Another Bonding Update

We are still working on bodning. We've tried "bathtub bonding" (being in a strange area -like the bathtub- together promotes a bond and positive feelings toward each other) and have been able to go for longer and longer periods of time. When Holly and Jude were able to last for an hour to an hour and a half in the tub together without Holly trying to bite Jude's face, we put them both in the same hutch together. The hutch has two sections and I divided the sections with a wire door. Each Bun got a section to play in, but they could still see and smell each other through the door. I monitored this and saw some pretty good signs!

Holly HATES being away from her house. So being in a new environment was probably pretty stressful for her. Jude was trying to lick her and sniff her through the slits in the wire door, and really wanted some love in return. Holly was just like "get me out of here". But, she didn't seem aggressive toward Jude, which is progress! Yay!

For a few hours, I bring both bunnies on the couch with me. I pet them and talked to them and let them interact with each other and run around a bit. I didn't see any biting or fighting. Jude tried to groom Holly, and Holly tolerated it nicely. We all hung out and watched Glee together, and it was really nice.

Last night, They stayed in the 2 room hutch for an even longer period of time. While I cleaned the kitchen, did dishes, folded laundry and hung out in the living room, they hung out in their divided cage. I stayed up pretty late, and napped on the couch, listening for them. There were no signs of aggressiveness, and they seem to be adjusting nicely. (I think Hef was a little lonely in his hutch by himself though. He was monitoring the Ladies' activity as much as I was. He would look around all sad like "Hey? Where are my girls?" and every time he heard a noise coming from the Girls' hutch, he'd climb to the highest part of his hutch and try to see what's going on.)

So today, I took out the wire door dividing the hutch. There is just one big space for Holly and Jude to run around in and play. I've been monitoring them for a couple of hours. They've been napping and eating. Holly has been letting Jude groom her, and hasn't tried to bit her.

The biggest test will be when we try putting all three of them in the big two-story hutch together (that's where we hope they'll all live eventually). Holly and Hef can be pretty protective of their space, so it might take a little longer to get everyone comfortable with that. And, I am a little concerned about re-introducing them all after Jude is spayed next month. (She'll have to be by herself for a while to limit her running around so she can heal).

Hopefully everything works out, and all three of our Crazy Buns will be head over heels for each other. ::fingers crossed::

Bunny Bonding Update

When two bunnies meet, it's not always love at first sight. They can be very territorial and aggressive. When Hef and Holly met each other, there was some sniffing and a little bit of biting... and then they literally bonded overnight. They fell completely in love with each other. We were lucky.

Bonding with a third bunny is a little more complicated. The dynamics are totally different. Hef and Holly's whole life as been turned upside down. And poor Jude just wants to be friends. It's taken more time with this bonding experience, but I know it will be worth it.

During the evening, Huz and I (or just me if he's at work) will open up the Buns' hutch doors and sit on the kitchen floor. When they're ready, they come out and walk around, come get a treat from us (usually some cilantro, or a grape, or a piece of dried apple or banana) and run around the kitchen. Well, Hef will run around. Queen Holly doesn't even want to leave her bed sometimes. Actually, I give her credit. She's been coming out to play more often. And Jude will explore a little, and then then come sit on my lap. Then, get brave again, go out and explore a little bit more, and then come back and lie next to me. It's adorable.

So, through these carefully monitored playtimes, we've made some progress. Hef (the most dominant bunny) no longer snaps at or chases Jude. He will sniff her, lounge next to her, and I even caught him licking her fur once! (but I think it might have been because she dribbled some grape juice on it by accident ::shrugs::) Jude is very careful around him, and will approach him gently, sniff at him, and attempt a little cuddle. But if he moves or she hears him make any noise, she'll run like hell. Sometimes, one of them will accidently make a quick movement, which will startle the second one and make him/her jump back quickly, which makes the first one freak out and run.... and they both end up running in opposite directions at top speed over nothing. I'm glad they're getting to know each other, and neither is outright attacking. I choose to see it as a positive sign.

Now, Jude's attempts to win over Holly have not been as successful. Holly has always been very shy and timid. But, with a new girl hanging around, we've seen that she can get a little aggressive as well. If Jude comes near her, or her house, she'll try to bite her fur. Jude immediately runs away. I've kept a really close eye on those two, and won't leave them alone together. I'm hoping that eventually, Holly will get used to Jude and they will all get along so well that we can keep them in one hutch.

This pic was taken yesterday. They were distracted by some yummy cilantro and forgot to be suspicious of each other for a minute.

