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Bonding after berevment

Squishybunny

Warren Scout
I don't really know who else to talk about this to as not many people I know have bunnies.

We lost our beautiful Lolly angel a couple of months ago, which was dreadful for me, my fiance and Twinkle her partner. Due to circumstances beyond our control we didn't get her another partner until a week ago.

Bob her soon to be husbun is really lovely, so outgoing and happy and really into Twinkle. Unfortunatley she isn't really into him and seems deeply unhappy to be sharing her stuff with him. They have been living side by side for a week so the initial annoyance has died down to a gentle resentment. He couldn't care less about her behaviour and just ignores it and want to go and meet her again.

They had a blind date at the rescue centre and got on ok. He was really into her then and was abit forward for her liking so she kept telling him off and moving away, but was quite happy to lay down near him and eat near him.

When we got them home, dispite everything being moved about and cleaned, she got in a mssive **** with him and threw herself over the fence to try and get at him. The fence was then rebuilt significantly higher, they would have to set world records to get to each other now and quiet has resumed.

Now, she just doesn't really bother with him much. She will lay near the fence, but will then try and box him if he sniffs her too much. She seems really crabby because she hasn't got the run of the whole house, garage and garden anymore. She also gets really funny if I spend any time with Bob.

I want to get to know him, so he trusts me but I'm finding it really hard emotionally to bond with him. There is nothing not to like about him at all, he's a cheeky monster who loves to binky and have nose rubs. I just miss my Lolly bunny and Twinkle's annoyed expressions when I pet him are just breaking my heart.

I just want them both to be happy together. I just don't know how to make things right.
 
Ah hun I'm so sorry it's not love at first sight :( My two aren't in love by any stretch of the imagination but they tolerate each other and snuggle up so its definitely doable.

I'm no expert in bonding so hopefully someone will come along soon with some experience.

Sending lots of love vibes t the both of them xxx
 
Sorry things are not going well, I have a few suggestions for you, but as Alice has already said, YOU have to choose which is best for you and your buns.

1. If you are unhappy bonding the buns, Alice will always give it a bash, I know its hard to have them go away but sometimes its the best option, Alice has LOTS of bondings under her belt and would never put a bun in harms way etc.

2. How have you got them living now? Some people like their buns to live near each other for a while (sometimes even months) before putting them together. Try making 2 secure pens that are identical in size, have the litter boxes as far away from each other as poss, and the food bowls as close to each other as poss (imagine the pens are like mirror images), also allow them to have some place to hide. Then every day, swap them over in their pens to get them used to each others smell.

3. Moving them - go into a bathroom or somewhere where the buns havent been and start small.... have a water bottle to 'cool down' any fights and gradually increase the space they have?

4. Check this place out : http://rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

Email me or talk to Alice if you want x
 
The bonding isn't really an issue, they are awapping habitats every night and they aren't really arguing or anything. They will have another date tomorrow and that should be fine. I'm getting the hang of it all slowly.

I put it very badly in my first post, but the whole thing is really upsetting me. I go and sit with them both and it just isn't the same, which sounds stupid because I know it can never be the same. I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm still grieving and annoying my surviving bunny is upsetting me and I'm finding myself a little slow to open my heart to Bob. I like him very much, makes me chuckle and I want to love him.

I suppose I'm ashamed that my grief is still upsetting me and I don't want it to affect my two bonding.
 
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