hi everyone, sorry to be a pain but its my first time bonding and i am stressed out!
if i give you a brief description of what i have and what i'm doing and what happening i'm hoping you can tell me why and what and opinions! anything would be much appreciated as right now i feel useless!!
ok
winnie is my female residenct house rabbit, i've had her since june she is nearly 8 month old and has been spayed since 5 months, she lives in a bit double decker hutch in my spare room, she has access to her hutch and the room all day if no-one is here, when there are people here she has the run of the whole house and garden.
new buns foxy girl and wally boy are just under 12 months and have both been spayed/neutered for at least 3 months, brought them home from rescue in exeter on sunday, they are in a pen a couple of feet away from winnie, they had been bonded for nearly two weeks when i picked them up.
so - sunday i locked winnie in her hutch just while i sorted the newies out, once they were in i let winnie roam the room just to see how she reacted, well wally is very nervous and just stayed in the corner of the pen, winnie however was confronted by foxy the other side of the wire, they had a little sniff of each other and winnie hopped off, however she was moving around quicker than normal obviously more alert due to buns presence, she then went over to the wire and as soon as foxy came close she launched herself at the fence a fair few times, she got quite frantic and the newies looked horrified so i put winnie back in her hutch
monday - chanced putting them all in the kitchen, put the newies in first and left it 10 minutes then i put winnie in, again alot of sniffing but then foxy seemed to instigate trouble and there was a scrap between the two bit of fur pulling etc while wally just sat in the litter in the corner, i felt sick! i felt like i was being cruel! so again they all got put away.
today - everything has been mopped with vinegar and winnie has been out all day whilst the new buns have been in there pen and then roaming the room and sniffing her hutch out, so i let winnie back in and she's gone over to the wire all on edge and hoppin from one side of the pen to the other real quick, however she did not lunge but was very alert, both buns have come over to sniff her and then..... wally started chasing foxy and nipping her and she was fantically running away like her life depended on it, so i locked winnie away which calmed them within minutes and now they are back sitting next to each other.
basically i don't understand this behaviour and i don't really know what to do next or how to continue! the shelter said maybe just give them a few days in the pen get used to smells but then others say i should put them in a room together, i just don't know and right know i feel like i'm failing before i even start..... so any help suggestions or explanations would be much appreciated!!
sorry for the essay!!
if i give you a brief description of what i have and what i'm doing and what happening i'm hoping you can tell me why and what and opinions! anything would be much appreciated as right now i feel useless!!
ok
winnie is my female residenct house rabbit, i've had her since june she is nearly 8 month old and has been spayed since 5 months, she lives in a bit double decker hutch in my spare room, she has access to her hutch and the room all day if no-one is here, when there are people here she has the run of the whole house and garden.
new buns foxy girl and wally boy are just under 12 months and have both been spayed/neutered for at least 3 months, brought them home from rescue in exeter on sunday, they are in a pen a couple of feet away from winnie, they had been bonded for nearly two weeks when i picked them up.
so - sunday i locked winnie in her hutch just while i sorted the newies out, once they were in i let winnie roam the room just to see how she reacted, well wally is very nervous and just stayed in the corner of the pen, winnie however was confronted by foxy the other side of the wire, they had a little sniff of each other and winnie hopped off, however she was moving around quicker than normal obviously more alert due to buns presence, she then went over to the wire and as soon as foxy came close she launched herself at the fence a fair few times, she got quite frantic and the newies looked horrified so i put winnie back in her hutch
monday - chanced putting them all in the kitchen, put the newies in first and left it 10 minutes then i put winnie in, again alot of sniffing but then foxy seemed to instigate trouble and there was a scrap between the two bit of fur pulling etc while wally just sat in the litter in the corner, i felt sick! i felt like i was being cruel! so again they all got put away.
today - everything has been mopped with vinegar and winnie has been out all day whilst the new buns have been in there pen and then roaming the room and sniffing her hutch out, so i let winnie back in and she's gone over to the wire all on edge and hoppin from one side of the pen to the other real quick, however she did not lunge but was very alert, both buns have come over to sniff her and then..... wally started chasing foxy and nipping her and she was fantically running away like her life depended on it, so i locked winnie away which calmed them within minutes and now they are back sitting next to each other.
basically i don't understand this behaviour and i don't really know what to do next or how to continue! the shelter said maybe just give them a few days in the pen get used to smells but then others say i should put them in a room together, i just don't know and right know i feel like i'm failing before i even start..... so any help suggestions or explanations would be much appreciated!!
sorry for the essay!!