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Bonding...

Zahirre

Warren Veteran
I know it's a bit early to be asking this but I need to prepare :)

In 3 weeks... All babies will be ready to leave mummy Pumpkin so it's time for us to ressume the bonding.
Pumpkin will be booked in for her spay as soon as the vet recommends it and we are keeping 1 baby.
This is where the problem is... Bonding Dexie/Pumpkin won't be a problem but what about baby? Dexie/Pumpkin and babies have been in close proximity at all times. (Pumpkin since she came to us around 5 months ago)
How do we go about bonding all 3? Dexie is always up at the cage and babies/Pumpkin are always interested in him.
Pumpkin free ranges atm under supervision with Dexie and they get on fine with lots of mutual grooming etc for the 20 mins they are allowed.

Do I bond all 3 together just after Pumpkins spay or do I need to wait until baby is also neutered? I don't really want to wait that long but obviously will if necessary.
Dexie is a dutch and rather small and docile. Pumpkin is slightly larger and babies are of a very good size atm.
The kit we are keeping looks as though he may be a male...

Any thoughts and help would be much appreciated :D
 
Impatient, much? ;)

You posted late at night !

I'm going to have a read now and see what i can say, but didnt want you to feel left out! :wave:

Hehe... Sowie :(

I'm all panicky atm :/ The prospect of bonding all three together is freaking me out!!!!! :/
 
You could bond straight after Pumpkin's spay but wait at least 2 weeks so she has a chance to recover.

I would treat it as a normal bond. Put all three together on neutral territory in a small enclosure and leave them together while supervising for 48 hours.

Is Dexie neutered, if so how long ago was he neutered? Just because if he isn't I wouldn't let them out together at all. It would only take seconds for her to get pregnant again and putting them together for 20 mins a day won't make any difference to your bond :wave:
 
You could bond straight after Pumpkin's spay but wait at least 2 weeks so she has a chance to recover.

I would treat it as a normal bond. Put all three together on neutral territory in a small enclosure and leave them together while supervising for 48 hours.

Is Dexie neutered, if so how long ago was he neutered? Just because if he isn't I wouldn't let them out together at all. It would only take seconds for her to get pregnant again and putting them together for 20 mins a day won't make any difference to your bond :wave:

Dexie was neutered the week after the 'mishap' between him and Pumpkin. So, over 8 weeks ago now.
I would wait at least 2 weeks whilst she has time to recover, but... would it be ok to keep baby with her whilst she recovers?
I don't really have any neutral territory in my house :/ Dexie has free range of everywhere :S
As for the small enclosure... would a hutch/pen be ok?
 
I'm not sure :? The younger the better, but then you don't want the baby to get hormonal and start fighting with Pumpkin and Dexie.. tough decision.. You can have him neutered at about 12 wks if its male... so it shouldnt be very long and hopefully he doesn't get hormonal by 12 wks.

Usually its recommended to let them heal for a couple weeks after they're fixed before you bond. Are you planning on doing that with Pumpkin?
 
I'd say the same as Nicola, but only from regurgitated info :wave:

But yeah, make sure the two adults are both spayed/neutered. Wait for at least 4-6 weeks i'd say though, just to let her hormones settle down. After all, she's had a litter, i'd guess they'd be stronger hormones than a doe who hadnt had a litter?

If Dixie's not neutered, 4-6 weeks again.

Re the baby, hmm, not really sure. You're going to have to seperate if he becomes hormonal anyway for his neuter :? How old is baby now? If baby is a male, could get complicated i guess, if he starts trying to be humpy when his hormones kick in?

You'll *need* neutral territory to do the bond :wave: a small pen (4x2 to start with perhaps) would be fine - but you'll need to neutralise an area of slightly larger, to allow for expanding the space. White Vinegar to the rescue!
 
I'd say the same as Nicola, but only from regurgitated info :wave:

But yeah, make sure the two adults are both spayed/neutered. Wait for at least 4-6 weeks i'd say though, just to let her hormones settle down. After all, she's had a litter, i'd guess they'd be stronger hormones than a doe who hadnt had a litter?

If Dixie's not neutered, 4-6 weeks again.

Re the baby, hmm, not really sure. You're going to have to seperate if he becomes hormonal anyway for his neuter :? How old is baby now? If baby is a male, could get complicated i guess, if he starts trying to be humpy when his hormones kick in?

You'll *need* neutral territory to do the bond :wave: a small pen (4x2 to start with perhaps) would be fine - but you'll need to neutralise an area of slightly larger, to allow for expanding the space. White Vinegar to the rescue!

Oh gosh... so much info! Have did bonding before but adult to baby so never had a problem... adult to adult with a baby seems like a whole new kettle of fish!
Dexie is neutered (8weeks ago)
White vinegar shouldn't be a problem... I have wooden flooring :)
Guess I could always use Phoebe's room if it's during the day as they're not allowed in there at all.
Baby is 5 weeks today so we're talking a few weeks off anyway... Just wanted to be prepared.
 
