Friday, April 22, 2011

Is there anything more pathetic...

 ...than a bunny in a cone?
Babette got a little infected around her spay scar.
So now we get several days of THE DREADED CONE...
and two weeks of ICKY BAYTRIL.
Poor thing.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Adventures in bonding

Well, I'm impatient. And Herbert seems so blue that I want to get him loved-up sooner rather than later... but Angie (my bunny maven) thinks it's a little too early to bond Herbert...he's still grieving. Which makes sense...he's definitely the aggressor during the bonding sessions. Maybe he's just not ready.

I've done a couple meet and greets in my downstairs bathroom. I put them in the tub and tricked her in to licking him by rubbing her ears--a trick I was taught by my friend Jon. He enjoyed being licked (herbert, not jon) but I don't think either of them were fooled. She spent the rest of the time trying to FLING herself out of the tub. When she succeeded I found myself with a chest full 'o bun, and decided it was time to move out of the tub and onto the floor.

So, it's been going. See?
Fear and loafing.

Parallelobuns

Post-flop. Yes, he flopped!

Poor Herbert. In Jail. I put him in a pen connected with hers overnight. But he got sprung this morning.

Anyways, I'm going to give him a break and talk to Angie. I'm just so excited to have them together (herbert and babette, not angie and babette). She is a peach (as long as we're being clear, I'm referring here to Babette--tho it's also true that Angie is a peach). She (Babette) just wants to lay next to me and get pets. And she totally wants to get to know Herbert better. She's just a little headshy, with good reason.

More Photos.

Well, here are some more photos. I've been meeting one or two of mom's friends lately.

Me (on the right) and my brother. He's smaller and shy-er than me. But clearly equally sleepy.


This is my mom. Isn't she pretty? Even from this angle?


My head. It's not small.

Auntie Karen says that Frenchies' skeletons keep growing until 8-10 months, and we keep 'filling out' (I prefer to 'fill up', personally) until 14 months. So I guess I won't be 10.1 lbs forever. Impressive, no?


Herbert and his late beloved Rosie being office assistants.


Herbert got an ear rub from friends...and it was so good it made him forget that he's a lop.

Hello, world.

After long lurking, I now have no excuse not to throw my own bun-stories into the mix.
Why?
Because I just adopted Babette. The Rab-ette.
She's a french lop, she's six months old, she's 10.1 lbs (4.5 kgs), and she's still growing.
She looks and acts like a big golden retriever puppy.

She is destined to be the new girlfriend for Herbert, the mini-lop.
My 'upstairs bunny' is Mr. Kisserroo, who was supposed to be a foster. He's now a failed foster and if I don't snuggle him properly every night before bed, he stomps, growls, and throws his foodbowl until i get up and do it. His name is actually Kisses, which is a lame name for a boy, except that he...kisses. All the time. And he's a rescued Cottontail--a real one--so he's supposed to be a meanie. Hence, it's been impossible for me to fully change his name. sigh.

OK. So.

Last we saw Herbert, he was mourning the loss of his Rosie. He would only eat in the middle of the night. He had gone from being Mr. Independent 'chase me! chase me!' rabbit into 'hug me hug me' bunny. We were all sad, but he was the saddest.
As the days went by, as days tend to do, he was less grief-y and more plain old lone-ly. I knew it was important to find him a new lady friend sooner rather than later. And I wanted a big girl this time. As it happened, Sandi at Rabbit Meadows had just such a big girl. She had taken in Tinkerbell, a French Lop who had been abandoned in the woods in Edmonds. The very next day, September 30, Tinkerbell popped out two gigantic beige babies--a boy and a girl. Six months later (aka just two days ago), the girl was spayed, I picked her up, and now all 10 pounds of her (and she' s not done growing) are in her very own pen next to 6-pound-Herbert's room. I thought I'd share some of the first conversations between her, Herbert, and me.

Last week:

Herbert: Hug me! Hug me! Hug me!
Me: Oh, Herbert, you look sad. Come here. Let me hug you.
Herbert: Schnorfle snort grunt snorfle.
(10 minutes pass..)
Herbert: LET GO LET GO LET GO!
Me: Where's the lint roller?
(two hours pass)
Herbert: Hug me! Hug me! Hug me!
(repeat)

Two days ago:
Me: Herrr-berrrrt! Look what I got for YOU!!
Herbert: What IS that?
Me: Herbert, isn't she PRETTY?
Herbert: I'M GOING TO KILL IT WHATEVER IT IS!
Me: Herbert! Stop that!
New bunny: Oh hi. Got any snacks?
Herbert: MURDER! MURDER! MURDER! MUR....wait a sec....
New bunny: Any news on those snacks?
Herbert: I'm confused. What is that?
New bunny: Waiter? waiter!
Herbert: That thing is HUGE.
New bunny: This hay is delish.
Herbert: Uh. I'm confused.
New bunny: ho de do, la la la.
Herbert: I feel weird. I think I'm scared. And mad. And confused? And intrigued...
New bunny: This litterbox is stupid. I think I'll move it with my head.
Herbert: MOM!!! HUG ME!
Me: Oh Herbert.
Herbert: YOU LOVE IT MORE! It's going to replace me!
Me: Wow, Herbert, I had no idea your eyes had that much white around them.
New bunny: YAWN! <flop>
Herbert: AIEEEE!
Me: Herbert. Really. I got her FOR YOU. You're my bunny. She's YOUR bunny. I thought you might like to have your own bunny so I got you one.
Herbert: ....oh. Really? For me?
Me. Yes Herbert. You're my main man.
Herbert: Can I still want to kill her for a while?
Me: Hmm. I think I'll double the gate.
Herbert: She's kinda huge.
New bunny: Can I have a name please?
Me: Babette! Babette the rab-bette!
Babette: BINK!
Herbert: munch munch munch (parsley)
Babette: munch munch munch (everything in sight)
Me: Phew.

In our next episode: Bonding. Fingers crossed.

And without further ado:

My Hobby.


My paws.



My first love.


My travel pillow.


Being upside-downerated by mom. She's checking the furcut scar.


Herbert is concerned.


Kisses could care less.

xoxo! I'm so pleased to join the ranks (I hope).
Even tho I'm a terrible 'merican.