Help/advice please xx

After much deliberation and indecision :roll: I have decided to definately get Darcy a little pal. I know in my heart that he is a happy bunny already but want his life to be full and have someone to talk rabbit with. I do talk with him lots but obviously can't be the same.

I am now aware about the need for quarantine but please can you tell me of anything else that I now need to be aware of prepare for first?

I know to go for a girl as its more difficult with another boy. What do I do if they don't get on? I have my eye (and heart) on a certain little lady bunny who lives far away but am so scared that after I adopt her and she travels up here that they don't like eachoher .

Also money wise - what do you usually spend on two bunnies a month? Darcy is about £100 a month sometime less - I try and buy dry food and his timothy hay in bulk. So I'm guessing just double this?

Also - sorry for going on - but Darcy is out all night and loves to sleep on my bed or the window cill by my bed. If I keep a new rabbit in quarantine the only space in my flat it can go is my bedroom. Obviously that means Darcy can't come in - will this cause more hostility for bonding if smells another rabbit in there?

How much are you feeding him :shock:

There is no guarentee a bun will get on with another though it usually works out with male/females. You'll need somewhere seperate to house her whilst you do intros.

Who's the lady? Has she lived with another bun before? That can be a help as she'll more likely be up on bunny language. Neutering is quite a good idea to so if she's already done that stops you having to wait whilst she recovers.

Tam

Thanks, Tam. Well there have been a few little ladies I've been looking at by I just can't stop thinking about little Lilly - Alice Chamberlains little 5 year old rabbit. I spoke to Alice who is just lovely and she explained that Lilly hasn't had much of a life really - always in a hutch in the garage with other buns (seperate hutches I believe). they were brought into the living room for a few hours of an evening though. She is going to be neutured soon.

Where else could I have her quarantined? do vets do this? but then being in a vets for 6 weeks but upset her more...Sorry to carry on I am a worrywort and just don't want to be responsible for upsetting a bunster!!

Tamsin said:

How much are you feeding him :shock:

Click to expand...

I have been wondering if I've been getting a lot!! :lol: This does include his rabbit litter and also the rabbit safe disinfectants, cleansers. I do spend a lot on toys which I've cut down recently as he seems to have them all now

Well its about say £12/£15 a week in veggies - City superstores are expensive for organic veggies. A very lovely lady on this forum did say that to remove veggies from his diet but Darcy just looks like he's crying when his veggie bowl is empty or taken away!! He is very healthy and no runny poos - which he did have before i gave him veggies. He also has timothy hay twice a day in his hay rack and litter tray and he has Rabbit Excel....plus some bunny treats

Please nobody shout at me!!

hehe, spoilt bunny :lol: Its good to have a toy box and rotate toys so they are new and interesting. Well the ones that haven't been eaten anyway.

Veggies are okay so long as his poops are good. If he's eating that amount of veggies & hay he shouldn't need very many pellets. Even as a french lop 60-70g per day is probably the max he needs.

We're not going to tell you off for spoiling him Not too many treats though

They can share toys but food bills are going to be double for two buns.

Tam

erm, I live in the city and don't spent anywhere near that much! I reckon a 12kg bag of suparabbit lasts at least a month (£13), and two of them used to go through a 1kg bag of timothy grass (£5) in a few weeks, cystaid for charlie's bladder (£3 a month) and I only eay the veggies that Charlie can eat (ie anything without calcium and oxolates) so I wouldn't count the cost of the veg, so apart from vets fees and cat litter (about 1x30 litre bag a month at £7 from pets a home), so thats £28. Where did you get £100 a month from for 1 bunny, thats my estimate for 2. Now that Fern is gone I don't expect it to cost any less than for 1.

As for quaranteen - I used to have just one bun, Charlie, and then I decided to get him a friend, Fern. I bought another cage, put the two cages next to each other, got Fern, got them used to each other and within 3 months they were living in the same cage. I'm not sure what you mean by quarenteen, as long as they have both been vaccinated I don't think theres any health risks - its just getting them used to each other.

