Day 0: Cupid’s Arrow
November 26th passed intolerably slowly. Chores and shopping were done by 3pm and Podlet and I arrived "home" to wait anxiously for our new little girl. She was to arrive with Lindsey between 4pm and 5pm. Lindsey had kindly offered to bunny-run our baby from Leicester (where Jill was caring for her at Honeybunnies Rescue) to Milton Keynes (where Podlet's sister lives). We are grateful beyond works for their generosity!
Thanks to the bitter weather, Lindsey and Poppy arrived just before 5pm; chilled to the bone. After brief introductions, we enjoyed a warming cup of tea and some yummy biscuits while Poppy got used to being in a new place. Then it was time to get to know our little one and oh, how beautiful she is. Poppy has the warmest temperament, and is a real little cuddle-bunny.
The journey to Poppy's forever home was a long, cold one. The weather was inclement, and our in-laws' car did not have any heating. Two hours later, four very chilly two-foots arrived safely at their final destination. Poppy of course, was warm and snug thanks to her new SnuggleSafe. Our reception home was rather chilly too as Mr Binks stomped his displeasure at us. He had missed an entire day of attention and was eager to let us know that it was not to happen again.
We settled Poppy in her temporary hutch (a very kind loan from Bev), giving her some fresh food and water. She enjoyed a brief munch while exploring her space. There was a lot of standing-up-and-looking-around while the two-foots unpacked and then ordered supper of their own. She seemed quite comfortable with the activity. In the meantime, Binks got over his grouch and decided to make the most of the extra attention he was bound to elicit from the many additional bodies. He had noticed the "new" smell but didn’t seem terribly interested - there was too much else to be done first.
After dining and seeing our in-laws off, we decided to prod Binks' attention a little by fussing around Poppy's hutch. His natural curiosity got the better of him and he came over for a look. Well, the expression on his face was priceless: he has never seen another bunny before (except, of course as a pup but that doesn’t really count). What was this gorgeous little thing acting so coy behind the bars? A nose-sniff later and Mr Binks was cooing like a love-struck dove!
Our serenading boy wandered around Poppy's hutch for several minutes, stamping occasionally to get her attention and wiggling his hips suggestively. Poppy returned an equal amount of interest, pressing her face up to the bars - her nose bobbing up and down. Given their level of interest we thought it prudent to open the door to Poppy's hutch, to see what they would do.
Binks stood in the open doorway, a little unsure what the next step should be. He tried a clever little invitation first, hopping into Poppy's hutch and hopping out again, making a little darting movement as if to say, "Come out and play!" This was naturally ignored; a girl wouldn't want to appear too forward no matter how interested she might be in a cute bunny-boy.
The next few hours were spent in a combination of hide-and-seek and hump-your-head as Podlet and I looked anxiously on. No fur flew as Binks repeatedly tried to mount Poppy only to be thwarted by her crafty manoeuvrability and often mounted in return.
At 1am, a mere three and a half hours after meeting, I decided to call it a night. It had been a long day and it was time to consign everyone to his or her respective beds. Podlet was asleep on the couch and the two bunnies had quietened down considerably, mostly ignoring each other, or even preening while the other looked on. Who knows what tomorrow would hold, but things were looking promising!
Day 1: Will you wash my back?
The morning started much as any other: bunny-care first, everything else later. Poppy seemed a little more skittish today than she did last night but perhaps it was because she was more comfortable and had made her hutch her home. Now I was in her turf! After doing the necessary cleaning and feeding, I let Binks out to wander around for a little while. He bounced over to Poppy’s to say good morning and then pretty much ignored her, lying on the carpet in front of her hutch in case she should decide to visit.
A quick cup of coffee later and it was time to let Poppy explore her new home. Binks was returned to his hutch and Poppy's door was opened. She cautiously stuck her head out the door some fifteen minutes later for a look around. Satisfied that Binks was nowhere to be seen, she hopped out to explore. She looked quite excited to be discovering bunny toys scattered around, and new smells at every turn. She even found her way over Binks' hutch to say a gentle good morning. There was much sniffing and friendly snuffling.
