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What would you do?

Buzzwizz619

Warren Scout
So I adopted Charlie in May and Bobby in July, the plan was to try and bond them. They are both male so was always going to be a long shot but Bobby has alot of health issues and has already been looking for a home for months so I figured it was worth a try.

The plan was if things wouldn't work out he would go back to the rescue, I'm now 2 failed attempts at bonding in, I am going to get his teeth checked when the experienced vet is in on Friday just encase the bond breaking down is linked to dental issues like it was the first time but it's only been 5 weeks.

If that fails I'm not sure what's best for Bobby, obviously now he's here in attached to him and don't want him to go back but I'll need to adopt a female for Charlie so that would be 3 rabbits.

If Bobby stays he would need to live in the spare bedroom, which is fine in theory but realistically he won't get as much time and attention as the down stairs Bunnys would. Then there's the issue of getting him a girlfriend or keeping him alone, alone he might get lonley but tbf he seems pretty content with him own company. If I got a GF then I run the risk of the bond not working then I'm back to having another rabbit to return. If the bond does work great but I've still them got 4 rabbits and the down stairs rabbits will always get more attention because they are in the everyday rooms.

However Bobby is old, he's got bad eyes, bad ears, deaf, arthritis that needs daily medication he was already waiting ages for a home, how much longer woild he be waiting? Maybe a less than perfect life is better than being back in rescue and is still a million times better than the life he had before he was seized, but what if they could find him a home and he could spend however many years he's got left happily with a wife?

What would you do?
 
So I adopted Charlie in May and Bobby in July, the plan was to try and bond them. They are both male so was always going to be a long shot but Bobby has alot of health issues and has already been looking for a home for months so I figured it was worth a try.

The plan was if things wouldn't work out he would go back to the rescue, I'm now 2 failed attempts at bonding in, I am going to get his teeth checked when the experienced vet is in on Friday just encase the bond breaking down is linked to dental issues like it was the first time but it's only been 5 weeks.

If that fails I'm not sure what's best for Bobby, obviously now he's here in attached to him and don't want him to go back but I'll need to adopt a female for Charlie so that would be 3 rabbits.

If Bobby stays he would need to live in the spare bedroom, which is fine in theory but realistically he won't get as much time and attention as the down stairs Bunnys would. Then there's the issue of getting him a girlfriend or keeping him alone, alone he might get lonley but tbf he seems pretty content with him own company. If I got a GF then I run the risk of the bond not working then I'm back to having another rabbit to return. If the bond does work great but I've still them got 4 rabbits and the down stairs rabbits will always get more attention because they are in the everyday rooms.

However Bobby is old, he's got bad eyes, bad ears, deaf, arthritis that needs daily medication he was already waiting ages for a home, how much longer woild he be waiting? Maybe a less than perfect life is better than being back in rescue and is still a million times better than the life he had before he was seized, but what if they could find him a home and he could spend however many years he's got left happily with a wife?

What would you do?

Hmmmmmm tricky one. Personally I'd give bonding C+B one more go, once B's health issues have been reassessed . If that does not work out then I'd devise an indoor set-up where-by they could live side by side but not in the same enclosure. That way you could spend the same amount of time with both of them, they'd have company in so far as being able to see, hear and smell another Rabbit. But they would not actually be bonded. I have had to do this numerous times and sometimes after many months of living side by side a previous failed bond will actually work out. In my case it was actually two Bucks. I have always found the only really near on impossible bonds to be two adult unrelated Does.

There is always going to be situations where-by the 'rules' of optimum Rabbit keeping have to be adjusted. Ideally every Rabbit would have a bonded partner. But on rare occasions we have to tinker with the 'rule book'. On more than one occasion I have chucked the rule book out of the window !

Good luck with whatever you decide to do, you obviously have the needs of both Charlie + Bobby as your main priority x
 
Thankyou for both of your replies, I did read them last weekend its just taken me a little while sort myself out. Whatever happens Bobby isnt going anywhere, whatever he needs I can make work one way or another I think i was just feeling very overwhelmed with everything i had going on in life last week and the bunnies just seemed to be the final straw, but I few days clearing my head and all is good again :)

Bobby has his health check today and his teeth are fine, the bunny savvy vet too a close look at his x-rays and she thinks his spondylosis is quite sever and it could be the pain from that causing the referred aggression. Apparently Tramadol isnt great for neuropathic is dogs and cats, so its reasonable to assume the same applies to rabbits, therefore we are adding in Gabapentin at 3mg/kg and see how he goes. Ive been reading up and apparently the side effects can be quite sever however its worth a shot if it can mean he can have a proper Bunny life with a friend and all the space they can both have if i can get a bond to stick!

Im convinced that he did actually quite like having a friend, they both seemed so much happier when they were together so as long as it doesnt completely sedate him it seems work a shot!
 
I would get a friend for Charlie & have Bobby in your spare room. How elderly is he? Perhaps Keep an ear out for an older lady bun for Bobby perhaps, otherwise you’ll be stuck in the cycle of two pairs. I would be a little wary of bonding a bunny with severe spondylitis, but you know him and what he will and won’t be able to cope with. As you said, his life will be 100% better than ever before whether he gets a friend or not :)
 
*I would be a little wary of bonding a bunny with severe spondylitis
what would make you wary? I'm pretty new to rabbits, only adopted Charlie in May so feel like a jumped in feet first into a whole load of bunny drama �� Physically Charlie won't do anything to hurt Bobby, he doesn't hump him at all after he had a sharp telling off early on �� and Charlie is pretty happy to let Bobby steal his food etc. My main concern with Bonding Bobby to anyone at the moment is the referee aggression and what will happen if it kicks off when I'm not around or asleep.

I'm keep my eyes open for a 5+ year old female, preferably at a rescue that will offer a bonding service so ATM I'm keeping my options open.

I'll.probably give Bobby a week on the gabapentin then try and re-bond and take it from there ��
 
Age wise they believe he is 7-8 years old, which isn't particularly old but with the issues he's got I think it's fair to assume a quality of life decision would probably have to be made before he actually get to being very old.
 
Unfortunately not, he was on metacam for the last 6 months but when he became PUPD a few months ago we ran blood and they suggested he was pre-renal so the decision was made to switch to tramadol. His actual arthritis is loads better he's got a much better hop now and we've lowered the Tramadol dose now so he's not on max dose ��
 
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