S’mores is the defender of the (3-bedroom, single-family) realm.
He’s about average-sized for a rabbit, weighs about twice as much as Toffee. Catnip & Carrots, our favorite rabbit-savvy vet clinic when we lived in Queens, put him on the form as “Dutch Male, Brown & White” – and that’s exactly what he is. He has a nick on his right ear, possibly from fighting with his siblings as a baby, it just adds to his gruff and manly demeanor.
Toffee picked him from a round-up of handsome bachelors during bunny “Speed Dating” held by Long Island Rabbit Rescue in January ’10. She didn’t care for the boys who hotly pursued her, nor did she have time for those who were interested in other buns. She liked the evenly-tempered but somewhat shy guy, whose story included over a year of neglect in a lady’s basement. As any spoiled pretty girls and tough-but-shy guys who are not very good at communicating, what followed with a grueling 6-month bonding period. They had to head back to Long Island for a period of “bonding camp”, when they were given truly neutral space to explore. Because in our home, Toffee was not about to give up any of her territory to S’mores. She had been in – and “chinned”, marked as her own – every nook and cranny of our apartment.
With much patience, a few fur-flying scuffles, and the help of a bottle of Rescue Remedy, they did bond by the summer – and bonded bunnies are the best. They’re inseparable, their mushed-together nap time is unbearably cute, and they make a champion tag-team. While Toffee is the inquisitive and playful one who will always try to get herself in trouble (just this morning, she was trying to climb the vacuum cleaner), S’mores is the one watching her back, our backs, and making sure everyone is alright. She comes up with the ideas, and he’s the muscle to help her achieve those ideas and makes sure no one gets hurt. His favorite places to hang out involves a clear view to all areas of the floor, so he can keep an eye on all the shenanigans. He’s the perfect bodyguard, always watching, but seldom seen. If anything rubs him the wrong way, he will grunt, and box his front paws – nothing like a grunting rabbit to ward off the small children who does not heed the “slowly and gently approach the bunnies!”. Despite his tough-guy countenance, he is easily swayed by a sweet snack. Good luck trying to eat a banana in the same house as S’mores without being plowed over by a manly rabbit.
I’m currently sitting in our dining room typing up this entry, and S’mores is hunkered in one of his favorite spots under my bench.
In a movie, S’mores would be voiced by Sam Elliott.
Read more about our Toffee lady here.
4 Comments
Freddi W
Where was the bonding camp? My rabbits could use that
Ruby
The rabbit rescue group where we adopted S’mores from, Long Island Rabbit Rescue, took them for about a week just so they can bond in a completely neutral territory. You should check with your local rabbit rescue, if they have the space and resources, they should be able to help you! Good luck!
Freddi w
Do they still do that? My rabbits could really use it! I’ve been bonding them for 80 days!
Ruby
If your rabbits are spayed/neutered, you can try contacting them to see if they’ll help! If they don’t have the room to take your rabbits in, they might have some good tips nonetheless. After our bunnies came home from “camp”, tho, they did relapse a bit and had a few fights. What ultimately worked for us was we, the humans, participating in the bonding sessions as well – stepping in to the pen, giving them head rubs while their faces are smushed in together, rather than waiting for them to just groom each other. It took us about 6 months total to bond S’mores and Toffee. You can do it too!