Bunday is Everyday

cha cha cha.....

As you can imagine the bonding dance continues with one hop forward and two hops back, or maybe that's two hops forward and one hop back, I'll let you be the judge. For a few days I fed Harriet with the Spots and that worked out pretty much OK, but Amelia was feeling too isolated so I swapped her back to the front and had all four eating together. This mostly involved Harriet coming into the front because it seemed like she was more likely to get upset if another rabbit went into the back zone.

Breakfast all at once without a fence.

Last Sunday, notice there is always trouble on the weekends, I returned from teaching Tai Chi to find Sydney in her pen in the living room, not out of the ordinary, but something in her furry face told me to check on the back room double quick. Tyler was standing in the doorway looking out and I swear he looked relieved to see me. Amelia had gotten in the back zone. My arrival found she and Harriet both with heads down in the dominance pose, there was fur of both colors on the floor and on the bed. I stepped over the fence and sat down with them, petting both their heads and checking as well as I could for wounds. Both rabbits were breathing hard. After they calmed down a bit I decided to just let them be and see if maybe they had worked out their differences in my absence. But no, Amelia tried to get into "her" willow tent and another fight ensued. This time I DID NOT stick my hand in between them, in fact a properly inserted foot did the trick and I was even able to securely sandwich Harriet between my feet. I fed them all after about half an hour and Harriet was still so upset she wouldn't eat much, Amelia on the other hand was chowing down like football player at an all you can eat joint.

Amelia sniffs Harriet under my heavy hand.

In Chinese Medicine there is a condition called "Liver Attacking Stomach" one of the ways this can present is not being hungry after getting upset, specifically upset by being angry. I am now treating both gurlz for "liver issues". I decided to treat Amelia as well just to be on the safe side. I am using a set of points called "Four Gates" and my nifty tres moderne laser. Some years ago I had a small windfall and purchased a couple of "machines" for my practice that would allow me to address conditions in people who didn't like needles. A laser with a special acupoint attachment was one of them. It's not a cure all miracle machine but as far as using it on points goes it can sometimes be quite effective. I've just treated the gurlz once at this writing, so it's a bit early to tell if behavior has changed.

With the baskets I can manipulate space between buns.

On another note curiously through Facebook I have been commissioned to paint a rabbit portrait. The lagomorph in question is one Baby Porkchop, who is sadly At The Bridge. His mum, Thea Smith is active in rabbit rescue in her home town of Glendale AZ. Here is the OK'd sketch, I'll start painting soon..........

Baby Porkchop was a big (9.5 lb) happy bunny who knew that he was the boss.

Soon to be announced and available to the public: Qi Stamps........

Wednesday Bunday

Dating Update: I've swapped Harriet over to the front BunZone and she is having friendly and heavily supervised meals with the Spots. Everybun has their portion of salad measured out into what I imagine is usually a french fry basket. I got 6 at Cost Plus World Market for $5.99. Last time, when Amelia was joining, I also got salad containers but they have since found a useful life containing supplies and gadgets in my Acupuncture to-go bag. The baskets are nice because they are light and encourage tossing and tipping, which increases the entertainment value for all.

Another piece of bonding equipage has been a splatter screen. One of the bonders at Rabbit Haven had mentioned this and it seemed to me like it's time had come. Easier to use than a sphaghetti strainer for potentially aggressive bun meetings, it also has a handle for safe extension. You can see it in use in the picture.

After the popularity of Harriet and Quan Yin I thought I'd try to get some shots of Amelia and Quan Yin, but she was having nothing to do with an arranged photo shot. Instead she would rather show you around the mint pit, a little dip with earth and plant just off the deck....

Harriet and Quan Yin

no text to make up for exceedingly long post on Monday.......

Monday Bunday

Sydney

It is Monday. On Saturday Sydney did not want to get her nails done, but she was tricked into the carrier. Tyler did not want to get his nails done either, but he was trapped, his words not mine, and thrust unceremoniously and without dignity into the carrier after being apologised to, petted and kissed. After all this Harriet and Amelia seemed like civilised and well trained bunnies, but maybe they just wanted to get their nails done. At Rabbit Haven's bunny spa nails were trimmed, glands cleaned and all rabbits groomed. I helped with the latter. Harriet in particular did a spectacular shed, just a few days before she had had nothing to offer the brush. With high hopes I put them one by one into the bonding pen; first Tyler, then Amelia, Sydney and finally Harriet.