Spoiling your bun is good, mine have always been utterly spoilt, and now that Charlie is alone its got worse. It just shows we love them. Has Romy been neutered? I wonder if Romy and Charlie would get on as friends. I've never introduced charlie to any other rabbit but fern, but he licks my mums cat a lot! I'd be interedted to see how he got on with other buns.

BevBunny said:

Has Romy been neutered? I wonder if Romy and Charlie would get on as friends. I've never introduced charlie to any other rabbit but fern, but he licks my mums cat a lot! I'd be interedted to see how he got on with other buns.

Click to expand...

:shock: :shock: :shock: neutured!! me?? :shock: :shock: aahhh...running away screaming and bolting down the windows and doors!!! :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm Romy - Darcy is my bunny rabbit!! :lol: :lol: You're more than welcome to come over and meet Darcy with your little Charlie - you will be checked for scisorrs or any sharp instruments at the door tho!! :shock: :lol:

quarantine was a subject brought up earlier in another thread - basically its a good idea just in cases sake in case any mites or other illnesses crop up. Apparently the vacination jabs take two weeks to take effect on a bunster so could still carry the diseases to your own healthy bun.

I have been buying a lot of stuff of the internet which adds up costs with deliveries... As for the veggies it is at least 12/15 a weekk - I don't eat any veggies I'm sorry to say - all healthy stuff in my shopping basket is for him and all the **** like choccie etc is all for me!!! I don't resent/mind paying any of it for Darcy at all. I have been buying too many toys and stuff which I've included in that £100 a month - sorry for confusion. xxxxxxxxxxx

I took Blueberry to the animal sanctuary to meet her bf, she got on well with the first bunny she met (Brian) but would've tried as many as it took if necessary.
They were then together but seperate until they bonded, as they had their initial meeting at the sanctuary I didn't seperate them for 6 weeks :shock: I would've thought that would only be necessary if you did'nt know the new buns history?

Good luck with finding a friend!

Romy said:

:shock: :shock: :shock: neutured!! me?? :shock: :shock: aahhh...running away screaming and bolting down the windows and doors!!! :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I'm Romy - Darcy is my bunny rabbit!! :lol: :lol: You're more than welcome to come over and meet Darcy with your little Charlie - you will be checked for scisorrs or any sharp instruments at the door tho!! :shock: :lol:

Click to expand...

sorry Romy, I reaslied I'd done that as soon as I shut my computer down but didn't have time to go and correct it. I'm glad you're not neutered!

I see what you mean about the quarenteening (which I still can't spell), I guess your vet would do that - the vet I was using in east sheen boards bunnies they would probably do it - long way to go though, plus its £10 a day for boarding which I thought was rather steep.

I think meeting up would be good, you suggested a few of us londers getting together before - did you ever sort it out? We could meet for coffee see what happens and then maybe let our bunnies meet. Have a think about it and PM me.

Bev

Please nobody shout at me!!

Click to expand...

We won't shout at you, I do have two teenage boys here who think they would like to come and live with you :lol:

I spend less then that a month on them, but they get no toys or treats

Betty

hi romy organic vegs ha!!! how posh!! i love the idea but it would kill me to buy organics with my lot.

not to be contradictory but i have lots of rabbits so the need for quarentining for me is high. when i first owned rabbits i did not think of things like this, as many people dont until they have a little more knowledge about rabbits and what dieases they can carry.

to try to bond any rabbits both need to be neutered/spayed a doe buck bonding if the most sucessful in your situation. ie..... had your rabbit on his own for a long time.

both rabbits should be vacinated against both mysi an vhd. which take four weeks on its own from the first jab and that taking effect (2 wks the vets leave two weeks before you can give the next vacs) and then the next and only after two afetr the last vacination is the rabbit then protected from both diease.

i say protected your rabbit can still develop mysi or vhd after having the jab, but just has more chance of suvival...

the reason i quarentine is because i have so many buns, if you have the space it is well worth doing, just incase it is only six weeks after all...

in my option go to a rescue centre that does use quarteneing would be my choice,

most times you may get away with not quarentining as lots of people on here have done, but it is a risk....as i said in a recent thread NO VET CHECK can guarentee that the rabbit is a full picture of health, if there are no symptoms this not doesnt mean the rabbit is not carrying somethink.

