# Eight is Enough!



## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

Well..... Actually I have 11! But I thought it was a catchy title(for those of you old enough to even recognize the name).

Jeez! I can't believe I'm actually breaking down and starting a bunny blog, but I feel bad posting my pics on Chris and Morgan's blogs all the time, though they are always so nice about it. So here I go.

First I had ONE. Dakota







She was bonded with Baby(#1). I got Baby as a baby(yes, I know... very original  ). He was just the cutest fluffiest rabbit ever.







But he was all alone. When Baby was 8 months old I decided I wanted another rabbit and got Dakota. She was 4 months old and a timid pretty white rabbit(oh how things have changed! not very timid anymore!). She and Baby got along really well and had lots of fun together.






But sadly they were only together for about 2 years as Baby got head tilt and didn't survive. So Dakota was on her own for a while, until Flopsy came along.






And now there were TWO.






I never thought Dakota would get along with a different rabbit, as she had become quite the grumpy girl. Being a red eyed white, she didn't have the best eyesight, and started getting nervous about things and would lunge and bite if she wasn't sure about something. Baby was just so sweet and good natured, that he put up with her.

Well, my neighbor got a bunny one fall, and named him Flopsy. He was a very happy and friendly bunny. I would often stop by and give him pets. Whenever I came up to his cage, he would do bunny 500's in it because he was so happy. After about 18 months the kids lost interest(you know how it goes), so I decided to take him in, got him neutered, and bonded him with Dakota. They have been a (mostly) happy couple for the last three and half years.

I say mostly because, as mentioned, Dakota is a BIG grump. But luckily Flopsy is VERY good natured(like Baby) and laid back, and usually just puts up with her behavior. If she gets nippy or boxes him, he'll usually just hop away and leave her alone. Though sometimes he does get fed up with her and will box her back, which then freaks her out and she runs and hides. She has this illusion that she is the 'Top Bun', but Flopsy's really the one in charge, he just lets her think she is most of the time. They actually do get along really well. They remind me of a grumpy old married couple 




Part two coming soon.... If I can bear to type it all out!


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## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

Continued....

About two years ago I was really wanting another rabbit, hopefully one that also liked to snuggle . I started looking around and was really drawn to the dwarf hotot breed. That's how I found Dash.




She was in a cage with two of her siblings. I really was wanting a girl bun and was told Dash was a boy. So I was looking at the other two, but kept feeling drawn back to Dash. She didn't have the dark eye bands that dwarf hotots usually have, and she had blue eyes. But every time I looked at the other two, I ended up coming back to Dash. I just knew that she was the one. 

I brought her home that day and soon discovered that 'he' was actually 'she'. Dash was absolutely one of the sweetest and most affectionate rabbits I've ever had. She loved being held, snuggled, and being around people. I fell head over heels for that sweet little girl. Whenever anyone walked by her bunny condo, she ran up and wanted pets and attention. She loved to give bunny kisses, loved people, and wasn't afraid of anything. Unfortunately she was only with me for 3 months when she developed severe GI stasis and died. I was heartbroken, utterly and completely. RIP my lovely little Dash 






Her condo was still set up in the living room and I couldn't bear to see it sitting there empty, and that's when Baby(#2) came along. Ok yes, I like the name 

And now there were THREE.






Baby was a tiny little bunny that had been weaned far too young when I got her, and wasn't weaned properly. She was sooo small and seemed too skinny. She wouldn't eat pellets or hay and didn't know how to drink from a bottle or dish. But she would eat leafy greens and had been fed them at her previous home. So she got LOTS of leafy greens for her first week with me, unil I could sort out how to get this little bunny eating other foods. 

I felt like all I did those first days, was wash and chop up veggies. I was sooo worried about her, but she was doing really well(no mushy poop), put on weight, and was growing. After about 7 days she started nibbling on some pellets and gradually was eating more of them. I was so glad when she was eating a decent portion of pellets and I didn't have to prepare so many veggies for her. But she _still _wouldn't drink, no matter what I tried. So Flopsy, the most tolerant rabbit I've ever had, and the best 'bunnysitter' there is, became her new BIG brother, to teach her how to be a real bunny 

Baby was a little scared of Flopsy at first. She would run up to him then quickly dash away, and he was so big and slow he couldn't get close to her. Not that he would have done anything to harm her. He's such a calm laid back rabbit, and never is bothered by much of anything, including new rabbits being around. Him putting up with Dakota and her moodiness as his 'bunwife', is testiment to how chill he is. Even then, all interaction was extrememly closely supervised by me.

So once Baby realized he was being nice to her and wasn't going to chase or hurt her, she LOVED being with him and was his little shadow.






For a few hours each day I let Baby spend time with Flopsy, with the hope that he would teach her how to drink water. And it worked! After a few days of this I peeked in on them and saw Baby drinking from the water dish.






Baby is now all grown up, and yes, a bit hefty, despite being on a life long diet.






She grew up to be my most snuggly rabbit. She absolutely LOVES to be held and petted, and is just a puddle in my arms. But she is very territorial about her cage, even after being spayed. No matter what I've tried, she just does NOT like me reaching into her area. So.... I keep a thick leather glove handy 

Sadly, despite my hope that Baby could be bonded with Dakota and Flopsy, Dakota just isn't tolerant of any other rabbits, besides Flopsy.

Next... part 3


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## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

Continued....

After Dash, I still had this love for dwarf hotots. That's when I found Zeus.

And now there were FOUR.






Zeus wasn't used to being handled and didn't seem comfortable around people. He was very nervous being in a new home, and would always try and run to the far side of his pen whenever I came near. From the stress of being in a new home, he developed GI stasis and was very sick. He would start to get better then would stop eating again. Thankfully this time I was better prepared to help my bun. After Dash died from stasis, I had learned a lot more about it and what was needed. It took at least two weeks before he stabilized and was eating almost normally. But then a few weeks later he got stasis again. He got it one more time before I figured out that it was the pellets that were making him sick. Once I stopped feeding him pellets, he got better and hasn't had stasis since then.