Our Crazy Bunny Family...

is now officially one bunny crazier. =)

Huz and I decided that we just fell in love with sweet little Jude a bit too much to place her with someone else. She belongs here with us, and this is her home. We're so happy to have her (and we realize that adding another bunny makes us completely certifiable. We're cool with that.)

In case you forgot, I checked with our vet, and it was going to cost $500 dollars for us to get Jude spayed there. Yeah, you read that right. 500 benjamins, c-notes, bucks, smackeroos, bones, clams, greenbacks, dead presidents...that is a lot of sweet moolah. So, I made some calls and found the Palo Alto Spay and Neuter Clinic. They gave me an estimate of $85. So now we have a Spay Day set up for Jude. I'm really excited about that! (I don't think Jude shares my enthusiasm).

So here begins life as we know it... with three bunnies!


Welcome to the family Jude!

Hey Jude

Well, we've had Jude for a little over a week. This bunny has been amazing and full of surprises.

First of all ::drumroll please:: Jude is a girl! We took her to the vet for a check up, nail trim, and to get her sexed and see if by some good fortune she was already fixed. The vet said she is a girl and not fixed. =( So, I'm trying to make calls and get info about low cost spay clinics in my area (it will cost $500 to get her spayed at our regular vet).

It's super important to me that Jude gets spayed both so she doesn't end up contributing to rabbit overpopulation, and so she has a long and happy life with a lower risk for cervical and uterine cancers. Hopefully I can find a lower cost clinic soon!

Other news is that we've introduced Jude to Hef and Holly. Huz and I have been sitting on the floor with Jude and Hef and Holly and monitoring their "playtime". Hef and Holls are still very territorial and while they tolerate Jude, they aren't in love with her. They'll be around her for a while (if we bribe them with food), but Hef will chase her away once in a while or scare her. I feel bad because Jude is so loving and you can tell that she is really curious and wants to go make friends with the other bunnies. Since they're not really playing with her, she's taken to Huz and me. She wants to be right next to us. If we scooch away, even a bit, she'll move even closer. She'll crawl into Huz's lap and take a little nap. She loves when we pet her head or ears, and rewards us by licking us and "grooming" us right back. She's super affectionate and very social, and just the sweetest thing.

I've said it before, and it's so true- spending lots of time with bunnies allows you to experience how different they each are. It's been so fun to have an affectionate lap bunny who loves on us right back. I always thought Hef and Holly loved us, but I've had to come to terms with the fact that my bunnies are total fatties. They are very treat motivated and often when I think they're loving on me or excited to see us... they really just want to know if we have any food for them. That's the extent of their interest in us. It's okay with me because they're a lot of fun, and I love them. I'm just glad I finally realize my place in this relationship. ;)

So, tomorrow we have a date to meet a potential adoptive Mom for Jude. Honestly, part of me really hopes that everything goes smoothly and that tomorrow we find her forever home. Jude deserves a place of her own to run around and do happy bunny dances in. And she is such a happy, loving bunny that I know she'll make any Bunny Mama proud. I know first hand that she is a wonderful, amazing rabbit.

I think that's why the other part of me, the selfish part, wants to keep Jude. I feel like WE could make amazing parents to her too. I know we'd do a great job, and I know she's happy here. I love how she comes to the front of her hutch in the morning, waiting for me to pet her. Even when I offer a bit of carrot, or a grape, or cilantro, she's happy to ignore it if I'll just scratch that spot behind her ears. And she LOVES Huz. Loves his lap, his pets, and loves to lick his hand. He's grown very attached to her too. He looks like a sweet little boy when he picks up that bunny and sings "Hey Jude.... don't be afraid" to her. We are smitten. We're both in love with her, and if tomorrow is the day she gets a new family, it's going to be hard to say good bye.

I guess we'll see what tomorrow brings. Now that I'm all weepy, I need to go and cuddle a sweet little bunny.

I'm a Foster Mama!

Huz's grandmother's neighbor got this little guy for her daughter around Easter. She named him Justin Beiber. =/
Recently, they got the little girl a $1K "designer" breed puppy, and the little girl lost interest in the bunny. They were going to go and "release" him in a local park (so not the best idea for a tame rabbit. He wouldn't even begin to know how to survive.) Huz and I took him in and are calling him Jude. We're going to try to find a fabulous home for him.

He is really a sweetheart. In just the few hours he's been here, he's starting to relax and become a bit more outgoing and curious. He loves to be pet on the head, tolerates being picked up pretty well, and likes playing with toys. That was fun for me to see, because my buns usually don't give a crap about toys (they have about a million of them, the spoiled brats! lol) He's a burrower, so he has a little t-shirt that he digs and rearanges. It's super cute.

