• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Next stage for ben and cupcake!

L

lilgems91

Mama Doe
They have been in my dining room now for nearly 2 weeks, and have been getting on great. No fighting at all, there was one incident of circling on day one but nothing since. They have been sharing food bowls, litter trays, toys, treats etc. As winter is approaching its vital that they need to go outside as soon as possible. I am happy that they are starting to bond very well, and feel that they wont fight.
Today I am going to put them into their outside hutch for a few hours, just the top floor. They will come in this evening so I can keep an eye on them, but they are also adapting to the outside weather too. I will do this until the weekend, when they will stay outside permanently. They have the 2 scratch and newton hutch snuggle and hutch covers on their outside double tier'd hutch, snugglesafes at the ready, and lots of warm bedding inside.

Does this sound ok? Going with my gut instinct here, its my first bond and I feel it has gone really well, and the buns seem very content together.

:wave:
 
lilgems91 said:
They have been in my dining room now for nearly 2 weeks, and have been getting on great. No fighting at all, there was one incident of circling on day one but nothing since. They have been sharing food bowls, litter trays, toys, treats etc. As winter is approaching its vital that they need to go outside as soon as possible. I am happy that they are starting to bond very well, and feel that they wont fight.
Today I am going to put them into their outside hutch for a few hours, just the top floor. They will come in this evening so I can keep an eye on them, but they are also adapting to the outside weather too. I will do this until the weekend, when they will stay outside permanently. They have the 2 scratch and newton hutch snuggle and hutch covers on their outside double tier'd hutch, snugglesafes at the ready, and lots of warm bedding inside.

Does this sound ok? Going with my gut instinct here, its my first bond and I feel it has gone really well, and the buns seem very content together.

:wave:
Click to expand...

It's really too late on in the year for you to do this (in my opinion).

You can't take them outside, then bring them back in, then take them out, then bring them back in. They won't have their winter coats, so you can't really let them outside until spring now. In my opinion its already too cold to do that.
 
Poppy has been indoors for a while now and is losing her winter coat, so much so when we took her to the vets last week we had to cover the carrier with blankets and give her one for inside it as she was so cold, she felt cold and was quite nervous about it (best way I can put it) We are hoping to put her outside next year when it's warmer but I wouldn't do it now because her coat is too thin compared to Donny and Lolas.

I imagine it is really bad for their heath even if you think they are warm :? what Graham said about taking them out, bringing them in etc, could porbably make them poorly, but I don't really know :wave: hope you find a solution :)
 
Last edited:
Thank you for your reply graham.

Trust me, if it was upto me I would have them inside until spring, but unfortunately my mum and dad wont allow it, and I have tried and tried to change their minds but they wont budge. They will only let them in over xmas if they struggle with the cold :(

Hence why I have tried to make the hutch as warm as possible, with hutch shutters, covers, snugglesafes etc.

My one rabbit has already got a winter coat, as he normally lives outside, and my other bun has been spending days outside.
 
I have now managed to persuade my mum and dad to have them inside this winter, showed them this post and they also phoned the vets and got the same information. My dads not happy, but my mum loves the rabbits as much as I do, and couldnt bear for anything to happen to them.

They wont be allowed in the room they are being bonded in, but are allowed the kitchen which is a much bigger space. What month next year would you say would be appropriate for them to go out?

If they are going to stay inside for the winter and into next year, can they spend a few hours outside in the day, or do they need to permanently stay in the house?

Would appreciate any advice :)
 
lilgems91 said:
I have now managed to persuade my mum and dad to have them inside this winter, showed them this post and they also phoned the vets and got the same information. My dads not happy, but my mum loves the rabbits as much as I do, and couldnt bear for anything to happen to them.

They wont be allowed in the room they are being bonded in, but are allowed the kitchen which is a much bigger space. What month next year would you say would be appropriate for them to go out?

If they are going to stay inside for the winter and into next year, can they spend a few hours outside in the day, or do they need to permanently stay in the house?

Would appreciate any advice :)
Click to expand...

Thats great news :) Well done for looking after their best interests :D

As they are now in effect housebunnies, they *shouldn't* go out at all, as their coats won't provide sufficient cover from the weather conditions. Around April/May will be the right time roughly to let them back into their outside area, by which time, their bond should be a lot stronger :)
 
Thank you, Im really pleased, wouldnt ever want any harm to come to them :)

Right I see, thats fine, thought I would just check :)

Just a question about the kitchen though, they have been had the kitchen as their domain seperately earlier in the year, so both their scents will be around. Before I bonded them they had a fight in the kitchen when they accidently met each other, and I think that was because they both saw it as their territory. As the kitchen is the only place I am allowed to keep them, will this cause problems again? I have already washed their indoor cage down with diluted vinegar about a week ago, as they have both used it on seperate occasions, so this will hopefully be ok for them.

