Licorice

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.