Opinions please

Ok Now Teddy is neutered Im thinking i need to seriously decide what to do, i will be so so upset if i have find him a home but i want whats best for him and my three buns. Joey is still very very territorial around anything that smells of him and im terrified of breaking my threes bond. Teddy is also acting territorial when out in the garden i can help but feel very negative about bonding them.

My limit is 4 buns, i would love to have four but ideally i think a calm doe would be the best to try and bond into my current three.... or do i risk teddy.... :?

....help

can you bear to part with teddy? he looks adorable...

I really dont envy your situation, as i know, having fostered buns, how attached you can get. I know nothing about group bondings, so dont know what to advise im afraid.

:shock::shock::shock::shock:....I'll take him!!!:shock::shock::shock::shock::roll:

Hmmm....it's a toughie! I really don't know what I'd do. I personally would have him as a house bun, and have the three as a three. When you feel you can afford it you could get a female for him

......but then again, I'm at home all day. If I was working I guess my view would be different.


You love him so much! I might risk it....is he aggressive with the smell of the other buns? If you are going to try then wait about 7 weeks for the hormones to go down! :wave:

I remember when you first took Teddy in that you said you would always do right by your original 3 buns and they were your priority. That still has to be the case, however adorable and gorgeous Teddy is. Would adding him to your group make 3 boys and one girl? If you have 2 very strong and territorial boys it will potentially be a difficult bond.

If your gut feeling is that you may break the bond of your existing 3 rabbits then I wouldn't risk it. Can he not stay as a housebun?
If not, then finding him a wonderful forever home would help soften the blow of losing him so I would try and concentrate on finding him that perfect home, Best of luck in whatever you decide to do. These buns do tug at our heart strings don't they?

:wave: As you know I can't offer an 'experienced' point of view but, I can see why you have reservations. Having said that - I think you can do it. I think there will inevitably be a couple of skimishes as they work out the new 'hierarchy' but, boys are quite demonstrative I think but, underneath quite soft. I think Tinkerbell is going to love it! I would be more nervous of 3 does - I think the boys will be quite upset initially and Teddy will need to assert himself as the 'newbie' but, I have a feeling it could be OK. Go for it I say and remember your the boss! Just out of interest have you done the swapping litter trays and putting him in a pen near them to see each other etc that might help to get them used to seeing and smelling each other? x

VickiP said:

:wave: As you know I can't offer an 'experienced' point of view but, I can see why you have reservations. Having said that - I think you can do it. I think there will inevitably be a couple of skimishes as they work out the new 'hierarchy' but, boys are quite demonstrative I think but, underneath quite soft. I think Tinkerbell is going to love it! I would be more nervous of 3 does - I think the boys will be quite upset initially and Teddy will need to assert himself as the 'newbie' but, I have a feeling it could be OK. Go for it I say and remember your the boss! Just out of interest have you done the swapping litter trays and putting him in a pen near them to see each other etc that might help to get them used to seeing and smelling each other? x

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If not then you could always come and bond him to Ness and then I will have to get another one to be wifey for Gizzy Gizzy Gizmo and then bond all four, sssh don't tell Al I said that :lol::lol:

Well, you know he always has a home with us. Seriously though, you should give it a go. The suggestion of putting him near the others is a really good one

Honestly i will be a mess if i have to rehome him, i cant have him as a housebun with the cats, they are indoor cats and its only a 2 bed bungalow i work fulltime and its not fair to have them shut away from eachother the whole time. My other half would definetely not agree to it anyway.

I will of course let his hormones settle before i did anything, the trouble is even when he's down the end of the garden in the run i have fencing to keep my three well away from him and joey digs and bites the fence if Teddy is too close with frustration, he really does go mad and teddy acts very territorial along the fence line once ive put mine away. Saffy and Joey got used to tinks and dreamer and were no where near as bad.

I cant afford to have 5 buns and as i said at the beginning i dont want to effct my current buns quality of life, having to split the garden and have them out seperate and worrying about this territorial behaviour is not ideal.

I'm going to have to have a serious think

As you said, let his hormones die down. All those with experience of hormonal buns know how difficult they can be It took Cherry 8 weeks for her hormones to die down and she eventually bonded herself with Charlie, after my 4 disasterous attempts Sophie used to chase and nip Granite at the boundary line, but they are a very strong couple now

As a side note, it also depends on the buns personalities, which I am sure you know. Granite and Sophie were bonded to Charlie and Autumn. ANd Aumtun was always top bun. When she passed, granite started picking on Charlie. I took him out and tried Granite and Sophs with Frankie and Belle. Frankie doesn't seem to like boys now Autumn has passed. ANd yet Frankie Charlie and Belle make a fab little trio.

Let his hormones die down and see where you need to go, after you have attempted a bond, I think that would be best, but as you have already said you have to do what is best for your three, and only you know your rabbits that well

To be fair his hormones will still be a bit all over the place so he needs a bit of time to let them calm down. If they have only met and smelt each other on 'their' territory then some reaction is to be expected. If you really do want to keep him it might be worth trying bonding somewhere very neutral.

Would your local rescue bond in return for a donation? I bonded my mums buns and they were very chasey but I was ok with it. Bonding and Albert and Evie who were really easy was much more nerve racking just cuz they were my buns. Good luck what ever you decide

I dont think there are any rescues near me experienced enough with bonding. Id prefer to do it myself as i know them all so well. I just am worried about 3 bucks and doe, i will let his hormones settle and see, its Joey im worried about, since Saffy has gone, he is making sure everyone knows he's top bun and has changed his relationship with the other two. I dont want to unbalance things more.

Thankyou all for your input its advice to mull over xxx