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Devastated after failed bonding...

Sugarbunny

Warren Scout
My attempted bonding between Angel and my new boy Barley could not have gone more wrong and I feel absolutely terrible about even trying to get them together. Yesterday we put them in their wire runs on the grass really close to each other and they lay near each other for hours. Taking this a good sign we removed one panel and attached the runs together. Barley approached Angel with his head lowered as if to say he was being submissive, and Angel just flew at him. Basically my husband could not get in quick enough and she ripped his ear open. I have read bout them 'chasing and nipping' being normal, but this was horrendous.

We had to ring the emergency vet, and took a shaken Barley to be checked out. Luckily the vet said he was ok apart from his ear and that this would heal. We could have it stitched for £500(!), but would only be for cosmetic reasons. I would also mean him having a general anaesthetic which would be another risk, so we decided against it. She gave us some antibiotics to stop infections and relieved us of £100.

I am absolutely devastated about this and feel so terribly guilty about Barley as he's such a sweet boy. I'm finding it hard to look at Angel in the same way after this, but I know it's not her fault.

Sorry to pour all this out, but I am so upset, I could not stop crying.:cry:
 
Im sorry it didnt all go to plan. Are they both neutered? I think the best way forward now would be to let them live side by side for a while untill they get used to each other and forget about the fight. Then ask a rescue for some help with the bonding in a few weeks.

This is what I did when my boys had a fight and they bonded fairly easily eventually.
 
Please don't feel like you have failed. Homer has a slit on his ear after trying to bond Katy with him, we called her Katy scissor hands. You can see from my photo below they are now bonded and very happy together but it did take time.

You need to make sure you do it in a totally neutral area. There are a few threads lately on here about bonding with different methods you could try. We also made sure that Katy's nails were cut before trying to bond again.

Please don't blame yourself, I know how you feel. I hope his ear heals up nicely. Sending you a hug.

Here is one of them that may give you some ideas.
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=180122&highlight=bonding
 
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Im sorry it didnt all go to plan. Are they both neutered? I think the best way forward now would be to let them live side by side for a while untill they get used to each other and forget about the fight. Then ask a rescue for some help with the bonding in a few weeks.

This is what I did when my boys had a fight and they bonded fairly easily eventually.

They are both neutered, but when we got Angel from P@H rescue bit it said she had previously rejected other hutchmates. I just thought as they loked so happy near each other it would work out.
 
Aww hun how awful for you :( Is there a rescue near you that could try and bond them for you once he has recovered? The thing is, even after a few hours in a run she will view that part of the run as her territory and will protect it from an 'intruder', so I wouldn't say it's definitely a no-go, it just needs to be an entirely separate place where they are introduced. Hope Homer is ok xxx
 
They are both neutered, but when we got Angel from P@H rescue bit it said she had previously rejected other hutchmates. I just thought as they loked so happy near each other it would work out.

It might still work out, its very early days. I got Graham from P@H adoption and it also said he would fight with other rabbits but we bonded him in the end!
 
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