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How soon can I add bun 3

I

Ilovebunnies12

New Kit
Hi guys so you know I’m trying bond my outdoor bereaved boy with my 2 indoor male and female. I did the side by side neutral space no aggression through bars so tonight took down middle of separated areas. All three behaved remarkably no aggression only curiosity. The lone boy keeps putting his chin low down. My bonded girl seems nervous but all ok. Now lone boy had go bed in hutch outside. How long before I can move him indoors in the bonded pairs area,?. I’m so scared but feel keep putting him out every night is going ruin all the good work and obviously I’m work all day so they apart all day only get chance to get together at night. I’d appreciate every piece of advice it’s making me worried sick
 
If they are all Ok in the neutral area, start on a morning (when you are home) with no barriers. If they are OK all day, leave them all there but keep an eye on them. Make sure there is somewhere for each of them to hide if needed. I use tunnels and small boxes. Don't alter the space until they have all definitely all settled there and there is a firm bond. Moving them into an area formerly belonging to the pair may well break the bond. Give it a week or two, then reassess the space they are in.
 
Just a heads up that ilovebunnies12 is a second account for user bunnymum4 as they were having log in issues on the original account. Those issues are now sorted so all activity will be from bunnymum4 account going forward.
 
Really needing general advice please

Hi. I'm trying bond my 2 indoor m and f with outdoor boy who's brother just tragically died. I'm in such a heartbreaking pickle. The 2 boys don't hit it off at all and I'm worried break indoor pairs bond. Outdoor boy is used to outdoor life and I'm worried I'm going to make him unhappy bringing him inside! Yet thought of him alone outdoors for the rest of his life makes me sad. He genuinely seems ok but I know bunnies shouldn't be alone so I'm trying to do the right thing with the risk of ending up with 3 unhappy bunnies. Cant sleep at night
 
Is adopting a spayed Doe from a Rescue as a companion to your outdoor Buck an option? Reputable rescues usually offer to help with bondings

I agree that a Rabbit should never live outdoors alone, it’s not fare on them at all.

Have you actually started to try to bond the trio? If so how and what has happened ?
 
I think I.M. post above is a good idea if you feel you could adopt an additional bun, if the rescue did the bond, it would take the pressure off you. I think you said in another post, that you've tried side by side bonding, but put your boy back outside at night. Could he become a house bun as well, lots of bunnies adapt well to being indoors. That way you wouldn't have to keep reintroducing them. I've never done a bond myself, but plenty on here have, and may have additional ideas. Try not to get yourself too stressed over it, it's not easy when a bun has lost a partner, and having to watch them grieve. You are doing a good job.
 
Thanks for replying folks. The heartache and I mean it still aches physically from losing teddy means I cannot get a 4th rabbit. To think the cycle of a bunny dying and replacing for rest of time is too much for me and my heart. So I'm trying to bond the 3 and bring teds brother indoors. Lone boy thumper loves them both and iv had them together now and he loves it and flumps out right by them. My bonded boy however hates him, and thumps non stop and is fuming. It breaks my heart honestly because my indoor boy who is like my son now runs away from me because he dreads me scooping him up as he knows he's off to the bonding pen with a rabbit he hates. Its destroying me honestly because I love them all so much and it doesn't seem to be working. My heart cant take a 4th bunny on again knowing the exact same thing could happen again. There's always going to end up with them all passing and I'm so so unable to function and dealt with teds passing worse than when my dad passed
 
Could the outdoor Buck move indoors but not as a trio with the bonded pair. It is possible to work on getting a single Rabbit living next to a bonded pair without the bonded pair falling out due to referred aggression. I have had to deal with this set up multiple times over the last 25 years.

First there needs to be a solid partition between the two enclosures. So the pair will be able to smell the single but not see him. There might be a bit of scuffling between the bonded pair, but thus far I have never had a bonded pair fight as a result of just smelling another Rabbit. Having the enclosures on opposite sides of a room is another option, still using a solid barrier so they cannot see each other. It might be that you will always need to keep them on opposite sides of the room, but the need for a solid barrier should not be a permanent issue.

Personally if there were to be absolutely no way that I could bring a single Rabbit indoors and no way that I could adopt a companion I would have to do what I personally believe to be in the best interests of the Rabbit and that would be to seek help from a reputable Rescue to find a new home for the single Rabbit where he could live with a Rabbit companion. It would be very hard for me to do, but I would have to put my feelings aside and do what I believe to be right for the Rabbit to insure their welfare comes first. I couldn’t keep a Rabbit outdoors all on their own.

Sadly when we have Pets we have to accept that there will always be some heartbreak along the way. Sometimes we will have to make decisions that make us feel terrible, such as rehoming, if it is what has to be done to meet the welfare needs of the Pet.

I hope you can find a way to have your single Buck living indoors, even if you cannot bond him with your pair.
 
Shimmer said:
Another option: swap the pair to outside and single boy inside.
Click to expand...

Agreed

If you did do that you’d need to do it now to allow the indoor pair time to acclimatise to outdoor living and to grow a winter coat thick enough to keep them warm over winter.
 
Thank you for all your advice. I cant put indoor buns out they are like my children!! The way its going i sadly think may have to leave boy alone outside. Its breaking my heart how much its upsetting my indoor boy and he was my first baby
 
A single rabbit outside in winter isn't the best option for the rabbit. They really do better with company - preferably another rabbit, or human otherwise. They also stay warmer with a companion to snuggle up with. Outdoor rabbits are much less likely to get human company in the depths of winter, so it's a double whammy for the poor bunny.

You may be able to bond them outside now and bring them all in for winter, if that's your preference.
 
Have you considered fostering another bunny from a local rescue to pair up with your lone one outside? That way you would not be replacing Teddy, but looking after a rabbit who belongs to someone else.

I agree with others, it really isn't very fair to have a single rabbit outside, especially during the winter.
 
Bunnymum4 said:
Thank you, the single boy keeps taking chunks of fur out of my bonded boy, its absolutely awful
Click to expand...

Do make sure that it is only fur. Rabbits can very easily progress to serious fighting, when wounds occur. Are you keeping them together all the time now?
 
I'm with them during time together. So never unsupervised. They spent whole day together yesterday. Lone boy looks so sad but really angry with my bonded boy and refuses to make friends. Its an Initial fur grab in his mouth and just won't be friends
 
You might find that they accept each other more easily if you keep them together all the time, rather than splitting them up. They are having to start afresh each time working things out between them and establishing a heirarchy.

If they were together all day yesterday and there were no actual fights, then that's positive. It's acceptance you should be looking for at this stage, not best buddies. That might take time.
 
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