MimzMum
Wise Old Thumper
I have been ceaselessly wondering if I should encourage Fiver and Mimzy to bond so I can keep them in one enclosure together and have the opportunity to interact with one another.
Currently they are side by side and can see one another (well, Mimzy can smell him) but I see Fiver hanging out by Pip's side, leaning into the wall and it tears me in bits. Granted his soft pad is on that side, but my heart makes up that it must be grief instead. I'm sure though that part of it is his arthritis that makes him seek out a comfy place to rest his old bones on, plus I can't switch his bedding and litterbox around because he shoves his hay out through the pen wall and then the cats eat it and chuck it back up...ew...but I can still see in my memory, Pip and Fiver trading random grooms and wishing she were still here so he wouldn't be as lonely as he seems to be.
When I had them both tooling around on the floor the other night, Fiver first groomed Mimzy's eyes, then later boxed him as Mimzy turned away. I am not sure if this is referred aggression due to Pip's enclosure still being there (I have to wash it up properly so it may still have her scent on it-but the weather is not cooperating) or if he genuinely doesn't have interest in being around Mimzy all that much anymore.
I cannot get more rabbits, these two are my last. If one goes before the other, I will give serious consideration to letting the remaining rabbit go so he is not alone and unhappy.
Both are in deteriorating health, both are old and creaky, both have their separate issues that would make bonding a real challenge. But if it would help them to have that buddy to snuggle with, I would take it on.
Mimzy is domineering, he tends to bite while he's humping and I don't want poor Fiver's skin more damaged than it already is. (He has terrible sore hock that we barely can keep under control.) He has spinal arthritis and my one thought is having another warm bub to snuggle with might help him, but bub has to want to snuggle.
Mimzy also has this bum leg of his that we are still treating with antibiotics. It initially gets better and then he strains the skin on it and it looks bad again. I did get some bandages from the vet to cover it with but have yet to get Mimzy to cooperate with having one on. :? I anticipate after this last course of baytril that if significant improvement is not seen the vet may get drastic with her measures. His weak leg is very thin and wasted, not sure it is much use to him although he does still leap with both hind feet, but there is no way I'd consider amputation, he is simply too old. I dread that the vet will expect me to do injections, I rot at them. Unless it were something I wouldn't have to worry about seeping back out if I miss, I would have to have the vet do this themselves and that's a lot of visits to consider.
On the other hand, would having a companion always by his side help Mimzy to heal or hinder it?
I don't know how much longer I'll have either of them, but I worry I'll certainly lose Fiver if he stops eating or something because Pip is no longer here. In that case, once again, both bunnies would probably need to be let go.
It sounds like it would be more stress to bond them, they do seem to realize the other is there right next to them, but is that enough? They are indoors and I see them all the time, but at night of course they only have one another, and the random cat who walks by to use the litterbox. :roll: (IMO, I would never keep rabbits and cats in the same house again if I had the choice...too much stress for the bunnies.)
Maybe I should wait awhile until the sting is less for Fiver? Maybe they need never be kept in the same enclosure? Are they fine as they are and Fiver is just going through the natural process? Mimzy appears the same as he's always been, rather unaffected. But he is my chill bunny anyway, so I don't think it's that he doesn't care that they are one less now. He simply didn't have the interaction with her that Fiver did.
Opinions please? I'll try to toughen up my skin in case it's needed, but Pip's loss is still very raw for me. If everyone would kindly bear this in mind and try to limit comments to constructive ones if you could. Many thanks in advance for all your help and my boys thank you too. xxxx
Currently they are side by side and can see one another (well, Mimzy can smell him) but I see Fiver hanging out by Pip's side, leaning into the wall and it tears me in bits. Granted his soft pad is on that side, but my heart makes up that it must be grief instead. I'm sure though that part of it is his arthritis that makes him seek out a comfy place to rest his old bones on, plus I can't switch his bedding and litterbox around because he shoves his hay out through the pen wall and then the cats eat it and chuck it back up...ew...but I can still see in my memory, Pip and Fiver trading random grooms and wishing she were still here so he wouldn't be as lonely as he seems to be.
When I had them both tooling around on the floor the other night, Fiver first groomed Mimzy's eyes, then later boxed him as Mimzy turned away. I am not sure if this is referred aggression due to Pip's enclosure still being there (I have to wash it up properly so it may still have her scent on it-but the weather is not cooperating) or if he genuinely doesn't have interest in being around Mimzy all that much anymore.
I cannot get more rabbits, these two are my last. If one goes before the other, I will give serious consideration to letting the remaining rabbit go so he is not alone and unhappy.
Both are in deteriorating health, both are old and creaky, both have their separate issues that would make bonding a real challenge. But if it would help them to have that buddy to snuggle with, I would take it on.
Mimzy is domineering, he tends to bite while he's humping and I don't want poor Fiver's skin more damaged than it already is. (He has terrible sore hock that we barely can keep under control.) He has spinal arthritis and my one thought is having another warm bub to snuggle with might help him, but bub has to want to snuggle.
Mimzy also has this bum leg of his that we are still treating with antibiotics. It initially gets better and then he strains the skin on it and it looks bad again. I did get some bandages from the vet to cover it with but have yet to get Mimzy to cooperate with having one on. :? I anticipate after this last course of baytril that if significant improvement is not seen the vet may get drastic with her measures. His weak leg is very thin and wasted, not sure it is much use to him although he does still leap with both hind feet, but there is no way I'd consider amputation, he is simply too old. I dread that the vet will expect me to do injections, I rot at them. Unless it were something I wouldn't have to worry about seeping back out if I miss, I would have to have the vet do this themselves and that's a lot of visits to consider.
On the other hand, would having a companion always by his side help Mimzy to heal or hinder it?
I don't know how much longer I'll have either of them, but I worry I'll certainly lose Fiver if he stops eating or something because Pip is no longer here. In that case, once again, both bunnies would probably need to be let go.
It sounds like it would be more stress to bond them, they do seem to realize the other is there right next to them, but is that enough? They are indoors and I see them all the time, but at night of course they only have one another, and the random cat who walks by to use the litterbox. :roll: (IMO, I would never keep rabbits and cats in the same house again if I had the choice...too much stress for the bunnies.)
Maybe I should wait awhile until the sting is less for Fiver? Maybe they need never be kept in the same enclosure? Are they fine as they are and Fiver is just going through the natural process? Mimzy appears the same as he's always been, rather unaffected. But he is my chill bunny anyway, so I don't think it's that he doesn't care that they are one less now. He simply didn't have the interaction with her that Fiver did.
Opinions please? I'll try to toughen up my skin in case it's needed, but Pip's loss is still very raw for me. If everyone would kindly bear this in mind and try to limit comments to constructive ones if you could. Many thanks in advance for all your help and my boys thank you too.
xxxx
