Maaike_Butter
Mama Doe
Would like some insight from anyone who's got experience bonding difficult rabbits!
Finn, my Rex, is currently an onlybun. Last year we rescued Lily, an emormous female Giant, and the sweetest bun you'll ever meet. After weeks of trying, they finally seemed to be bonded, and moved in together. They appeared fine. Then about two weeks after moving in together, Finn took a huge chunk out of the back of Lily's tail when we were out. It almost had to be amputated, but we managed to save it. They were apart whilst Lily healed, and when she was out of the bandages, we tried them together again, and eventually they were back in the same cage. Then Lily got her own back (can you blame her?!) and took a bite out of Finn's elbow. It required stitching, glueing, anaethesia, the lot. So we gave up on them living together, and just kept them living directly next to each other (Lily pined when we put her run on the other side of the room, and would only start eating again when we put their runs next to each other again). They lived happily like this, next to each other for company, but not *together*.
Then Lily passed away in November.
Eventually we got a new bunny, Dylan. He and Finn were content to live next to each other in their runs. However, Dylan is now being bonded, and will be moved to another room to have an even larger space with his new wife, once they come home.
Finn seems lonely. But we really cannot get a fourth rabbit and a fourth run, there's just not enough space. His behaviour has changed, he's moping and eating less.
We would only consider a fourth bunny if she and Finn lived in the same run.
From those with experience, is Finn the type who will never bond successfully? Will he ever be able to live with another rabbit without taking chunks out of it? He's tried to take a bite out of Dylan through the bars, and has tried nibbling on the cats, too. He seems to be rekindling his friendship with one of my cats (Simon licked him on the head the other day and he submitted to be groomed), but he still aggrevates them way too much.
Any insights from anyone perhaps?
Finn, my Rex, is currently an onlybun. Last year we rescued Lily, an emormous female Giant, and the sweetest bun you'll ever meet. After weeks of trying, they finally seemed to be bonded, and moved in together. They appeared fine. Then about two weeks after moving in together, Finn took a huge chunk out of the back of Lily's tail when we were out. It almost had to be amputated, but we managed to save it. They were apart whilst Lily healed, and when she was out of the bandages, we tried them together again, and eventually they were back in the same cage. Then Lily got her own back (can you blame her?!) and took a bite out of Finn's elbow. It required stitching, glueing, anaethesia, the lot. So we gave up on them living together, and just kept them living directly next to each other (Lily pined when we put her run on the other side of the room, and would only start eating again when we put their runs next to each other again). They lived happily like this, next to each other for company, but not *together*.
Then Lily passed away in November.
Eventually we got a new bunny, Dylan. He and Finn were content to live next to each other in their runs. However, Dylan is now being bonded, and will be moved to another room to have an even larger space with his new wife, once they come home.
Finn seems lonely. But we really cannot get a fourth rabbit and a fourth run, there's just not enough space. His behaviour has changed, he's moping and eating less.
We would only consider a fourth bunny if she and Finn lived in the same run.
From those with experience, is Finn the type who will never bond successfully? Will he ever be able to live with another rabbit without taking chunks out of it? He's tried to take a bite out of Dylan through the bars, and has tried nibbling on the cats, too. He seems to be rekindling his friendship with one of my cats (Simon licked him on the head the other day and he submitted to be groomed), but he still aggrevates them way too much.
Any insights from anyone perhaps?
