Urgent Help

Been trying to bond my trio since Sat now and its not going too great. We thought they were bonded moved them to the hutch and fighting started.

We now cant get them to stop fighting.

They laid with each other with no fights for a long time last night, but as soon as we got into bed they started fighting.

I separated them at 3am because I had enough and decided to start again this morning.

I cleaned up a nero cage with vinegar. Put them in it with food and they started fighting straight away.

They are fighting every two to three mins at the moment.

I cant see if they are locking on, but they look a right state, fur everywhere and all hanging out of them.

They are flipping over each other too where the space is smal.. Is this normal?

Im so Stressed

Please reply to this

I have given up

Alfie now has a little cut on his lip

Sounds like a wise decision, doesn't seem like it is going to work out for them unfortuately

MellyRabiit said:

Been trying to bond my trio since Sat now and its not going too great. We thought they were bonded moved them to the hutch and fighting started.

We now cant get them to stop fighting.

They laid with each other with no fights for a long time last night, but as soon as we got into bed they started fighting.

I separated them at 3am because I had enough and decided to start again this morning.

I cleaned up a nero cage with vinegar. Put them in it with food and they started fighting straight away.

They are fighting every two to three mins at the moment.

I cant see if they are locking on, but they look a right state, fur everywhere and all hanging out of them.

They are flipping over each other too where the space is smal.. Is this normal?

Im so Stressed

Please reply to this

Click to expand...

I'd be inclined to stop and wait sometime in the future, with Spring around, it could be making it a lot worse than it should be.
If they are persistantly fighting as well, i wouldn't continue

Thanks for the replies

Im really sad that it didnt work it.

But I hope maybe in the future that it will . Even fighting on neutral territory isnt a good sign.

Im going to work on them over the next month. Get them used to each otehr a bit more.
Stick Bruno in the run, gradually introduce and get them used to each other, see what happens!

Then go from there.

Thanks for the replies, they are now separated

Are you trying to bond an unrelated male into a male /female pair?

If so I think the chances of that ever working are very slim, especially as they are fighting now

Yes completely unrelated male. (Bruno) into a bonded pair. (Alf and Lottie)

It started off so well thats what I dont understand. with a couple of scraps, but nothing major.

And last night they all laid on top of each other. Looked so happy.

I really am unsure what to do now .

i really cant get another bun that would make it 6.!

Sometimes, if there is one particular bunny in the group who the "leader" doesn't like.. it can trigger off fights between those who do get along.. as the tension sets them off... this is my theory anyway!

We had a group of 6 bonded for 2 weeks - the head doe "madam" starting picking on the head buck "broops". Madam would start on the other 4 buns too as it seems she was generally irritated by Broops' mere presence in the wendy house! (they groomed eachother and were loved up to start with!!)

It is a 10ft wendy house, with access to the patio for 3 hours a day and 1 hour access to the whole garden.. they were abolutely fine with this arrangement for 2 weeks after the initial bonding period. But then aarrgghh! hell broke loose!

There was a serious fight and Broops got injured. After speaking with the vet, and getting treatment for him, I had to separate him so his cut lip could heal.. I put an indoor in the wendy house.. so he was still with the group.

The fact that Broops was there but couldn't be "got to" irritated Madam the head doe even more.. so she picked on another of the bucks... I had to remove Broops from the wendy house. Otherwise the whole group where up in arms! I tried rebonding them twice in the house/neutral, with car rides, sleeping on the floor with them etc but Broops was so scared of the others (as they would join ranks to pick on him!) every time he moved they would go for him. And then start on whoever was nearest to them! So I gave up! He wasn't happy in the group, but he is hopefully to be bonded with another of our buns over Easter.

I too had early hours of the morning scuffles when intially bonding - from 2am - 6am every day. Once the scuffles calmed after a few days they were still niggly at this time of the morning!

I would certainly try bonding yours again at a later stage.. it is hard to know when to admit defeat.. I would love for Broops to rejoin our group but I am not sure it is going to happen I hope your buns get sorted.. the sooner spring is out the way the better!

Thanks for that post.

Appreciate what your saying. And can totally relate.

It is always that time between 12am and 5am !

And I have to be up for work at 9am, im emotionally exhausted as well as physically, and my working day doesnt end until 7.30 pm tonigth .

I really didnt want to admit defeat. But I have done for now, im going away this weekend and cant have half bonded bunnies.

I really dont know what my options are at the moment, I cant bear to see Bruno go, but I also cant really get another bun!

MellyRabiit said:

Thanks for that post.

Appreciate what your saying. And can totally relate.

It is always that time between 12am and 5am !

And I have to be up for work at 9am, im emotionally exhausted as well as physically, and my working day doesnt end until 7.30 pm tonigth .

I really didnt want to admit defeat. But I have done for now, im going away this weekend and cant have half bonded bunnies.

I really dont know what my options are at the moment, I cant bear to see Bruno go, but I also cant really get another bun!

Click to expand...

Please dont try to bond them again so soon as this is what happened to me and my buns. I tried to bond a male into a male/female pair and they were getting along fine all cuddling up and then i cam home from work one day and one of the buns had attacked the new one and i took him to the emergency vets and they put him under the anaesetic and unfortunaetly my baby never woke up! His wounds werent apparently life threatening but still if they hadnt attacked him then i wouldnt have taken him to the vets and he would still be here. I now have a new one but i am keeping him apart from the other two as it upset me too much last time.

Cant you keep them separate from each other at least for now?

I would keep the buns completely separate for a few weeks, so they can "forget", then slowly re-introduce on neutral. Sadly, it might never work if they have fought previously.

I have a previously-failed bond coming here next month. Gonna catch up on my sleep before then!

Yes they will stay completely separate for a good month atleast now.

Then I may try again.

Bruno is an indoor bunny so thats not a problem, was hoping to get him outside before this weekend, as he loves the garden. But he is also happy indoors.

Im going to leave it a few weeks. Then start introducing them through the run and see how that goes.

As atleast they cant do damage through the run and will hopeefully get used to each other :roll:

Sounds like a good idea.. at least if they could chill next to eachother in the runs without the couple getting aggitated with Bruno, this is a good sign.

It is really hard to be positive after a fall out, I really hated my 2 rebonding attempts, it was so hard to give off a positive vibe to the buns.. I even worried that they could pick up on my worry (if it didn't work/they fought etc) This is why I think "out bonding" is such a good idea.. as the rescue/whoever bonds them isn't so closely attached to them and so gives a better vibe! Perhaps you could donate to a rescue in return for them having a go at rebonding for you in a few months time.. I think in future I may see if this is an option.. (I will have less grey hairs appearing that way!)

Yer I think that could be an option !

Lol Im 20 and Im going to end up with more greys than a 60 year old :lol: