Buttercup is about two years old, and comes to us from the House Rabbit Network. She was originally rescued from a hoarding situation, and has been in foster care for over a year. Like so many white, red-eyed bunnies, it has taken her a long time to find a home. I really hope this works out, 'cause I would hate to take her back.
So, I have two questions for my rabbit friends. Speedy can probably answer the first one. Are red-eyed rabbits more sensitive to light?
And, when you have two rabbits whose eating habits are completely different, how do you handle it? Jensen is the biggest eater we've ever had here. He's like a dog, food is the best 30 seconds of the day. Buttercup eats the least of any rabbit I've seen, and likes to graze. Got any suggestions about how to handle this when they are together full-time?
Finally, just for fun, here's a goofy picture I made for the LifeBook art class I'm taking this year. It's turning out to be a great learning experience.
10 comments:
I always worry that long-term foster bunnies who find homes will not adjust well. They do not know they are home after all and have comfortable in their foster home for so long, I am sure it is a shock to be uprooted from that place in which they are so accustomed to being.
Give them a chance. Like many weeks worth of a chance. Their bond could be very strong given time and patience. Mr. J has claimed the house for himself, so a more neutral site for them to be in together might be better. Who is more aggressive? If it is her, she is afraid. If it is him, he is being a possessive bully.
A trick one person learned for getting baby bunnies to stop fighting was to rub olive oil on their hands and then rub it on their paws, faces, ears. The bunnies become obsessed with grooming themselves and each other, licking the oil off. And we know grooming each other is a good sign. Give them both a light rubdown with some kind food-grade oil like canola or olive oil, and see what happens. Film it if you can.
Can't tell you much about the eating. I give my bunns unlimited Sherwood Forest Natural Rabbit Food pellets and unlimited timothy hay. But I am out of hay, so they have outdoor green grasses to nom. It makes their poop dark and a bit more dense than when they eat dry grass hay.
I'm with Brandi on giving them time. I think it's how it is with rescues, all of which you are accustomed to. As for the eating, I think that will come in time too. Hannah was always a little piggy bunny. Harrington learned that if he wanted some of the stuff he better get his butt in gear. They eventually learned their own system. I think right now having the fence between them is the best thing and in time they will be best friends. I'm just so happy for all of you. This is wonderful.
Now as for your art...waaaaaaaaaaay too cool! Love it!! Oh Karen, why can't you live next door so we could play every day. :)
Hugs!
Thank you for giving a sweet, white bunny with red eyes a chance to learn to be a bunny in a loving home! They are dear to my heart!
Awwwwww, so sweet! They will work things out in time and at their own pace. My thinking is that red-eyed buns are slightly more light-sensitive because of the lack of pigmentation in their eyes, but not to the point where they have trouble being in a well-lit room. I do not know for sure, though.
LOVE your fishies! Great colors and they look like they have great personality.
Hi Auntie Karen in answer to your question I do find Bright light makes me squint a bit but its not to bad but I find I have to have lots of light on the stairs other wise I can't see very well to go down them but that may be beause I can only see out of one eye,But the most thing that gets me is I get hot in the sun or warm weather quite quickly so when I'm running around out side I stick mainly to the shady areas.I think Auntie Brandi and Auntie Shell are right about Buttercup she's just afriad after being whisked out of what she has felt is home to a new place with strange smells and things she doesn't reconise and this big bunny she doesn't know and she's feeling abit put out by it all give her time and she will settel but I think you should put some of Jensens bedding that he has use in with her and vice versa to get them more used to each others sent and will rub off on each other to become one blendand see if you can make a neutral place to meet and socialise try putting down a fresh clean sheet in cordoned off area in a different part of the house the sheet will give a neutral smell zone...we thats what Mummy say's,Love you Auntie Karen and Jensen,xx Speedy and Rachel
Quite the challenge for feeding when one is a grazer! I hope you figure out the feeding and they also become best buddies soon. Interesting comments and ideas here. We had feeding issues with our two rescued dogs but they now eat quite happily next to each other. And I like your fun page!
Agree, give it time. I thought Gabby and Matilda would never get past squabbling and bickering. Even now, when they are mostly snuggling and grooming each other, they will sometimes misbehave. It is always little Gabby who is the aggressor. I think that because she is so much smaller than Matilda, she just has to exert some dominance every now and then, even though Matilda rarely tries to boss her. Bunnies!!
I am glad you were able to home Buttercup. She may just need time and love. Hopefully, the fence will come down, but even if it doesn't become possible, try to keep her. I've had buns who would just not get alone and play well. Even so, I loved them all and just rotated their time out of the pens. Not ideal, but sometimes necessary.
Love the fishies.
Give them time and patience and they'll adapt to each other hopefully!
isn't she just adorable! and I'm with everyone too about giving it time.
They are both young and you have a female coming into a male's territory which is an easier way to bond - as male coming to female was impossible for me - Arabella attacked Wes.
However when I first got Arabella she was introduced into Zai's territory - and he accepted her completely.
But she was not about to let a male come into her territory when I got Wes a few years later.
Wes loves the sun and lies in it as often as possible. I don't think he is light sensitive even though he has beautiful red eyes :)
besides if there is anything he disapproves of, he merely closes his eyes!
I always give my buns as much food as they want to eat, Wes ate non stop for over a year and never grew an inch, any where!
but over time he started to eat less, - because he could see that food was always available and always on the go, so there was no need to stockpile.
His pellet dish is full to the brim every single day and all he does is just pick away when he feels like it.
I remember him going crazy when he first arrived, every time I gave him brekky and he took a bite out of every single thing first! ha ha
your fishys are adorable ;)
I don't have any god advice for your questions but wanted to wish you luck with the bonding. I went through that years ago and it is not easy and can be an emotional roller coaster. Hang in there!
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