Hello all,
I'm a longtime guinea pig person, and I currently have a five-year-old pig named Cecelia with whom I have a very close bond. But last weekend I visited a rescue near my home in NJ where there were many, many bunnies looking for good homes! My heart went out to them, and I ended up adopting a little girl named Bella. She's about two years old, spayed, litter box trained, and even-tempered, so all in all, I have it pretty easy. Still, I am learning every day that there is a lot I don't know about bunnies!
I'm reading up on bunny body language. Since guinea pigs are very vocal, this quiet communication is all very new to me. She's also much stronger than I'm used to, as I discovered the first time I got kicked trying to handle her! And as far as handling is concerned, she let me pet her and pick her up at the rescue, but here at home she's not too keen on it. She generally runs away when I try to pet her, although yesterday she was relaxing under a chair and she allowed me to lie on the floor and pet her, but only while she was securely under the chair. I know it takes time to bond, and I don't want to rush it, but is there anything I can do to help her trust me?
Also, they told me at the rescue that she was not a "chewer," and for the first few days, she was very good and didn't chew anything but her toys. But now she is settling in, and apparently feeling more and more adventurous! Yesterday she discovered how to pull books off the shelf and tear up their dustjackets! What fun! I'm wondering if it's better to try to train her not to chew certain things, or if I should just start putting NIC grids everywhere and rubbing Ivory soap on the walls? So far, she does stop abruptly if I shout "no!" but that may wear off as she gets more comfortable.
And my final question: PLEASE tell me all your strategies for getting buns to go to bed. Bella is free-range while I'm home to supervise, but I unfortunately have to work and sleep sometimes, so she's in a lovely condo during those times. When I try to coax her back into her cage, she typically camps out under the couch, where I can't really get to her (except with the aid of a broom, and that seems so cruel!). I try to lure her into her cage with food and hay, but I'm pretty sure she's too smart for that. She'll follow the kale halfway to her cage, but when she realizes where I'm leading her, she gives a a smug look like she's got me all figured out and hops away. I generally just have to wait for her to go back on her own and then shut the door quickly behind her. This kept me up until about 2 AM last night and made me quite late for work this morning! That, and the bunny rather hates me for it. What works for you?
Of course you need a picture, because I am a proud new momma, so here's Bella, checking me out from her safe perch under the furniture on her second day home:
Awwww, she's such a sweetie I almost don't mind her chewing up my hundred-dollar textbooks. Almost.
I'm a longtime guinea pig person, and I currently have a five-year-old pig named Cecelia with whom I have a very close bond. But last weekend I visited a rescue near my home in NJ where there were many, many bunnies looking for good homes! My heart went out to them, and I ended up adopting a little girl named Bella. She's about two years old, spayed, litter box trained, and even-tempered, so all in all, I have it pretty easy. Still, I am learning every day that there is a lot I don't know about bunnies!
I'm reading up on bunny body language. Since guinea pigs are very vocal, this quiet communication is all very new to me. She's also much stronger than I'm used to, as I discovered the first time I got kicked trying to handle her! And as far as handling is concerned, she let me pet her and pick her up at the rescue, but here at home she's not too keen on it. She generally runs away when I try to pet her, although yesterday she was relaxing under a chair and she allowed me to lie on the floor and pet her, but only while she was securely under the chair. I know it takes time to bond, and I don't want to rush it, but is there anything I can do to help her trust me?
Also, they told me at the rescue that she was not a "chewer," and for the first few days, she was very good and didn't chew anything but her toys. But now she is settling in, and apparently feeling more and more adventurous! Yesterday she discovered how to pull books off the shelf and tear up their dustjackets! What fun! I'm wondering if it's better to try to train her not to chew certain things, or if I should just start putting NIC grids everywhere and rubbing Ivory soap on the walls? So far, she does stop abruptly if I shout "no!" but that may wear off as she gets more comfortable.
And my final question: PLEASE tell me all your strategies for getting buns to go to bed. Bella is free-range while I'm home to supervise, but I unfortunately have to work and sleep sometimes, so she's in a lovely condo during those times. When I try to coax her back into her cage, she typically camps out under the couch, where I can't really get to her (except with the aid of a broom, and that seems so cruel!). I try to lure her into her cage with food and hay, but I'm pretty sure she's too smart for that. She'll follow the kale halfway to her cage, but when she realizes where I'm leading her, she gives a a smug look like she's got me all figured out and hops away. I generally just have to wait for her to go back on her own and then shut the door quickly behind her. This kept me up until about 2 AM last night and made me quite late for work this morning! That, and the bunny rather hates me for it. What works for you?
Of course you need a picture, because I am a proud new momma, so here's Bella, checking me out from her safe perch under the furniture on her second day home:
Awwww, she's such a sweetie I almost don't mind her chewing up my hundred-dollar textbooks. Almost.