Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14
Day 8 – Sunday 9th
A windy, cold, rainy day. I decided to keep the bunnies in their separate pens today, because they were tired and needed a break from bonding. They had a lazy day.
I found these hay balls on special and I decided to get two. I put parsley and hay in the ball and Buttons loved it. This was the first time I’ve seen Buttons actually fight to get food. Although once the parsley was gone, he left the ball alone.
Nova wasn’t sure what to do, although she pulled the parsley out.
Then, all day the bunnies laid next to each other, but if the gap between the fences was closer, Buttons would try to take a chunk of her fur.
Day 9 – Monday 10th
Today was what I called a half-half day – half outside, half inside. The wind picked up and blew around 60km/h in the afternoon. I think the bunnies were happy to come inside.
Buttons is still barbering small clumps of fur from Nova. But not as much as earlier.
Day 10 – Tuesday 11th
Much the same. The weather was nice, so the bunnies went outside at about 9:30am. I brought Nova inside at about 12:00pm because it was threatening to rain. I was brushing Buttons outside, because he is gross when he moults, when Nova went crazy. At around 3:30pm I went to get grass.
Day 11 – Wednesday 12th
The bunnies are tolerating each other a little more. I sat in the pen on Nova’s chair and she decided to sit with me as close as she possibly could.
Nova loved playing in the shade cloth.
When I went into their pen to collect them for the night (at about 4:00pm) they found every excuse to not be taken inside. Here, they are both finding a bird having a bath a very interesting.
Day 12 – Thursday 13th
While I was washing the litter boxes and dishes, I noticed that the bunnies were doing their own things. Which was a really good sign. Buttons usually watched every move Nova made. I then turned the tunnels around and they loved racing each other through them. I noticed that they were happy to sit together. Nova was eating, while Buttons thinking his own thoughts.
Later on during the day the bunnies were happy copying each other and being close, but not too close.
Today there was once instance off Buttons ripping Nova’s hair out. She was running around in the pipes, and Buttons was sitting at the end of one minding his own business. She decided to race out past him, and he ripped a whole lot of hair out as she passed. He then immediately went after her (not aggressively). I jumped on the spot making a loud thumping noise on the ground. He stopped in his tracks. So I jumped again and made another thump. He stared at me and ran into the enclosure. I thumped again. He stared at me, I stared at him. I then turned away and left the pen.
It was after that, that Buttons let Nova get closer to him. It was as though he views me as boss-bunny and I got mad at him. Bunny language.
I then thought about that thumping behaviour, and I remembered doing that when Buttons was bonding with Maple and Lunar too.
They chose to sleep next to each other for the night.
Day 13 – Friday 14th
A good day. Buttons did not chase Nova at all. They chose to be closer together when outside. Nova ran past Buttons and dodged him, but he didn’t lunge, he just followed her around pronking and flicking his ears happily.
| Star Rating | Description |
| ☆ | Given when heading towards a full star. |
| ⭐ | Not scared, no bulgy eyes and no serious chasing/lunging, learning to share and touching noses. |
| ⭐⭐ | Copying each other – i.e grooming at the same time, closer together. |
| ⭐⭐⭐ | Eating with each other, relaxed behaviour, laying around together. |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Chilled buns in every situation. |
| Nova’s reactions | Buttons reactions |
|---|---|
| Nova grazes on the ground all day, minding her own business. | Buttons is starting to copy her, and is eating a lot more grass. |
| Nova sits on the chair, and cleans her feet. | Buttons decides that it looks good so he jumps up there, which makes Nova jump off, and he sits there and cleans his feet. |
| Nova boops Buttons’ butt. | Buttons doesn’t react, he continues doing his own thing. |
| Nova often is close to Buttons. | Buttons is enjoying her company. |
| Nova is not scared of Buttons. She still reacts to his movements, but not through fear or stress. | Buttons doesn’t lunge at her. |
| ⭐⭐ Nova and Buttons are half bonded. | |
Day 14 – Saturday 15th
Rainy day, bunnies were inside together in the big pen. Buttons hid away in his green kennel, when Nova went close he would pop out of the door way like a spider and make her jump away.
I started to teach Nova the Spin skill (number 17), using the Wombaroo pellets. She got the hang of doing a half-spin within about 5 minutes. I’ll keep practicing it with her often. I tried it with a clicker but she runs away, she doesn’t like sharp, loud sounds. So I just say “spin”, drag the pellet around so she follows it, when she does the right thing (even a little bit) I give her a pellet, pat her and say “good girl”.
Buttons, he is a tough one to teach. He doesn’t like food enough to teach him the skills. He gets bored and goes away. He doesn’t want to work for food.
Their bonding indoors is a different kettle of fish. Outside they are fine, but inside, Buttons prefers Nova to keep her distance. That will change though over time.
Nova spent a long time snuggled in my arm and purring.
I tried to use the training clicker with Nova but she doesn’t like short sharp noises and she reacted to it by hiding away behind the litter box and giving me a disgusted look.