Misadventures in Bunny Parenting

A few months ago Snuggles, our bunny, got her outside home when Greg spent a few weekends building this:

He even roofed it in cedar shingles. Quite a shack for a bunny who cost $25. Snuggles settled in quite well and somehow, in negotiations about prolonging the purchase of a puppy, we somehow agreed/offered to purchase another $25 bunny. We figured, the $500 shack is up, how hard could it be to get another bunny.

So we got busy researching how to introduce a new bunny to a male bunny (a buck) already comfy in his abode (supposed to be easy). And we booked his neuter. The big day arrived and we took Snuggles to the vet for his snip. Shortly after I dropped him off my phone rang. Our randy little buck is actually a doe. So I agreed to a spay instead of a neuter b/c what choice did I have when our little pet was already laid out on the operating table? Strangely, it took me awhile to get used to the idea that he is actually a she. And I wondered how the kids would take it. Kai was astounded and kept saying to me "What the HECK???" While Teia took quite a long time to switch pronouns.

We picked our groggy bun up at the end of the day and took HER home with instructions to keep her fairly still and away from her incision for TEN days. Um, okay. By Friday morning (less than 2 days later) her incision looked like this.

So back to the vet we went (on the last day of school, as if it wasn't already emotional enough). This time they stitched poor Snugs up b/c I guess the glue they used the first time didn't stick that well. And we were sent home with a cone for her head and orders to buy "apple bitters" to spray "near the incision but not on it." Um, okay. Again. And we had to stop at the compounding pharmacy to pick up Snuggles' antibiotics b/c the vet decided she was infected. $25 bunny's original $150 procedure is now clocking in near $600. Cha-Ching!

So what did Snuggles, our "difficult bunny" (just ask the vet) think of all this? Well, drugged or not, she had that cone off before we were even back to our house. And apple bitters? Well apparently she'd rather be clean than avoid the taste of that stuff. So now to figure out how to keep a cone-less bunny who doesn't mind apple bitters from chewing on her incision and still work, and make dinner and take care of the kids etc. You kinda just gotta hope for the best.

Pretty soon her wound looked like this....kinda nasty.

But she was safely taking her sweet banana flavored antibiotic like a good bunny and otherwise seemed okay. The vet was available to view emailed pictures of the evolution of her non-healing-chewed up wound and during one little chat, she recommended some polysporin. So diligently we managed to trick our smart bun to stand up and dab her with the polysporin. What happened next was likely slightly traumatic to the kids, rather traumatic to Snuggles and clearly traumatic to us parents. She went nutso. Snuggles became wild Snuggles attacking her poor belly. I'll spare you the photos of that. The only way we could stop her as she chewed and stomped angrily around her cage was to bring the entire thing upstairs to a new venue where she could be temporarily distracted. Then Greg and I took shifts to keep her away from it. Not knowing what she might do to herself.

The next day I called dear Vet and told her what happened. "Oh, there was lidocaine in your polysporin? Oh, I meant only the PLAIN polysporin. I guess I should have mentioned that....note to self." Note to self??? Note to self??? Our summer vacation to Hornby was hanging in the balance b/c of this never-ending spay saga of a bunny supposed to be a boy and she says "note to self??????" That was in my thinking bubble. In reality I just said something more polite.

But we did go on vacation and on day 2 dear Vet decided our bunny sitter should bring Snuggles in for another surgery. We decided to take instead the advice of a friend who happens to be a human doctor and who did not think the wound was infected and wasn't quite sure what another stitching up would accomplish. Turns out human doctor was right and Snuggles healed just fine. Poor little bun was a bit traumatized though from all the extra confinement time and the sore belly and constant harassment from her human friends to stop.chewing.herself!

So we all made it through the world's most epic bunny spay - all the way from gender switching, to extra surgery, to supposed infections to a healed bunny. And then it was time to follow through on the promise of bunny #2, who now had to be a male. And we found ourselves in the less than optimal position of having to introduce a boy bunny into a girl bunny's turf. And we missed out on the opportunity to let Snuggles have her own babies and just keep one.

Turns out the family of a friend in T's class at school breeds bunnies. So we decided the easiest thing was to buy one of their's. Off we went to their house where Kai had a choice b/tw two little baby boy bunnies. He was decisive and took one look at them before deciding - THAT one.

But he wasn't quite ready to hold him yet, leaving that to his experienced bunny owner sister. 

So that is how Jam Airplane Ferry Kahloke became Snuggles' bunny soulmate whether she liked it or not. Little Jam came with his own pedigree for his steep $75 price tag. 

We couldn't bring Jam home yet, even though he was already 10 weeks old b/c we had a camping trip planned. And we had the good fortune of camping across from the only family in BC who takes their bunny camping - on a leash. There was a lot of hand wringing and explaining and negotiating about why our family was not going to be taking our bunnies camping. And a few tears. But we got through it. Then on August 1st, as we unpacked the car from camping, Jam arrived at his new home. 

Two pretty excited little kids. Jam wasn't quite so sure about this turn of events. But he settled in quickly, having quite an adventurous little personality, much squirmier than Snuggles but rather enthusiastic and puppy-like. 

And stinkin' cute. We all fell for him pretty quickly. He was a fast learner and potty trained himself right away. Who knew that bunnies could be potty trained? I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't already seen it 2X. We have not been able to train him to stop throwing his food and water bowls around every chance he can get. Small but mighty. 

We were very excited to introduce Jam to Snuggles once he had settled in. We had read everything we could about bonding bunnies and we were ready. Spray bottle in hand, broom in the other, gardening gloves and shoes on. Granddad with the video. Unfortunately it can't be posted here b/c it is x-rated. It seems that 12 week old bunnies are more than ready to make more bunnies. Poor Snuggles wasn't sure what to make of this. She'd hardly gotten used to us calling her a girl and now this. Bunny bonding failure. Jam had a one track mind. 

So time to find another (more competent) vet to neuter still tiny baby Jam. And this time we were sure he was a boy. Not only was this vet able to definitively sex spunky little Jam prior to surgery, there were thankfully NO complications. Then we had to wait, 4 to 6 weeks, for his hormone levels to drop. Our kids have had quite the reproductive biology lessons over the past few months, watching this bunny drama unfold. They can describe to you testicles, ovaries, uteri....

At the 4 week mark (end of September - remember this bunny arrived on August 1st!) we began the re-introductions. They have gone quite well so far. Jam's frat party days seem behind him and he and  Snuggles are now on more civilized coffee dates. We chaperone still armed with brooms and gloves, just in case, and try to interpret their rather obscure bunny body language to see how things are going.  Jam has exerted his little self as the dominant bunny and our bigger Snugs is quite meek and demure. After about 6 or 7 such dates that now involve Snuggles grooming Jam, we decided to put them both in the outside pen. Female bunnies are known for being territorial but since Snugs has groomed Jam (a sure sign of bunny love, so we've read) we felt confident. 

Greg has proven he is up to this bunny dating task as both bunnies just love him and he has the nerves of steel required. So he has been the designated outdoor chaperone and its a good thing b/c Snuggles has turned a little bit aggressive outside, lunging a bit at Jam and not being so sure she is ready for the commitment of full co-habitation. Today went a little better but we are resigned that we can't quite sweep up all of the indoor hay yet. Future bunny parents be warned...these little guys will suck you in with their cuteness and adept potty training skills. But don't fall for it. Why did we listen to everyone who said a dog would be too much work?