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Disaster please help!

Truffpuff

Mama Doe
So I think many of you know Truffle and Luther.

They have been bonded about 9-10months now and suddenly this evening when I was out and my OH was here Truffle just kicked off and they were just going at it, fur everywhere kicking the lot!!

So I said let’s put them to bed in their hutch now and just listen before we go to bed. We go up as all is quite and they are eating pellets together.

Then a massive racket when we were settling into bed!! I ran down and they fought o hard they’d broken out the hutch. One is now in the tub and the other still under the kitchen table and I’ve been badly bitten getting them apart.

What do I do?!!! I’m devastated! They have been best buddies till now for some reason.

How do I fix it? Do they need separating tonight and I try again tomorrow because they remember fights?
Or is it too late and they need to go to the bonder again?

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So I think many of you know Truffle and Luther.

They have been bonded about 9-10months now and suddenly this evening when I was out and my OH was here Truffle just kicked off and they were just going at it, fur everywhere kicking the lot!!

So I said let’s put them to bed in their hutch now and just listen before we go to bed. We go up as all is quite and they are eating pellets together.

Then a massive racket when we were settling into bed!! I ran down and they fought o hard they’d broken out the hutch. One is now in the tub and the other still under the kitchen table and I’ve been badly bitten getting them apart.

What do I do?!!! I’m devastated! They have been best buddies till now for some reason.

How do I fix it? Do they need separating tonight and I try again tomorrow because they remember fights?
Or is it too late and they need to go to the bonder again?

9693342ba2c26917302987c5aa3853f4.jpg



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Oh goodness that's awful, I'm so sorry :(

I know some people say that males remember fights and never get together again, but I have heard many contradictions to that, so it's definitely not set in stone.

I should separate tonight, and clean the hutch out, neutralise, and think about what to do in the morning. I feel they might need a bit of time out at the moment and you and your shattered nerves need time to regroup.

Hugs xxx
 
Update:

It’s so late and I don’t know what to do. So for now they are each in a carrier facing each other for the night.

Maybe I’ll try letting them out in the bathroom in the morning and see what happens. But if it starts up again I think I’m just going to have to ring the bonder to help or ship them back there to re bond.

I read so many different things on what to do, and one was starting from scratch with them not seeing each other for several weeks and the thought of that makes me feel ill.

Can’t believe I’m crying about bonding all over again when they have done so well


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Oh goodness that's awful, I'm so sorry :(

I know some people say that males remember fights and never get together again, but I have heard many contradictions to that, so it's definitely not set in stone.

I should separate tonight, and clean the hutch out, neutralise, and think about what to do in the morning. I feel they might need a bit of time out at the moment and you and your shattered nerves need time to regroup.

Hugs xxx

Sorry I was just writing my update, which thankfully sounds like I’ve done the right thing for now.

Oh no :-( I’m hoping because they had fights (really really bad) with us trying to home bond but were then successful at the bonders, that maybe this rule doesn’t apply to them....

I just don’t know what to think.
I will be posting and panicking in the morning :-( xx


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Sorry I was just writing my update, which thankfully sounds like I’ve done the right thing for now.

Oh no :-( I’m hoping because they had fights (really really bad) with us trying to home bond but were then successful at the bonders, that maybe this rule doesn’t apply to them....

I just don’t know what to think.
I will be posting and panicking in the morning :-( xx


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Well I for one never say never! As I say, I have heard of males that even though they have fought, they have also got back together again. So don't listen to the nay-sayers, as it may *not* apply in your circumstances. You can but try, and they have been so fantastic together.

Could something have set them off? Something different, or being spooked?

See what your bonder says about it all tomorrow, as she will have got to know them quite well and have an opinion to shed some light on this.

Just a thought - how are they both health wise? Sometimes a rabbit will attack if one is 'going down' with something or is under the weather for some reason.
 
Well I for one never say never! As I say, I have heard of males that even though they have fought, they have also got back together again. So don't listen to the nay-sayers, as it may *not* apply in your circumstances. You can but try, and they have been so fantastic together.

Could something have set them off? Something different, or being spooked?

See what your bonder says about it all tomorrow, as she will have got to know them quite well and have an opinion to shed some light on this.

Just a thought - how are they both health wise? Sometimes a rabbit will attack if one is 'going down' with something or is under the weather for some reason.

I know that’s why I’m so upset, because they had a proper bromance!

I couldn’t sleep so I’m up now, going to tidy the kitchen, sweep, mop and do the hutch just incase. Then I will try them out the carriers together in the bathroom with oven mitts at the ready. If it fails then call the bonder and try and keep it together lol.

This is the thing, nothing has changed. The only thing to note was I caught Truffle trying to hump Luther yesterday afternoon, which does happen occasionally (to the cats too bless them!) but this I caught was vigorously circling so I told Truffle off.....but everything was fine.

Unfortunately I was out so didn’t see a trigger for the first attack.

Truffle had the spell of sore nose and eye, a month of different meds, then his ulcer problem didn’t go but the syphilis did, so he’s still on eye meds, then last week he had his eye scraped to send cells of for analysis so we can treat effectively and be done. But he’s been really good about all that. So the trigger seems random :-(

Thank you xxx


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It didn’t go well but I don’t know if it’s me because I don’t know what I’m doing.

They both came out the carriers, Truffle stomped and went back into his carrier because he’s upset with being in there all night, Luther went near....I saw Truffle look at his neck....I said no! He pulls Luther’s hair out and Luther runs into the carrier with him and they kick each other and I got them out :’-(

I’m so upset and I don’t think the bonders open till 9


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Sending hugs. I'm so sorry this has happened.

Thank you, me too.

I just don’t understand why it’s happening and I just want them to go back to the way the were [emoji24]


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Just found out bonder doesn’t open till 10am!
I just feel sick :’-(


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It’s understandable that you are so upset:cry: there’s every chance that they will be able to be re bonded. I wonder if with Truffle having been ill might have been a trigger, whilst he was ill everything was ok but now he’s feeling better maybe it’s affected the balance a bit if there’s dominance to be reasserted either way :?

Thinking of you and sending more hugs xx
 
It’s understandable that you are so upset:cry: there’s every chance that they will be able to be re bonded. I wonder if with Truffle having been ill might have been a trigger, whilst he was ill everything was ok but now he’s feeling better maybe it’s affected the balance a bit if there’s dominance to be reasserted either way :?

Thinking of you and sending more hugs xx

Thank you. I’m really trying not to get so upset but it’s really hard. Which is another reason I think this morning might have failed, but I feel like time is slipping away the longer they are apart.

I like that theory, that makes sense. He was never unwell from his issues but the stress made him go into stasis and this week or two he’s been much more himself. The issue is I’m waiting on test results for his eye and if he needs meds I don’t think that and bonding will work. I’m just going to be a mess until I talk to the bonders I think, and I just found out it’s not open till 10am!

Going to ring vets now and see if his test results are back.

Thank you :-( xxx


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The bonder called me back. They can help but not till the 18th. So it’s going to be back to living side by side in a room upstairs all over again.

I can’t believe we are going back to square one :-(

There’s no results back for Truffle’s eye yet so I still don’t know what’s going on there either.
*sigh*


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I'm sorry your boys fell out & hope their time out makes them realise what they are missing. I know it will seem like ages to you but the bonders being able to help in 10 days or so sounds good really. You've always kept the faith that your two can make it as a couple so try your best to hang on to that now
 
It didn’t go well but I don’t know if it’s me because I don’t know what I’m doing.

They both came out the carriers, Truffle stomped and went back into his carrier because he’s upset with being in there all night, Luther went near....I saw Truffle look at his neck....I said no! He pulls Luther’s hair out and Luther runs into the carrier with him and they kick each other and I got them out :’-(

I’m so upset and I don’t think the bonders open till 9


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To be fair I wouldn't have put them back together so soon, whilst this memory of their recent fight is so fresh.

I don't think Truffle's eye has anything to do with it, honestly. It's one of those things that could have happened.

One thing though ... When you get them back together again (and I say when and not if, think positive) then I would seriously consider not keeping them confined to a hutch at any time. Give them more freedom and you may find this sort of thing never happens again. Small confined spaces can precipitate this kind of thing in friable situations, which you do have given their bumpy start ......

Breathe, and email/call me if you need a shoulder or a bit of moral support xx Hugs xx
 
I know 10 days away seems an age, but it might give them a chance to settle down apart and forget about their fight. There’s no one size fits all situations and to be fair you did exactly what I did when a pair of boys I’d just brought home from the rspca had a bit of a spat, I kept them confined to the hutch rather than the hutch and run, and they settled down straight away, so sometimes it works. I would try not to be disheartened, you’ve not done anything wrong:wave: hopefully a neutral situation will help them to settle the hierarchy again.
 
usually things like this can "just happen" as harsh as that sounds. usually there is some sort of trigger - being given new territory, something changing, a bunny being unwell. they can & will know and that can kick things off. sometimes its even just a change in hormones, which can happen even when they're neutered, esp around spring time.

but, I would be willing to say locking them in a hutch is likely what started this off, if its a regular thing. bunnies get very frustrated at having loads of space to then being shut in of a night. Luna & Orion are not exactly squished in, but they still like to throw a hissy fit at bed time for going back in their pen. even if the hutch is large, they're still (often) narrow confinements of space. the best thing is to get a puppy pen, and give them a largeish undisturbed space for bed time. a hutch isn't big and is often disturbed with ladders, narrow corners etc.

if they seem particularly stressed, you could always get some pet remedy which I've found to be a miracle worker for me :lol:
 
Oh no I’m really sorry this has happened [emoji17] I know it’s a long time to wait until you can get them to the binder but some time apart from each other might not be a bad thing as they’ll have plenty of time to cool off.

In the meantime, please don’t give up hope that they’ll get back together again. My pair suddenly started fighting one morning. They couldn’t even look at each other without kicking off. After a few days apart I rebonded them. It was tough going at first but they were successfully rebonded and have been fine together since (bar one hiccup after a vet visit last year!) Also bear in mind that the boys have been doing well together for the last few months so the underlying bond should still be there.

Lots of hugs for you as well. It’s so worrying and upsetting when they suddenly start fighting like that. Especially after all that work you put in with them earlier xxx


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