It's so funny to see another example of how different bunnies' personalities can be! If you don't own a rabbit, it can seem like they'd all be the same (kind of what I would think about fish, because I don't have them). But, they really are different and have different interests, preferences, dislikes, favorite snacks and habits.

Hef spends all his time trying to break out of his house. And then, as soon as he's out, he wants to be in. He is super active, curious and mischeivous. He loves to chew on stuff (whether it's his or not) He really keeps us on our toes. And, he'll do anything for a treat. He recognizes the sound of the refrigerator opening, vegetables being cut, and his bag of hay being opened. And he completely expects to have something delicious presented to him immediately after hearing these noises. He is my crazy little Dennis the Menace Bunny and I love him!

My little Holly is a sweet, shy, timid little girl. She prefers to stay close to home, but will go anywhere Hef is. She is absolutely in love with him. When she gets scared or nervous, she covers her face in his fur. She gladly accepts any treat offered, and then runs over to enjoy it in her favorite spot- her bed (a girl after my own heart lol).

So that's what's new in the Crazy Bunny House. We've got a new addition for now, and I hope this is a new beginning for the little guy. My hope for him is that he gets the perfect family who will love and cuddle and play with him. As I'm typing, he's resting in my lap after the eventful day he's had. ::happy sigh:: This is the life. =)

Game Night

Tonight was Game Night at our cousins' house with our awesome P family! I love being married into such an amazing family. They've treated me like a member of the fam right from the start, and I still get warm flutteries in my tummy when I remember that I really am officially a part of the family. They're THAT awesome =)

I was asked to bring a couple of Very Important Things. Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip, and Quelf. Quelf is an amazingly awesome board game. It's super fun and super crazy. When you have the right people playing, it's the best game ever. We took it camping last month, and had a fabulous time. Tonight was even more fun. I seriously recommend this game if you want to laugh til you puke.

(pic from here)

I also brought Cupcakes. I went with a game night theme and made Popcorn Cupcakes. I got the idea from a cupcake cookbook Huz's aunt gave me for Christmas (there are some SUPER cute things in there that I want to try!) They're vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and little marshmallows arranged to look like popcorn. I placed them in the popcorn containers I bought last year in the dollar section at Target. I loved them!

I wore my Nudist Cupcake shirt. I got it on Shirt.Woot. I think it's pretty much the cutest thing I've ever seen. I am totally in love with it!

I slipped on my Cupcake Chucks and Huz and I ran out the door. (Only like 45 minutes late, but really, when we're with the P family, that's right on time).

(photo from here)

I had SUCH a great time! We talked and laughed and played and ate like food was going out of style. Huz talked about manly things with the men, and I tried to contol my laughter (without success) with the rest of the cousins. Oh! I also got to hold one of the cutest babies ever! Our cousin G had Baby Mason a few months ago. He is soooo cute, and I got to feed him his bottle for a little while.

All in all, a great night!

Attack of the Killer Pile of Laundry

Laundry Day*

::shudder::

I hate laundry. It's my enemy, my nemesis, the bane of my existance. When I finally feel like I've defeated Laundry... without fail, the next day I have nothing to wear and it starts all over again. Blah!

So while all my friends are at The Peach Pit for malt shakes, or the club to shake your groove thing or at a fair or carnival where everyone breaks out in song and dance... or wherever else my insane, Glee-loving brain imagines all you crazy kids with actual lives go... I will be tackling this Bad Boy:
Washed and clean and ready to be folded. At least I have 3 episodes of Mad Men to catch up on while folding... and I can always just put it away tomorrow right?



* Okay, really I procrastinate so much that it turns into laundry week. It's happened to you too, don't lie!

::peeks in::

::dusts off blog::

Yikes! It's been way too long!

Of course, slacking off here means it's been super busy in real life in the Crazy Bunny House. In addition to the normal, boring work and everyday stuff, Huz and I enjoyed our anniversary and had a great time celebrating in Monterey.

We went to The City, had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, and saw Sir Paul McCartney in concert (seriously, best concert of my life!)

And of course, we went on our annual Sunset Beach week-long camping trip with Huz's fam. It was a gorgeous week!

We've had a lot of fun, and have enjoyed spending time together and with our family. Hopefully I'll be able to update with other exciting stuff soon b/c Huz has decided to make a 30 before 30 list too! And, we're both in the process of getting back into school (a major task on BOTH of our lists!)

So there you go. A short update with pictures, but not a whole lot of reading. =)