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Please help

Aly&Poppy<3

Wise Old Thumper
I know it's in the wrong section but I really need advice.

Elena has gone from absolutely fine to a bully. Leo is on edge and just acting terrified all of the time. I've decreased their space to a 4 panel puppy pen and filled with hay.

The slightest movement Leo makes she goes for him, full on goes for him. Everything has been fine since yesterday but from 3pm it's just got worse. Leo is literally moving then Ellie starts getting ready to get up.

My bf isn't helping matters by getting upset because Leo is suffering but aside from staying up with them all night I don't know what to do :( Will they settle down.. Because it doesn't look like it's going to atm. And I don't think we can run off no sleep for 2 nights..
 
I think it's quite normal for one of them to try their luck and attempt to take over in the first few days/week of a bond. I know it's awful to be running off no sleep but the only way to get around it (I've found from experience) is 24 hour monitoring, and if it's getting too much then whenever Ellie goes for him, clap loudly or say "no" in a firm voice, add more hay in or scatter some pellets to distract them... I know everybun is different but these techniques have worked for me in the past :) Except with Nahla, who was a little cow bag haha :lol:
 
Personally I would separate them until you can be with them and are able to watch them. I wouldn't want to take the chance of them having such a bad fallout that they can then never be bonded. I'm no expert as although I have 2 bonded pairs now, it was what my bunnies chose, and not something I was looking to do because of them all being 'special needs'.
 
I think it's quite normal for one of them to try their luck and attempt to take over in the first few days/week of a bond. I know it's awful to be running off no sleep but the only way to get around it (I've found from experience) is 24 hour monitoring, and if it's getting too much then whenever Ellie goes for him, clap loudly or say "no" in a firm voice, add more hay in or scatter some pellets to distract them... I know everybun is different but these techniques have worked for me in the past :) Except with Nahla, who was a little cow bag haha :lol:

I was fine about it earlier, but my bf is making such a massive deal of it I'm going off that :roll: Leo is now eating hay, he's finally calmed down. Ellie is lying down again. Do you think a car ride will help?

Apparently Ellie was determined the bossy one at fatfluffs, she's trying to get him to groom her, he isn't so she goes for him then too. But Leo is so simple, I don't think he really gets it!

It's just really sad that they've gone from perfectly fine, to Leo being scared of every movement he makes and every movement she makes towards him :(
 
If you pop them into a carrier together its a smaller space so there is less chance of them fightig.
Being in the car will be unfamilar and they will snuggle with each other as they lie down while the car is moving.
 
I was fine about it earlier, but my bf is making such a massive deal of it I'm going off that :roll: Leo is now eating hay, he's finally calmed down. Ellie is lying down again. Do you think a car ride will help?

Apparently Ellie was determined the bossy one at fatfluffs, she's trying to get him to groom her, he isn't so she goes for him then too. But Leo is so simple, I don't think he really gets it!

It's just really sad that they've gone from perfectly fine, to Leo being scared of every movement he makes and every movement she makes towards him :(

A car ride might help, but personally I've never tried it so I'm not 100% sure!

This is exactly what happened to Nahla, and it upset me so much that I separated her. Personally I think I acted too hastily and that she could have calmed down and fit back in with Benji and Cupcake if I'd separated their scuffle, and then left them to it. Maybe give them another day together and if things don't improve, then re-evaluate?
 
Personally I would separate them until you can be with them and are able to watch them. I wouldn't want to take the chance of them having such a bad fallout that they can then never be bonded. I'm no expert as although I have 2 bonded pairs now, it was what my bunnies chose, and not something I was looking to do because of them all being 'special needs'.

We're in with them now, moved the bed stuff and tv in. They've just had 2 little chases and Ellie nipped Leo but Leo was the ring leader in the second one, I think it was because he was expecting it so got in there first. Didn't need to intervene there!
 
A car ride might help, but personally I've never tried it so I'm not 100% sure!

