HarrytheHop
Young Bun
I'm really stressing out about the welfare of my 18 month mini lop, Petal. I got her a year ago from a rescue as a companion for my gorgeous boy, Hoppy Harry. Unfortunately he died very suddenly at the beginning of the summer, leaving Petal without her much-loved companion. I couldn't stand her being on her own, especially as we were also moving house, so I attempted to bond her with a boy from another rescue. Unfortunately he started lunging at her during their first date in a neutral pen and I just felt it wasn't going to work. I took him back to the rescue and took another boy home, dividing the playhouse in half and letting them live side by side for a week. The first date went well and he even groomed her. The second date he tried to hump her and she went mental and I had to break them up before it escalated. At that point I realised my nerves weren't up to bonding and I found another rescue which had the capacity to take them for a week and do the bonding. It coincided with our house move and I was hopeful that neutralising the playhouse in a new location would help. The bonding lady was very positive about how they were getting on and when I got them home they seemed ok, although they both seemed uptight. Petal was chasing him a bit and had gone off her food a little too. Disaster struck though two weeks later when I came down to feed them and it was a bloodbath, with fur everywhere and Petal looking very beaten up, requiring treatment by my vet. I was worried I was going to end up losing her too and it took a few days to build her back up and for her to calm down.
With a very heavy heart I had to take the boy back to the rescue as I haven't got space to accommodate them separately.
This was six weeks ago and I just don't know what to do. She's not a "people bunny" and hates being handled so I'm really worried she's lonely. She seems ok, but I don't want to sentence her to a lifetime alone. Equally I don't want to stress her out further or lay her open to further attacks. I think the problem is that, while with Hoppy she was naturally submissive as he was the original rabbit, male and she was on his turf. With both subsequent bonds she wanted to be the dominant one, leading to the first boy to attack her straight away and then spent two weeks bullying the other one, before he finally flipped and beat her up.
Can a male ever accept being the "underdog"? Should I try again? I'm petrified of her getting hurt. I've even thought about trying to find her a new home where she might accept being the submissive one in a totally new environment. I just want her to be happy.
With a very heavy heart I had to take the boy back to the rescue as I haven't got space to accommodate them separately.
This was six weeks ago and I just don't know what to do. She's not a "people bunny" and hates being handled so I'm really worried she's lonely. She seems ok, but I don't want to sentence her to a lifetime alone. Equally I don't want to stress her out further or lay her open to further attacks. I think the problem is that, while with Hoppy she was naturally submissive as he was the original rabbit, male and she was on his turf. With both subsequent bonds she wanted to be the dominant one, leading to the first boy to attack her straight away and then spent two weeks bullying the other one, before he finally flipped and beat her up.
Can a male ever accept being the "underdog"? Should I try again? I'm petrified of her getting hurt. I've even thought about trying to find her a new home where she might accept being the submissive one in a totally new environment. I just want her to be happy.