Hi all
I need some advice. Before Christmas I was asked if I could help with an indoor lionhead male aged 3 yrs, so I said I'd foster and rehome when I can.
Well he's a cheeky boy, full of character and I, well, ahem, fell in love with him so I decided to try and bond him with my single female Licky (2 yrs) and despite initial signs of her being the dominant one (lots of humping) it then became a case of her climbing up the dog crate in a panic to get away from him.
I've tried it in the bath/carrier, all ok, but when in a pen he starts bullying her and she's scared. I made the decision to listen to her and stopped the bonding.
After a week I tried him and my older female Opal (french x, 5 yrs) and we progressed from him licking her, to a few minor scuffles, her humping him, him moving away, then him nipping her, her nipping him and last night we had a major tiff with them both lying on sides kicking and biting each other. He shook it off, she was stressed by it all so I've put a mesh barrier between them so although they can see/smell/bite noses if they want, they can't lock on in a fight.
My question is what the hell do I do for the best? I refuse to have another single rabbit and since we lost my nethie Daisy a week ago, he parter Attilla is now single.
I've done the textbook/previous tricks with bonding (carrier, bath, neutral territory, small pen, 2 litter trays etc and for a week they were living in a crate with pen attached. Few scuffles but nothing major until last night.
He's a gorgeous bun, full of character, cheeky and would be fantastic as a house bun for someone but on one hand I'm beating myself up about failing him, but on the other I know that initially I was only helping a situation. We've always lived by the "they find us" with rabbits/dogs as they have, and that's why I considered keeping Alfie.
HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I need some advice. Before Christmas I was asked if I could help with an indoor lionhead male aged 3 yrs, so I said I'd foster and rehome when I can.
Well he's a cheeky boy, full of character and I, well, ahem, fell in love with him so I decided to try and bond him with my single female Licky (2 yrs) and despite initial signs of her being the dominant one (lots of humping) it then became a case of her climbing up the dog crate in a panic to get away from him.
I've tried it in the bath/carrier, all ok, but when in a pen he starts bullying her and she's scared. I made the decision to listen to her and stopped the bonding.
After a week I tried him and my older female Opal (french x, 5 yrs) and we progressed from him licking her, to a few minor scuffles, her humping him, him moving away, then him nipping her, her nipping him and last night we had a major tiff with them both lying on sides kicking and biting each other. He shook it off, she was stressed by it all so I've put a mesh barrier between them so although they can see/smell/bite noses if they want, they can't lock on in a fight.
My question is what the hell do I do for the best? I refuse to have another single rabbit and since we lost my nethie Daisy a week ago, he parter Attilla is now single.
I've done the textbook/previous tricks with bonding (carrier, bath, neutral territory, small pen, 2 litter trays etc and for a week they were living in a crate with pen attached. Few scuffles but nothing major until last night.
He's a gorgeous bun, full of character, cheeky and would be fantastic as a house bun for someone but on one hand I'm beating myself up about failing him, but on the other I know that initially I was only helping a situation. We've always lived by the "they find us" with rabbits/dogs as they have, and that's why I considered keeping Alfie.
HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
) so I thought they had sorted things out but it seems not. I am out of ideas and Archie is such a cutie.
