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feeling very disheartened can anyone help me?

Beatrix Potter

Mama Doe
I am feeling very disheartened over bonding my two rabbits.....I feel like I have made :censored: up over :censored: up ever since I decided that I would keep my hand reared wild bunny. I have treated her completely differently to a domestic bun worrying that I would do the wrong thing, so I have had her in my lounge since last April not daring to put her in a hutch outside for fear that she may be scared and frightened and that I would lose the 'bond' of which we had developed.

Therefore I kept her in my lounge, letting her out morning and night for a good old run round. Problem is she has rapidly destroyed my lounge normally gnawing at window frames when she gets on my bay window, doors and skirting boards and thankfully only a couple of times my sideboard!

I therefore have to spend a few hours in my lounge not daring to go anywhere to make sure she doesn't get up to any mischeif. With a cat that pees everywhere as well I am constantly between two rooms making sure that either one is behaving.

I then decided to get her a pal....I have had Squirrel for a good few months now and he lives in an outside hutch. with no run so I have to bring him in for a run round when the cats are out. if its raining he can't come in. Thankfully his hutch is huge.

I bought a wooden playhouse for them both to live in once bonded, this wasn't ready until late november by which time it was too cold to put spudsey outside in.

So I have started bonding in my hallway/downstairs cupboard. Doesn't help that I am a total panicker anyway but bonding hasn't gone very well at all. Madam spudsey just jumps over Squirrel everytime he goes near her and will spend most of her time on my shoulder or scratching at the door. Today she scratched at the door and carpet so much that she has made a hole. great. o/h will not be impressed.

So there you have it.

I probably should never have kept Spudsey in the first place, shes wild and requires more than I can give her.

I shouldn't have got Squirrel so soon. I rushed it he's a big rabbit as well so perhaps not ideally suited to Spudsey.

And I should have put Spudsey out in a hutch/run months ago to get her used to being outside.

Ho Hum.

Does anyone offer bonding services as its obvious I am useless at it!? And can anyone suggest what I do about living accomodation as its clear the plan to move both bunnies in the downstairs living area will not be suitable as Spudsey will wreck it.

Sorry for the whining but its all getting a bit too much to cope with!
 
could you get her an indoor run so she can have exercise without chewing everything to pieces?
 
Hey, try not to get too disheartened :D

The bonding sounds like it's going fine! She probably just feels a bit overwhelmed by him. Jumping over him is a completely non-threatening thing to do and at least shows that she doesn't want to fight.

I suspect that the digging is because she doesn't want to be in the cupboard, so what about putting them outside in a run together during the daytime instead?

Amy
 
It certainly doesnt sound like a lost cause. I defo agree with getting an indoor run/pen, my Bob has taken to peeing on the back of the sofa as soon as I leave the room, so I bought a £20 pen which goes around his indoor cage.... I can leave him there when I go out now, and he has a decent space where he cant get up to mischief. When the weather picks up he'll be outside most of the time so it isnt forever. So I'd just try and limit the damage thats being done with a pen and chew toys, and maybe hold fire til the Spring.....it doesnt sound like they arent getting on but I assume you havent finished the bonding, if one is in and the other outside, and personally, I'm not really sure that having bits and bobs of time together is of much use really. Maybe wait til Spring, bond (or get some help bonding) and move them straight into the playhouse.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the posts everyone. Spudsey is in a indoor pen at the moment which is a 3 level thing, I did try her in a run attached to this but she wasn't impressed and rattled her cage even more! Guess I have given her too much freedom.

Think maybe the outside run idea might be best, either get 2 or try and divide one.
 
I think you need to take things one step at a time. You've done a great job so far. I think the problems you're having are just because it's you first time. It gets easier honest :) I think it's easier dealing with a pair rather than two singles so if you can get them together then you can work out where to put them instead of having two places to sort out.

I'm not sure what the closet rescue is that will do bonding - it's always easier when you've done a couple so someone experienced should be able to sort it for you as they sound like they're a good potential match :) There is a rescue in Northampton but I don't know if they do bonding, I'd try them first :) If they're away a couple of days to be bonded it also gives you a chance to sort accommodation without rabbits 'helping'.

Tamsin
 
I have an out door hutch that's heated with an attached run. Which if you can wait until end of February beg March will be free and I'd be happy to bond them for you in there.

I'm based in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Give me a shout if I can be of any use.:D
 
I have an out door hutch that's heated with an attached run. Which if you can wait until end of February beg March will be free and I'd be happy to bond them for you in there.

I'm based in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Give me a shout if I can be of any use.:D

Thank you thats really kind of you :)

I've seen a couple of runs from the happy hutch company which are about £40 each. Would I be doing any harm or good by perhaps putting both rabbits outside side by side for a while in the daytime?
 
