Just to set the scene.....
I started off with Willow, my male dwarf lop, and after a while bonded him with another dwarf lop female, Gertie, this was about 1 1/2 years ago.
A couple of months ago, I got another dwarf lop female and a Nethie cross female. They have lived happily together since I got them, with the exception of a squabble one day, when I seperated them, but let them continue to play outside together. After a few days, they were back together and have been fine since. The babies, Martha & Matilda, are 5 months old now. Willow my soul bunny is just over 3 years and Gertie is 1 1/2 years.
I bought a 10x8 foot shed, have made runs and ramps in it, and have a cage in one corner, toilet trays, toys, you name it! It is a bunny palace! I put them all in after they had bonded, and they have been fine together. I hear the odd comotion, and I know it is Gertie chasing and fur pulling Matilda a bit, but I hardly see anything fur wise in there and this has got less & less. Martha bonded perfectly with the older 2, and is mothering them, grooming and loving them all! Now, I love my lops, but my partner picked the Nethie cross, and she seems quite skitsy and feisty.
They have reached 'that' age, and I have recently acquired a 11 week old dwarf lop..... she is very sweet natured, and I can see she'll fit in with the lops fine. So, today, I brought Willow and Martha out, as they are the soft pair, and they ignorded my new baby, Winnie, apart from the odd sniff. I then brought Matilda out, the Nethie cross, and she instantly went after Winnie, they were up in the air and Winnie, bless her, lost a few chunks of fur. Matilda instigated it all.
I am looking for advice on if this will get worse? Or is this normal and will it subside? I am getting both the 5 month olds spayed in a couple of weeks, will this help on the hormone front and improve bonding?
When I bonded Gertie with both the 5 month olds, she chased, grunted and fur pulled at Matilda, the Nethie cross for a couple of weeks, but never bothered Martha. Martha ALWAYS bowed her head and never ran, yet Matilda ran and Gertie chased. The 4 of them now happily live in their luxury pad, and I often see them all grooming each other and lied all over each other basking in the sun rays coming through, even Gertie and Matilda seem to have struck up quite a bond.
So, I am going to continue with the bonding, but may try the taking them both out in a car in the same carrier together tomorrow first. Any advice on if this is a bad idea? Will I get there with the 2 of them?
Thanks in advance,
Liz, willow, Gertie, Martha, Matilda and Winnie woo woo! x
I started off with Willow, my male dwarf lop, and after a while bonded him with another dwarf lop female, Gertie, this was about 1 1/2 years ago.
A couple of months ago, I got another dwarf lop female and a Nethie cross female. They have lived happily together since I got them, with the exception of a squabble one day, when I seperated them, but let them continue to play outside together. After a few days, they were back together and have been fine since. The babies, Martha & Matilda, are 5 months old now. Willow my soul bunny is just over 3 years and Gertie is 1 1/2 years.
I bought a 10x8 foot shed, have made runs and ramps in it, and have a cage in one corner, toilet trays, toys, you name it! It is a bunny palace! I put them all in after they had bonded, and they have been fine together. I hear the odd comotion, and I know it is Gertie chasing and fur pulling Matilda a bit, but I hardly see anything fur wise in there and this has got less & less. Martha bonded perfectly with the older 2, and is mothering them, grooming and loving them all! Now, I love my lops, but my partner picked the Nethie cross, and she seems quite skitsy and feisty.
They have reached 'that' age, and I have recently acquired a 11 week old dwarf lop..... she is very sweet natured, and I can see she'll fit in with the lops fine. So, today, I brought Willow and Martha out, as they are the soft pair, and they ignorded my new baby, Winnie, apart from the odd sniff. I then brought Matilda out, the Nethie cross, and she instantly went after Winnie, they were up in the air and Winnie, bless her, lost a few chunks of fur. Matilda instigated it all.
I am looking for advice on if this will get worse? Or is this normal and will it subside? I am getting both the 5 month olds spayed in a couple of weeks, will this help on the hormone front and improve bonding?
When I bonded Gertie with both the 5 month olds, she chased, grunted and fur pulled at Matilda, the Nethie cross for a couple of weeks, but never bothered Martha. Martha ALWAYS bowed her head and never ran, yet Matilda ran and Gertie chased. The 4 of them now happily live in their luxury pad, and I often see them all grooming each other and lied all over each other basking in the sun rays coming through, even Gertie and Matilda seem to have struck up quite a bond.
So, I am going to continue with the bonding, but may try the taking them both out in a car in the same carrier together tomorrow first. Any advice on if this is a bad idea? Will I get there with the 2 of them?
Thanks in advance,
Liz, willow, Gertie, Martha, Matilda and Winnie woo woo! x