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Adopting from Blue Cross/Bonding

Beapig

Mama Doe
Hi everyone!

Firstly, I feel really bad because I've been MIA for some months now. The truth is that I've been so busy with running my own business, I've let a lot of things slip, including spending time chatting to you lovely people on the forum <3 Hoping that I can get on here more regularly in the future to keep up to date with everyone. I hope that you (and your bunnies of course!) are all doing well.

I'm wondering if anyone can advise me on potentially adopting from Blue Cross? For those of you who know my bunnies, I have a trio, Hamilton, Beatrice, and the quite recently introduced Jellybean (who was given to us by a tradesman working on our house last December). They tolerate each other, but Jellybean is a bully and poor Beatrice can not relax around her, even when they're metres away from each other. Hamilton has also neglected Bea in favour of Jellybean, which is a shame because they used to be besties and now Beatrice has no buddy to snuggle with :(

My proposed plan is to split the shed/run in two and find Jellybean a new mate. I've seen a single male bunny on Blue Cross about 1/2 an hour away from me, and he's a similar age to Jellybean, which is ideal. My question is, can you take your female bun over there to bond them before adopting, to check that they're a suitable match? I think I remember Cuthbert&Dillon talking about this process, but it may have been the RSPCA rather than the Blue Cross?

I had really hoped that my buns would all become friends eventually so it wouldn't come to this, but I can't stand to see little Beatrice so lonely and on edge.

Any advice is much appreciated, thank you guys! <3
 
I’m sorry that things didn’t work out, but I know you have tried everything and I think it sounds like a great plan :thumb: I’ve not adopted from the blue cross so I can’t say, and I know different branches of the rspca operate differently too. I would ask and see if they do offer any kind of bonding. If not, if you post giving your approximate area people might be able to help with bonding or suggest someone who can help :thumb:
 
I’m sorry that things didn’t work out, but I know you have tried everything and I think it sounds like a great plan :thumb: I’ve not adopted from the blue cross so I can’t say, and I know different branches of the rspca operate differently too. I would ask and see if they do offer any kind of bonding. If not, if you post giving your approximate area people might be able to help with bonding or suggest someone who can help :thumb:

Thank you for the advice, Zoobec :) I think you're right that it's probably best to call up and see how it works with them. I wouldn't mind bonding them myself - my concern would be that if for whatever reason they didn't get along, I wouldn't be able to take said bunny back (and imagine how sad/stressful it would be if it all went wrong). They must get people adopting with the intent of bonding all of the time though, so hopefully there's some kind of system in place.
 
Thank you for the advice, Zoobec :) I think you're right that it's probably best to call up and see how it works with them. I wouldn't mind bonding them myself - my concern would be that if for whatever reason they didn't get along, I wouldn't be able to take said bunny back (and imagine how sad/stressful it would be if it all went wrong). They must get people adopting with the intent of bonding all of the time though, so hopefully there's some kind of system in place.

Yes, when I adopted Fern from BARC I explained if the bond didn’t work out I would have to take her back, and try another bunny, but you are right, it felt very stressful thinking about what if it didn’t work out and I had to take her back, because although I kept telling myself not to get attached, I did! Thankfully it all worked out but it is a very difficult situation to be in!
 
Yes, when I adopted Fern from BARC I explained if the bond didn’t work out I would have to take her back, and try another bunny, but you are right, it felt very stressful thinking about what if it didn’t work out and I had to take her back, because although I kept telling myself not to get attached, I did! Thankfully it all worked out but it is a very difficult situation to be in!

Yes exactly, I'd really worry about getting attached and the sadness of taking the bunny back, as well as the stress it would put on Jellybean. When I was a child, we hd to return a rescue dog after a week because he wasn't getting on with our cat. It was such a sad day :cry:
 
I hope it all goes well :)

I assume you have decided to get a new partner for Jellybean, as she was the newest rabbit? Personally I would not discount getting a new partner for Beatrice. If Hamilton is happy with either of them, it might be a case of deciding which of the two does would be the easier to bond.
 
I hope it all goes well :)

I assume you have decided to get a new partner for Jellybean, as she was the newest rabbit? Personally I would not discount getting a new partner for Beatrice. If Hamilton is happy with either of them, it might be a case of deciding which of the two does would be the easier to bond.

This is a very good point!
 
I hope it all goes well :)

I assume you have decided to get a new partner for Jellybean, as she was the newest rabbit? Personally I would not discount getting a new partner for Beatrice. If Hamilton is happy with either of them, it might be a case of deciding which of the two does would be the easier to bond.

At the moment Hamilton is favouring Jellybean and those two get along well, but I felt that it was unfair for Beatrice to lose him because of Jellybean. I'm 99% sure that things would go back to normal for those two if Jellybean was no longer in the same environment as them. Either way, the bunny I'm looking at on Blue Cross is 5 years old, so he could be a suitable partner for either of them. Jellybean is 5 and Beatrice is 6 (to my knowledge).

The bunny I'm looking at was on there for a while for adoption with a partner, but it seems that the doe has died (I don't think they would seperate a bonded pair?) - it would be so nice for him to have a buddy again.

Honestly this is very much a last resort because three buns is already a lot of work, but I want to do what's best for them :)
 
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