Melon_Pip
Young Bun
I must admit I don't think this bond will work now... hoping to be proved wrong!
Bunnies have been togther since 8ish last night (I'm a night owl so was up until 4/5ish). Neutral space - pen. With two litter trays, two food bowls, only one water (bottle shortage!)
Put male (Mel) in first, then female (Tilly) immediately after. Both sniffed around. Mel seemed intent on escaping, rattling the bars, digging at the floor. Then they went for each other, small circling. Made loud noises, sprayed water, they stopped. They did this now and then but mainly explored space and stayed away from each other. Each claimed a litter tray as their own (I wasn't going to put them in at first but they helped thwart the escape attempts!)
Mel has pretty much stayed cowering in his litter tray, whilst Tilly relaxes and flops all over the place (she is very floppy! I thought she was ill/dead the other day cos she was flopped on her side and didn't even twitch when I sat down next to her, after knowing her just 24hrs).
This is them laste last night:
Slept next to them; it seemd to be a stalemate, not actually fighting, or would have separated for the night. A few brief scuffles since then, quickly seprated by noise and/or water spray. What seems to have happened overnight (5-midday, I mean!) is that Mel has stayed in the litter tray, and venturing out gets him chased back in. Plus she periodically goes to sniff him, sometimes trying to bite his bum. I talk to them which seems to help it be a sniff rather than a bite. He was sitting just outside the litter tray with both of them munching on greens a couple of hours ago, thought this was a good sign but nope... I saw he had been bitten on the nose (blood). Have checked buns for further injury.
I managed to swop the litter trays around. Mel has stayed in the same corner, although did venture out towards the other litter tray corner once I'd swopped them. This got him chased back.
This isn't good. It reminds me of attempting to bond a trio a year ago - Mel and new bun were at a total stalemate, although at least they did interact! It's also reminding me of when I came back from holiday, and let previous pair out into other rooms too soon (they had been at bunny boarding), and Mel just claimed all the extra space and wouldn't let other bun into it! I tried restricting space and neutralising it but every time I tried to expand it gradually again, Mel would be adventurous and explore and claim all the space again! (I tried physically carrying them into other rooms too, letting them get used to it before opening the door back to their home room, but Mel still used the space and companion didn't.) I never figured than one out - this seems the same. I can imagine setting up a new neutral space and Tilly claiming it whilst Mel hides in the corner again...
Help!
New space? Earthquake experience on washing machine in a carrier? (last resort) What??!
They are currently snoozing in the litter trays. The trays will smell of each other.
ps. Absolute last resort is taking Tilly back to rescue and choosing a timid little bun so Mel can be boss...
pps. Tilly is huge, Mel is medium sized (4.5 and 2.6 kg).
Bunnies have been togther since 8ish last night (I'm a night owl so was up until 4/5ish). Neutral space - pen. With two litter trays, two food bowls, only one water (bottle shortage!)
Put male (Mel) in first, then female (Tilly) immediately after. Both sniffed around. Mel seemed intent on escaping, rattling the bars, digging at the floor. Then they went for each other, small circling. Made loud noises, sprayed water, they stopped. They did this now and then but mainly explored space and stayed away from each other. Each claimed a litter tray as their own (I wasn't going to put them in at first but they helped thwart the escape attempts!)
Mel has pretty much stayed cowering in his litter tray, whilst Tilly relaxes and flops all over the place (she is very floppy! I thought she was ill/dead the other day cos she was flopped on her side and didn't even twitch when I sat down next to her, after knowing her just 24hrs).
This is them laste last night:
Slept next to them; it seemd to be a stalemate, not actually fighting, or would have separated for the night. A few brief scuffles since then, quickly seprated by noise and/or water spray. What seems to have happened overnight (5-midday, I mean!) is that Mel has stayed in the litter tray, and venturing out gets him chased back in. Plus she periodically goes to sniff him, sometimes trying to bite his bum. I talk to them which seems to help it be a sniff rather than a bite. He was sitting just outside the litter tray with both of them munching on greens a couple of hours ago, thought this was a good sign but nope... I saw he had been bitten on the nose (blood). Have checked buns for further injury.
I managed to swop the litter trays around. Mel has stayed in the same corner, although did venture out towards the other litter tray corner once I'd swopped them. This got him chased back.
This isn't good. It reminds me of attempting to bond a trio a year ago - Mel and new bun were at a total stalemate, although at least they did interact! It's also reminding me of when I came back from holiday, and let previous pair out into other rooms too soon (they had been at bunny boarding), and Mel just claimed all the extra space and wouldn't let other bun into it! I tried restricting space and neutralising it but every time I tried to expand it gradually again, Mel would be adventurous and explore and claim all the space again! (I tried physically carrying them into other rooms too, letting them get used to it before opening the door back to their home room, but Mel still used the space and companion didn't.) I never figured than one out - this seems the same. I can imagine setting up a new neutral space and Tilly claiming it whilst Mel hides in the corner again...
Help!
New space? Earthquake experience on washing machine in a carrier? (last resort) What??!
They are currently snoozing in the litter trays. The trays will smell of each other.
ps. Absolute last resort is taking Tilly back to rescue and choosing a timid little bun so Mel can be boss...
pps. Tilly is huge, Mel is medium sized (4.5 and 2.6 kg).
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