So I’ve been kinda MIA around Binky Bunny lately. With the end of shcool, job hunting, starting a new job, getting a puppy, and lots of other things, I’ve had my plate full. But anyway, I wanted to catch everybody up on the developments with MJ and see if anybody has had similar experiences with their buns.
About 2 months ago I moved MJ’s cage. He was formerly to the left side of the back door which is kinda in the middle of our living room and I swapped his cage with the dining room table which was to the right side of the back door, which is moreso in our kitchen. I really didn’t think moving him 3 feet to the right and putting the table on the other side of his cage would make a big difference, but OH how I was wrong. The positive thing is that is really opens up our house a lot more between the kitchen and living room, but MJ thoroughly disapproved.
He just stopped coming out of his cage entirely! Wouldn’t budge. I’d coax him out with treats and he’d grab the carrot and run back into his cage. For some reason, the new placement of his cage was terrifying. I figured it might just take some time, so I never forced him to come out and continued to sit on the floor and coax him out with treats. After a month of him still refusing to come out I finally coaxed him to the cage door and then gently scooted him about 4 feet over into the living room.
FLICK, FLICK, FLICK. And off he went into the corner to sulk. I told him it was for his own good but I don’t think he cared.
So I left him alone after that. Now keep in mind NOTHING else changed except for this move in furniture. He conitnued to be very sweet and scoiable through his cage bars and would let me pet him, groom him, etc. I started feeding him his greens right outside his cage door so he would HAVE to be down there and he finally started sitting down there voluntarily, but never would venture more than 2 feet away from his cage door. He would hop to the refrigerator door when I opened it, but it is also about 2 feet away from his cage, so he was still safe.
Anyway, about 2 weeks ago my sister found a dog swimming in the bayou. She was in the middle of nowhere and was clearly abandoned. My boyfriend and I have been keeping our eye out for a puppy and this little girl seemed perfect.
She’s about 4 months old and in great health. Took her to the vet, got her all fixed up with shots, heartguard, flea pills, etc. So far she’s been a great dog. We think she’s probably a lab/golden mix. We’re still tossing around name ideas. My boyfriend wants to name her Lira, but I’m pushing for June.
When we first brought her home, the dog and MJ were really not sure what to think of each other. After a day, the were happily sniffing each other through the cage bars (me monitoring them at all times, of course). Any time the dog would pass by the cage, MJ would run over and sniff in her direction. It became very clear that MJ was totally not scared of the dog. He would hop to his cage door and press against it when she was nearby. He would shake his head and hop in and out of his litterbox when the pup was in the kitchen. When the dog was not in the house, I would open his cage door and he would venture a little further every day. he would still never go more than about 4 feet away from his cage, though.
So we’ve had the dog for a little over a week now and she mostly stays outside. This morning, MJ was dancing all over his cage when I came out to give him his breakfast. I opened his cage and he immediately hopped about 4 feet away from his cage. So I got down on the floor and hand fed him greens, luring him closer to the living room. He snubbed the greens and started cautiously exploring the dining room table. He went further and further until the next thing I knew, he was zooming around the living room like he used to! I couldn’t believe it!
I’m just curious if anyone else has had an experience like this. I really think that the curiousity and excitement of having the dog has kind of revived MJ. He seemed so awfully bored and lethargic until we got the dog. We talked about either getting him a buddy or getting a dog, and the way things fell, the dog came first.
I’ll be very interested to see if he conitnues to come out on his own or today was just an anomaly. I really hope that this marks the beginning of him going back to being the energetic, playful bun he used to be.
Hope everyone else is doing well! I’ll be checking in more regularly now.