:wave: i think you are doing a really good job and the fact they are not fighting is looking really positive. Once it is sorted will be fine i am sure. I have one of the runs indoors from zooplus - the one with segments. I think you have done a great job with Spudsey. and as the man at Dorset Wildlife said, wild rabbits can make good pets so don't think you are doomed coz she is a wild bun. Nettle was under my jumper today when i lay on the sofa and loves being stroked just as much as Barney ie although they are officially wild they become domesticated really well. And not may 'wild' buns would put up with being picked up and kissed 100 times a day! :D Nettle (and Barney) chew everything too but they are really well bonded even though Barney is 3406836 times bigger than Nettle and they are both boys so i think you have a really good chance of them being best of friends if it has worked with these 2. :D
 
:wave: i think you are doing a really good job and the fact they are not fighting is looking really positive. Once it is sorted will be fine i am sure. I have one of the runs indoors from zooplus - the one with segments. I think you have done a great job with Spudsey. and as the man at Dorset Wildlife said, wild rabbits can make good pets so don't think you are doomed coz she is a wild bun. Nettle was under my jumper today when i lay on the sofa and loves being stroked just as much as Barney ie although they are officially wild they become domesticated really well. And not may 'wild' buns would put up with being picked up and kissed 100 times a day! :D Nettle (and Barney) chew everything too but they are really well bonded even though Barney is 3406836 times bigger than Nettle and they are both boys so i think you have a really good chance of them being best of friends if it has worked with these 2. :D

:wave: Awww thanks Rachel for your words of encouragement!

I think I have just been very negative today as my partner has gone back to Wales to be with his Mum and I was feeling down about that. My cat has just been a nightmare all week and then bonding was just another thing to worry about!!! ha ha I cause myself all these worries and woes!

Spudsey is a lovely rabbit, she doesn't really like being handled but loves having her nose stroked, and she is always nudging my feet for attention or sitting next to me on the settee! Hopefully I'll get things sorted soon.
 
Like others, I don't think it is a lost cause, they've not tried to murder eachother, so that's always positive in my book!

Have you looked at dog crates? I've just bought one from Ebay and it was only £18! They had really big ones for about £26, if it fits under your stairs, it may be worth getting.

I'm not sure if Rabbit Rescue (http://www.rabbitrescue.co.uk/) do bonding as such but the lady who runs it is very knowledgeable and I'm sure she would be able to help, it's worth an ask at least!

I think you do rush when you first get rabbits, particularly if you suddenly have a single rabbit on your hands! It's only natural that you try to do the best you can for them and as my friend always says, hindsight is a wonderful thing! I know that I did somethings wrong with Inky when I first got him, I should have got him more used to being picked up for a start!
 
Spudsey is a lovely rabbit, she doesn't really like being handled but loves having her nose stroked, and she is always nudging my feet for attention or sitting next to me on the settee! Hopefully I'll get things sorted soon.

awww she sounds lovely and actually quite like a normal "domestic" rabbit...particularly like little Roxy. Hates being picked up but I had to stroke her for about two hours on the floor last night and if I dare to stop she nips me untill I start again :rolleyes:
You're doing a great job :thumb: everything can get a lot sometimes can't it.
 
I think you're doing really well :D
I would advise not to keep partly introducing them..or keeping them side by side as this "can" encourage them to defend their own area..
I would keep them totally apart and take up Tracy's kind offer to bond them..she has alot of experience and I'm sure you'll get back a happy pair of bunnies:D...and end of Feb isn't that far away!
 
You're absolutely right FriskyClover. I know Annette and there's probably nothing she doesn't know about rabbits.
I didn't realise you were so worried about the bonding:cry: Suzanne. If you are planning a trip to Warwickshire and want some moral support I'll come with you or drive. Let me know. Or ring Annette at Rabbit Rescue , she's only at Ashton or I'd be happy to take you over there.
Don't worry.....It'll all be ok. I'm sure, and you're probably still below par since your Xmas bug:( Take care :wave: -x-
 
I have a continental cross french lop that is bonded with a wild rabbit that I took in because an alsation had attacked him. Trust me size doesn't matter as my 2 are in seperable.
You are doing really well with the bonding sometimes it just takes longer than we think. I have 2 rabbits that I tried to bond for 12mths and decided to give up anyway one morning Flopsy jumped into Smudges hutch and they have been inseperable ever since.
Good luck:D
 
I forgot to add........Spudsey and Squirrel are** LOVELY **rabbits!!:D:D

Thanks Paula!!!! :)

Yes think with having a rotten christmas, then getting used to my partner being at home for a week and then going back to wales again has all taken its toll.....think I will take up the kind offer of bonding and in the meantime get myself a large dog cage or something for madam spudsey to live in. I've discovered today yet more destruction...the tunnel she so loves to be in has been tugged at so much that shes bitten through to the carpet...ooops. the damage is under the radiater and behind the settee though so hopefully someone won't notice....:shock:

Although looking at dog crates I can't really see anything bigger than what shes living in now....think perhaps I need to find a run for her instead.
 
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Am glad you are feeling more positive - I think Spudsey and Squirrel sound lovely from all your threads and nearly in love already. :bunny::love::bunny: Have a look at this run on zoo plus - quite a few people on here have it, as have I and it is really good and you can add reomve segments and attach it to dog crates etc and use it in or out and is easy to dismantle and store.

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/rodents/cages/pens_fencing/35639
 
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