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Age gap relationships- rabbits

Azraelm

Wise Old Thumper
When adopting a new rabbit do you always try to get one a similar age to your current one?

Whats they biggest age gap between your buns?
 
I've always tried to bond my bunnies with ones of similar ages. However, we bonded our 9 year old Teddy with Mopay (she is supposed to be 8) and she is full of beans and I think she keeps a less active Teddy young!
 
Well, we tried to get a bun around Egg's age, and she's 4 but Tuesday is only 18 months.
She gives him the run around though ;)
 
I have got a two-year old one bonded with a six-year old one and they are perfect together. But then I find that my oldies are full of life anyway... they don't seem to slow down really somehow... :lol:
 
I had an 8 year old bonded in with a group of three and the youngest in the group was a year old. Worked fine. :)


Louise
 
Bilbo was already an old man of over 8 when Gypsy arrived. She was only 12 weeks old and terrified. Bilbo was a very specail bun who always looked after Gypsy and made her feel safe. Once they had bonded Gypsy gave Bilbo a new leese of life and made his final year and a half very very happy :D they were perfect together :love:
 
What about when the older one dies? Don't people worry about the effect this will have on the younger bun? (providing they live to their fulllife expectancy without illness of course)
 
ShivyRex said:
What about when the older one dies? Don't people worry about the effect this will have on the younger bun? (providing they live to their fulllife expectancy without illness of course)
:cry: :cry: :cry: yes, Gypsy was absolutley heartbroken :cry: I never planned on getting such a young bunny friend for bilbo, it just kind of happened. It was awfull for us both at the time when bilbo died.
I guess in all cases one bunny will go to the bridge before the other :cry: but will have longer together.
 
sparklefairy said:
ShivyRex said:
What about when the older one dies? Don't people worry about the effect this will have on the younger bun? (providing they live to their fulllife expectancy without illness of course)
:cry: :cry: :cry: yes, Gypsy was absolutley heartbroken :cry: I never planned on getting such a young bunny friend for bilbo, it just kind of happened. It was awfull for us both at the time when bilbo died.
I guess in all cases one bunny will go to the bridge before the other :cry: but will have longer together.

Not necessarily. A few years ago, I bonded a baby British Giant with my then 4-year old lionhead. My British Giant died 2 years ago at just 2 1/2 years old and my lionhead is still fit and healthy at 6 years old (now bonded again). So just because a rabbit is younger doesn't guarantee that they are going to live longer.

Vera
 
LurcherGirl said:
sparklefairy said:
ShivyRex said:
What about when the older one dies? Don't people worry about the effect this will have on the younger bun? (providing they live to their fulllife expectancy without illness of course)
:cry: :cry: :cry: yes, Gypsy was absolutley heartbroken :cry: I never planned on getting such a young bunny friend for bilbo, it just kind of happened. It was awfull for us both at the time when bilbo died.
I guess in all cases one bunny will go to the bridge before the other :cry: but will have longer together.

Not necessarily. A few years ago, I bonded a baby British Giant with my then 4-year old lionhead. My British Giant died 2 years ago at just 2 1/2 years old and my lionhead is still fit and healthy at 6 years old (now bonded again). So just because a rabbit is younger doesn't guarantee that they are going to live longer.

Vera

That's very true! I was just about to mention something about big bunnies and little bunnies too.
I worry that although Gypsy, my lionhead, is older than Storm, my frenchie, she might still outlive him and have go go through all that greif again :cry: :cry: :cry:
 
LurcherGirl said:
sparklefairy said:
ShivyRex said:
What about when the older one dies? Don't people worry about the effect this will have on the younger bun? (providing they live to their fulllife expectancy without illness of course)
:cry: :cry: :cry: yes, Gypsy was absolutley heartbroken :cry: I never planned on getting such a young bunny friend for bilbo, it just kind of happened. It was awfull for us both at the time when bilbo died.
I guess in all cases one bunny will go to the bridge before the other :cry: but will have longer together.

Not necessarily. A few years ago, I bonded a baby British Giant with my then 4-year old lionhead. My British Giant died 2 years ago at just 2 1/2 years old and my lionhead is still fit and healthy at 6 years old (now bonded again). So just because a rabbit is younger doesn't guarantee that they are going to live longer.

Vera

Hence why I added the assumption of = (providing they live to their full life expectancy without illness of course) - meaning between 8-10 years +
 
I had Athena and Zeus who were quite close in age, Athena was five(ish), Zeus was three when they died - after Athena went suddenly, Zeus just gave up and went within two weeks :cry: so I didn't have time to think about re-bonding or ever worry about the age gap.

Violet was four(ish) when she was paired up with Cosmos who was 18months.

Now Cosmos is about 3 I think paired with Adele who is less than a year old if I remember rightly (will check when I get home as I haven't added her birthday to the calender yet). I was originally considering a bun more his age but Adele and him hit it off so well.

Caz
 
ShivyRex said:
What about when the older one dies? Don't people worry about the effect this will have on the younger bun? (providing they live to their fulllife expectancy without illness of course)

Well, what about bonding with a new partner? This is why we now have Tuesday (Egg's sister died earlier this summer - obviously she was the same age as Egg).
(tbh, Egg wasn't that bothered emotionally about Donut passing away - it was the companionship she missed)
 
I got Bojangles and Mosschops together and they were the same age. When Mossy went to the bridge we were so lucky to find another Nethie just about exactly the same age as Bo. However, she wasn't even with us 2 months when she went to the bridge. One of the reasons I searched for a bun the same age was that I hoped they would have similar life spans.

I now have Bluebelle who I got from the SSPCA - they couldn't tell me her age. I think she is less than a year. She certainly keeps Bo on his toes - I have never seen him so boundy and runny.

I didn't think I would get a third girl for him as we went through so much with losing 2 in 2 months - but he loves her and I know I would do the same for either of them again. I know think age is less important and it is how they get on with each other.
 
Thankyou for posting this....
My current bun is 16 months old - and is currently being bonded with a 12 week old...
I wanted a younger one so they could be lively together and maybe wear each other out.
So far I have heard they are getting on ok - I just hope this stays the case
 
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