tlcwrites
Mama Doe
My rabbits REALLY don't seem to know or care what all these supposed rules regarding bonding and so on...
3 days ago, I was having problems. Apollo and Athena had learned how to open a baby gate in order to raid the kitchen of tasty things like hay, forage, veg, potatoes, cat food... all the usual things. I couldn't keep going like this. It was either swap around one of my other 2 pairs again, or try something drastic...:
Bonding a quad before it gets too cold for buns to go outside for the winter.
So I decided to try bonding a quad.
Starting first with Athena & Apollo, River & Takumi.
The start was inauspicious. There was a lot of chasing and fur pulling. But within 24 hours it had calmed down. Extended their space a bit. This morning, they broke out of their bonding space. I found Athena on the couch, Apollo with his head in a bag of forage, Takumi under the dining room table (Athena and Apollo's territory; we hadn't got round to neutralising/reclaiming it for hoomins.) and River with her head in a bag of timothy hay. They'd decided they were ready for more space themselves.
So, in a blind panic, I've rushed to neutralise the hutch River and Takumi were in. I've lined it with lino and vinegar washed everywhere. They only have the hutch (a 6ftx2ft double) and a few puppy crates in front of it for now as it is still very early days. They may not be feeling cautious, but I am!
And they are all in there, happy and content, munching on hay, exploring. Just being a peaceful quad. What's going on?! I thought this was going to take much longer and I'd be really pressed for time regarding getting them outside.
My rabbits break all the rules all the time. I'm not complaining though.
(Pictures another day; I want to let them carry on settling outside.)
3 days ago, I was having problems. Apollo and Athena had learned how to open a baby gate in order to raid the kitchen of tasty things like hay, forage, veg, potatoes, cat food... all the usual things. I couldn't keep going like this. It was either swap around one of my other 2 pairs again, or try something drastic...:
Bonding a quad before it gets too cold for buns to go outside for the winter.
So I decided to try bonding a quad.
Starting first with Athena & Apollo, River & Takumi.
The start was inauspicious. There was a lot of chasing and fur pulling. But within 24 hours it had calmed down. Extended their space a bit. This morning, they broke out of their bonding space. I found Athena on the couch, Apollo with his head in a bag of forage, Takumi under the dining room table (Athena and Apollo's territory; we hadn't got round to neutralising/reclaiming it for hoomins.) and River with her head in a bag of timothy hay. They'd decided they were ready for more space themselves.
So, in a blind panic, I've rushed to neutralise the hutch River and Takumi were in. I've lined it with lino and vinegar washed everywhere. They only have the hutch (a 6ftx2ft double) and a few puppy crates in front of it for now as it is still very early days. They may not be feeling cautious, but I am!
And they are all in there, happy and content, munching on hay, exploring. Just being a peaceful quad. What's going on?! I thought this was going to take much longer and I'd be really pressed for time regarding getting them outside.
My rabbits break all the rules all the time. I'm not complaining though.
(Pictures another day; I want to let them carry on settling outside.)
Last edited:
