Licorice is an intense bunny. He is incredibly smart (plays fetch amazingly well - to rival any dog) and doesn't miss a thing. Always 'turned on and tuned in' - high octane. When we first brought him home as our foster, we were warned that he did not like being held and was quite skittish. And it's true there are ways he gets nervous being held - but there are ways he enjoys and I have never met a more eager lap rabbit - he just can't get enough (I have to push him out of my lap and I always feel guilty when I do) and he will gently groom me in return when I give him his bunny massages. I was sure he'd be impossible to trim nails on - but he was so amazingly easy and relaxed - just lapping up the attention in the way he always does - with zero fear of the nail trimming portion. Likely initially a breeder rabbit or show bunny - his left ear is tattooed and he seems to be a bit of a bunny 'nerd' in regards to socialization. But so affectionate. Always interested in what's happening - stretchy little athlete bun - Licorice is also the most orally fixated bun I've met - shredding anything and everything he is giving and creating little piles of material (whether grass or fleece or braided rugs - zero ingesting - just shredding and mouthing and forming little piles). He will groom and groom and groom his stuffy valentine heart - and the same goes for his stuffy horse. Unfortunately he can get a little more rough with the stuffy horse and so I've limited his access to it in order to be sure he doesn't accidentally ingest any of the mane or tail or stuffing (after nibbling a couple of teenytiny holes). When I first brought Licorice home - I noted that he chinned EVERYTHING. Literally leaping and diving to chin!!! Like a baseball player going in for a base! It was extraordinary the amount of 'heart' he put into the activity and it made me question the motivation and wonder if it was an insecurity thing... or just his general gusto. In my volunteering at an orphanage in Brazil - I once observed how the most loving affectionate children (oh how they wanted hugs - nonstop hugs - it was hard to walk at times because so many children would run up to wrap their little arms tightly around you for hugs that they never wanted to let go of) turned completely hysterical when presented with a puzzle. Because they had been orphaned on the street before being brought in - there was this strong reaction to 'not enough' - and they went into complete panic when it came to sharing something they perceived to be 'theirs' or limited - which happened to be the case for puzzle pieces. Something about the psychology of putting it together and not trusting anyone else. Licorice reminds me of this... and his chinning was reminiscent of that "I had to fight for it before so I'll do whatever I can to claim this now and make my actions mean it" sort of attitude. If he were a horse I've trained - he would be Danny or Tali Fahl. Stallion like - with gumption. Just DRIVEN. Licorice drinks his water with his feet directly in the bowl. Quirky. I am certain he would excel at bunny agility if given that chance and if he could be trained to feel safe in a harness (though that would take work given his previous aversion to being held).
I wish we knew what really happened to him - his real background - why he is the way he is.
Was he ever loved?
I know he will not be easy to bond. But I am so sure he wants a friend. He once - and only once - displayed aggression to Tika when she was in his area. She completely ignored him and he stopped the charge. He once made as if he were going to be aggressive to me - he certainly has the potential to become cage aggressive in the wrong environment and I think he would do best with a bunny savvy adult who will totally dote on him. But when he acted as if he may get aggressive I didn't respond and he pulled back on his bluff and has not tried anything similar since. Instead he licks my hand and jeans and shirt.
Tonight I decided I will be making use of the stuffy horse to work on bonding - and as soon as I put it in with him he began grooming and binkied. Lick lick licking. And so playful. I tried to mimic as if the horse were dominant and Licorice asserted his own dominance by mounting for a bit before licking again. But he also nibbles and nips at the belly a little bit - maybe to get the horse to respond? And he sometimes digs. Fleur, from her pen next to his, got quite excited and was running laps and binkying right alongside him... maybe a good sign?
But then I wonder if it wouldn't be better to work with an older more motherly bun who is eager to groom. Not necessarily submissive so much as tolerant and self-assured and not easily made nervous. Basically more like Penney. A girl I know won't bite or get riled up. And I noticed that Theo is more intense now tha the is alone - perhaps I'd be better off bonding an easy bond girl to him first - or to each of the boys separately - rather than to Licorice. Fleur is so sweet - but she's young and spunky - does it work to have three bunnies with such extremely big personalities so similar?
Can he be trained to love another bunny?
And when I consider not adopting him - I lose it. I want so badly to have my own bunnies bonded such that I can have the room to foster others still. If I were to keep my own bunnies separate I would not be able to continue fostering ... our house is just not set up with it as there is no door between the livinroom and bedroom and only a screen (which we inserted) between the kitchen and living room. The studio is out because of the electronics that would be impossible to bunnyproof - and while the porch is awesome much of the time it is not a viable every day year round option (storms/rain/winter - any sort of severe weather or extreme heat). And cages are a no-no. It's hard enough to keep them in pens - and I'd so much prefer to have them be 100% free range - but there is just no way to do that without risking the boys getting to eachother. Or I could find a way to make it work in this apartment - but if I were to have to move to another... it is challenging enough with the three cats - to also have to divide the apartment by alpha male buns would be hard. But with all that in mind - I don't know that I could let Licorice go to just anyone. He's special. I just want my Penney back because she seemed like the right connecting force. We all want her back. I miss her.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Dating
After driving to Appleton with the two boys in tow - in order to date them with a few prospective female bunnies of all ages and sizes - we returned with a young Flemish Giant/Checkered Giant girl. A few months, not yet spayed (to happen soon!), she was about the only girl that Licorice did not get cranky about or lunge at.