Oh gosh... so much info! Have did bonding before but adult to baby so never had a problem... adult to adult with a baby seems like a whole new kettle of fish!
Dexie is neutered (8weeks ago)
White vinegar shouldn't be a problem... I have wooden flooring :)
Guess I could always use Phoebe's room if it's during the day as they're not allowed in there at all.
Baby is 5 weeks today so we're talking a few weeks off anyway... Just wanted to be prepared.

I'd answer Sky's question, she helped me bond mine and most of what i know is what she taught me :wave:
 
Do you know what gender the baby is?

Hi Sky :)

Haven't officially sexed babies as they have only turned 5 weeks today... I *think* baby is a male but only due to the occasional humping I have seen him/her do to the other babies. Unless this isn't an indicator at all?
Would it be easier bonding a baby female?
There was talk about keeping 2 babies... and trying a quad so if two were kept, then it would have to be 2 females I guess... Unless we bonded Pumpkin and Dexie and waited for neutering the other two...

Ah, so confused!

I just need told what to do I think :/
 
You should be able to sex them by now, but I wouldn't take the humping to mean much.

My actual feeling would be that a boy is likely to be easier hormone wise, but a girl common sense wise.

With a boy you can get him neutered as soon as his bits drop, so you could potentially hold the bonding off until then, which means you know exactly what you're dealing with and unlikely to have to deal with growing hormonal behaviour.

With a girl she can't be spayed until many more months away and would be likely to invoke fights whilst she is still hormonal.

I would be more inclined to be saying bond the mum and dad and then when baby is spayed/neutered then bond the baby into a trio with mum and dad because its quite risky doing this with a young baby who is going to gain hormones.
 
You should be able to sex them by now, but I wouldn't take the humping to mean much.

My actual feeling would be that a boy is likely to be easier hormone wise, but a girl common sense wise.

With a boy you can get him neutered as soon as his bits drop, so you could potentially hold the bonding off until then, which means you know exactly what you're dealing with and unlikely to have to deal with growing hormonal behaviour.

With a girl she can't be spayed until many more months away and would be likely to invoke fights whilst she is still hormonal.

I would be more inclined to be saying bond the mum and dad and then when baby is spayed/neutered then bond the baby into a trio with mum and dad because its quite risky doing this with a young baby who is going to gain hormones.

Right, ok :)

So what about keeping them seperate? They're all house buns and Dexie is free range at all times whilst Pumpkin and baby are in the indoor hutch. Should I seperate baby off at 8 weeks then like am doing with the rest and then have Pumpkin spayed, recover and then bond?
Should baby be kept in a hutch near Pumpkin and Dexie? Would I be better keeping 2 babies so I don't have any lonely buns whilst waiting for spaying then bonding? If so, what sex should I keep to enable bonding smoothly?
Thanks so much Sky... I'm sure I'll be inundating you all with questions!
Stressful time... xxx

Ps. May try my hand at sexing now then too :)
 
Right, ok :)

So what about keeping them seperate? They're all house buns and Dexie is free range at all times whilst Pumpkin and baby are in the indoor hutch. Should I seperate baby off at 8 weeks then like am doing with the rest and then have Pumpkin spayed, recover and then bond?
Should baby be kept in a hutch near Pumpkin and Dexie? Would I be better keeping 2 babies so I don't have any lonely buns whilst waiting for spaying then bonding? If so, what sex should I keep to enable bonding smoothly?
Thanks so much Sky... I'm sure I'll be inundating you all with questions!
Stressful time... xxx

Ps. May try my hand at sexing now then too :)

Post pictures of um the rudey bits and we can have a go at sexing if that helps xxx
 
Post pictures of um the rudey bits and we can have a go at sexing if that helps xxx

I just did it myself :D Their little bits looked exactly like the piccies I was looking at and we definetely have 3 girls and 2 boys :)
The one we wanted to keep is a boy :/ But then... they're all sooo beautiful :/

We're having an awful time finding them homes as well :/ It isn't going too great :(
 
I just did it myself :D Their little bits looked exactly like the piccies I was looking at and we definetely have 3 girls and 2 boys :)
The one we wanted to keep is a boy :/ But then... they're all sooo beautiful :/

We're having an awful time finding them homes as well :/ It isn't going too great :(

You know I would if I could :(. I'd love another little 'un, but I can't justify it; I don't have the time; especially at the moment :( or the space for that matter. :(

Fingers crossed homes crop up soon! xx
 
You know I would if I could :(. I'd love another little 'un, but I can't justify it; I don't have the time; especially at the moment :( or the space for that matter. :(

Fingers crossed homes crop up soon! xx

I think lots of people would steal them if it wasn't for time/money and room :/
Guess I may just end up with all of them! Lol.

A quad could be fun I guess..... haha xxx
 
I think lots of people would steal them if it wasn't for time/money and room :/
Guess I may just end up with all of them! Lol.

A quad could be fun I guess..... haha xxx

If you can (have time/space/money) you should keep all of them! :D No idea if a 7 group would work... but you could have at least two groups. Maybe keep mom and the 3 females together until they're neutered, and the 2 male babies together until they're neutered. And then try bonding them all. Or at least the male babies with the dad. Just an idea :)
 
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