Im guessing cleaning the whole kitchen with diluted vinegar is a must before they go in there?

Do I need to split the kitchen in half at first so their space is more limited, and introduce space gruadually like in the bonding process?

Sorry for all the questions :oops:
 
Well done you!

You're looking at a time when roughly the temperatures overnight are not getting particularly cold, which can vary year to year so don't just put them outside, you'll need to look at what the weather is doing and how mild it is and that there are no frosts, etc.
 
Yay fantastic news Gem :) I hope the bonding continues as positive as it already has been - it's going so well! :D x
 
lilgems91 said:
Thank you, Im really pleased, wouldnt ever want any harm to come to them :)

Right I see, thats fine, thought I would just check :)

Just a question about the kitchen though, they have been had the kitchen as their domain seperately earlier in the year, so both their scents will be around. Before I bonded them they had a fight in the kitchen when they accidently met each other, and I think that was because they both saw it as their territory. As the kitchen is the only place I am allowed to keep them, will this cause problems again? I have already washed their indoor cage down with diluted vinegar about a week ago, as they have both used it on seperate occasions, so this will hopefully be ok for them.

Im guessing cleaning the whole kitchen with diluted vinegar is a must before they go in there?

Do I need to split the kitchen in half at first so their space is more limited, and introduce space gruadually like in the bonding process?

Sorry for all the questions :oops:
Click to expand...

Yep and yep (although not necessarily in half, but a comparable space to what they have now), all the normal bonding rules apply, same as they did before :)
 
Sky-O said:
Well done you!

You're looking at a time when roughly the temperatures overnight are not getting particularly cold, which can vary year to year so don't just put them outside, you'll need to look at what the weather is doing and how mild it is and that there are no frosts, etc.
Click to expand...

I see, so just take it as it comes? I remember last year it stayed cold until fairly late on didnt it?
 
Sky-O said:
Yep and yep (although not necessarily in half, but a comparable space to what they have now), all the normal bonding rules apply, same as they did before :)
Click to expand...

Thats fine :) Can any vinegar be used, or does it have to be a certain one?

We are going to use bens outside hutch inside, as it is fairly open and has 2 tiers, but cupcake has been in occasionally prior to bonding when I swapped them into each others cages, Im guessing bens cage will need a good clean out with the vinegar then?

And how often would you say to extend the space when they are living in the kitchen?
 
Oh that's good news; I'm glad your parents were easy to persuade. :):)

As already said, I should think around April/May time (depending on actual weather conditions at the time of course) is about right for them to go outside.
 
lilgems91 said:
Thats fine :) Can any vinegar be used, or does it have to be a certain one?

We are going to use bens outside hutch inside, as it is fairly open and has 2 tiers, but cupcake has been in occasionally prior to bonding when I swapped them into each others cages, Im guessing bens cage will need a good clean out with the vinegar then?

And how often would you say to extend the space when they are living in the kitchen?
Click to expand...

All the same rules apply all the way through :) So follow the same rules you have been (because it clearly works for them).

A distilled vinegar solution should be fine but check it first on a small area of whatever you're neutralising to check it's not going to bleach it or anything.
 
KarenM said:
Oh that's good news; I'm glad your parents were easy to persuade. :):)

As already said, I should think around April/May time (depending on actual weather conditions at the time of course) is about right for them to go outside.
Click to expand...

Well I wouldnt say easy, there was a huge argument and tears! But it was my mum who said yes, as she doesnt want any harm to come to them. My dad just doesnt "get bunnies"! :)
 
Sky-O said:
All the same rules apply all the way through :) So follow the same rules you have been (because it clearly works for them).

A distilled vinegar solution should be fine but check it first on a small area of whatever you're neutralising to check it's not going to bleach it or anything.
Click to expand...

Brill stuff, yeah they do seem to be getting on well bless them :)

So I will clean bens hutch and the kitchen down with distilled vinegar (molt or white are both fine?) and then slowly extend the kitchen when I can see there is no fighting or territorial business :)

Will do, hopefully it wont bleach the wood :)

Is there anything else that could be used to neutralize apart from diluted vinegar?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Wakally Wabbit won’t sleep in her hutch!
Replies
4
Views
315
InspectorMorse
InspectorMorse
I
Desperate for bonding advice
Replies
14
Views
1K
KarenM
KarenM
I
How soon can I add bun 3
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Bunnymum4
Bunnymum4
Back
Top