One good thing came from all of those times Zeus was sick. Because of all of the medicating and hand feeding I had to do, he became very used to me and is now a friendly happy boy that loves his nose rubs. Every time I pass by him, he puts his little paws up on his pen and begs for pets. And of course I have to oblige him  






Not long after I got Zeus and he was partially recovered, I found Pip, who is also a dwarf hotot.

And then there were FIVE.




She wasn't quite as nervous, but she too stopped eating after a few days. After my experience with Zeus, I was starting to panic. Luckily with Pip, she didn't develop stasis. I knew at her previous place, that she would get some oats each day, so I gave her a pinch of oats and she gobbled them right up. She started eating her food again and looked forward to that little bit of oats each day. But boy was she a grumpy rabbit. She would grunt and box at me when ever I was trying to clean her cage. I was told that there was a possibility she was pregnant, and then one day she started gathering hay to make a nest. A few days later she started plucking fur and that night, sure enough, there were 5 little babies. (Pic at one week old)






And after giving birth, Pip turned into the sweetest bunny ever. She always will hop up and start licking me and want head rubs in return. I guess being pregnant just made her VERY moody  

And now there were TEN(little trouble makers!).






Toby, Bailey, Jake, Libby, and Riley were my new babies. And I have to say that raising baby bunnies can be a lot of fun, but also one of the most stressful things too. After Dash dying, having trouble with Baby when she was young, and Zeus being sick, I worried about those little buns growing up safe and healthy. But they all grew up just fine. They were so funny and cute. I just loved watching them play and having snuggle time with them.


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## whitelop (Dec 20, 2013)

JENNY! I AM SO GLAD YOU STARTED A BLOG! I love love love hearing about your rabbits! I know you have a lot, but I didn't know their stories and it is so good to hear all their stories! 
I can't wait to hear the rest of the rest of the buns!

They're so cute, I just love them all already!


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## Sophie's Humble Servant (Dec 20, 2013)

Awww bless!! I love the story so far and the pictures are so cute


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## Aubrisita (Dec 20, 2013)

What gorgeous buns you have! That one picture of the little bunny snuggled up to the big one is seriously adorable. I love reading your blog.


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## aozora (Dec 20, 2013)

Aww, I never realized you have so many rabbits! I sometimes see you mentioning some of them in your posts but I never really knew what they looked like so this is really great. Looking forward to hearing more!


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## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

Cont.

Toby was a sleeper and snuggler as a tiny baby, but as he got older he became my ADHD bunny, was really wiggly and had lots of energy. Even now he is pretty much the same, always shaking and tossing his toys, and making a ruckus. I sure do miss those snuggling times, but he sure is fun to watch play.

When he slept, he was out for the count.
**NO BUNNIES WERE HARMED IN THE TAKING OF THIS PHOTO** 






The biggest thing with Toby is that he's a compulsive groomer..... of other bunnies. He HAS to groom them. Not usually for very long(you know... short attention span and all), and if they won't hold still for him to do it, he'll reach his head over theirs to get them to hold still for him to groom. Though most of the time they're begging for him to groom them. This is the pileup for everyone's turn to get groomed by Toby while out playing in the barn.






Riley is my zoomie bunny. He just loves doing bunny 500's! He'll zoom one way, then zoom back the other way. And just do this over and over. Riley is a very sweet boy, but is also a little timid and seems more cautious at first, than my other babies(who by the way, are all full grown now).




Him and Toby are best buds and will zoom around together. It's so funny to see them zipping back and forth with each other. He also LOVES Toby to groom him.






Jake is my sweet little lover bunny  He is so affectionate. Not a big cuddler, though he does love being petted, and loves giving licks. He'll often pop over to say hi and give me a few licks, then be off to play and cause trouble.






Libby is my spunky girl. She's the tiniest of the bunnies. She's under 2 lbs. full grown. Loves to run around, and is VERY fast. When play time is over, she zips away so I can't get her. So I sit and pretend I don't want to get her. Eventually she wanders up to see what I'm doing and... Well, you know what happens. She sees my hand coming and zips away again  That little runt has given me the runaround on many occasions. Good thing she's so cute!


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## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

Thanks guys  I've been at this all day and never realized how much work this blog writing stuff takes. My brain is worn out, and I'm not even done yet! I'm either way too slow or I have too many bunnies


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## whitelop (Dec 20, 2013)

My husband is quite smitten with Libby. He said she is the cutest thing ever. LOL


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## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

Thanks Morgan! After doing this, I sure can better appreciate all the effort you and everyone else, puts into writing in their own blogs.

You have no idea how cute Libby is! She doesn't have the sweetest personality, but she is just so cute and tiny, I can't help but love her 
ETA: Something about her spunky and stubborn personality I guess.


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## aozora (Dec 20, 2013)

(Did I miscount or was Bailey left unmentioned? )

I'm always just boggled when I see people with a lot of pets, especially when they look pretty similar/are of the same breed! I mean, how do you tell them all apart? And where do you get all the space to house them in? What sort of housing do you use? Which ones are bonded to one another? How quickly do you tend to go through supplies like litter and hay? I have a ton of questions and I hope you'll indulge me in answering them!


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## Nancy McClelland (Dec 20, 2013)

Only 11--we had 18 all at the same time. It was like a full time job. So much easier now that I'm down to 7. They are all so cute. My avatar, Nikki, is the queen of sleeping bunnies.


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## JBun (Dec 20, 2013)

When the babies were old enough, I did find a good home for Bailey where he would be a house bunny, but I just worried so much about my babies going to a good home where they would be loved and well cared for, that I ended up keeping the rest, and also ended up adding Roo to the bunch. So I still stayed at ten buns.




I got Roo from a friend. She was the runt of the litter and so so tiny. She was half the size of her siblings. Roo was so sweet and friendly. She loved being snuggled and petted, and loved having a run around the living room. The funny thing about Roo was(and still is) that she was really good with litter training when out to play(doesn't even hardly leave a poop behind), but never has been good about it in her own pen.