Eve x

Romy, I am so chuffed for you getting a new bunny!! I have two bunnies and a pig, and I dont spend anywhere near £100.00 on all 3! (unless it is vet-time obviously)! They get plenty of toys and veg and hay etc, (even organic veg and fruit!), but they hardly burn a hole in my pocket. (mine too get excel). I think you will be so glad you did get another one in the end, as Darcy will be so happy to have another bunny to speak to! Have you got any pics of the intended bunster, I cant wait to see what she looks like! :lol:

I don't know how I spend so much! :lol: I'm a shoppaholic anyway so when it comes to Darcy I think I go a bit mad... I do really want him to have a girlie friend. The problem is, the rescue in London doesn't have any girlies for him. I need to have a medium rabbit as the smallest (don't mind babies obviously!!) but as she will be indoor I can't have one too small that will get into all the nooks which I've managed to safeguard against Darcy - luckily he has a a big bum so can't get into things... :lol: (sorry Darcy!)

There are a few girlies that I'm looking at but all are in rescues far away (I don't drive) so they would be adopted and move in with me without having met first! I'm looking at girlies that are soppy/crave affeciton as Darcy is incredibly soppy so don't want him bullied by bunny that isn't... sorry I'm rambling now...going..

i think it is great you have decided to get darcy a friend but be warned it might not stop there :lol:

I have 3 bunns, a guinea and a tortoise and i don't spend that much!!! :lol:

i would so like to be darcy he is a lucky bunny!!

i buy a sack of food for about £13 it last about 2 months!!! hay and wood shavings i buy in bale form.

what if you tried putting up a baby gate to keep them apart but also still see each other once they have both got used to each other smell it wouldn't be so bad trying to bond them

awwww good luck with your exciting hunt for a pal for Darcy - he is one very lucky and spoilt bunster by the sounds of things - and soon to have a pal - Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Romy, bet you are so tempted to get another french lop - I wish I could have one, they look so affectionate and dog-like!! :lol: Hope you find one soon (with a Huge bum!!), as I cant wait to see the pics of a new happy spoilt bunny! :lol:

Hia Kerri! Yes I'm very tempted to get another French lop!! Its funny tho but I just go all gooey looking at all the buns and then feel guilty cos I think its being unfaithful to Darcy is some bizzarely weird way!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I totally know what you mean, when I have lost buns and I am getting a new friend for the one that has been left behind, I always feel for the first few days when I have brought the new one home, like they should not be there in a way and they shouldnt be using my old buns hutch etc , incase the one I have lost will get upset in heaven and feel like I am trying to replace him/her. As soon as a few days pass though and the character of the new one starts to come across and you see that him/her is really funny in their own little way - you realise you have done the right thing after all, and realise that this new one needs as much love and care as the old one did. When you get another one for darcy and you see them playing together and following each other around, you will SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad you made that decision! :lol:

Where would we all be if we couldnt "spoil" our animals ???!!!! Good Luck Romy.

romy i would be really interested i what toys you have bought for darcy, as my lots dont seem to play with toys really.

i have the cat beds for them and they just fight with them, flower pots are funny they throw them, but look more annoyed throwing them around rather than having fun,

my young buns seem happy with toys but the older buts dont seem to even like cardboard boxes :shock: :shock: apart from kymber who still believes he is a puppy anyway :lol:

eve x