First dates in our kitchen did not go as well as I hoped. Discouraging. Licorice continues to act innocent and disinterested and will suddenly charge and nip. No blood - not even fur - but I have immediately stepped in to prevent that because I cannot bear the thought of the bunnies suffering so much as a scratch. I have been doing dinner dates with greens, some pellets, a couple of treats - lots of petting and soothing speak. Squirt gun at the ready - though that doesn't seem to dissuade either of the boys... or maybe I'm not quick enough on the draw. I feel so comfortable with body language and communication in so many animals - but bonding bunnies is not one area I have much experience with and I was so spoiled with how easy Penney and Theo were.
Yesterday was disheartening. Enough so that I had my own mini meltdown. First Licorice thumped and grunted and went after Fleur. She didn't seem to care or mind - but I also quickly moved him out of the area. I then thought to try Fleur with Theo. Not my brightest idea given that the area was still scented with Licorice and Fleur had been present for some time before Theo. I regret that. They went nose to nose - it almost seemed confused as to what they intended - and it ended up in lunge and boxing (with my hand ended up the recipient). Shook my own confidence and I've been thinking hard ever since about these three buns and my strategy and if I'm cut out to do this. I know I have the patience - but I'm not sure I can stomach anything other than the rabbits whispering sweet nothings into eachothers ears. It's so hard!
First dates in our kitchen did not go as well as I hoped. Discouraging. Licorice continues to act innocent and disinterested and will suddenly charge and nip. No blood - not even fur - but I have immediately stepped in to prevent that because I cannot bear the thought of the bunnies suffering so much as a scratch. I have been doing dinner dates with greens, some pellets, a couple of treats - lots of petting and soothing speak. Squirt gun at the ready - though that doesn't seem to dissuade either of the boys... or maybe I'm not quick enough on the draw. I feel so comfortable with body language and communication in so many animals - but bonding bunnies is not one area I have much experience with and I was so spoiled with how easy Penney and Theo were.
Yesterday was disheartening. Enough so that I had my own mini meltdown. First Licorice thumped and grunted and went after Fleur. She didn't seem to care or mind - but I also quickly moved him out of the area. I then thought to try Fleur with Theo. Not my brightest idea given that the area was still scented with Licorice and Fleur had been present for some time before Theo. I regret that. They went nose to nose - it almost seemed confused as to what they intended - and it ended up in lunge and boxing (with my hand ended up the recipient). Shook my own confidence and I've been thinking hard ever since about these three buns and my strategy and if I'm cut out to do this. I know I have the patience - but I'm not sure I can stomach anything other than the rabbits whispering sweet nothings into eachothers ears. It's so hard!
It begins
This blog is intended to be a space in which I can ramble freely about my rabbits... a place through which to share the silly things, the sad things, developments in their learning, and interactions and growth.
I grew up with rabbits - aside from tadpoles, insects, fish, and two talkative little budgies - bunnies were the first real pet I was allowed. We had been living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and one of the 'good things' my parents gave me to look forward to when we left everyone behind to move across the world to the Netherlands was the promise of a bunny - something I had wanted for quite a while. And so it came to be.
Amazing little bunnies I had - famous in our neighborhood - learned a lot and taught so much to many children through the community and international school. Whitie, Blackie, and Snow Drop. But those are posts and pictures for another day.
After 9 years spent in Rotterdam we moved to Brasilia - and after a year without a bunny I somehow came home with Buttermilk - a large cream rabbit who smelled like honey. What a character that boy bunny was - vocal, interactive, best buddies with my cat, Moomoo, and our Cocker Spaniel, Star. He even got along well with the lamb I raised in the courtyard right off of my room - tolerating her attempts at suckling on his large tail. Buttermilk was free range between the courtyard and my bedroom through a screened window that opened. More stories to come.
From Brasilia we moved to Florida - where my time was spent with Star and Moomoo and TielyTiely - a wonderfully sweet cockatiel. Eventually, in the weeks before we moved to Wisconsin, I added another 'tiel, LO, after rescuing her from certain death. And Sunlight, the horse I trained, came with us to the frigid north. Between school and travel and my other animals - there were no bunnies for a while. I had intended to have Buttermilk - the plan was to get settled in Florida and return for him - but he passed away very soon after I left Brazil. And left a large hole to fill. However, after a few years of looking I did adopt a little Harlequin Dutch bunny, Gingersnaps. Sassy and so sweet - spunky little girl who ruled the roost.
When she passed away unexpectedly - leaving Tika grieving alongside me - I settled my mare, picked up my cats, and escaped with them to Brazil for my family, public health projects, a return to some of my roots, and to move forward from a relationship that did not go as planned. Fast forward further and suddenly I was back in Wisconsin - love will do that. And after settling myself into a good job and more appropriate apartment - Derek and I decided to foster bunnies as I missed the lagomorph personality plus. Well, it only took our first sweet foster rabbit, Maddock, being adopted before I realized fostering would not work well for me if I didn't have my own bunny to closely bond to... and so after some searching I fell in love with Penney of Soulmate Rabbit Rescue. While she wasn't from the organization we fostered for - I just KNEW she was the one. And I was right. What an amazing little girl - I fully credit her with creating peace between my two cats and Derek's Poindexter after we'd been working at it for quite some time. She just had an aura about her that mellowed everyone out. Such a sweet honest little rabbit. But as there is 'bonding news' to report on - I'll return to Penney later. . (and our fosters) with photos promised. For now the 'necessary news' in order to get up to speed on the posts is that Penney fell in love with a little Dutchie blue - love at first sight and soulmate buns. We came to foster Licorice and I began toying with the idea of trying to bond a trio (fully confident it would not upset Penney and Theo in their love). First dates went well between Penney and Licorice and Theo and Licorice - and the car bonding dates were great as were the first neutral territory trio dates (though Licorice did attempt to charge and nip a bit which made me nervous as I had not dealt with that before). And then we lost Penney extremely unexpectedly. Robbed.
I grew up with rabbits - aside from tadpoles, insects, fish, and two talkative little budgies - bunnies were the first real pet I was allowed. We had been living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and one of the 'good things' my parents gave me to look forward to when we left everyone behind to move across the world to the Netherlands was the promise of a bunny - something I had wanted for quite a while. And so it came to be.
Amazing little bunnies I had - famous in our neighborhood - learned a lot and taught so much to many children through the community and international school. Whitie, Blackie, and Snow Drop. But those are posts and pictures for another day.
After 9 years spent in Rotterdam we moved to Brasilia - and after a year without a bunny I somehow came home with Buttermilk - a large cream rabbit who smelled like honey. What a character that boy bunny was - vocal, interactive, best buddies with my cat, Moomoo, and our Cocker Spaniel, Star. He even got along well with the lamb I raised in the courtyard right off of my room - tolerating her attempts at suckling on his large tail. Buttermilk was free range between the courtyard and my bedroom through a screened window that opened. More stories to come.
From Brasilia we moved to Florida - where my time was spent with Star and Moomoo and TielyTiely - a wonderfully sweet cockatiel. Eventually, in the weeks before we moved to Wisconsin, I added another 'tiel, LO, after rescuing her from certain death. And Sunlight, the horse I trained, came with us to the frigid north. Between school and travel and my other animals - there were no bunnies for a while. I had intended to have Buttermilk - the plan was to get settled in Florida and return for him - but he passed away very soon after I left Brazil. And left a large hole to fill. However, after a few years of looking I did adopt a little Harlequin Dutch bunny, Gingersnaps. Sassy and so sweet - spunky little girl who ruled the roost.
When she passed away unexpectedly - leaving Tika grieving alongside me - I settled my mare, picked up my cats, and escaped with them to Brazil for my family, public health projects, a return to some of my roots, and to move forward from a relationship that did not go as planned. Fast forward further and suddenly I was back in Wisconsin - love will do that. And after settling myself into a good job and more appropriate apartment - Derek and I decided to foster bunnies as I missed the lagomorph personality plus. Well, it only took our first sweet foster rabbit, Maddock, being adopted before I realized fostering would not work well for me if I didn't have my own bunny to closely bond to... and so after some searching I fell in love with Penney of Soulmate Rabbit Rescue. While she wasn't from the organization we fostered for - I just KNEW she was the one. And I was right. What an amazing little girl - I fully credit her with creating peace between my two cats and Derek's Poindexter after we'd been working at it for quite some time. She just had an aura about her that mellowed everyone out. Such a sweet honest little rabbit. But as there is 'bonding news' to report on - I'll return to Penney later. . (and our fosters) with photos promised. For now the 'necessary news' in order to get up to speed on the posts is that Penney fell in love with a little Dutchie blue - love at first sight and soulmate buns. We came to foster Licorice and I began toying with the idea of trying to bond a trio (fully confident it would not upset Penney and Theo in their love). First dates went well between Penney and Licorice and Theo and Licorice - and the car bonding dates were great as were the first neutral territory trio dates (though Licorice did attempt to charge and nip a bit which made me nervous as I had not dealt with that before). And then we lost Penney extremely unexpectedly. Robbed.
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