Poppy explored for a couple hours more at her own pace before I let Binks out again. Although it seemed quite early in their relationship to be meeting in such a communal playground, their interaction through the bars seemed to warrant it. Despite her diminutive size, Poppy is very self-assured and quite bold. Binks enthusiastically bounded over to her hutch and hopped in only to find that she had bounded out almost at the same time - straight into his house!! They spent a few minutes smelling and chinning each other's living spaces before meeting up again on the carpet. Things were going very well indeed.
Bev and Steve popped over just after lunch to meet our new arrival and I think it's safe to say that they were both pretty surprised at our two bunsters. By Binks' and Poppy's interaction, it looked as if they had been together for months. Oh make no mistake; there was the occasional display of dominance and even the old I'll-ignore-you-to-see-what-you-do game being played, but it looked like they were merely going through the motions. One bun would hop off only to be followed by the other one. It definitely seemed like Poppy had well and truly moved into Binks' house. She spent an age in there, preening and lolling about much to his chagrin.
By early evening, despite all signs pointing to Poppy being the dominant bunny, we witnessed our first bit of grooming: Poppy gave Binks a thorough face-wash and eye-bath. And after only twenty-odd hours of being together... Joy!!
They will sleep alone tonight but we think that tonight will be the last time that either of these dear and precious bunnies will sleep alone. Podlet and I are so blessed that we have such beautiful children. Thank you all so much for your support - and thank you for sharing your own stories and words of encouragement. It’s been such an exciting journey for us, and I'm sure for Mr Binks too!
I've taken some pictures and promise that I'll post them up so that you can all see our happy little couple... Good night to you all!
Binks and Poppy: A Lagomorph Love Story -- First pictures
Day 2: Silly birdies!
Poppy sure is feisty! Binks and her began the dominance thing all over again (at least it appears that they have) but the rules seem a little different - almost as if it’s a token effort... a case of not wanting to relinquish too many rights too quickly for fear of looking like a push-over.
When I let Binks out his hutch this morning, he hopped over to Poppy's and stamped outside her door. The stamp brought her out of her hidey-hole and they shared a good-morning kiss through the bars. I thought I'd give Poppy a bit of a Binks-break because he can be quite pushy but the way she was pawing the bars and looking at me seemed to suggest she also wanted out.
The morning saw a lot of activity around Poppy's hutch, with Binks jumping in and out, Poppy lunging at him whenever he stuck his head in her hidey-hole, circling, humping, etc. This was interleaved with self-grooming, eating and lots of nose-to-nose sniffing. The hostilities did not seem serious at all. In the few minutes leading up to lunch, there was very little activity at all. Binks would sit outside Poppy's hutch with his back to her, and after a couple minutes she would jump out, circle him and jump back in. He would follow her into the hutch. This would be followed by some dashing about and then she would jump out again. He would follow, lie down, and then the cycle would be repeated a few minutes later.
2pm was fairly quiet. Things seemed to have turned into a game of follow-my-leader with both Binks and Poppy alternating as leaders. Lots of grooming - of self and each other - has been taking place but it seems that Poppy is once again doing the lion's share of cleaning. Currently the pecking order stands at: Poppy grooms Binks, Binks grooms Dad, and Dad grooms Mum... :shock:
Some 2 hours later we went from fairly quiet to completely quiet. 4pm and the house was completely still except for the ticking of my keyboard and Podlet's sniffing (we think she got a chill on the drive back from Milton Keynes - sounds like she should have had a SnuggleSafe too!). Binks and Poppy have been sharing a hutch for the last two hours - Binks lying in the straw in front of Poppy, and Poppy sitting on the loo. He still insists on demonstrating his superior status by hassling the poor lass just as she begins to unwind. With all the cooing I'm not convinced that we don’t have a dove trapped somewhere in the house!
