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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

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    • Elena Niznik
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        I think my new rabbit whisky is depressed, he is a shy bunny and likes to sit in his cage even if he is allowed out, when he is in there he lies stretched out with his chin on the ground he looks really flat. Whenever he is out he isnt interested in exploring he grooms himself then flopps out again with his chin on the ground,.

        Is he just relaxed or is he depressed.? His eyes are bright and he is eating and drinking im just a bit worried, thanks


      • Sarah Jones
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          flopping is known to be their most relaxed position so i wouldn’t worry. if he is new then he is going to take to time to adjust! and of course, some bunnies just are shy! dougal isn’t shy at all, but he will spend many an hour in his cage rather than out because it’s his home.


        • Elena Niznik
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            thanks sazemoo, dougal is a real cutie pie! i was just worried incase he was a bit sad, maybe its his floppy ears that makes him look depressed, awww


          • BinkyBunny
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              Well, the fact that he’s flopping is a very good sign.  Means he’s feeling happy, safe and relaxed. 

              He might not be ready to venture out yet, because it’s all new and I’m sure he smells your other bunny around.    Once he realizes this is home, he will settle in and feel even more safe to explore.


            • ea hurse
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                Tallullu, you are describing Blue when i got her. A month on she is so different, she still likes lying down and flopping a lot but does it out of the cage now and does spend time exploring, running and binkying too, though i still sometimes need to encourage (bribe) her out of the cage initially. I definately agree with everyone, and i think the key is to just relax – because the environment is new and needs getting used to slowly, first the noises and smells and sights whilst in the safe environment of the cage, then the rest will follow to varying degrees depending on personality. Also remember you don’t know what he had to deal with in his old ‘home’ before he was rescued, so being wary may be second nature to him. Everyone who sees Blue now thinks she’s a different rabbit (someone actually asked me if i got a different one!), so just persevere and i’m convinced he’ll come out of his shell.


              • Gina Won
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                  aww. yes i agree with loopy-lop, i was also in a kind of similar boat with one of my buns. seamus was very quiet, subdued and shy when we first got him. we kind of just accepted the idea that he’s a bit “shy,” and “timid” and “cautious” though we loved him all the same. however, about 3 months after we got him, it suddenly clicked that things were safe here and he started coming out of his shell. now he comes when called, comes when not called, follows you around, loves interacting with you, and likes to skip around your ankles for pets and treats. also, before, he had a very slow, gentle and cautious hop, kind of a little tip-toe, when he explored his surroundings. now, he has a full-on gallop! it’s absolutely remarkable =) so just give whiskey a little time, it takes a while to become accustomed to the new home.


                • Elena Niznik
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                    thanks guys, im not so worried anymore, i guess i was just comparing him to my original bunny who is more like a dog than a rabbit. I started their bonding last night and it went really well absolutely no agression and only a little humping. YAY!! fingers crossed!


                  • Gina Won
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                      Yay! I’m so glad the bonding is starting off on the right foot! =)


                    • BinkyBunny
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                        Yeah!!!!   That sounds great!  I’m sure it really helped to do the bunny dating first to help find the right match.

                        Still go slow at first and keep us updated!

                         


                      • Gravehearted
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                          I think bunnies that have been in shelters for a while take some time to warm up and feel safe.Many of them don’t get a lot of out time or terrain to explore. Over time I bet you’ll be seeing binkies and a much more curious bunny 🙂 I’m so glad your first session of bonding started off on the right paw!


                        • Elena Niznik
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                            Hiya just an update on the bonding. Boo and whisky who is now called Rollo because it suits him better have been getting on really well. They are lying on the floor together and Boo has been established as the dominant bunny. She still occassionally pushes her head under Rollo’s chin and butt but Rollo will immediately groom her then they groom each other. They are happy feeding from the same bowl and the only problem seems to that Rollo insists on using her litter box, and Boo doesnt like this one bit.

                            Thanks for the support


                          • Gravehearted
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                              oo I’m so glad to hear it’s going well – it sounds like they’re making good progress. I’m betting Rollo’s blues will go away once he and Boo are fully bonded.


                            • BinkyBunny
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                                Posted By tallullu on 09/19/2006 3:04 PM
                                Hiya just an update on the bonding. Boo and whisky who is now called Rollo because it suits him better have been getting on really well. They are lying on the floor together and Boo has been established as the dominant bunny. She still occassionally pushes her head under Rollo’s chin and butt but Rollo will immediately groom her then they groom each other. They are happy feeding from the same bowl and the only problem seems to that Rollo insists on using her litter box, and Boo doesnt like this one bit.

                                Yeah!  Sounds like things are going along well. Rabbits can really get territorial about the box.  What does Boo actually do when Rollo uses the box? I agree with Gravehearted that this will most likely be tolerated once they are bonded. I know that Jack, for the longest time, wasn’t too thrilled with Rucy, the love of his life, using the litterbox at the same time.  He didn’t care if she had to go in it, as long as he didn’t have to go.   Otherwise, he’d give her harmless, gentle nips on her backside to move her out if he was in there at the same time. So I just kept two so Rucy wouldn’t be forced to outside of the box.   However, just recently Jack allowed Rucy in.  You can see his new tolerance in a his latest Blog entry "Two in the Loo"  (short w/pics)


                              • Elena Niznik
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                                  Hiya binky, when Rollo uses Boo’s box she lies down flat with her ears back and just waits for him to get out. When he does get out she makes a dash for the box then spends roughly 10-20 mins re-arranging the box and sniffing everyone of Rollo’s poops. She doesn’t attack him or nip him or anything but you can tell she doesn’t like it much.


