Should we try and bond Beau again?

Been talking to OH and he said that once we've got a bigger place with a garden, we could try bonding Beau again we've tried twice before, and despite promising starts, he tends to mimic whatever the other bun does and she ends up getting frustrated. He also tends to get stasis as well :?

but I said if we are going to try again, we have to keep the other bun this time, even if they don't bond. So I would ideally like a snuggle bun as that's what I have my heart set on.

I was wondering, do you think sex makes a difference (as in gender). We've tried him with two girls and he wasn't having it, but perhaps because they were dominant, and he mirrors whatever they do, so maybe we should go for a timid bunny?

Argh, I don't know, vote please!!

we have just boded the unbondable Hawthorn!!!

Think it was the 5th attempt! He lurvvvveees his new girlie. I would say temperament was the most important thing in matching buns.

We thought he was aggressive so tried him with feisty females but in fact he was a scaredy bun (we later found out his full history) and what he needed was a mumsy bun - all apron and snuggly bosom!

parsnipbun said:

we have just boded the unbondable Hawthorn!!!

Think it was the 5th attempt! He lurvvvveees his new girlie. I would say temperament was the most important thing in matching buns.

We thought he was aggressive so tried him with feisty females but in fact he was a scaredy bun (we later found out his full history) and what he needed was a mumsy bun - all apron and snuggly bosom!

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Ooooh! Well done you!!

I'd try him again! There'll be a bun out there that suits him. If he annoyed the other buns you tried him with then I'd go for a very placid girl. (*cough*...lazy...)

Could you do what Donna did and take him to be tried with a few different girls?

When you say he mirrors what the other bun does and they end up frustrated, what sort of things do you mean? Can you give us an example? How have you tried bonding in the past and at what stage has it 'gone wrong?'

Whatever you decide, I think you need to be really careful about deciding that you're definitely going to keep the other bun even if they don't bond - are you planning on getting another bun for that partner in that case? Depending on the individual, it might not be fair on the other rabbit to decide for it that it must stay single because it didn't bond with Beau, rather than let it have a chance at having a partner elsewhere :? Some rescues will insist on it anyway if they don't bond. Personally I think it's more important to think about what is best for the rabbits in each situation :?

Santa said:

When you say he mirrors what the other bun does and they end up frustrated, what sort of things do you mean? Can you give us an example? How have you tried bonding in the past and at what stage has it 'gone wrong?'

Whatever you decide, I think you need to be really careful about deciding that you're definitely going to keep the other bun even if they don't bond - are you planning on getting another bun for that partner in that case? Depending on the individual, it might not be fair on the other rabbit to decide for it that it must stay single because it didn't bond with Beau, rather than let it have a chance at having a partner elsewhere :? Some rescues will insist on it anyway if they don't bond. Personally I think it's more important to think about what is best for the rabbits in each situation :?

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oh yes, sorry should've made that clear, Beau would go to the rescue to be bonded, and if the bond didn't work, or if we got them home and the bond then fell apart, then we would get the other bun bonded with another at the rescue. I would never intentionally have a single bun, it's just that Beau seems to want to be alone.

His first bond, we tried for about a week, had them in pens next to each other, swapping litter trays etc, then put them together in a small neutral space which we slowly expanded, they never liked each other, kept getting in huge fur flinging fights, or hiding from each other. Second time we sent him away to be bonded, all went fine at the rescue, and when they came home they were fine for a few days. But when the doe puts her head down to be groomed he will put his head down too, when she tries to hump he will try too. We never split them up during this sort of thing, but neither would ever give up and submit, so in the end the doe attacked him.

i would let the rescue choose his new spouse if you go ahead.

Lou knew pretty much as soon as they met who would work with Alvin and who wouldn't. he even stayed longer than the usual because hes so hard to bond.

problem with Alvin, hes too keen and he needs a certain kind of a doe who will put up with it.

atleast at the rescue if he goes into stasis they are totally experienced and will sort it early on, plus they wouldnt send home a couple unless they was fairly certain its love for life.