I really, really need some advice from anyone who has experience bonding a 'difficult' bun. Teddy lost his partner this week and I am agonising as to what to do. I don't really want to take another bun on at the moment but don't want to leave him on his own.
He was living in the summerhouse along with Thumper, and then there is Milly who is in a pen in there. Two years ago she was bonded with Teddy (It was a long process) but then she started attacking him and I had no option but to split them because he was not eating. She has locked on with any other rabbit she has met, except with Teddy. She just knows that she can bully him because he doesn't retaliate when she bites him so she does it all the more. She has always been happy to live alongside them, and doesn't try attacking through the mesh but she won't share space. If any other rabbit is in there she flips out and goes mad to try and get out to get them. So....my problem is, if I get him a new friend it is going to upset her greatly, but I can't bring him indoors because he won't litter train.
I have Phoebe who lives inside who is a single doe and obviously Milly. I can't put Phoebe outside because Milly has almost killed her before, and I would never be able to relax about her being out there in the same room. I have let Teddy and Milly meet 'face to face' yesterday and today....but all that happens in Teddy stays completely still and is petrified. Milly goes up to him, sits next to him and then will all of a sudden turn round and attack him. Teddy doesn't retaliate so he ends up getting hurt. He won't move an inch when she is in the same room and his breathing is very rapid so he obviously gets very stressed, but as soon as I put her away he has the courage to hop off. I am not prepared to leave them together because I know what she has done to him in the past, but she confuses me with her attitude. She is completely relaxed around him and hops around as normal, washes herself next to him etc but wlil just not let him move. Last time they were only bondedfor about 6 weeks but I have to admit it wasn't an even relationship, she was a bully really, not letting him eat etc. I just don't know whether it's fair on Teddy to persevere when it stresses him and there is no guarantee that they will have a stable relationship.... I also don't want to force them together. Teddy was so happy with Thumper, they were best friends and always together.
Has anyone else has a similar bun to Milly when it came to bonding?
He was living in the summerhouse along with Thumper, and then there is Milly who is in a pen in there. Two years ago she was bonded with Teddy (It was a long process) but then she started attacking him and I had no option but to split them because he was not eating. She has locked on with any other rabbit she has met, except with Teddy. She just knows that she can bully him because he doesn't retaliate when she bites him so she does it all the more. She has always been happy to live alongside them, and doesn't try attacking through the mesh but she won't share space. If any other rabbit is in there she flips out and goes mad to try and get out to get them. So....my problem is, if I get him a new friend it is going to upset her greatly, but I can't bring him indoors because he won't litter train.
I have Phoebe who lives inside who is a single doe and obviously Milly. I can't put Phoebe outside because Milly has almost killed her before, and I would never be able to relax about her being out there in the same room. I have let Teddy and Milly meet 'face to face' yesterday and today....but all that happens in Teddy stays completely still and is petrified. Milly goes up to him, sits next to him and then will all of a sudden turn round and attack him. Teddy doesn't retaliate so he ends up getting hurt. He won't move an inch when she is in the same room and his breathing is very rapid so he obviously gets very stressed, but as soon as I put her away he has the courage to hop off. I am not prepared to leave them together because I know what she has done to him in the past, but she confuses me with her attitude. She is completely relaxed around him and hops around as normal, washes herself next to him etc but wlil just not let him move. Last time they were only bondedfor about 6 weeks but I have to admit it wasn't an even relationship, she was a bully really, not letting him eat etc. I just don't know whether it's fair on Teddy to persevere when it stresses him and there is no guarantee that they will have a stable relationship.... I also don't want to force them together. Teddy was so happy with Thumper, they were best friends and always together.
Has anyone else has a similar bun to Milly when it came to bonding?