Getting a bit confused and distressed

I’m getting a bit stressed now.

Many of you have seen my journey so far with bonding Grace and Luther.
It’s been pretty good so far, still the odd bit of humping but not as often. So they expanded into the whole kitchen diner now (where their pen also is) and it’s been good.

But now I’ve done the puppy pen into part of the living room and I’m having the exact problem I had when we were bonding Luther and Truffle the last two times.....something about being able to come in the living room changes them. Circling now happens which was super rare before, and when they both are excited and binky or do zoomies Luther then can get confused and go into attack mode or chase Grace. She now is trying to hump him more too which doesn’t go down well, and they have a wicker mat to chew and he gets grumpy sometimes when she chews it.

I don’t know what to do because this is the point Truffle and Luther were at last doing exactly the same things, and I never solved it before Truffle died.
The space you see now, is reduced from what it was, but it seems as soon as they can enter any amount of the living room all these things start. He’s not been aggressive though only today he nipped at her nose but it was because she scared herself and went to jump over him to “escape” but he thought she was attacking him, which to me seems to also be the case when she does zoomies or binkies. Time of day seems to have and affect sometimes too, if bedtime is late, which is why I think they are doing it right now.

Do I just keep it like this for as long as it takes to let the behaviour stop? What if it doesn’t?
It’s a shame because they both want to come in properly.

Getting a bit upset about it all because this is where we were stuck for ages before.

Thanks for any help x








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I’m sorry you are stuck at a point. If this is where you struggled to get past before, maybe Luther is the cause of the issue, if he thinks it is his territory . Have you been able to neutralise the living room? Difficult with carpet I know. If they are happy in the kitchen diner, then to be honest, I would be inclined to keep them in there, if not for the foreseeable future, but possibly for good. I don’t know how big the space is in there but I imagine it would be fine for a pair?

Hugs xx

Zoobec said:

I’m sorry you are stuck at a point. If this is where you struggled to get past before, maybe Luther is the cause of the issue, if he thinks it is his territory . Have you been able to neutralise the living room? Difficult with carpet I know. If they are happy in the kitchen diner, then to be honest, I would be inclined to keep them in there, if not for the foreseeable future, but possibly for good. I don’t know how big the space is in there but I imagine it would be fine for a pair?

Hugs xx

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It’s all very odd, Truffle used to live in the living room when he was alone, then when Luther came along the hutch was moved into the kitchen diner, and that’s where their home base has stayed, now in a pen instead. He used to not want to really come in the living room.

But the last bond with Truffle this happened and was new to me. Now it feels like exactly the same.

I have hoovered many times I could spritz the carpet with vinegar and hoover see if it helps. But it’s very odd.

The issue is to stop them getting into the living room we use the puppy pen, but then this stops the cats going freely between the two which one cat is agile enough to deal with, but the other is not agile or graceful at all...plus he gets stress induced systitis so change can upset him. So as a long term plan, I hope it doesn’t come to that.
I tried a baby gate but again the cats are an issue and also Luther got his head stuck before.

I just don’t understand :-(

Thank you xx


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Going to vinegar and antibac spray the living room carpet then hoover later when dry.....see if that makes a difference.

Not sure if after, I should only allow them on the kitchen diner for a few days first to “forget” a bit then do a space like now in the living room.

We’ll see I guess. Blooming buns lol


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Truffpuff said:

Going to vinegar and antibac spray the living room carpet then hoover later when dry.....see if that makes a difference.

Not sure if after, I should only allow them on the kitchen diner for a few days first to “forget” a bit then do a space like now in the living room.

We’ll see I guess. Blooming buns lol


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Good idea, I’d neutralise and leave it at least a couple of days before trying again. If a baby gate keeps the bunnies in the kitchen but lets the cats get in the living room that might be an option if you mesh the gate to stop bunnies heads getting stuck.

Zoobec said:

Good idea, I’d neutralise and leave it at least a couple of days before trying again. If a baby gate keeps the bunnies in the kitchen but lets the cats get in the living room that might be an option if you mesh the gate to stop bunnies heads getting stuck.

Click to expand...

My living room smells like a chip shop hahaha! The cats are not happy with me and wet paws lol, but hopefully it will be worth it.
My fiancé has moved the puppy pen in a way that’s much easier to let the cats in and out and keep the buns in The Kitchen so that’s good.

We were discussing it this morning and I feel like the pen mostly they are like “ok Luther is boss” although the odd hump or chase occurs, the kitchen is the same too, but the living room is so different it’s seen as a new place because their pen (home) isn’t there. So therefore dominance in here is up for grabs so it’s like bonding all over again.
So if this plan doesn’t work over the next few days I was thinking maybe set the puppy pen up in the living room with just a litter tray and hay noms, for a few days, only leaving to go to bed in their pen, for a few days-week so it’s like bonding and expanding again but in the next room.

Thank you xx






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