In all the years of keeping rabbits, in these past few days I have witnessed some unbelievable rabbit behaviour that has just left me amazed!
Let me tell you the background....
Albert and Ellen, my two seal point dwarf lops, are both brother and sister. I've had them since they were 10 week old, and they lived together till Alberts 'bits' became evident, and I had to seperate them so he could have his op.
The were greatly bonded, and loved each other dearly. What one did, the other did, and they were always by each others sides.
Seperating them was hard, as they both sat next to each other by the wire mesh used to seperate them. I could tell they desperately wanted to snuggle up together, but Albert was recovering from his op.
Unbeknown to me, my brother, used to seeing the two together, popped them in the same hutch when popping them inside for the night whilst I was oh hol in Italy.... something he didn't tell me until I had a surprise a few weeks after I came home! :shock:
....3 little babies all curled up in a nest in Ellen's hutch!...how???? i thought. My brother then told me the accident :?
My intial reaction was to feel absolutely mortified
Being a BRC member, who used to breed for show, it used to grieve me so much peoper who would breed accidental litters, and for no purpose :evil: ....how could this have happened here!
I was gutted.
However, as the days passed, and Ellen proved to be such a brilliant mother, and the three babies started to grow, I started to think it's not their fault that they are here, and that as the responsibility lies on me, I have to do my best for them.
They have really turned into 3 stunning babies, and Ellen has been superb with them. She has amazed me.
However, whilst she has been raising her babies, Albert has been recovering from his neutering op, and feeling very miserable missing his friend
It's been 8 weeks since Albert had his op, and the babies are now 6 weeks old (7 weeks this Friday), so whilst cleaning out, I decided to pop a very miserable Albert into small run I'd put Ellen and their babies in. I was amazed at them!.
Straight away, Ellen and Albert started snuggling up together and cleaning each other. The babies, started hopping about and snuggling up to their mum and dad, and Albert started cleaning them!!
I left moved them into the shed, where I left Ellens hutch open onto the shed (basically giving them the run of the shed), and kept popping back every half hour to check on them.
They were always snuggling, or playing/eating together.
It got to night time, so I popped out to feed everyone, and found Ellen, Albert and the babies all piled up together in the hutch looking very sleepy!
Well it's been two days now, and all the family have been together all the time. All there is is lots of cuddling, snuggling and cleaning. It's amazing to see such a beautiful and loving family group.
Albert and Ellen seem so happy to be back together, they are so in love! The babies just seem happy to have another adult bun to jump all over
I have witnessed bonding between mothers and their babies, and siblings before, but this is the first time I have ever witnessed a father comforting, loving and snuggling with his own babies. There is absolutely no difference in relationship between Ellen and her babies, than there is Albert and his babies. The babies have taken to him extremely well, and he adores them!
Ellen seems so much more chilled out too, as she's now got time to relax, whilst the babies harrass their dad a bit!
I am amazed.
I shall add some pic once I resize them.
P.S.
The family will be remaining together here forever
Let me tell you the background....
Albert and Ellen, my two seal point dwarf lops, are both brother and sister. I've had them since they were 10 week old, and they lived together till Alberts 'bits' became evident, and I had to seperate them so he could have his op.
The were greatly bonded, and loved each other dearly. What one did, the other did, and they were always by each others sides.
Seperating them was hard, as they both sat next to each other by the wire mesh used to seperate them. I could tell they desperately wanted to snuggle up together, but Albert was recovering from his op.
Unbeknown to me, my brother, used to seeing the two together, popped them in the same hutch when popping them inside for the night whilst I was oh hol in Italy.... something he didn't tell me until I had a surprise a few weeks after I came home! :shock:
....3 little babies all curled up in a nest in Ellen's hutch!...how???? i thought. My brother then told me the accident :?
My intial reaction was to feel absolutely mortified
Being a BRC member, who used to breed for show, it used to grieve me so much peoper who would breed accidental litters, and for no purpose :evil: ....how could this have happened here!I was gutted.
However, as the days passed, and Ellen proved to be such a brilliant mother, and the three babies started to grow, I started to think it's not their fault that they are here, and that as the responsibility lies on me, I have to do my best for them.
They have really turned into 3 stunning babies, and Ellen has been superb with them. She has amazed me.
However, whilst she has been raising her babies, Albert has been recovering from his neutering op, and feeling very miserable missing his friend
It's been 8 weeks since Albert had his op, and the babies are now 6 weeks old (7 weeks this Friday), so whilst cleaning out, I decided to pop a very miserable Albert into small run I'd put Ellen and their babies in. I was amazed at them!.
Straight away, Ellen and Albert started snuggling up together and cleaning each other. The babies, started hopping about and snuggling up to their mum and dad, and Albert started cleaning them!!
I left moved them into the shed, where I left Ellens hutch open onto the shed (basically giving them the run of the shed), and kept popping back every half hour to check on them.
They were always snuggling, or playing/eating together.
It got to night time, so I popped out to feed everyone, and found Ellen, Albert and the babies all piled up together in the hutch looking very sleepy!
Well it's been two days now, and all the family have been together all the time. All there is is lots of cuddling, snuggling and cleaning. It's amazing to see such a beautiful and loving family group.
Albert and Ellen seem so happy to be back together, they are so in love! The babies just seem happy to have another adult bun to jump all over
I have witnessed bonding between mothers and their babies, and siblings before, but this is the first time I have ever witnessed a father comforting, loving and snuggling with his own babies. There is absolutely no difference in relationship between Ellen and her babies, than there is Albert and his babies. The babies have taken to him extremely well, and he adores them!
Ellen seems so much more chilled out too, as she's now got time to relax, whilst the babies harrass their dad a bit!
I am amazed.
I shall add some pic once I resize them.
P.S.
The family will be remaining together here forever
