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bit of a problem guys

Ted an Petal

Warren Veteran
put rosie in beside ted there and ted went mad. was really raging digging etc. now rosie didn't seem all that bothered. thing is i really don't want 3 single girls it's really not pratical. any suggestions are most welcome. i'm gonna try slowly increasing rosie's time in beside ted. thing is ted never got on like this with Ralph. aw ralph why did you have to go :cry: i know the girl from the rescue would be able to take her in and i'd be able to wait to get a boy for teddy. bah!!! why are my girls so complicated. :? it's driving me nuts.
 
When you say you put her in beside Ted, do you mean in or beside his territory? If so, I'm not surprised he's going mad - bunnies do behave like this to 'strangers' around their territory - it's the key reason why you absolutely must try and bond on completely neutral space where neither of them have been :)

I wouldn't really worry about any behaviour like this that you see outside of the neutral space where you put them together; that's what bunnies do when they see another bun in or near their territory.
 
well Ted is a girl. yeah i have the shed split in half and they can see each other through the bars. i just think i'm really going to end up with 3 single females again and then i'll only end destroying teds chances of having a husbun, she never acted like this with ralph so my thinking is she's not pleased with another female around. i don't know guys, it may be easier to give rosie up now, i know she'd find a good home at the rescue and she would be able to have a husbun herself. i can take her up next monday. i may email the girl today about it. it's just not fair guys to have 3 single girls.
 
I'm not surprised she's behaving like that if you've split her territory in half and put another bun in the other half!

Have you tried them together at all? I would honestly remove Rosie and put her somewhere else until you can bond on totally neutral territory. All you will succeed in doing with your current arrangement is making Ted cross that her house has got half as big and a stranger is living in it. It's much less likely that the bond will work if you start from that footing, as Ted is already feeling cross and territorial.

If you remove Rosie, give Ted her full space back, and try bonding them somewhere totally different that neither of them has been, you may have more success. It's not a 'problem' that a bun behaves this way in these circumstances, it's perfectly normal.
 
I'm not surprised she's behaving like that if you've split her territory in half and put another bun in the other half!

Have you tried them together at all? I would honestly remove Rosie and put her somewhere else until you can bond on totally neutral territory. All you will succeed in doing with your current arrangement is making Ted cross that her house has got half as big and a stranger is living in it. It's much less likely that the bond will work if you start from that footing, as Ted is already feeling cross and territorial.

If you remove Rosie, give Ted her full space back, and try bonding them somewhere totally different that neither of them has been, you may have more success. It's not a 'problem' that a bun behaves this way in these circumstances, it's perfectly normal.

I agree.

Would it be possible to find a neutral space to try bonding them in (maybe after a car ride)? If not, are there any rescues that would be able to help you out with bonding?

Also, are your girls spayed?
 
I completely agree, teds acting like any bunny would to a new bunny in her territory, crikey when i put tinks and dreamer in the same shed as joey and saffy they couldnt see eachother but they could smell eachother, joey and saffy were very aggitated, saffy used to go at the wire at the two new ones now i have a bonded four. It has to be completely neutral territory or else they will always fight.
 
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no ted has never been in that other side it's always been split. i'm really not sure guys, i hear what your saying but trust me i've learnt from the way ted and petal got on when i tried bonding them and i really cannot cope with another injured rabbit.
 
Did you bond Ted and Petal on totally neutral territory that neither had been in before? Did they spend time next to each other beforehand?

I do understand why you'd be twitchy but you absolutely cannot draw any inference from this to how they would react in a neutral bonding situation (assuming both are spayed). Even if Ted hasn't been on the other side of the barrier before, there is still a new rabbit that she perceives as invading the area surrounding her territory. It is absolutely the behaviour I would expect in this situation.

If you're twitchy about bonding then is there a rescue who can give it a go for you or at least start it off for an hour or so to see how it goes. That way the territory will confuse Ted as she won't recognise the place or smells, and an experienced bonder will be there to break up any fights if they do start or with an experienced bonder stop them even before they start to fight? If there's a rescue who is prepared to take in this female bun, could she not try and help first?
 
hi santa thankyou for your reply. i know the girl from the rescue centre could do it for me but it won't be another month till i can get rosie speyed and i'm just worried i'd get too attached to let her go if things didn't work out. i really want to be sensible without getting my emotions envolved. feel pants right now. i really feel like a crappy bunny mum and don't want to be even more stupid. it really hasn't worked out for me at all.

\first ted was meant to be a boy 6 months later she turned out to be a girl meanwhile i had already got a girl thinking girl boy bond combo. i bonded my girls before they where speyed then i found this wonderful site after the damage was done. then my wee ralph was meant to be bonded to ted next week. i'm really not dishing your advice hun, really not i just don't want to be in a sticky situation.
i've really had such an emotional week and to be honest a break would be so lovely right now. i'm glad i have rescued rosie and helped her and i really think in my heart the best thing is for the rescue to bond her with a male and rehome her. she is a lovely dote and will make someone a lovely bunny compainon. i really would not have gotten a bun so quick after a ralph just rosie needed my help. i'm so sorry guys, thankyou so much for listening to me you's are all stars.
just still upset about ralph :cry:
 
Of course you are still upset about Ralph and it was really good of you to put your feelings aside and help this bunny.

You know Ted and Petal best and if you dont feel its right then the best thing for Rosie would be for her to leave you and have a male friend. Its perfectly understandable that you dont want to get too attached to her.
 
I wonder if there would be any possibility of the rescue taking Rosie, spaying her and her being on reserve for you to have first refusal to try and bond her with Ted when she's ready to be bonded. That way you will have done the best by her, she won't have been on reserve any longer than she would have had to wait anyway, you don't have to get more attached than necessary and you get breathing space to grief for Ralph.

Whatever you do, you've given Rosie a chance of a better future. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I'm so very sorry to hear this. Keep forgetting that Ted is female. I do know that even human female hormones can "upset" a sensitive doe.

We forum members haven't had the nightmare you've been through so recently. I have every confidence that you'll make the right decision for your family. All the best
Judy & Thumper.
 
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