The elder Free-Ride offspring has been spending enough time with Snowflake Free-Ride to have become something of a “rabbit whisperer”. Snowflake herself seems preternaturally aware of when the elder sprog is in range, not to mention very assertive that the in-range sprog must have an audience with Her Royal Fuzziness.
So, it’s working out well for both of them at the moment.
We’ve been talking with the elder Free-Ride offspring about the extent to which Snowflake’s behaviors are being shaped by her interaction with the elder sprog. After one of these discussions, the elder Free-Ride offspring jotted down the following behavioral notes:
Normal:
- Eats poo.
- Shakes herself when I stop petting her.
- Grooms herself when I’m not watching.
- Very calm when I pet her.
Social:
- Gnawing at the bars of her run to get to me.
Dr. Free-Ride: What did you mean by normal behaviors?
Elder offspring: Stuff that she probably would have done even if I hadn’t come into her life.
Dr. Free-Ride: How do you know know she grooms herself when you’re not looking?
Elder offspring: Because she grooms herself when she thinks I’m not looking, then stops abruptly when she senses my presence.
Dr. Free-Ride: You didn’t include anything about her nighttime routine (or her morning routine).
Elder offspring: I don’t think that really counts, because I’ve trained her to hop into her hutch for some carrots at night so I can lock her in.
Dr. Free-Ride: So the fact that you’ve trained her make it your behavior, not hers?
Elder offspring: It’s the behavior that I’ve trained her to exhibit. I also trained her to use the paw to push open the hutch door when I unlatch it in the morning.
Dr. Free-Ride: I know you’ve been trying to train her to exhibit some other behavior, and sometimes she has her own ideas about what behavior to exhibit.
Elder offspring: I’ve been trying to train her to come out of the run and sit on my lap for noms and pats. So far, she usually just puts two paws on my lap, then goes back into the run. And when I use carrot sticks instead of whole carrots, she steals them and goes back into the run to eat them.
Dr. Free-Ride: Why do you think she’s resistant to being a lap bunny?
Elder offspring: Maybe she’s still a little afraid of the outside. Maybe she doesn’t want to be a lap bunny.
Dr. Free-Ride: Has Snowflake trained you to do anything?
Elder offspring: Other than giving her carrots and pats, I don’t think so.
