I’ve been fighting my feelings and trying to take things slow with my new lady. With the mummies I’ve always gone for a treat ’em mean, keep ’em keen kind of attitude, but my girl deserves better than that. She’s a delicate, furry little angel who will get only the best treatment.
The first night she was here I said “hello” through the bars of our separate abodes occasionally, and checked on her when she wasn’t looking to make sure she had everything she needed and wasn’t upset. I was really high up due to our set-up, so I wasn’t too in her face. She settled in perfectly, so the next day the mummies swapped our cages over so we were more level with one another and had a better view. It was great, we could chat a lot more, have a good sniff and wash for each other. She loves it when I do my face, I can tell.
After a few stolen moments through the bars I asked the mummies if maybe we could get a little bit closer outside. I told them that they could stay if they didn’t trust me, and let me know if I was going too fast or overstepped the mark. Luckily, they agreed and we went in my – sorry, OUR – run in the garden. I gave her her space and let her come to me, and then we just hopped around in the sunshine for a while. It was great! We explored a few tunnels – separately, of course; I wouldn’t want to crowd her – checked for escape routes (there weren’t any), and nibbled grass. She can’t half put it away!
We passed each other by a few times pretending not to notice (it’s a rabbit thing), had quite a few sniffs and followed one another about a bit until a rain cloud came and spoilt all our fun, but it was 8 minutes and 50 seconds of bunny bliss.
The next day we met on the landing and did much of the same, except she let me get a bit closer that time. I sniffed her a lot, and she smells wonderful – like hay and nuggets. When she let me get right up close I though I might be well in there, so I summoned up all my courage and went in for a kiss. Denied. I think I was moving a bit too fast, but later on she did give me nosies. It was waaaay different than when the mummies do it. Her nosies rock!
I know she likes me because she sleeps right up against the bars where our cages touch, and she looks for me when I’m out of sight. I can’t let myself think of that as a green light though, I have to respect her. No funny business, no circling and definitely no hair pulling.
We’re going to have a rendezvous on the landing again tomorrow, and if things go well I might invite her into my living room so she can have a sniff under the TV cabinet, and I can show her how to pick just the right time to pee on the sofa and leg it. That’s far more romantic than flowers, and she’d only eat them, right?