Monday, September 21, 2009

Monday Bunday


Rabbits3 seem to be making slow, through steady progress. We would all like to acknowledge Sydney for venturing outside. Amelia likes to go out pretty much any time and at night will wait by the door so she can go out and look at the night. Tyler prefers daytime forays. And Dear Syd, is just getting used to the whole concept. It's not about what a bun can do, I tell her, it's about how hard a bun tries.

Sydney only just barely outside using the basil not for food but for cover.

On the bonding front spaces between rabbits continue to close up, and retreats from aggression shorten. Amelia, who in the very beginning could get aggressive, is still just retreating. Syndey is much more likely to go for fur, though Tyler was guilty of one incident. Only very small amounts of actual fur have been removed from anybun (it is hard to tell whose fur it is without a DNA check). Amelia is more and more standing her ground with head down asking for grooming, she and Tyler have had a few almost grooms.....

At home with Rabbits3; typical domestic scene.

I have noticed Sydney and Amelia playing a game I will call "Trading Places". I know, you thought this was a reality TV show, but it a trickster rabbit game. Bandit introduced this game to me. First when she was an only rabbit she would establish a pattern of places she would be at set times. When she thought I'd gotten the hang of it she would switch it all up and have a good laugh into her dewlap. When she got a companion, Biscuit, the waves of of silent lagomorphic laughter were palpable when I walked into their room one morning and they had switched beds. This was made even more amusing by the fact that Bandit, being a big girl, did overflow Biscuit's Bed and little Biscuit was almost swallowed by Bandit's bed. Sydney and Amelia are just in the beginning stages of "Trading Places" and so the switch was fairly rudimentary. Amelia had established under the chair as her habitual area, and Sydney often planted herself where Amelia's pellet bowl would be, in hopes I might forget that she shouldn't have free fed alfalfa pellets. Then a couple days ago they switched. Sydney has never lounged under the chair, but there she was, doing a fair Amelia imitation.

Sydney and Amelia choose to share a dish.
Notice their ears are exactly the same:
right ear lightly back and left is out to the side.

I've started putting the greens in three bowls (all the same amounts, mind you) and placing the bowls an equidistant triangle. For a while the Spots would run Amelia off under the chair and return to eating, she would stay under the chair and I would put a bowl there for her. Lately she has been returning to the triangle. Last night she and Sydney were sharing a bowl for what seemed like quite a long time until Sydney took a little lunge at her. Within 10 seconds they had re-configured and Tyler and Syndey were sharing a bowl and Amelia was back at her original place.
Then Tyler and Sydney share a dish,
when there is enough to eat,
eating is a non-competitive social activity.

Have a great week everybun.

19 comments:

Fez and the Gang said...

Looks like you are making some good progress!

Jack likes to go out on the balcony here... she runs to the door during her out time... the rest of us think she is a little nutty though...

Anonymous said...

This is amazing progress! You are very patient and I suspect it's fascinating to watch!

Fidget is probably a lot like Syd - very pensive about going out or anywhere new. Right now that's my fault since she's confined to a small enclosure with short "outings" but hopefully that will change.

Unknown said...

Very interesting! Amelia asks for grooming! Does she enjoy pets from you?
I often take my lunch over to Silver to eat it, taking her something to eat also. Maybe I was a bun in another life! Probably a bossy and opinionated one.

BipolarBunny said...

You have such cool bunnies.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Wow, things are really coming along with them! Funny Sydney, so nervous about the outdoors. That sky sure is big!

Deb Cushman said...

They're getting there! Someday soon it will seem like they've always been together.

PJ said...

Your eye for design makes the story all the more interesting - then again you narrative is always slyly clever and engaging. Da buns are becoming a little bununit. Verrrry nice.

RG said...

There is perfect logic in all of it ... bunny logic!

Great pix ... aerial views,

Christina said...

They look so great. Basil does make good cover I think. Their outdoor spot looks like so much fun. Lots of yummies to nibble on.

Crafty Green Poet said...

very nice post, wonderful details! Great that they're getting closer all the time!

Crafty Green Poet said...

very nice post, wonderful details! Great that they're getting closer all the time!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

FATG-I bet Jack and Amelia would have good time romping in the garden...
MOC-Maybe a Spotted Girl trait? my advice, for what it is worth is when you extend her territory, do it slowly, I think the Spots got a little freaked when they went from being fostered pen buns to free buns, I wish I had taken it more slowly.
C-Amelia loves petting and usually goes right into tooth purring mode.
CBL-they think they are pretty cool too....
BG-She tends to be very circumspect.......
FAB-I hope so....
PJ-well, thank you:~) Bununit, very nice, like that one.
RG-bunny cam is always looking for a good angle.
C-Maybe with more basil Syd would venture further!
CGP-Thank you! trying to keep everyone current LOL.

Michelle May-The Raspberry Rabbits said...

Love the "domestic scene." Too cute! Your yard looks like a bunny heaven! Lovely.
bunny hugs,
shell

YowlYY said...

I love your updated on the rabbits3, and I think it is great that they are starting to accept Amelia, and she the couple :)
Sydney is very much like Miss Eve: she had trouble at the beginning on being outside, probably because she had never been much out of her cage before she got fostered. Even to the day, when she goes to the french window leading to the patio, she will wait and linger until she ventures out and starts binkying. Neville, on the other hand, has no fear of the big blue (or grey) sky, not even rain deters him from going out!

Annette Tait said...

mirror eating in unison - that's a hard skill to master!
the outside world looks BIG! but safe, Sydney will have very big eyes every time she goes near the door!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

S-domestic scene, yes I take lots of pics, at least one or two are useful; yard-they don't actually get to go into the yard, just look at it from a small deck.
Y-they are just so funny and dear....nose bumps to yours!
AFT- the ears tell a tale, so they not? Sydney is working on what the outdoors means...

PJ said...

Miss Amelia is a natural-born show-off...and I hope to see more! She's adorable.

RG said...

Somehow that last picture reminds me of a game of dominos with Amelia left out!

Unknown said...

GReat to see Amelia and Sydney sharing a bowl...what great bonding! When we were at my MIL's place, my SIL told me the bunny she adopted from us our fav Maskara is doing very well, Maskara has a whole yard to roam at the back and being pamapered to the max!! I was so happy for her, then SIL told she wanted another male bun for Maskara and I told her make sure he gets the snip...as she wouldn't want to be like me...cleaning poop for 11 rabbits..phew..thank rabbits, I days are over now...BUT I am again feeling very nostalgic ----wanting another bun :P

hugs.........M