even with her just having one eye, you can see that she is scoping out the full length and breadth of her domain.
Hugo Houdini
I came down this morning to a bit of a shock. I had heard some rustling and gate-banging earlier, and walked downstairs to see… Hugo. Outside his pen area, bold as brass.
He actually looked a little confused. And that would make both of us.
Long Bonding Session
There was this special moment, where Cloudy flopped right next to Hugo. It’s always a little dicey when they get this close, because anything could happen – and things could get violent/aggressive very quickly. But it worked out well.
Hugo and Cloudy: First Bonding Session
We set up a separate area, which was different from both of their current areas. The idea is to have some kind of “neutral ground” that doesn’t technically belong to either of them, so that there’s less of a chance of any territorial behavior.
Bunny Pens
Bit of a staredown in this photo. Blocks of wood are to prevent them from pushing the gates together, and getting too close.
Bunny Speed Dating: Animal Care League
A quick bunny bonding primer: if there is some interest, that’s a good sign. If there’s a really strong interest, there’s the potential for strong reactions. If two bunnies get into a fight, it can get nasty (and dangerous) quite quickly. So the screen is to help provide a bit of a barrier.
If the bunnies are indifferent or mostly ignoring one another, that’s actually a good sign.