Once Roo reached her 'teenage' years, there went that cute little cuddle bun. Now I had a grunting teenager that detested being picked up, being petted, just pretty much any interaction, so that pretty much put an end to our cuddle sessions  No more picking up unless absolutely necessary, head rubs once in a while when she feels like it, and she's still pretty much like this, but she's a sweet bun and loves running around the house. And I still love her.... most of the time  Hopefully once I get her spayed she won't be quite so moody anymore (eta 2022: Nope! Even spayed she was a moody bundle of fluff her whole 10 years , but still adorable ).






So I figured at 10 buns I was at my max. Wrong! My neighbor called one day asking if I was missing a rabbit. Apparently there was one running loose in front of our neighborhood(we often get animals dumped where we live). I walked out there and after a bit of searching around, we found this brown and white rabbit near a pine tree. She wouldn't let us get too near, but was obviously not terrified of us. So I blocked her in front and my neighbor came from behind and caught her.

So now I had ELEVEN.




I named her Penny. And she was sooo friendly right from the start. The very first day I let her out to play, she was coming up to me and wanting head rubs, and snuggling up next to me. And Penny is a MASTER at bunny play! She does head binkies, lots of popcorning, quick turns, 180's, and lots of full on binkies. She is an absolute blast to watch! The only problem I had was that she wouldn't eat hay and would only eat fresh grass. So I started to slowly get her onto pellets, and I worked on getting her used to hay by going out and hand cutting LOTS of fresh grass and mixing it with the hay, over the next few weeks of her quarantine, with the hopes that once she was on a regular hay and pellet diet, that I could find a new home for her. You all see how well that went. Yes, I still have Penny. She's just such a lovely bun. She's so friendly. She is my only rabbit that absolutely loves being around me all of the time and will follow me around and lay down by me when she is tired. So Penny is here to stay!






So that's all of them. And absolutely NO room for more 

I love all of my furbabies. People ask which bun is my favorite, but they all have something different that I like about them. Each and every one has a unique personality.


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## Tally943 (Dec 20, 2013)

Great Blog! I'm just wondering how many cages/ hutches you have and where you put them all? I only have 2 rabbits and they take up a bunch of space!


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## zombiesue (Dec 20, 2013)

I really enjoyed reading this.


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## JBun (Dec 21, 2013)

aozora said:


> (Did I miscount or was Bailey left unmentioned? )
> 
> I'm always just boggled when I see people with a lot of pets, especially when they look pretty similar/are of the same breed! I mean, how do you tell them all apart? And where do you get all the space to house them in? What sort of housing do you use? Which ones are bonded to one another? How quickly do you tend to go through supplies like litter and hay? I have a ton of questions and I hope you'll indulge me in answering them!



Since Pip was pregnant when I got her and I decided to keep almost all of the babies, having the same breed was unavoidable. Telling them apart is just like with any animal that looks similar to others, you just get to know each individual one and also any slight differences they may have. Though I have to say that as Libby has gotten older, she is getting a little bit more difficult to tell the differences with between her and her mom, though the personality always clues me in. Libby is a bit more willful than her momma 

I have a room just for my rabbits, where I keep them all. Dakota and Flopsy are bonded, I'm in the process of bonding another pair(Toby and Riley), would like to bond more of them when I find the right match for them and when I am able to get the rest of them fixed. The bonded pair shares an area, the other buns have their own pens, and they all get playtime.

I figure I use two 40 lb bags of wood pellet litter a month and about a bale of hay for eating, and some in the litter boxes, per month.

I agree Larry, it is like a fulltime job! 11 is hard sometimes, I can only imagine what 18 would be like.


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## Imbrium (Dec 21, 2013)

JBun said:


> Man, this blog stuff takes forever!
> 
> Part two coming soon.... If I can bear to type it all out!



Lol, it's your own fault for waiting SO long to start a blog - now you've gotta do a ton at once to catch up 



JBun said:


> She was in a cage with two of her siblings. I really was wanting a girl bun and was told Dash was a boy.
> 
> I brought her home that day and soon discovered that 'he' was actually 'she'.
> 
> Ah, how the gender-change fairy loves to visit rabbits!



Teeny tiny bunny next to huge bunny is absurdly cute!

Also, Pip's babies were SOOOO cute as kits! (I'm sure they're still adorable, hehe)



JBun said:


> I love all of my furbabies. People ask which bun is my favorite, but they all have something different that I like about them. Each and every one has a unique personality.



Yeah, with four gliders and two bunnies, I don't have a true favorite of either - they're each special and endearing in their own ways (even the ones who aren't bonded to me and crab and bite ).


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## JBun (Dec 21, 2013)

Imbrium said:


> Lol, it's your own fault for waiting SO long to start a blog - now you've gotta do a ton at once to catch up



:dunno What, me?
I just kept hoping you all wouldn't care if I invaded your blogs with my pictures.



> Teeny tiny bunny next to huge bunny is absurdly cute!


I know! I wish I could have kept those two together, but Dakota would have been really sad. And Flopsy is the only one that would love and tolerate such a grump.

I debated between that pic and this one.




Baby hated the cold cement and was trying to smoosh into Flopsy as much as possible, but wasn't brave enough to just pile on top of him.



> Also, Pip's babies were SOOOO cute as kits! (I'm sure they're still adorable, hehe)


Nah, they're not so cute now. JK  Most animals are cuter as babies. I think they are designed that way so that we still love them despite all the work that babies require.


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## whitelop (Dec 21, 2013)

That picture is so cute! How much does Flopsy weigh? 

I was wondering where Roo was, but then I remember that she isn't one of the babies from Pip. I had to remember that she was an extra! LOL 
And I'm in love with Penny! She has lovely markings! 

(As I'm typing this, my cat is eating pizza that AJ didn't eat for dinner. LOL) 

Makes me want more bunnies!


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## Tauntz (Dec 21, 2013)

Love your bunnies' blog!!!!! Enjoyed reading about all your buns & the pix are just beyond adorable! Keep on blogging! :goodjob:hearts:


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## Imbrium (Dec 21, 2013)

JBun said:


> :dunno What, me?
> I just kept hoping you all wouldn't care if I invaded your blogs with my pictures.
> 
> Hey, I welcomed any and all bunny pics in my blog, lol - it serves my naughty little bunns right to have the spotlight taken away from them now and then! I like to rub it right in their precious little faces.
> ...