So far this evening has been unevenful. Both buns have had a munch, groomed, and even flopped over onto their sides. Definitely very comfortable around each other but we're still waiting for them to snuggle together. Right now they're chilling on the carpet in front of the hutch, with Binks occasionally worrying Poppy but she has turned the tables on him: she's sitting with her back to him. :lol: :lol:
November 26th passed intolerably slowly. Chores and shopping were done by 3pm and Podlet and I arrived "home" to wait anxiously for our new little girl. She was to arrive with Lindsey between 4pm and 5pm. Lindsey had kindly offered to bunny-run our baby from Leicester (where Jill was caring for her at Honeybunnies Rescue) to Milton Keynes (where Podlet's sister lives). We are grateful beyond works for their generosity!
Thanks to the bitter weather, Lindsey and Poppy arrived just before 5pm; chilled to the bone. After brief introductions, we enjoyed a warming cup of tea and some yummy biscuits while Poppy got used to being in a new place. Then it was time to get to know our little one and oh, how beautiful she is. Poppy has the warmest temperament, and is a real little cuddle-bunny.
The journey to Poppy's forever home was a long, cold one. The weather was inclement, and our in-laws' car did not have any heating. Two hours later, four very chilly two-foots arrived safely at their final destination. Poppy of course, was warm and snug thanks to her new SnuggleSafe. Our reception home was rather chilly too as Mr Binks stomped his displeasure at us. He had missed an entire day of attention and was eager to let us know that it was not to happen again.
We settled Poppy in her temporary hutch (a very kind loan from Bev), giving her some fresh food and water. She enjoyed a brief munch while exploring her space. There was a lot of standing-up-and-looking-around while the two-foots unpacked and then ordered supper of their own. She seemed quite comfortable with the activity. In the meantime, Binks got over his grouch and decided to make the most of the extra attention he was bound to elicit from the many additional bodies. He had noticed the "new" smell but didn’t seem terribly interested - there was too much else to be done first.
After dining and seeing our in-laws off, we decided to prod Binks' attention a little by fussing around Poppy's hutch. His natural curiosity got the better of him and he came over for a look. Well, the expression on his face was priceless: he has never seen another bunny before (except, of course as a pup but that doesn’t really count). What was this gorgeous little thing acting so coy behind the bars? A nose-sniff later and Mr Binks was cooing like a love-struck dove!
Our serenading boy wandered around Poppy's hutch for several minutes, stamping occasionally to get her attention and wiggling his hips suggestively. Poppy returned an equal amount of interest, pressing her face up to the bars - her nose bobbing up and down. Given their level of interest we thought it prudent to open the door to Poppy's hutch, to see what they would do.
Binks stood in the open doorway, a little unsure what the next step should be. He tried a clever little invitation first, hopping into Poppy's hutch and hopping out again, making a little darting movement as if to say, "Come out and play!" This was naturally ignored; a girl wouldn't want to appear too forward no matter how interested she might be in a cute bunny-boy.
The next few hours were spent in a combination of hide-and-seek and hump-your-head as Podlet and I looked anxiously on. No fur flew as Binks repeatedly tried to mount Poppy only to be thwarted by her crafty manoeuvrability and often mounted in return.
At 1am, a mere three and a half hours after meeting, I decided to call it a night. It had been a long day and it was time to consign everyone to his or her respective beds. Podlet was asleep on the couch and the two bunnies had quietened down considerably, mostly ignoring each other, or even preening while the other looked on. Who knows what tomorrow would hold, but things were looking promising!
Day 1: Will you wash my back?
The morning started much as any other: bunny-care first, everything else later. Poppy seemed a little more skittish today than she did last night but perhaps it was because she was more comfortable and had made her hutch her home. Now I was in her turf! After doing the necessary cleaning and feeding, I let Binks out to wander around for a little while. He bounced over to Poppy’s to say good morning and then pretty much ignored her, lying on the carpet in front of her hutch in case she should decide to visit.
A quick cup of coffee later and it was time to let Poppy explore her new home. Binks was returned to his hutch and Poppy's door was opened. She cautiously stuck her head out the door some fifteen minutes later for a look around. Satisfied that Binks was nowhere to be seen, she hopped out to explore. She looked quite excited to be discovering bunny toys scattered around, and new smells at every turn. She even found her way over Binks' hutch to say a gentle good morning. There was much sniffing and friendly snuffling.