This is exactly what happened to Nahla, and it upset me so much that I separated her. Personally I think I acted too hastily and that she could have calmed down and fit back in with Benji and Cupcake if I'd separated their scuffle, and then left them to it. Maybe give them another day together and if things don't improve, then re-evaluate?

I'm hoping it calms down tonight, Leo's lost a lot of fur today! Hopefully over the weekend they can figure it out..! If not we'll ring fat fluffs and see what they say. Thanks for replying:)
 
Tbh, it could also be spring fever interfering. My two have been terrors! They've been bonded for well over a year and they have been beating each other up, chasing and pulling fur. I'm hoping they settle down soon because it's doing my head in! My ankle was Xena's target the other day and I now have a nice scar to add to the others from her! :lol: :lol:

I would presume that if they are feeling much more "sprightly" than normal, especially in these delicate early stages of bonding, that it could really upset things. Keep a close eye on them. Hopefully they will calm down once their hierarchy has sorted itself out again and they tire themselves out.

Poor Leo!
 
They've been together since Monday now, last night and this morning has just been constant.. She's been attacking him, going for his face and biting massive chunks of fur out :( Leo has spent from 12am to now in the corner, scared while she eats hay. He moves a tiny bit and she just goes for him :(

Do we separate? I don't know.. Leo isn't himself now, he just looks scared. I know you've got to be cruel to be kind, but ...where's that line?
 
Sorry cant help because I know zilch about bonding, but good luck and hope things work out :thumb: and a free bump :D
 
I brought my buns back from fat fluffs 3 weeks ago today. I had to spray Flopsy in the face with water when he was trying to mount Cadbury. I found it hard to do at first as I felt like I was attacking him but in the end it worked as it made him stop and calm down. I did increase their space and then had to reduce it as Flopsy started again and I went back to the water spray.

Have you tried this on Elena? It doesn't hurt them but they don't like it either.

I hope they settle down xx
 
Been together since Monday morning, came back on Thursday. I did what I did with Donny and Lola when they came back from fatfluffs after they bonded them for me but this has just gone pear shaped..

We had to separate this morning after Ellie reared up and tried to lock on, she was relentless with the biting all night just waiting for Leo to move, when he did she started chasing and biting him :(

I didn't want to separate them, but Leo didn't move for 5 hours. He didn't eat or drink :( We've partitioned off the room for Leo but put Ellie in a puppy pen, with another puppy pen to stop them getting to each other. I thought it would help if they had one puppy pen separating them but she was going for him then too :(

I just don't know what's changed or what happened to make to go like this :( ...what do I do now? :(
 
Where does Leo normally live as you could him back in there for a day say then introduce her. She will then be going into his territory and it might make her more submissive and him more dominant.
 
Where does Leo normally live as you could him back in there for a day say then introduce her. She will then be going into his territory and it might make her more submissive and him more dominant.

They're both in his room at the moment, but while they were at fatfluffs we redid it completely. Had lino down and nothing looks or smells the same as we disinfected it about 4 times with 50/50 vinegar & water. We haven't got anywhere else to put them because of the dog and Poppy :(
 
I think if it was me i would separate :( if she's really attacking him that's not good at all. Humping, chasing and a bit of fur pulling is fine, but not biting and attacking him. It's sad but i would let him recover and try to find a more suitable match xxx
 
I think if it was me i would separate :( if she's really attacking him that's not good at all. Humping, chasing and a bit of fur pulling is fine, but not biting and attacking him. It's sad but i would let him recover and try to find a more suitable match xxx

We've been told to put them in the carrier :? And the space they were in sounded too big.. Can't see how this is going to help them get used to each other again but we'll see..
 
We've been told to put them in the carrier :? And the space they were in sounded too big.. Can't see how this is going to help them get used to each other again but we'll see..

because the carrier is a smaller space and it forces them to lie next to each other.
When there is a bigger space it can make one bum territorial.
I still think a car journey in the carrier, for 15, mins then back into the puppy pen with no litter tray and just lots of hay on the floor would help.
Id also clean everything in the room you're using again.
Get some bicarb soda and sprinkle that as well that's good for getting rid of scents.
Good luck :)
 
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