MimzMum
Wise Old Thumper
In the last two days I've begun re-bonding my four year old Holland Lop, Mimzy with his used-to-be half-lionhead wifey bun, Pip, also approximately four years old. They have been estranged due to medical concerns on Mimzy's part for the last 3 years. I got Mimzy first, then added Pip later in that year (2007) and began bonding them within three months of her arrival. He developed respiratory issues that had me fearful of Pasturella and the possibility of infecting Pip with it, since she seemed a mostly healthy bun. For the last three years we've been trying to find out exactly what is ailing him as tests were always inconclusive. At a recent dental, he was put on Baytril for a total of two weeks due to a cut he received from the dental burr. His nose cleared up and the attending physician told me she was certain it was some kind of pasturella, but we could test him if I wanted to. Although she was certain with my bunnies' close living quarters that they must all have it by now (I have the three unbonded you see in my signature.) Each has exhibited some symptoms that could be related to the initial problems Mimzy has had.
At any rate, I have three lonesome bunnies who could be all one family if I would just get off my tuffet and get them together, and if they will co-operate.
Mimzy has developed early onset arthritis in his hips and a definite aura of depression in the last few months. I have tried with little success to get him to exercise, plus additives to his diet for the condition and metacam for his pain. He is a bit of a lump at the best of times.
I see him aging before my eyes and the most recent oddity was that he was urinating in his night habitat, which is directly beneath his former wifey's hab. She in turn was beginning to stink the bunny room with skunky smells (no, I can't blame cruciferous veggies, she doesn't eat them). I finally worked out that the two of them must be trying to communicate to one another with scent.
We also thought it might have been the recent addition of our Yorkie, Jenna, but she's been here a year. They should all be used to her presence by now.
So I took a chance yesterday and put Mimzy and Pip in an xpen and sat with them to see what they would do.
After three years of separation, the two locked heads asking one another for grooms, snuggled up and with a minimum of dominance behavior, spent the rest of the day huddled together; Mimzy giving her a look when he first saw her in there with him as if he'd seen a ghost.
Gone is the weeing in the night hab and the stinky smells, for the most part.
Now they both have a bit of incontinence trouble in the xpen (I'm assuming his is due to the hips and hers may be due to overweight)...and territorial markings are expected. Tonight was a bit of chasing and fur pulling for which I put Pip back in her beddy pen to save her from an over-amorous husbun...but for the most part...if you knew them like I do...you could say that the star-crossed lovers will be most definitely getting back together. On the whole I can already see they are both much happier together than apart.
I'm a bit stunned. I hadn't expected it to be even this easy. I know I have to get them to tolerate one another for at least a month before considering them cemented, but I am very hopeful. I have a crippled PC so I can't upload any photos, but I'm taking them all the same for the future when I get this blasted thing fixed.
My only regret is not getting them back together sooner. No idea how much longer either will live, but I wanted them happy for whatever time they had remaining with one another. I think a few posts by some of the members here reminded me what is important in a bunnies' life.
And of course I don't know what I will do with wee Fiver, as I cannot get any more bunnies due to health concerns and I didn't want him to be the odd bun out. I hope that after M & P are comfortable with one another again, I might make a trio. But I realize that might not be possible. We'll see how it goes.
For now, I am just glad that so far it seems to be working out. And I wanted to share. I think the initial re-bond took ten minutes max. I was gobsmacked.:shock:
For anyone out there who's experiencing trouble bonding bunnies...hang in there, it can be done even with ones you may have thought lost to one another!
Hope I haven't jinxed myself now...lol.
At any rate, I have three lonesome bunnies who could be all one family if I would just get off my tuffet and get them together, and if they will co-operate.
Mimzy has developed early onset arthritis in his hips and a definite aura of depression in the last few months. I have tried with little success to get him to exercise, plus additives to his diet for the condition and metacam for his pain. He is a bit of a lump at the best of times.
I see him aging before my eyes and the most recent oddity was that he was urinating in his night habitat, which is directly beneath his former wifey's hab. She in turn was beginning to stink the bunny room with skunky smells (no, I can't blame cruciferous veggies, she doesn't eat them). I finally worked out that the two of them must be trying to communicate to one another with scent.
We also thought it might have been the recent addition of our Yorkie, Jenna, but she's been here a year. They should all be used to her presence by now.
So I took a chance yesterday and put Mimzy and Pip in an xpen and sat with them to see what they would do.
After three years of separation, the two locked heads asking one another for grooms, snuggled up and with a minimum of dominance behavior, spent the rest of the day huddled together; Mimzy giving her a look when he first saw her in there with him as if he'd seen a ghost.
Gone is the weeing in the night hab and the stinky smells, for the most part.
Now they both have a bit of incontinence trouble in the xpen (I'm assuming his is due to the hips and hers may be due to overweight)...and territorial markings are expected. Tonight was a bit of chasing and fur pulling for which I put Pip back in her beddy pen to save her from an over-amorous husbun...but for the most part...if you knew them like I do...you could say that the star-crossed lovers will be most definitely getting back together. On the whole I can already see they are both much happier together than apart.
I'm a bit stunned. I hadn't expected it to be even this easy. I know I have to get them to tolerate one another for at least a month before considering them cemented, but I am very hopeful. I have a crippled PC so I can't upload any photos, but I'm taking them all the same for the future when I get this blasted thing fixed.
My only regret is not getting them back together sooner. No idea how much longer either will live, but I wanted them happy for whatever time they had remaining with one another. I think a few posts by some of the members here reminded me what is important in a bunnies' life.
And of course I don't know what I will do with wee Fiver, as I cannot get any more bunnies due to health concerns and I didn't want him to be the odd bun out. I hope that after M & P are comfortable with one another again, I might make a trio. But I realize that might not be possible. We'll see how it goes.
For now, I am just glad that so far it seems to be working out. And I wanted to share. I think the initial re-bond took ten minutes max. I was gobsmacked.:shock:
For anyone out there who's experiencing trouble bonding bunnies...hang in there, it can be done even with ones you may have thought lost to one another!
Hope I haven't jinxed myself now...lol.
