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Should I Seperate Sarah and Nomad-U/D Hopefully Not Necessary

Jack's-Jane

Wise Old Thumper
Sarah has started to bully Nomad :cry: (she is a large Rex, Nomad is a Mini Lop)

They have been bonded for several months but during that time they have had a few spats, nothing serious, just a bit of argy-bargy.
But yesterday I *STUPIDLY* forgot to put a barrier infront of their pen before letting Erin have a free range hop about :roll: A fight kicked off between Sarah and Nomad (refered aggression) and Sarah has sustained a puncture wound to her foot having been bitten by Nomad :cry: She is now on abx and pain relief and has a dressing on her foot as the wound has exposed some tendon:cry: Christobel did not want to suture a puncture wound for fear of seeling in bacteria and causing an abscess.

Since this episode I have kept Sarah and Nomad together under constant supervision. All seemed OK til breakfast time when another scuffle kicked off. This time Nomad ran away. Now its a case of Sarah constantly chasing Nomad away whenever he appears from under the hutch that's in their pen.
I hate seeing this and I thinking that maybe their bond has broken completely and I should seperate them :? :cry:
Or should I give them the rest of today together to see if things calm down?

Janex
 
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Hi Jane,

I personally think you should give them a day or two.......something similar happened between Miloe and Grace some months back now when my friend brought her un-neutered buck round so i could help cut his claws.

Grace constantly went for Miloe and a huge fight broke out. I had to stay up all night with them but the following day they were absolutely fine and Grace made the 'first' move to groom Miloe.

xx
 
ohhh difficult one :? :?

Think id be tempted to give them today but if it gets worse or hasnt settled by tonight split them up .:(

oh dear :?
 
I personally would leave them for the next 24 hours and monitor them. Hoping all goes well for them x
 
Oh no sorry Jane...I don't really know anything about it, but I wonder if a move to neutral territory for a couple of days would help? :?
 
Awwww bless them, I would probably leave them together too, but then again I'm a wimp :oops: :lol:
 
I would put them in a neutral area and kind of give them a fresh start as a couple? If they are OK there then rearrange and 'renew' their living area so it's not got the memories associated with yesterday's fight? Although would you take bonding advice off a novice like me? :lol:
 
I'd monitor the situation just as you are doing now, until you loseyour nerve! It's interesting that the one trying to assert dominance is the one with the worse injury. Aren't bunnies complex creatures???
 
Oh no sorry Jane...I don't really know anything about it, but I wonder if a move to neutral territory for a couple of days would help? :?

I was going to suggest this too, a sort of re-bond. Sarah probably feels a bit defencive if her foot hurts.

In general though do you think their occasional squables might be that they need a bit more room? I know they have all got big pens and I'm not for a moment suggesting they don't have enough room but if Sarah is quite big maybe she feels abit frustrated?:?
 
I owul leave them until tomorrow and then move them if there is no improvement......sometimes moving to neutral territory kicks everything off again and if Sarah already feels she is 'one up' on Nomad she may really go for him in neutral space to 'claim' the new territory.

My trio fell out a few weeks ago and once they had sorted themselves out and restructured the hierachy they were fine again.
 
I was going to suggest this too, a sort of re-bond. Sarah probably feels a bit defencive if her foot hurts.

In general though do you think their occasional squables might be that they need a bit more room? I know they have all got big pens and I'm not for a moment suggesting they don't have enough room but if Sarah is quite big maybe she feels abit frustrated?:?

I am not sure room is the issue. They have a large pen with a hutch that can be accessed from two sides so no arguments about who gets to use the entrance first.
I think that the infrequent squabbles were over food. Both Nomad and Sarah are very greedy Rabbits.

They appear to have settled down for now. The next 'test' will be at greens time this evening I guess :?

Thanks for all your input :)

Janex
 
Are you scattering the food as opposed to using bowls Jane?

Yes, its really the Veg that they squabbled over so I scatter everything now.
I am sure yesterday's episode, which was entirely my fault, has meant that Sarah is feeling vulnerable (due to her injured foot) and is using the 'best line of defence is attack' theory :?
I just dont like seeing them not getting along too well :cry: But neither do I want to rush in an split them up as they have had times where they are real snuggle Buns

:?

Janex
 
Hi Jane. Didn't think it would be the issue really, just an idea I guess. I'm glad they've calmed down. Hopefully it will continue :D
 
My big frenchie BB and her tiny husbun Joey will have a spat if they see another rabbit:(
They had a really nasty (but luckily short) spat last week after Midge cleared the top of her run and landed right in front of their run - I've never seen anything so fast and furious, and my concern was the same as yours, given the size difference (BB must be 8 times the size of Joey).

I was there to grab Joey out of the situation, and they seemed to calm down again quite quickly, but Joey stayed pretty grumpy for a few days.

I'd be inclined to watch them today and see how you feel tonight.

I'll bet they settle down again, and, like me, you'll not forget to cover their view when other buns are around:)
 
I would seperate them for fear of further injury, when I am in doubt I always ask myself the question that: would I feel 100% safe leaving them together if I suddenly had to leave them unsupervised because of an emergency, if the answer is no then I would separate, if it's yea then I would leave them together

Hope this helps
 
Some years ago I had two sisters who had been devoted for years. Then inexplicably, they became agressive towards each other.

It really upset me, because I could not bear the thought of separating them. But it went on for a few days to the point where I went to look at a separate hutches for them. I know it sounds silly but I was so upset at the propect of splitting them up, that I cried over the situation!

When I say agressive, it was really a territorial thing. One took over the hutch and the other the run. They then chased each other if their area was invaded.

Luckily enough it was a lovely summer so I was able to sit it out.

It ended as suddenly as it began and they went on to continue to be devoted to each other.

I am glad I gave them a chance :)
 
It would be a shame to split them up if you don't have to.

When Michelle was bonded with Wallace and Oliver, she was bullied. I didn't separate them but then Michelle developed pneumonia with the stress of it all.

Hope it works out better for Sarah and Nomad!!
 
Well after a complete revamp of Sarah and Nomads pen new 'furiture' etc
things *seem* to have setted down :)
At the moment they are snuggled up on some Vetbed under a table :)

Sarah's foot is healng OK with no sign of infection as yet.

Janex
 
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