On Saturday Bruiser and I took a trip to the local rabbit rescue to go pick him out a girlfriend.
We came home with a lovely 2 year old albino girl named Smirnoff. She'd been owned by students (hence the name) who didn't think about what they were going to do with her when they graduated so she ended up in the rescue in July.
The lady at the rescue had a very diferent method of bonding than anything I've heard here. She put them into a carry case together for about 5 minutes and stroked them both lots to let their scents intermingle then let them both straight out into Smirnoff's run. I thought seeing as it was Smirnoff's territory that would mean they'd fight, but they didn't. There was some sniffing and a small bit of humping on both sides and that was about it. The owner of the rescue then said to take them home in the same case as it was a good bonding experience and then to put them both into Bruiser's cage and leave them in there for 24 hours rather than keeping them seperate but next to each other like I had planned.
I'd never heard of bonding rabbits by just letting them get on with it before, but it must have worked as within 4 hours of them being in the same cage Smirnoff was grooming behind Bruiser's ears.
They've been together now since Saturday and are getting on wonderfully. There hasn't been a single fight. There has been some territory marking (Bruiser, who was perfect in his litterbox habits now poops on the floor) but only with poops. Smirnoff hasn't been litter trained before but it's going well. She did a few pees outside the box in the first couple of days but since then has peed in the box wonderfully.
She's so much different to Bruiser. For a start she's a lot bigger! I knew Bruiser wasn't a large rabbit but the only other bun I see regularly is my friend's dwarf, so he always seemed big. Next to Smirnoff he's titchy tiny! Smirnoff is a lot pushier and bossier as well. She demands pets and treats rather than asking for them. She's a lot more trouble too! For example, I've always been able to leave my bedroom door open because Bruiser hates walking on the laminate flooring in the hallway and refuses to leave my bedroom. Not so much with Smirnoff. If I forget to close the door she ends up poking her head around the sitting room door, or the kitchen, or goes into my flatmate's room. I've now had to remember to close my door everytime I leave because my room is the only bunny proofed one. She's always the first one out of the cage when I open the door and the last one to go in (when I try and shoo her in she runs to the opposite corner of the room). She grunts everytime I touch her and she doesn't want me to (when I want her to go home, when she's eating, when she doesn't wnt to be picked up...).
But I love her to pieces already. And so does Bruiser. He adores her! He's taken to hiding behind her when I come in and he follows her around the cage too (she goes up a level, he goes up a level. She comes down a level, he comes down a level), it's so cute!
Anyway,
Here's Smirnoff!
I'm innocent I tell you!
You could have bought a comfier pillow!
Disapproving bunny down a tunnel!
Bunny flop!
Omm nom nom (yes, Bruiser's bowl is rabbit shaped!)
I disapprove of this petting!
Bunny yawn!
She makes Bruiser look so tiny!
OK, enough with the pictures now Mum. Srsly.
There was a moment I wish I had a picture of this morning! The bunnies were making noise so I got up and fed them and left their cage door open whilst I got into bed for "10 more minutes". Smirnoff started having a nosy around and clmbed on top of my dog to see what was on top of the bed. The dog just looked at her with this perplexed expression on his face! It was so cute and I wish I'd taken a picture but my camera was on the other side of the room and getting up would have made her get off. It was absolutely adorable though! And I'm so proud of my dog for letting her do it. He's just a young pup and can be very excitable at times, especially when the rabbits are running around the room and he wants to join in (don't worry! I keep a careful eye on them!).
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