It's definitely a defense mechanism and I suppose they do lose that *squee* factor to some degree as they get older... but even adult bunnies are still so freaking cute! There were a lot of *squee*s at the pet store today as people looked into the front of my stroller and realized it was full of bunnies, hehe. To people who aren't accustomed to seeing bunnies day in and day out, little dwarven adults are apparently just as adorable as itty little babies . Of course, Nala and Gaz ARE a bit on the "extra cute" side - they kind of have to be to make up for all their naughtiness.


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## Chrisdoc (Dec 21, 2013)

Jenny, OMG, I´d forgotten you had so many and I absolutely love them all. I had to do a double take at Dash in that photo, he reminded me so much of Snowy, he often lies like that. It is so great to see a picture of each and the story of how they came to be with you. I am going to have to read it all again just so I can remember who is who. Baby buns are just so super cute, how could you not love them although grown up they haven´t lost any of that ahhhh factor. 

I have loved it so far and I never minded your pics on mine but I love the stories to go with them. Glad you took the plunge and will love reading more about all these lovely boys and girls. 
:heartbeat::happybunny:


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## Bville (Dec 21, 2013)

Jenny, I've wondered how you know so much about caring for rabbits. I guess all those rabbits have taught you a thing or two!! :bunny24


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## aozora (Dec 21, 2013)

JBun said:


> Since Pip was pregnant when I got her and I decided to keep almost all of the babies, having the same breed was unavoidable. Telling them apart is just like with any animal that looks similar to others, you just get to know each individual one and also any slight differences they may have. Though I have to say that as Libby has gotten older, she is getting a little bit more difficult to tell the differences with between her and her mom, though the personality always clues me in. Libby is a bit more willful than her momma
> 
> I have a room just for my rabbits, where I keep them all. Dakota and Flopsy are bonded, I'm in the process of bonding another pair(Toby and Riley), would like to bond more of them when I find the right match for them and when I am able to get the rest of them fixed. The bonded pair shares an area, the other buns have their own pens, and they all get playtime.
> 
> ...



Thanks for answering! You just touched on something else I was wondering - whether they were all fixed - so that kind of answers all my questions pretty much :biggrin2: I'm horrible with telling similar things apart - faces, animals, etc. - unless I have some sort of system in place, so it's really amazing to me!


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## Azerane (Dec 22, 2013)

Oh wow, I didn't realise you had quite so many bunnies  They are all such sweet looking things, even though I know with bunnies that looks can be deceiving! Thank you so much for introducing us to them all, it's good to hear a bit about them all and where you got them from. I have enough trouble cleaning up after one bunny, let alone 11, lol.


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## JBun (Jan 1, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the kind words! And yeh, having more rabbits definitely does give you a crash course on all sorts of rabbit related problems.

Sorry Morgan, I'm not very good about updating this blog thing.... Flopsy used to weigh around 8 lbs, though I suspect he's gained a bit since I had to increase pellets and alfalfa to help keep Dakota's weight up. He's certainly taking advantage of the situation  You're right though, it's easy to forget Roo isn't one of the baby bunch, since she just blends right in with them and looks like Riley's twin. I love this picture of the two of them, not long after I got Roo. Riley sort of became her big brother for a few weeks.







I love Penny's racing stripe too! And Penny is just the sweetest happiest bunny.

Yeh Jennifer, good thing our buns are cute, or how would they ever get away with all their naughty behavior.

So I've decided to attempt to bond Penny with Flopsy and Dakota. I know, insane! Dakota is the biggest grump ever, and I was convinced that Flopsy is the only bunny alive willing to put up with her, but I was feeling so bad for Penny. Because she is my rescue bun that came when I already had a full house, I didn't really have room for her and just kind of squeezed her in, so she doesn't have very much space. I had hoped to bond her and Baby, but they've decided they are mortal enemies and instantly go into attack mode when they see each other. And Penny seems to get aggressive with all the little bunnies. 

But Dakota and Flospy have plenty of room, and I hadn't really tried Penny with them, mostly since I had figured it would never work with Dakota being such a nippy rabbit, and Penny turning out to be pretty nippy(with other rabbits) too. But it seemed worth a shot. So I brought them to a neutral area to give it a try, and it actually went better than I expected. Neither Penny nor Dakota was terribly aggressive towards each other, and whenever Dakota would lunge for a nip(which she does a lot, partially because of her bad eyesight), I would intervene as I knew that if I didn't, it would escalate and then it would never work out. So I just did the momma bun thing and held them down to stop the nipping, then started giving nose rubs to both of them while they were nose to nose, so that they could start associating good things with being near each other.

I know at some point I'm going to have to allow some more nipping so they can sort out their relationship. I've done three sessions so far and they're still going well. Dakota has got a few nips in, but Penny doesn't go after her and just runs away. I think she's just trying to figure out how it is with Dakota, which is something she will need to sort out if she is going to be able to bond with the two of them. Basically she needs to learn what Flopsy did, that most of the time it's best to hop away and avoid Dakota when she's grumpy, and sometimes stand up to her and dish it back when she is going overboard with the grumpy girl routine.

So this was the second date, and this is how it went:

Dakota and Flopsy hiding because they aren't quite sure about this new bunny.






Dakota realizes Penny's around, lunges a bit towards her cause she's not quite sure, I stop any chance of a bite and start petting them. And pet them.... And pet them. And they don't mind one bit 






And Flopsy.....






Staying completely out of the girl trouble, like a smart boy should


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## PaGal (Jan 1, 2014)

Gosh they are cute! 

I am very interested in seeing the outcome of the bonding attempt. Too bad we couldn't just explain these situations to the buns and the benefits they would get from a change. 

BTW I do like the name of your blog and yes remember the show.


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## lovelops (Jan 1, 2014)

Loves the pics! What type of rabbit is Flopsy???

Vanessa


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## JBun (Jan 1, 2014)

PaGal said:


> Gosh they are cute!
> 
> I am very interested in seeing the outcome of the bonding attempt. Too bad we couldn't just explain these situations to the buns and the benefits they would get from a change.
> 
> *BTW I do like the name of your blog and yes remember the show*.



Haha, thanks! I'm glad at least one person knows what it means 

I'm pretty interested too, in how it will turn out. I never thought Dakota would tolerate another rabbit, but she's doing surprisingly well. Just goes to show you never quite have them figured out. Though I'm not sure how these two old folks are going to adapt to Penny's bouncy exuberance.

Lovelops, I'm not quite sure about Flopsy, as I think his mom just showed up at a neighbors farm. I'm guessing he might be a mini lop or mix, but a large one at that, as he's about 8 lbs. Of course Dakota is a purebred Holland, but at 5 lbs, she would be considered quite large for the breed as well.


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## Chrisdoc (Jan 2, 2014)

I just love seeing pics of your buns, those three are so cute together and they are all just gorgeous. I really hope that they sort themselves and just get on with it. A bit of nipping is normal as long as it doesn´t develop into anything worse. 

Yes, it would be great to explain to our bunnies exactly why living together would be of great benefit to them all....maybe you should try it and see what happens lol.


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## JBun (Jan 2, 2014)

A bit of nipping EVERYDAY is Dakota's normal. Just ask Flopsy  I'm not quite sure how Penny is going to put up with that though. I think it's something I need to slowly break her into, so she kind of gets used to Dakota's cranky ways, lol.

I could try... But I don't think they really listen to me :dunno:


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## lovelops (Jan 2, 2014)

Hi there,

Flopsy looks like a lost at birth twin of sorts to Brooke. Anyway, they are all cuties and please post more pictures!

V


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## whitelop (Jan 4, 2014)

Flopsy, has the be the best rabbit there is. He's like, "if you like her honey, I'll like her, but I'm just going to lay over here and let you figure it out" How funny! 

I hope that you can bond them all together, that would be an awesome trio!


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## Chrisdoc (Jan 5, 2014)

Morgan is so right, he´s just letting them get on with it and figure it out. I am so hoping that this works out for all three, they would be a wonderful threesome....fingers crosses :nod


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## zombiesue (Jan 5, 2014)

Ahh my head is spinning! We need some kind of rabbit guide


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## JBun (Jan 5, 2014)

Thanks Lovelops, I'll try to get some more pics taken.

Zombiesue, what kind of guide did you have in mind 

Oh.... I wish it was that nice of an explanation. But it's more like 'Dakota's a grump and if I get anywhere near her when Penny is near, I may be the one that gets bit, so I'm staying FAR away' 

Penny is adjusting to it really well. She's almost like the respectful grandchild around the grumpy old grandparents. She's all submissive and well behaved, but around the other bunnies she is all aggressive. So this is really the only chance I see of her being able to bond with anybun. She has already started to relax and do her happy bunny tricks when out with Flopsy and Dakota. 

The big problem(as always) is Dakota. Because of her bad eyesight, she tends to lunge first and ask questions later, haha. So it's really going to take Penny taking cues from Flopsy, and learning to steer clear of Dakota at times. If it was just Penny and Flopsy, they would be bonded by now. But I can see it taking a while for Dakota to get used to having another rabbit around.

I also have plans to bond my 6 little buns, Toby, Riley, Pip, Jake, Libby, and Roo. Yes 6! But it's actually not that bad since it's basically Pip and her babies, plus Roo. They are already halfway there. All but Jake, get playtime together and get along well. I just need to get Jake neutered and the girls spayed. Hopefully this spring I'll be able to get all of that done.


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## Chrisdoc (Jan 5, 2014)

I still can't believe you have so many and I think three is enough...then again, if I had space and money I would be that crazy lady with all those rabbits. 

I would love to see all of your other group bonded..all those buns together..too cute


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## zombiesue (Jan 5, 2014)

A picture guide!

Oh, maybe I just want more pictures lol


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## JBun (Jan 10, 2014)

zombiesue said:


> A picture guide!
> 
> Oh, maybe I just want more pictures lol



There's my intro, but I know it is a bit lengthy. I'll try to put something together that's abridged and a bit easier to follow.

Chris, wouldn't that be great to have a bunch of space and money. I would love to have my own rabbit rescue(though I know I'm well on my way at this rate) with a big safe outdoor area that I could just let them all out to play together in.

The trio bonding is continuing to progress. I've decided to change it up a bit though. Flopsy isn't really much of an issue. It's all about getting Dakota used to Penny, and having Flopsy around is just proving too much of a distraction for the girls spending time together and getting used to each other. So I've just been working on Penny and Dakota being together for bonding the last few times.

It's going really well. Dakota tends to lunge at sudden movement because of her bad eyesight, and Penny is starting to get used to it and just shoots away from her. And Penny doesn't seem to mind Dakota's lunging and grumpiness at all. I never imagined Penny would be submissive with Dakota(and Flopsy), but she is. We even had the first bit of humping today from Dakota, and Penny just laid there and wasn't bothered at all. Then Dakota bunloafed next to Penny, and eventually Penny got up and gave Dakota a few licks.
















I'm really just amazed at how this has worked out. After seeing Penny and Baby go right to wanting to fight when I tried to introduce them, and Penny pretty much going after all the little bunnies when introducing them, I didn't really think this would work out. It just goes to show you that it really is all about finding the right match for each individual rabbit.

There were a few times in the beginning where there were tails raised and the starting of circling, and a potential fight could have broken out, but I always intervened quickly to stop anything escalating, and now Penny has settled right down, and Dakota doesn't seem to mind her and is getting used to her. I think maybe a couple more bonding sessions, and adding Flospy back in, then they should be officially bonded and I can move Penny in .


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## Chrisdoc (Jan 10, 2014)

I love seeing bunnies snuggling together and these two look great. One of my favorite thing is watching them groom each other, one starts then tries to stick their head under the other one and they're no having it and we see who comes out on top..hahaha I do laugh so much sometimes with my three. Can't wait to see all three together. By the way, yes, sometimes prove you are so wrong about them by doing exactly the opposite of what you expected them to do, that's why we love them


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## Aubrisita (Jan 10, 2014)

Aw, those pictures are adorable. Glad to hear that things are going well.