Sydney

Everybun was pretty peaceful except Sydney, who was acting, from my experiences with her, very strange indeed. She immediately gravitated to a cushion in the pen and loafed herself down on it. I was concerned that maybe she had gotten injured going in or coming out of the carrier

and couldn't hop properly. I was sitting nearby, everywhere is nearby in the bonding pen, and she put her head down to be groomed. I obliged and she allowed me to pet her continuously for many minutes. In the three years that I've had her she has never been interested in being petted by me, though I offer that service everyday only to be summarily dismissed. Now imagine my continued surprise when she started to tooth purr......

Tyler (back end)

During this bonding session the only rabbit to snap was Tyler at Harriet. For some reason he was in a snit and remained sulky and aloof even when all the girls were having a voluntary three way snuggle, yes, you read that right; A VOLUNTARY THREE WAY SNUGGLE. Sydney was in many ways the star of the show befriending Harriet and even giving Amelia a token grooming. There were many wonderful togetherness type moments and I really felt like this could work. I could have four happily bonded buns, there was light at the end of the bunnel. Given our(my) ecstatic mood from the bonding once home I took down the fence convinced this was the day of the new beginnings and from hence force we could all mingle and commingle without frontiers; friends to the end. One for all and for bun. Everything went quite well for an hour or two. The Spots, exhausted from disapproving and approving both, scurried under their chairs upon release from the moving torture chamber. Harriet and Amelia settled down in the back room, doing a little mutual territorial testing and discovery, but mostly being quite well behaved.

Harriet and Quan Yin

Later there was a little fight. Later still I was out of the room and heard a huge commotion. Tangling like wild predators the gurls were really going at each other, yelling unprofessionally I pulled them apart and Amelia clamped her jaws, strong from constant use, to the base of my thumb and she would not let go. I had to shake her off. Once again I am deeply impressed by primal animal instinct that still abides in these domestic creatures. The BF was completely traumatised by the whole escapade and while I tended my dripping wound I was rebuffed for not being prepared with gauntlets, fire hose and mace. Both the girl buns were OK, the blood that I thought was oozing from Harriet's side turned out to have been my own. Are we back at the beginning or someplace unknown but still advancing toward a fence free buniverse? Within ten minutes of the incident both bunnies were stretched out by the fence happily munching hay. The next day, Sunday, there was much boxing and rattling of the fence. I switched them up and most of this stopped. Over night observations possibly conclude this may a happier Feng Shui solution for the gurlz. The down side of this arrangement is the Spots can't come in and visit because I have the kitchen door fenced off so Harriet doesn't go walk-about in the rest of the house, I'm not really ready for that yet. OTOH maybe it's time to introduce Harriet to the Spots on a daily basis.....

FAQ

Q: did you have to get stitches for your wound?

A: no, it is not as deep or as flappy as the other, now I'll have a rabbit scar on my left hand too.

Q: has Sydney continued to allowed you to pet her?

A: no, I even got out a pillow for her and she was uninterested.

Q: was Sydney injured?

A: no, not that I could tell, her hopping seems fine and appetite and everything was normal. She is bunny of many mysteries.....

Q: the writing style of this post seems stranger than usual, are you taking some sort of medication?

A: no, I have been listening to Moby Dick.....

Have a great week and be good to rabbits everywhere.

Saturday Night Mystery

Knowing or not knowing the whole truth could depend on the proper arrangement of facts. If you only have a part of the information you could be missing something really crucial.

It can certainly help to change your perspective and get an over view......

Or a rabbit's eye view.....

But there is always more than one view to consider when looking for the truth....

Now then, consider, if you will, the following paragraph, it is about one subject, but the name has been omitted. Can you figure out what it is? There is only one truth in this case. The answer is in the comments.

A newspaper is better than a magazine. A seashore is a better place than a street. At first it is better to run than walk. You may have to try it several times. It takes some skill, but it is easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Once successful, complications are minimal. Birds seldom get too close. Rain, however, soaks in very fast. Too many people doing the same thing can also cause problems. One needs a lot of room. If there are no complications, it can be very peaceful. A rock will serve as an anchor. If things break loose from it, however, you will not get a second chance.