doorkeeper
Mama Doe
We have just taken in nine new rabbits and have one more coming next weekend. And we had no extra spaces! The only thing for it is lots of bonding.
So far it seems to be going well, apart from losing one very ill little new comer, who did not get much time to enjoy her new friends, but at least she had darling Primrose to comfort her in her last hours, after her sad lonely life. Primrose seems to love any other rabbit who comes her way. It is so sad she lived alone only inches from other rabbits for years. You couldn't find an easier to bond rabbit. She is now making huge amounts of fuss of Eric, who just lost his partner of six years and of poor wee Cherry, who is also very unwell. They can go outside as soon as I am confident that Cherry is eating well.
Chervil and Mahonia have already taken their new friend Pansy outside. She got rained on for the first time today, but I think she liked it as she stayed outside and got soaked instead of going into the shed or under the awning. Pansy is a big French Lop who is a big baby and was also easy to bond. Mahonia enjoyed saying boo to her and watching the big girl scramble out of her way for a few days but now they are fine.
Caroline brought her big boys up to meet the other new Frenchie, but that didn't go well. When two big ones both want to fight it is not worth the risk. So I tried the big lads with two little lionhead does that were brought to us at the end of last year. Snow played ping pong with them for a while but things have now calmed down and it looks really good. 4 white wabbits, I would love to be abble to watch them play in Caroline's garden when they go back. (She will foster the girls) Bonding the girls made a space to put a new pair who arrived yesterday having waited for a placce since the start of Nov last year.
At the same time as the ping pong match was going on in the top cage I put a new little minilop with tooth problems in with Fidget, Mint and Spirit who already get all their veg grated as Spirit has no front teeth. That went far more calmly. The little fellow alternated between humping and snuggling. He seeems to like Mint in particular. I haven't settled on a name for him yet. The one I tried first wan't quite right. They can go back out soon.
Now I just have to find a pair to accept Peony the other Frenchie (I have a couple of possibilities), find someone for the doe coming next week, who had also been waiting for ages, and work out what to do with the poor skinny ill old unneutered buck. He is not well enough for an op. At the moment he is in a boarding cage but I'll have to find somewhere better. He was going to go with Caroline but he is so frail we decided he is better where I can keep a close eye on him. I hate it when I can't bond them. I need another old buck for him to share with, but it doesn't seem fair to let him pester an old doe. I'll work it out in the end.
I love taking in new rabbits and seeing them enjoy their new lives, but this is going to exhaust our supply of bidable pairs who will accept another rabbit. And there really is no more space. We are back over a hundred rabbits again.
So far it seems to be going well, apart from losing one very ill little new comer, who did not get much time to enjoy her new friends, but at least she had darling Primrose to comfort her in her last hours, after her sad lonely life. Primrose seems to love any other rabbit who comes her way. It is so sad she lived alone only inches from other rabbits for years. You couldn't find an easier to bond rabbit. She is now making huge amounts of fuss of Eric, who just lost his partner of six years and of poor wee Cherry, who is also very unwell. They can go outside as soon as I am confident that Cherry is eating well.
Chervil and Mahonia have already taken their new friend Pansy outside. She got rained on for the first time today, but I think she liked it as she stayed outside and got soaked instead of going into the shed or under the awning. Pansy is a big French Lop who is a big baby and was also easy to bond. Mahonia enjoyed saying boo to her and watching the big girl scramble out of her way for a few days but now they are fine.
Caroline brought her big boys up to meet the other new Frenchie, but that didn't go well. When two big ones both want to fight it is not worth the risk. So I tried the big lads with two little lionhead does that were brought to us at the end of last year. Snow played ping pong with them for a while but things have now calmed down and it looks really good. 4 white wabbits, I would love to be abble to watch them play in Caroline's garden when they go back. (She will foster the girls) Bonding the girls made a space to put a new pair who arrived yesterday having waited for a placce since the start of Nov last year.
At the same time as the ping pong match was going on in the top cage I put a new little minilop with tooth problems in with Fidget, Mint and Spirit who already get all their veg grated as Spirit has no front teeth. That went far more calmly. The little fellow alternated between humping and snuggling. He seeems to like Mint in particular. I haven't settled on a name for him yet. The one I tried first wan't quite right. They can go back out soon.
Now I just have to find a pair to accept Peony the other Frenchie (I have a couple of possibilities), find someone for the doe coming next week, who had also been waiting for ages, and work out what to do with the poor skinny ill old unneutered buck. He is not well enough for an op. At the moment he is in a boarding cage but I'll have to find somewhere better. He was going to go with Caroline but he is so frail we decided he is better where I can keep a close eye on him. I hate it when I can't bond them. I need another old buck for him to share with, but it doesn't seem fair to let him pester an old doe. I'll work it out in the end.
I love taking in new rabbits and seeing them enjoy their new lives, but this is going to exhaust our supply of bidable pairs who will accept another rabbit. And there really is no more space. We are back over a hundred rabbits again.
