Any hope for bonding now??

When the 5 bonded (unspayed) does came here on Tuesday, Benny was initially very friendly - it looked so good that we let him in with all the girls together - big mistake!!!

3 of the young girls (7 months old) attacked him one after the other - the fourth girl and the mum were OK with him...

Benny now has decided he hates them all - they come for a friendly sniff at the wire and he savagely tries to bite their nose off - even the friendly 2 who never attacked him initially

Should I forget it and move him into permanent accom of his own? - I can't leave him in a 4 foot cage for ever, although I have to say he seems suprisingly happy in there - eating well etc.

Does anyone think he will stop biting after a few weeks sharing the shed with the girls in a cage, or is the pattern now set for good? I'm a bit worried that if they don't react quick enough he'll seriously damage a nose or paw as the cage bars are quite widely spaced.

HELP!!!! :?

That sounds like what's happenin with mine....although I've only got the two!! They got in a fight during their first introduction, they had other introductions where it looked like it was going quite well then ex boyf let them out together in the living room (Joey's territory) while I was at work and they got in a big fight. Joey is now quite vicious through the bars now, trying to bite and scratch her and I've heard him growl a few times now. I'm scared to try them together again now....

Sorry, I'm not really much help. But you're not alone. (plus hopefully replies from others will help me too!)

I have the same problem with Splodge and Niamh through the bars! Splodge gets excited to see her and keeps sticking his nose through the bars, most of the time she bites it but I did see her trying to lick it one day!

He's lying on a box in the cage with his feet stuck through the bars at the moment and Niamh on the prowl! :shock: Silly bunny!!!

I have had to separate them a couple of times when he's been out playing and she's managed to escape from my bedroom! Well not so much separate them, rather rescue Splodge from the white monster on his back!!!

I think the problems with Niamh started when I tried to bond her to my two 'big boys' treacle and Fudge', she's terrified of them now, and where she was submissive with them she's very aggressive to splodge at the moment!

I would keep him separate from them at the moment and try to introduce them slowly on neutral ground, though I can imagine it must be hard to find neutral territory with 6 buns!

I guess we're all going through the same thing here! I introduced my two bunnies and they were great from the start, I have been taking them out together in un-neutral space for about 3 weeks now, and its going well. Its just whenever they start to really love eachother, one freaks out and starts a fight

Elve- I would say keep trying. They are still getting used to eachother and if they spend time together (from differant sides of a fence of course) then they should get better. Good luck!

hi

Oooer - nothing bunnyfied ever goes to plan does it?

I decided that I couldn't risk my beautiful girlies having their noses or toes bitten off (on another forum a lady had a lot of trouble with this and her bunny now only has half a nose!)

So Benny is now an official HOUSE RABBIT (fanfare please) :lol:
I have had a messy house since getting bunnies - sacks of stuff and hay everywhere - I now have a kitchen unit and microwave in my living room :shock: And one in the hall - and a rabbit in the kitchen in a 4' cage! (my kitchen is only 6'x10', so you can imagine...)

Benny always had the run of the kitchen before, so he is perfectly happy - although I was woken at 6.30 by thumping - I hope he gets used to the buses soon - but I was expecting it, so not too bad - he's so tidy and small and well behaved though - the perfect house bunny

I'm afraid he's turned into a rabbit hater now, so any introductions will be a long way off in the future, when the girls are spayed - or maybe with a new girl altogether (yeah and then if that doesn't work I'll have to find her a partner too...15 rabbits in no time :lol: )

Good luck with bunny luuuurve meanwhile everyone - we live in hope

Aww Elve you could try him again at a later date? One of my old buns Holly was terrified of other rabbits and used to run a mile if she could see one! Then when i got Pan spayed i thought oooh i'll just try this! and i put Pan, holly, velvet and Toffee in a run together and they were happy ever after!

There's hope for Niamh yet then!

hi

Oh I think I'm going to forget bonding Benny - he's great as a house bunny (although he's not getting the run of the house - he's a kitchen bunny ) - He has had a lovely morning, and I now see how stressed he was getting in the shed with the girls...I fed him at 7.30, then let him out for a run at 8am, while the girls were in the shed eating THEIR breakfast - he has just been sitting sulking the last 2 days on the patio with the girls there - Today he crept round - terrified of an ambush - then when he'd done every inch of patio he ran towards me and did a little binky - 'hooray - they've gone!' - he had a lovely time tracking all their scent marks and damage - much more interesting than when he was on his lonesome...

after 45mins he went back in the kitchen cage for some hay while the girls had an hour and a half outside racing round - I put their litter trays on the patio today so hardly any poops to pick up

Then the girls had a few more pellets in the shed as I think they may still have some growing to do - although Maa the hog eats half of them - it's the best way to get them all in quickly!

Then they all had grass (I had a busy morning) and Benny came out for another little run while I had a cuppa on the patio to recover - more fresh smells for him to investigate, so he ran around a lot instead of just sitting there...He's just done the BIGGEST pile of poops I've seen in days - he must have been holding it with the girls around - I was making a coffe and I said 'oh that's good' - he jumped out of his litter box and flung himself down on his back with his eyes shut :lol:

I think he's a happy bunny - and the girls are too - so no more bonding for now (bye bye kitchen and living room - hello fridge with rabbit cage attached and living nightmare with telly in middle :lol: )

Oh elve! :lol: :lol: It sounds as though Benny's quite appy just smelling the girls for now!

If my experience was anything to go by, spaying made a huge difference. When we realised we were getting nowhere fast with Hermione unspayed, we held off for about 6 weeks until she was old enough for the op. In that time everyone had a chance to settle down and get to know each other through bars etc.

I know the rabbits get stressed with bonding, but I'm sure we owners spend more hours lying awake at night fretting over it :lol:

I'm sure you work everything out for the best in the end. Good luck :!:

Lynsey

hi

Thanks - I know I'm a wuss giving up so quickly - It'll take a while before all 5 girls are spayed though - if my nerves can stand going through 5 bunny spays I may feel up to bonding again :lol:

What a difficult one!! It worked for Soot and Loll being housed in adjacent pens for weeks before i bonded them. I guess taking it slow is the answer? i also found i needed to buy a new litter tray as Lolly was protective of hers

There is more than one way to go about bonding and just because your taking a break doesn't mean you can't try again later. Having them neutered and him having a chance to get used to the smell of ladies around could make all the difference

Tam

hi

Well I think the smell thing has helped Benny - I decided to put him in the run today whilst the girls were out on the main patio - the mesh on the run is so small he can't bite anyone, unlike with his cage wires...

Wow - he has a fan club! Primrose and Victoria were very keen on him - Maa he hates, even though she never attacked him before - but she loves him...Zinneia seems to be very hormonal and Benny being there made her worse I think - He wasn't impressed by her antics! Petunia just didn't seem interested - mutual...He really seemed to like Primrose and Victoria though - he mostly lay down next to the wire or totally ignored them all, but there was polite kissing with those 2 - Maa got fur pulled out when she got next to the wire! Naughty boy... No frenzied storming up and down and savaging the wire though...

I think there's hope!