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All that I want is for my bunnies to be happy

Netutopia

Alpha Buck
Well, you ay remember that a few weeks ago I bonded these two bunnies:

Fat Fluff, Pickles (French lop):

tn_pickle.jpg


and Honeybunny, Thumper:

tn_thumper.jpg


The initial bonding was quite straight forward and they were really happy for a week, I gradually increased the space that they had and didn't rush anything. Anyway after a week for some reason they had a huge fight and injured each other - Pickles bit Thumper's bottom and they both had nasty wounds to the ears. So I split them both up and we have been backwards and forwards to the vet - both have been on Baytril and having wounds bathed twice daily.

They were quite content for a while to be able to see each other but not hurt each other but they are seeming more and more to find this frustrating and are sometimes having a go at each other through the mesh.

Thumper was getting quite stir crazy (even in a big double hutch), so I tried to rebond him with Sweep and Merry, Merry was having none of it and Thupmer also made it clear that he did not want to be there.

So Thumper is now in the back shed and Pickes in the front shed, with Sweep and Merry in a hutch in the middle - none of them can see each other.

Pickles is really happy and bounding around the front garden. Thumper is having a tantrum every now again and thumping his feet which I assume is out of frustration. Both bunnies are very similar in personality, they don't seem to realise that they are bunnies and they crave human interaction. Sadly we cannot have either to live in the house as my husband is allergic to them and it made him really ill when they came inside for the bonding.

Sorry for the long post, but just had to get all of that off my chest!
 
Can they not both go back to either Fat Fluffs or Honeybunny's for bonding.

I'm sure both rescues would be willing to help you if they know what's going on.
 
Aww im sorry it didnt work out as planned. It would be great if we could just say "Hey you and you make up and get along" :lol:

Dont have any advice just want to wish you luck.
 
Thanks for the replies.

Thumper has lived here for about 18 months, Pickles just coming up to a year. Both bunnies were living happily with other partners that have sadly gone to the bridge. :cry:

Chloe (Fat Fluffs) kindly offered to bond Pickles and Thumper for me, but then we agreed that I would try and see how it went on my own first. As I say initially it went really well and then after a week and for no reason that I can think of (and believe me I have given it a lot of thought), I came out to find a pool of blood in the litter tray and bitten ears and a bitten bum. :shock:

Even if someone else bonded them there is no way that I would feel comfortable after that with bringing them back, my nerves couldn't cope and I don't think that it is fair on them to risk this happening again.
 
Well if you don't want help with the bonding and the rabbits aren't happy living the way they are at the moment.
Then I suppose you'd better contact the rescues and return them.:?

Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick but it sounds like you've given up and don't want to try any more. :(
 
you have gorgeous bunnies. give yourself some time, then have another think - you might want to try again, or come up with a different solution. obviously, you want the best for them and when it hurts less you'll probably find it.

thinking about it, i'd be seriously cheesed off if my mum and dad tried to bond me with anyone, even for my own good! they could spread him with as much jam and yoghurt as they could get, and if he wasn't the one i wanted, it just wouldn't work :oops:
 
If you feel uncomfortable bonding them again after a fight and personally I wouldn't do it, if you have enough accommodation for two pairs I would go down that route. Perhaps send them away to Chloe to get husbuns & wives.
 
I'm sorry it didn't work out with the bond :(

I think contacting the rescues again for advice would be your best bet in the first instance - see what they suggest. Maybe they could be bonded again on neutral territory at one of the rescues and given another chance as a twosome, or if not, could you get them both other partners?

Sorry it's not been an easy experience - must be horrible finding them injured :( I'd be gutted if my two did that.
 
Well if you don't want help with the bonding and the rabbits aren't happy living the way they are at the moment.
Then I suppose you'd better contact the rescues and return them.:?

Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick but it sounds like you've given up and don't want to try any more. :(

:shock::shock:

You have totally got the wrong end of the stick and I am nearly in tears typing this. :cry:

I love all of my bunnies and would never dream of returning them to rescue. I'm sorry that I came on here for advise and wish I had kept my upset to myself.
 
you have gorgeous bunnies. give yourself some time, then have another think - you might want to try again, or come up with a different solution. obviously, you want the best for them and when it hurts less you'll probably find it.

thinking about it, i'd be seriously cheesed off if my mum and dad tried to bond me with anyone, even for my own good! they could spread him with as much jam and yoghurt as they could get, and if he wasn't the one i wanted, it just wouldn't work :oops:

:lol::lol::lol: that made me smile - you have a point there! Thank you for your support.
 
If you feel uncomfortable bonding them again after a fight and personally I wouldn't do it, if you have enough accommodation for two pairs I would go down that route. Perhaps send them away to Chloe to get husbuns & wives.

That may be an option I think - I don't think these two want to be together - they have made their feelings perfectly clear and I couldn't bare for either of them to get hurt again.
 
I'm sorry it didn't work out with the bond :(

I think contacting the rescues again for advice would be your best bet in the first instance - see what they suggest. Maybe they could be bonded again on neutral territory at one of the rescues and given another chance as a twosome, or if not, could you get them both other partners?

Sorry it's not been an easy experience - must be horrible finding them injured :( I'd be gutted if my two did that.

Thank you for your support, I PM'd Chloe last week so I'm sure that she will be in touch soon.
 