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## JBun (Jun 13, 2014)

So I thought that I would do a bit of an update. I did finally manage to bond Penny in with Dakota and Flopsy, but it was quite the process. Dakota simply wouldn't allow Penny to move into her and Flopsy's enclosure. She would chase and nip Penny. I don't know how Dakota managed this as she is old, partially blind, and arthritic, but it didn't seem to hinder her chasing abilities at all.

Outside of their pen Dakota was absolutely fine with Penny. So after several months of procrastinating finalizing their bonding, I finally moved them out into a new temporary pen while I am remodeling the rabbit room. The bonding happened as soon as I moved them out. So now they are happily living together.... mostly happily. Penny has actually turned the tables and now nips Dakota. Dakota is dealing with it fairly well and just runs away when it happens, but I'm not very happy about my old arthritic bunny being picked on. I don't want to split them up, but I'm not entirely sure what to do about it at this point. If I see it happening, Penny gets a talking to from me, and she knows she gets in trouble when she does it and runs and hides in her box. I guess as long as Dakota seems to be dealing with it ok, then I'll not worry too much about it. And who knows, maybe once I move them back into their old pen, the tables may turn and Dakota will be going after Penny again.

And Flopsy... well he's fine with both of them. Not too much fusses him.







So I decided to finish neutering and spaying all of my buns so that I could finally bond them into their groups. Zeus, Pip, Libby, Jake, and Roo were the only ones left to be done. I took Roo and Jake in. Roo's spay was successful but Jake's heart stopped when they gave him the anesthesia. Luckily the vet saved him and he is doing just fine... with his plums still attached  No neuter for him. So he lucked out and for now will remain a 'real' boy. Pip was next and all went well. Both her, and Roo especially, have settled down and don't seem quite as moody as they used to be.

Now the sad news. I wanted to get Zeus neutered but was worried about doing it because of his past digestive issues. But the pee spraying was pretty bad and driving me crazy, and I really wanted to be able to bond him with Baby, seeing as he is the only one of my rabbits that she seems to really like and not act aggressively towards, and I felt bad for them not having a buddy to snuggle up with. So I decided to go ahead with it. Well.... he didn't make it I'm just heartbroken. I feel like I failed my little guy. I keep thinking of what I should have done differently, but I just don't know.

I had a necropsy done and found out the results today, which were very unexpected. He had e. cuniculi, and it was complications from this that caused his death. They found lesions in his heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and brain, and that his brain and liver were affected the most. But the strange thing is that he showed absolutely no symptoms of it. Aside from his digestive sensitivities and suspected mild megacolon type symptoms, he was healthy and happy. The results didn't indicate any abnormalities with his digestive system at all.

I guess in some respects I'm glad he didn't have to go through having EC, as it's a horrible illness to deal with, and I'm sure very distressing for a rabbit to have. I am glad that in the end he did go peacefully. But even then I still wish he wasn't gone. I really miss him and his cute chubby checks. He was just the sweetest little bun, so affectionate and loving.

RIP my sweet boy.


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## whiskylollipop (Jun 14, 2014)

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about Zeus.  What a little soldier, I can't believe he hid the e cuniculi so well. But it's good he didn't have to suffer through the illness. Binky free little bun! 

I hope your other buns heal well. Looking forward to hearing about their bonding adventures!


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## pani (Jun 14, 2014)

Binky free, Zeus. ray: 

It's amazing he was able to hide the EC so well. I'm glad that he didn't seem to be suffering from it. 

Nice to have an update from your bunny family - looking forward to seeing more from them.


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## ChocoClover (Jun 14, 2014)

Wow! You have had a lot of stuff going on.

I'm so sorry about Zeus. They are way too good at hiding diseases, aren't they.


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## mrbunny (Jun 14, 2014)

Quasi-semi-regular lurker, rare commenter. 

I'm sorry to hear about Zeus. He was a very handsome fellow. Binky-free

On a happier note, I love your bunnies and your blog!


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## Sophie's Humble Servant (Jun 15, 2014)

Sorry for your loss


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## Chrisdoc (Jun 15, 2014)

Jen, so sad to hear Zeus didn't make it. I always thought of Snowy when I saw him, same cute face and stance. But glad he went peacefully. Hope all the rest get back to normal quickly and I did laugh at Penny and Dakota, I am sure they will sort themselves out.


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## Aubrisita (Jun 17, 2014)

So sorry to hear about your Zeus.


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## JBun (Oct 7, 2014)

I'm a little late responding, but thank you for the kind words about Zeus' passing. It's not quite so painful now, but I sure miss his sweet face 

So a bit of an update on my other buns.

I've started trying to bond Baby into the big bunny group(Flopsy, Dakota, and Penny). Not sure how it is going to work out, as Dakota and Penny tend to go after Baby. I'm really hoping I can get them to work it out though, as I feel bad for Baby being alone. Zeus and Flopsy are the only rabbits of mine that she seemed to like. With Zeus gone, that just leaves Flopsy and the other big bunnies. I could never bond her with the little bunnies, as she is a bit of a bully around them.

Dakota is showing her age. At 9 now, she's slow and stiff, and sleeping a lot more than she used to. Here she has fallen asleep in her treat bowl 






I finally finished bonding the little bunnies. So it is now Pip bonded with all of her babies, plus Roo and minus an unneutered Jake. They are very happy together. Toby is the boss bunny of the group, though he frequently grooms the others. He's still an obsessive groomer. He seems much calmer though and doesn't seem as hyper as he used to be. He would constantly rattle his toy chains when it was feeding time and now that he is with the other bunnies, he hasn't done it since. Roo gets along with the others just fine and will snuggle with them, she also frequently is off sleeping by herself. You can see her off at the end there, which is a normal way to find her. Not sure what that's about. Maybe she's a bit of a loner. But they all get along really well and are often snuggling together, which I love seeing.






And there's sweet little Jake. Since it's too risky to get him neutered, he can't be bonded, so he gets to spend time with me during the day. Much to his delight. As you can see, he has settled in quite nicely and claimed his space 






Enjoying his morning salad of green leaf lettuce, parsley, apple leaves, and willow leaves. He gets so excited and sits on that corner of the couch just waiting for me to bring it in to him.






So that's all of the bunnies. All happy and healthy and doing well. If I manage to make any progress with Baby and the big bunnies, I'll do an update on their bonding.