Poppy explored for a couple hours more at her own pace before I let Binks out again. Although it seemed quite early in their relationship to be meeting in such a communal playground, their interaction through the bars seemed to warrant it. Despite her diminutive size, Poppy is very self-assured and quite bold. Binks enthusiastically bounded over to her hutch and hopped in only to find that she had bounded out almost at the same time - straight into his house!! They spent a few minutes smelling and chinning each other's living spaces before meeting up again on the carpet. Things were going very well indeed.
Bev and Steve popped over just after lunch to meet our new arrival and I think it's safe to say that they were both pretty surprised at our two bunsters. By Binks' and Poppy's interaction, it looked as if they had been together for months. Oh make no mistake; there was the occasional display of dominance and even the old I'll-ignore-you-to-see-what-you-do game being played, but it looked like they were merely going through the motions. One bun would hop off only to be followed by the other one. It definitely seemed like Poppy had well and truly moved into Binks' house. She spent an age in there, preening and lolling about much to his chagrin.
By early evening, despite all signs pointing to Poppy being the dominant bunny, we witnessed our first bit of grooming: Poppy gave Binks a thorough face-wash and eye-bath. And after only twenty-odd hours of being together... Joy!!
They will sleep alone tonight but we think that tonight will be the last time that either of these dear and precious bunnies will sleep alone. Podlet and I are so blessed that we have such beautiful children. Thank you all so much for your support - and thank you for sharing your own stories and words of encouragement. It’s been such an exciting journey for us, and I'm sure for Mr Binks too!
I've taken some pictures and promise that I'll post them up so that you can all see our happy little couple... Good night to you all!
Binks and Poppy: A Lagomorph Love Story -- First pictures
Day 2: Silly birdies!
Poppy sure is feisty! Binks and her began the dominance thing all over again (at least it appears that they have) but the rules seem a little different - almost as if it’s a token effort... a case of not wanting to relinquish too many rights too quickly for fear of looking like a push-over.
When I let Binks out his hutch this morning, he hopped over to Poppy's and stamped outside her door. The stamp brought her out of her hidey-hole and they shared a good-morning kiss through the bars. I thought I'd give Poppy a bit of a Binks-break because he can be quite pushy but the way she was pawing the bars and looking at me seemed to suggest she also wanted out.
The morning saw a lot of activity around Poppy's hutch, with Binks jumping in and out, Poppy lunging at him whenever he stuck his head in her hidey-hole, circling, humping, etc. This was interleaved with self-grooming, eating and lots of nose-to-nose sniffing. The hostilities did not seem serious at all. In the few minutes leading up to lunch, there was very little activity at all. Binks would sit outside Poppy's hutch with his back to her, and after a couple minutes she would jump out, circle him and jump back in. He would follow her into the hutch. This would be followed by some dashing about and then she would jump out again. He would follow, lie down, and then the cycle would be repeated a few minutes later.
2pm was fairly quiet. Things seemed to have turned into a game of follow-my-leader with both Binks and Poppy alternating as leaders. Lots of grooming - of self and each other - has been taking place but it seems that Poppy is once again doing the lion's share of cleaning. Currently the pecking order stands at: Poppy grooms Binks, Binks grooms Dad, and Dad grooms Mum... :shock:
Some 2 hours later we went from fairly quiet to completely quiet. 4pm and the house was completely still except for the ticking of my keyboard and Podlet's sniffing (we think she got a chill on the drive back from Milton Keynes - sounds like she should have had a SnuggleSafe too!). Binks and Poppy have been sharing a hutch for the last two hours - Binks lying in the straw in front of Poppy, and Poppy sitting on the loo. He still insists on demonstrating his superior status by hassling the poor lass just as she begins to unwind. With all the cooing I'm not convinced that we don’t have a dove trapped somewhere in the house!
So far this evening has been unevenful. Both buns have had a munch, groomed, and even flopped over onto their sides. Definitely very comfortable around each other but we're still waiting for them to snuggle together. Right now they're chilling on the carpet in front of the hutch, with Binks occasionally worrying Poppy but she has turned the tables on him: she's sitting with her back to him. :lol: :lol:
:wink: 