                                • BinkyBunny
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                                    That’s so funny.  She is very serious about her box!  IF the box ends up being a real deal breaker with her,  Meaning it ends up hindering the process, you could just use his box, OR buy a box that hasn’t had anyone’s scent in it yet, and then clean it so it’s new each time you bond. 

                                    Otherwise, if Boo ends up settling down and not getting so agitated then it should be fine.

                                    How are they with food?  I mean have you brought in food yet for them to share?   IF so, do they get territorial about this or can they share?  (NOTE: if you haven’t tried that yet, be sure to spread the food out the first time so that they can eat near each other, but not nose to nose in a bowl yet – just in case they aren’t ready for that yet)


                                  • Elena Niznik
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                                      HIya binky yeah they have been sharing food from 6 days into their bonding. They will chew on the same piece of lettuce and share a feeding bowl without a problem. The only issue is Boo’s litter box although she did use this to sleep in aswell as poop in so maybe that has something to do with it. It’s not so bad now because Rollo uses a box in the hall and they have both decided to take up residence under my sofa only coming out to poop, eat and play, They both sleep under the sofa otherwise. Is this ok or should i insist on putting them in their cages at night?


                                    • BinkyBunny
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                                        Wow, the fact that they are sharing a territory (underneath the couch), that’s really great!  Do they cuddle near each other or do they stay on opposite sides? 

                                        Things are going very well, and you are doing a great job at going slow even though things are progressing very well. This is when people just think…"eh, it’s okay" and make the mistake of moving too fast.   I commend you on having the patience to be cautious. 

                                        Do they groom each other yet?

                                        Regarding leaving them out overnight.  First, how long are they together now?  If they can be together for several hours without fighting and they can hang out under the couch together, then I would think it would be okay HOWEVER, is there a way for you to camp out nearby just to make sure they don’t fight in the middle of the night?  Can you sleep on the couch?

                                        You can also check out what I did in the bonding section.   (scroll down to Final Step – PERMANENT HOME:) I kept them in an x-pen to get used to hanging out with each other in a confined area and I slept on a cot.  (well, the picture shows my husband joking around on the cot) 

                                        The trickiest part will be having them share "their" final home together.   Are you going to build a new place for them or are they going to take over one of their cages together?  IF they are going share an existing cage, then I would clean out Rollo’s first (since he seems to be less territorial) with a 50/50 vinegar/water mixture.

                                         

                                         

                                         


                                      • Elena Niznik
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                                          Thanks Binky (again) They do cuddle sometimes but not all the time, Rollo seems very relaxed with Boo and tends to flop beside her however Boo gets edgy and sits hunched up for 10-15 mins until she relaxes. I think thsi is because Rollo is very attracted to her an buzzes alot. They have never faught but Boo does still hump Rollo (however recently this tends to only happen when i am on the floor with them.)

                                          Boo has free run of the living room /kitchen and Rollo is in his cage until I come home from work they are generally out together for about 6 -7 hours a day until i go to bed.

                                          I will be able to sleep on the couch with them underneath I might try that in the next few days to see how they get along. But generally I am very pleased with their progress and Im hopefull they will becaome best of friends.


                                        • Gravehearted
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                                            it sounds like they’ve made wonderful progress!


                                          • BinkyBunny
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                                              Tallullu, how are things going with Rollo and Boo?


                                            • Elena Niznik
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                                                Hi Binky, they are getting on fine. They are finally grooming each other and the humping has almost stopped. Boo only humps Rollo now out of jealousy when I am on the floor with them both and she thinks that I am paying him too much attention. They are both allowed out to play all the time with each other now and are more than happy to share food and water bowls. They are finally cuddling up in a vet bed together and the only issue is Boo and her litter box. She still is not happy with Rollo using it. Thanks for asking I have been really lucky with the bonding.


                                              • BinkyBunny
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                                                  Tallullu – That’s great!  I think luck  does come into play, but didn’t you do take your bunny to meet Rollo?  Basically bunny dating?   That really is the best way to go about it.  Though it doesn’t guarantee success when  you bring them home (which is where luck works) , but at least this cuts down the chances dramatically when you take your bunny to speed dating. 

                                                  So have they ventured into each others spaces yet?  If so can they stay in each other’s spaces yet ?

                                                  Again, Congratulations on it working out so far!


                                                • Elena Niznik
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                                                    Yeah Binky I did do bunny dating, Rollo took to Boo immediately but Boo wasnt too fussed, they eventually groomed each other and that was that, Rollo was coming home with us. At the dating Boo seemed neither passive nor dominant but she is most defiantely dominant now.

                                                    I have one cage now and both Boo and Rollo seem happy enough to eat beside each other in it. Boo doesnt actually sleep in the cage she sleeps in a cat bed under the sofa, she refuses point blank to sleep anywhere else. Bi=ut I think its safe to say that they are friends now. I have spent the past few night on the sofa with them underneath and all has been fine. I only get woken up when Boo digs and the blanket in the morning to get me up or check im still alive haha. Thanks for the help and tips bonding has been great fun and it wasn’t half as bad as i thought it was going to be.


                                                  • BinkyBunny
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                                                      Yeah!  You are welcome.   I am so happy to hear when bonding goes so well.  Good for you!!

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