Odd one out

[monkeypuzzler]

Hope someone on here can help me.

We've recently bonded together two pairs of buns into a group of four - two girls, two boys. The intro sessions went well, no fighting and they are now all living together.

Since moving in, the eldest and biggest of the boys is really being left out. He seems very nervous and often runs off if the others come for a sniff! He is still snuggling with his original girlfriend but prefers to stay away from the main bed.

Any ideas what we can do to help him feel less stressed, think if he'd give the others a chance and not run off then they could be good friends.

Any ideas?

[Mandy]

Just bumping this for you...

[babybunnies3]

Sorry I can't help but bump.

[winstontickle]

Personally I'd separate them, into the two pairs which get on best. Same sexes don't often live well together. It would be awful to discover the odd one out injured - there must have been some scuffles when you weren't there to make him so nervy.

[monkeypuzzler]

Thanks for your replies. I honestly don't think they had any scuffles/fights, as no fur in the run and no injuries. Plus the fact that we had been keeping a very close eye on them and deliberately put them in together at a time when we were off work and at home for a few days in a row. I certainly wouldn't have left them together if I thought he was at risk, he's just a nervy bun bless him.

Would also tend to disagree with the generalisation that same sexes don't live well together. We've had lots of same sex pairs/groups with same sex members in the past and all have got on fine, I think it's much more about the individual buns than their sex.

Anyway, more importantly, I have a happy ending to report! Basically, we tried placing all the food in one place at dinner time and sure enough his desire for food overcame his fear and he was happily feeding alongside the others. He has got braver and braver every day and will now happily go anywhere in the hutch and run regardless of who is there, and I've seen him snuggling/washing with each of the other three. They aren't chasing at all now and he'll happily sit to be sniffed/washed as well as reciprocating. :D :D