Help me - rabbits bored. PLEASE READ :(

Yes, thats probs what happened here is the post again:
Hello, my name is Rebecca, i have 5 rabbits, a cat, a dog, and a tortoise.
My rabbits:
Cola: French Lop, doe, 4yrs..
Pipkin: Rex, buck, 3 1/2 yrs.
Snowy: French lop 1/2 and 1/2 rex.
Daisy: French lop 1/2 and 1/2 rex. - R.I.P
Cheeky Charlie: 1/4 rex and 3/4 french lop.
Sugar: 1/4 rex and 3/4 french lop.
MY RABBITS ARE BORED.
They do normally have regular exercise,apart from winter as school and it gets dark early, but they still go out for a while.
DO NOT GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER. (apart from cola and daisy, they were great company for each other, but she is not among us anymore R.I.P Daisy - a beautiful rabbit.
They have empty toilet rolls stuffed with hay, rabbit treats - choc and fruits (rabbit type) and scrunched and shredded news paper, a tree branch with leaves, and each other to speak and look at, but i still think they are bored, and they keep eating the hutch to pieces, especially snowy, he has bit the mesh wire off, and split the wood, i have to wait until xmas to get his new hutch, for the moment we have out wood across the hutch and tied strond string around (this was our 3rd attempt to keep him in) but hopefully this keeps him in, luckily they are in a shed, with covers,as we do this every year when they winter months come, but is there anything else i can do?
i have also bought plastic balls and stuff for them, but they never use them, what else can i do?
especially when im at school and during the night.
HELP PLEASE.
i am only 13, so i cannot afford big rabbit mazes and things like that, empty toilet roll and stuff like that but toilet things dont work.
please help.
thank you...x :O
P.S: In winter it is a good idea to move rabbits indoors or in a shed, with still covers, and boil water for them, make sure it has cooled before you put it straight into the bottle, as it will melt the bottle - it will then be broken and cost you money for a new one, also you will burn the poor rabbits mouth.
 
Hi Rebecca:wave:. Please start a new thread, if you want people to answer your question. Click on 'Rabbit Chat' and then 'New thread'. I hope this helps.
 
Well if you don't want help with the bonding and the rabbits aren't happy living the way they are at the moment.
Then I suppose you'd better contact the rescues and return them.:?

Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick but it sounds like you've given up and don't want to try any more. :(

I can't believe you said this! She came on here for support, not to be made to feel guilty!
 
i think a little known thing called tact would have worked better:roll:


i had a hard time boinding..thought id cracked it..it fell apart after a few weeks and yes injuries got bad:(
i did try and try.....and a few days later our doe who oculdnt take anymore of our bully teeny doe..died.
a few months later the teeny does teeny hubby died....and after a week or so the original pairing rebonded themselves due to grief.

now we have a wonderful little bunny who gets on great with bertie but as usual bif the doe is out for blood..she even got hiks nose through the bars tonite.
i am not bonding him to them its jsut in the garden they share space for exercise...and with the fireworks and boredom we are brining him into the lounge for a few hours each night.

but i saldy relaise that bif can never ever be bonded to naother bunny..if bertie dies she will have to be a lone bun and if i want to add to the group which bertie would like...i cannot.

ht eonly thing you can do is pair up who you can and house the rmaining buns as you can. The biggest problem is two dominant perosnas which is what i had with bif and willow.
saldy they did bond but fireworks new years eve a few years ago made bif go nuts..it happems eah new years eve with the fireworks round here:( she falls out with bertie too.

maybe one bun got a bit sick and the other bun thought right now ill have a go. maybe something stressed one or both out....it is possible to get osmeone to rebond them.....but i understand where you are coming from and it breaks your heart...especialy when you see so many groups of buns living together:(

im not much help im sorry but i just want to tell you you are not alone..theyre many more failed bonders that folk realise..or wed put off those bunnies being bonded.

you can in the end bond any bunny..but not until theyre seriously injured!!!

you have to think about whats best for buns but also manageable for you too.
dont feel a failure..some buns are just nasty! my bif is the worst!

but if you can get help sorting out altenrative living quarters then youd feel a lot happier and secure in the knowledge that no killing sessions are going to take place.

im allergic to pet hair..i take pills and nose sprays al the time and the worst thing is i now itch with dog hair...i am sooo allergic to my cat but not so much his sister....i look like i have a cold or hayfever.
i have been lucky with most of our buns..only bad with one or two.
but our old vet had a serious allergy to them and was on meds like me and they dont work as well as wed like!
so i hear what youre saying with your hubby. sad or itd help you out a lot.

i hope oyu can get things sorted asap.

hugs xx
 
Jo

sorry it hasn't worked out..I'm coming down the Fosse to Morton on Friday..so if you'd like me to pick up Thumper to bond with a girlie let me know:D
 
hello neutopia. your post didn't suggest at all (to me) that you wanted to give up hopes of bonding or return your buns. i don't have any expertise, so i'll leave advice to the people who know, but its clear you love your beautiful (they are impressive, aren't they?) bunnies and want them to have wonderful lives. :wave:
 
Thank you to everyone that has replied to this slightly older post (not sure why it got going again!)

Sadly since the upset of Pickles and Thumper's fight, Pickles developed rattly breathing and a snotty nose and after several trips to the vets she has been diagnosed as having pneumonia :cry: - see my other post here

I don't know if it was the stress of the fight that caused her to become so ill, but I will always punish myself for the fact that it could be due to the attempted bond.:cry:

Anyway on a more positive note she is fighting this nasty illness and eating everything I put in front of her :D

So, thank you so much Jill but Pickles and Thumper are both in isolation, they are separate to one another, but they can see each other and both seem happy with that arrangement. Thankfully Thumper has shown no signs of illness (touches wood) and is as bright as a button. My other buns are completely separate from them all are in great health.

Both are enjoying lots of extra fuss and attention, I love them both so much :love:
 
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