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## pani (Oct 7, 2014)

I'm glad bonding is going well for Pip and her babies, and Roo.  They make a cute little family all snuggled together. Jake looks like a little character too!


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## JBun (Feb 28, 2016)

This is an update for any of you that are still around that know me and my bunnies(not many of us left  ), and any one else that might be interested.

So Flopsy passed away in my arms Monday morning, at the age of 7. In November he was diagnosed with a mass of some sort in his chest, possibly a thymoma. But aside from a slightly increased respiratory rate and slight weight loss, he was still doing perfectly fine. At that point he had been bonded with Baby and it had been the two of them as a pair for a while. A week before he passed he wasn't eating his normal amounts and was sleeping a lot, and got to the point of barely eating. As a last ditch effort my vet decided to try him on steroids, as well as syringe feeds, and he seemed to improve temporarily but had a downturn and stopped swallowing by the end of the week, which I know usually signals the end. I knew I had to make that difficult decision and made an appointment to bring him in to pts. But 5 minutes later after I had picked him up to comfort him, he let out a squeal and died in my arms, likely from his heart finally giving out. It was heartbreaking to hear that, but I'm glad at the end I was with him.

Flopsy was always such a good calm bunny. Whenever the neighborhood kids wanted to see one of my bunnies, he was often the one I would bring out as nothing ever upset him and he wasn't scared of anything. He was also great with all my other rabbits. It was hard to know who to end up bonding him to because all the rabbits loved him. He was the best 'big brother' as he helped and looked after any bunny that I needed him to even though he wasn't technically bonded to them.






He started off being bonded to Dakota for several years. They got along well and liked each other, though never seemed to really be 'in love' with each other. Though Dakota thought he made a very handy pillow, and Flopsy didn't seem to mind obliging her 






After my failure to bond Penny and Baby as a quad with Dakota and Flopsy, I gave up and decided that for each of them to be able to have a friend I would need to split Flopsy and Dakota up, as Flopsy was the only bunny Baby got on with. So it ended up being Dakota bonded with Penny and Baby bonded with Flopsy.











Baby absolutely ADORED Flopsy. She would constantly groom his face, which he loved, and snuggle up to him on their bunny bed when it was nap time. They were a good match and very happy together. And Flopsy's calm nature was also helpful for Baby's excessively nervous nature. He was a kind bunny and lived a good life, and I'll miss him. RIP my big boy.


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## JBun (Feb 28, 2016)

Alright, so for the rest of the bunnies...

Dakota and Penny are now a pair, and that has worked out fairly well considering Dakota is old and slow, and Penny is young and active. Dakota sleeps a lot now, she has spondylosis so has difficulty moving around, but still is doing really well at 10 years old, and still gets very excited at treat time when I dish out the willow leaves  Penny mostly does her own thing since Dakota doesn't move from her area, but comes to share hay and treats, and loves to come for a cuddle when it is nap time.







The little bunnies are all doing great. I didn't like seeing Jake alone and wanted him to be able to be with his family. So even though I was terrified of losing him I decided I needed to go ahead and try and get him neutered again. But this time I went to a rabbit specialist in the next city. She was an awesome vet, the surgery went off without a hitch, and Jake is now happily bonded in with his mom, brothers, and sisters. 










There were a few difficulties between him and Toby who's the 'king of the little bunnies', so I had to rebond those two a couple times, but it's been a while and every one has been happy, besides the odd chase by Libby misses grumpy pants and wanna be 'queen of the little bunnies'. Mostly Riley and Roo just avoid her when she is being a brat. Or I yell at her to quit, and she stops and looks at me like 'what?'


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## whitelop (Feb 28, 2016)

Jenny! I'm so sorry to hear about Flopsy! Its always so hard. Binky free sweet Flopsy.

I'm glad all the little bunnies are bonded together again! They're so precious!


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## JBun (Feb 28, 2016)

MORGAN!!!! My long lost friend, how are you? I'm so glad to see you around. I've often wondered how you were doing.

Thank you. It's one of the hard things about having pets, is most have such short life spans that you inevitably have to deal with them dying so soon. And when you have many pets, you have to deal with it many times.

It's so much easier having all the little bunnies in one group. And they are so happy together. After they get fed they'll all head up to their blanket on the top level and settle in a bunny pile licking each other before they settle in for a nap all snuggled up. It makes me happy to see.

How are you doing? How's your family and your pets?


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## whitelop (Feb 28, 2016)

That is the worst part of having pets, they are never here long enough. 
We're great! All the animals are doing really well! I just rearranged Ellie's pen, shes currently nibbling and pulling on her new water dish place mat!

How are you, Jenny? Outside of bunny loss, of course. How is life?!


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## MiniLopMad (Feb 28, 2016)

Oh no! I'm so sorry for the loss of Flopsy &#128557; Binky free gorgeous boy


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## Azerane (Feb 29, 2016)

I'm so very sorry for your loss of Flopsy. Love seeing all his pics and all the little ones seems very happy in their stunning condo together.


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## JBun (Feb 29, 2016)

Thank you Minilopmad and Bec. It was nice outside and my neighbor had her little kids out, so I was going to bring a bunny out for them to pet, but usually that would be Flopsy since he's so good with little kids. I had to think who else I could bring out, but there is only Jake now that behaves himself with kids. So poor Jake has the permanent position of kid ambassador with Flopsy gone. 

I think Baby must have sensed that Flopsy was sick. She was acting strange when he had his downturn and before he died, but is pretty much her normal self now and doesn't seem to be upset that he's gone. In a way it's kind of sad that she doesn't miss him more even though she did love him tons, but I'm also glad I'm not having to deal with a depressed rabbit.



whitelop said:


> That is the worst part of having pets, they are never here long enough.
> We're great! All the animals are doing really well! I just rearranged Ellie's pen, shes currently nibbling and pulling on her new water dish place mat!
> 
> How are you, Jenny? Outside of bunny loss, of course. How is life?!




