Hi
I don't know if any of you will remember I posted on here a couple of weeks ago that poor Merlin, our 4 month old dwarf lop buck, had to be pts due to major problems with back teeth, abscesses etc. The vet gave his sister Hermione her vaccination today and I asked him to look at her back teeth as I was worried she had inherited the same condition, and thankfully they seem fine. Anyway she is now nearly five months and he said she should only be on one handful of pellets a day and the rest hay/grass. She actually gets a small amount of pellets twice a day with a few small bits of veg in the evening. He was adamant she should not have carrot, which she certainly does not have every day. I felt as though he was implying Merlin's dental problems were due to inadequate feeding, but I am sure this was not the case. They both were on grass every day, and had unlimited hay as well as the small amount of Excel.
Then I asked his advice about finding a companion for Hermione, and whether we should wait until she is spayed. His reply was that pairing can be difficult (don't we all know this from the forum!)and that many rabbits are happier on their own than in an unhappy bullying relationship.
I feel so confused now, because Hermione is only young and I do worry about her spending so much time on her own. Is there anyone out there who regrets bonding their bunnies? I know it can be difficult but surely it must be worth it once they are settled.
Also I don't know of any local rescues who help with the matching process, the RSPCA told me you have to be prepared to keep a rabbit that will not bond because they are not in the business of lending rabbits!
I think the best thing to do is nothing for a while and have a think about it all, but would appreciate your thoughts. Sorry for rambling.
Lynsey
I don't know if any of you will remember I posted on here a couple of weeks ago that poor Merlin, our 4 month old dwarf lop buck, had to be pts due to major problems with back teeth, abscesses etc. The vet gave his sister Hermione her vaccination today and I asked him to look at her back teeth as I was worried she had inherited the same condition, and thankfully they seem fine. Anyway she is now nearly five months and he said she should only be on one handful of pellets a day and the rest hay/grass. She actually gets a small amount of pellets twice a day with a few small bits of veg in the evening. He was adamant she should not have carrot, which she certainly does not have every day. I felt as though he was implying Merlin's dental problems were due to inadequate feeding, but I am sure this was not the case. They both were on grass every day, and had unlimited hay as well as the small amount of Excel.
Then I asked his advice about finding a companion for Hermione, and whether we should wait until she is spayed. His reply was that pairing can be difficult (don't we all know this from the forum!)and that many rabbits are happier on their own than in an unhappy bullying relationship.
I feel so confused now, because Hermione is only young and I do worry about her spending so much time on her own. Is there anyone out there who regrets bonding their bunnies? I know it can be difficult but surely it must be worth it once they are settled.
Also I don't know of any local rescues who help with the matching process, the RSPCA told me you have to be prepared to keep a rabbit that will not bond because they are not in the business of lending rabbits!
I think the best thing to do is nothing for a while and have a think about it all, but would appreciate your thoughts. Sorry for rambling.
Lynsey