I'm glad things are good with you. I was almost scared to ask about Ellie. Rabbits are just such fragile little things, I just was hoping nothing had happened to her, especially since she was such a little troublemaker and liked getting into mischief. I hope she has mellowed a bit for your sake, but maybe that is asking too much from her  

How's AJ? He's got to be about 4 now right? A little man now. I'm sure you are glad the terrible two's are over  That always seems to be such a trying time when they are in to everything. 

Things pretty much roll on the same with me. Spend LOTS of time caring for my rabbits, especially with Dakota now. I have to check on her several times a day to make sure she is getting to her water and food alright. She's just an old girl. I keep thinking she can't possibly survive much longer, but she just keeps ticking along and seems happy enough to do so. I've been thinking for the last two years that surely she won't live much longer, yet she's still here and probably will be for another two years. She's a determined little bun.

My mom is also getting older and I'm helping out there a bit more to make things easier for her. So that's mostly where my time goes now. 

It was so nice outside today. The snow is finally melting and is nearly gone. I'm really looking forward to warm weather again. I pretty much hibernate all winter. I don't do cold well


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## BubbaBunny (Apr 14, 2016)

First post here (eek!). So saddening to read about Zeus and Flopsy. Deeply sorry for your loss. 

I do really like Jake though, so very cute. Thanks for putting so much time in to making this blog, it was an interesting read and I'll be sure to check for updates!


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## rabbitgirl54 (Apr 12, 2017)

i know its been a long time since you posted this but omg they are so cute!


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## Sunset_bun (Sep 20, 2022)

JBun said:


> Continued....
> 
> After Dash, I still had this love for dwarf hotots. That's when I found Zeus.
> 
> ...


I would love an update, most of the images seem to not be working


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## JBun (Sep 21, 2022)

I'm not sure what happened to all of my photos, but I'll try to replace them with ones that can actually be viewed.

All of my rabbits have passed now, most from old age. Baby passed not long after Flopsy, from complications due to her chronic issues with bladder sludge and a UTI. Dakota passed a little while later, from old age. Later that same year Toby passed from complications due to his megacolon. Pip, the mom, passed easter of last year from old age, then Libby and Roo not long after her from old age as well. Penny passed this year after a bad reaction to one of her medications treating a health issue, but she was also an older bun(9 yrs). Riley passed this year around easter, from old age. Henry, who I got to be Penny's buddy after losing Dakota, passed a few months after from old age health issues. My last bunny left with me was Jake, and he died just a few weeks ago from heart failure at the age of 10.

So I'm bunniless now. It feels really strange after so long with rabbits. I pass the rabbit room and look to check on the buns, only there are no rabbits in there anymore. But my life is really complicated right now, so it might be a while before I can bring another rabbit into my life.


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## Sunset_bun (Sep 21, 2022)

I'm so sorry for all of your losses, you seem like a very good bunny parent. I don't know what it is like to lose a bunny yet but I do know what it's like to lose a friend, I know those aren't comparable but I hope your feeling okay and if you ever need anyone to talk to you can message me any time  I wish you all the best! ♡


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## JBun (Sep 24, 2022)

So I think I got all of the photos fixed, though I probably ended up changing a few. And I thought I would post a little bit more about the last few years with the buns with some photos.

Soon after Flopsy passed away, Baby passed from a bad reaction to a medication, and Dakota passed around the same time, from old age issues. Dakota had had a good long bunny life, but I was really sad about Baby's sudden passing. She ended up having a bad reaction to sulfa antibiotics of all things.







Penny was alone for a while after Dakota's passing, but adjusted fine to it. But the next year, 2017, a friend of mine had an older lop rabbit that she was trying to rehome for a friend of hers. I felt it was the perfect solution for Penny to have a bun friend again. So I took in Henry, a 5 yr old holland lop, who actually looked a lot like Dakota, Penny's previous bun companion, though Henry had blue eyes instead of red like Dakota, and was a much more chill bun than Dakota.

I got Henry neutered, waited a month for hormones to fade, then started bonding. And bonding was almost instantaneous, thank goodness. It was pretty much 'love at first sight'. The easiest bond I've ever had.










In 2018, Toby started having issues with his megacolon and was quickly losing weight. Up to that point it had been successfully managed with a strict diet, but in a short amount of time he started declining and very suddenly passed away without much warning.




The next year I took the bunnies on a bit of a trip to Florida. Let me just say, traveling long distances with rabbits is pure torture! It was so hard to manage their stress and keep them eating the entire trip. I pretty much had to stop at grocery stores all along the way to buy romaine lettuce to keep them eating and hydrated. And I had to stop every 4 hours to check on them and give them a break to settle down and relax so they would eat. Not to mention the difficulty of keeping water in their traveling carrier. It was constantly spilling everywhere. I had to change out soaked litter every few hours. And the worst of all was it was summer and hot, and part way through my AC started acting up. Very luckily it kept working and got us to Florida ok. I was sooo glad when we got there and the trip was over.

(Poor bunnies cooped up traveling across the country  )





Once we got there and settled into our new place, the bunnies actually adjusted really well. Because of limited space, I needed all the bunnies bonded into one group. Luckily I was able to successfully bond Henry and Penny with the little bunnies group on the trip there.







During covid, I returned back from Florida with the bunnies. They were sooo relieved to be back home and in their old condo 






In 2021 at the age of 10, my one eyed Pip passed away from old age, followed soon after by Libby and Roo. The bunnies left with me were Penny, Henry, Riley, and Jake.






Penny got sick earlier this year and passed away due to the illness and some medication problems. I was surprised as Penny had always been one of my healthiest rabbits and was doing well even being 9 yrs old.

But all of my rabbits were old at that point, and had the normal health issues that happen with old age. A few months later Riley passed from old age, then a little while later Henry's health issues worsened and he passed from health issues and age. Jake was my last and all alone. He didn't live long after Henry's passing. It all happened pretty suddenly and I was left rabbitless.

It gets hard when they get old. More health issues arise, and not all necessarily easily treatable. It usually just becomes a matter of managing the building health problems as best you can to maintain a good quality of life. And I had a lot of rabbits old at the same time. I hope I did right by all my buns. I certainly tried to give them the best life possible so they had a comfortable happy life together with each other and with me.

(blurry, but I like this picture, and it was one of my last of them)


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