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Bonding Sue has commenced

Have just got in from work and checked on them. Sue is snuggled amongst the others again. When I walked in she started grooming Molly:love:. I didn't get to the market but did pick lots of dandelion leaves so they have those as a treat. Sue was nomming them straight away.

I put the tunnel in this morning and Sue immediately started chewing the end so I had to take it out:( It's such a shame as I bought two so I could attach them and the buns would have a long tunnel to play in. None of my other buns have ever chewed them. Trust Sue:(

I put a treat ball in their pen instead filled with broken up fenucreek crunchies so hopefully that has been keeping them busy.

I am trying to feed Sue her oats on her own but the other buns aren't falling for that. I can see that I am going to have to work out a way of feeding her separately as she can't afford to lose any more weight.

Any ideas?
 
How have you tried so far?

I'd probably try having a handful of oats for sue and a handful of dried herbs or something for the others, so the others still get something at the same time. Hopefully one of your hands is considerably larger than the other so that you can feed all three buns without them wandering over to the other hand :roll::lol::lol:
 
Mmm, interesting idea. (Looks at hands - no, both the same size:()

Yes, will have to try and find some non fattening food to give the other buns. Trouble is they like Sue's oats (that sounds wrong but ykwim!):) They have never had oats before and they think they are nommy!!! I give Sue bread too and other very naughty weight gaining food.

Having said that, Peggy wasn't overweight and she used to share Sue's food - but I don't want my other three becoming unhealthy. Dylan is very old and probably a little underweight too so I wouldn't mind him having some oats, but the other two will have to make do with some other food.

I started feeding Sue oats after reading Morse liked them and they were good for maintaining weight. I think Morse has a partner so will ask Jane how she manages.

Jane???? (I know she isn't well at the moment so will wait until tomorrow).
 
oh karen..it sounds like a successful bond to me:wave:

i am soooooo happy for sue...and you:love:

i know..ive had to split merlin from bertie cos of bluebell...but he cant live with them even if bluebell would let him..frenchies eat loads..esp growing ladee frenchies called bluebell:lol:

i cant restrict berties food for his weight...so merlins on a different diet.

is it possible you could feed a bigger amount to sue whilst giving the others a little taste?
 
Yes, I guess I could give Sue her usual amount of 'naughty' foods and just a tiny amount for the others, which when divided amongst three won't be enough for them to put on weight. Soon they will be a lot more active as I will be able to put them in the front garden so they have more space than in the back yard.

Dylan is going to need metacam for his arthritis when I take him for his check-up so I will have to try and feed him separately anyway. He is so elderly now I think he can have a few oats if he wants, especially if it will help him to take his meds. (I am assuming the metacam will be in oral, not injectable form:oops:)

Just been in to check on them and Molly is humping Munchkin (who is her daughter:shock:). I put some more dandelion leaves in and Dylan and Sue are nomming away. They all look happy and settled:love:

I am still trying not to get too excited but the signs are all positive that they have accepted Sue into their group. She looks soooo happy now:):)
 
I've watched and followed this thread intently.

Rhianna, i'm SOOOOOOO glad that Sue is happier with bunnies now :)

It makes me smile so much to hear of them accepting her.

This is great, keep it up, well done :)
 
Gave the pen a good clean out today and changed the newspaper. All the buns kept getting in the way:) I've added the final panel to make it a bit bigger too.

A friend gave me some sprout tops from her garden so all the buns have had those for supper with some more dandelion leaves. I've also given them parsnip again which they had for the first time yesterday. I can't believe how enthusiastic Sue is now for her food and am so glad I didn't stress her more by taking her to the vet when she wasn't eating much. I did think it was probably grief rather than her teeth as she was still nibbling carrot. She started nomming more or less instantly when she was put with the other buns and each day she is eating more. She is first at the bowl and will push the other buns out of the way - and they let her:)

Sue seems to get on particularly well with Molly - they often groom each other. I have no idea where Sue is in the bunny hierarchy, but wherever it is she is happy and that is all that matters:):)

I am planning to move them back outside at some point over the weekend if the weather continues to stay mild and just hope all continues to go well when they have more space.

I know things could still go wrong, but at the moment I am a Very Happy Bunny Mummy:)

Thank you all for your support - it means a lot as I've found this bond more nerve wracking than usual!
 
Thats just awesome news.

Grief can do odd things to people, let alone bunnies, i've not experienced it, but it does sound like she's truly enjoying the company of other fluffys who talk the same language again :love:

You're doing so well Rhianna, keep it up :)
 
Thanks Gray.

Sue really worried me last night as she was laying on her side, which I haven't seen her do for a very long time. I thought she was dying or in pain so picked her up to check her over and she kicked me and struggled - for a poorly bun, she is VERY strong. She seemed fine so I popped her back in the pen and she thumped with her back legs, hopped over to where she had been earlier and lay down again. I realised she was flopping. Guess she is happy! Huge sigh of relief from me!!!!

I think they will all be pleased to go back outside so they can run and climb again. Part of me will miss having them inside - but not the mess they are making of my poor floorboards - they keep moving the newspaper and, apart from Sue, nobun is litter trained:(

I do love seeing buns snuggling and playing and could just sit and watch them for hours - much more interesting than the TV!!
 
Yes, when I realised Sue was perfectly OK - I thought it was wonderful too. I have just popped home from work to check on them and they are in a group at one end of the pen and Molly is flopped down now, which is a good sign too.

Considering they have been taken away from their hutches and large runs and put into a small pen indoors and introduced to a totally new bun, or in Sue's case, buns, I think they have done brilliantly and am very proud of my fur family.

The food has all disappeared but they have hay so I am not going to put any more in until later. (I tended to feed Sue throughout the day).

Bless their little paws - I am such a happy Bunny Mummy:love:
 
Just a quick update.

The buns are still in the lounge. I realised at the weekend I didn't have enough newspaper for the hutches outside and three of the buns aren't litter trained. I have a real shortage at the moment as people I know seem to have stopped buying papers - I guess it's the recession.

I was sitting having a coffee with a friend last night and watching the buns and they were all humping each other. It was a real orgy - some head humps, some bottom humps, all swapping partners. Don't know what my friend thought - he just made some comment about spring being in the air:oops:

Dylan suddenly lay down and I was terrified he had died. My friend said his whiskers were moving but I wasn't convinced. Then the other three started charging around and Dylan sat up. Phew!! Then he flopped down again. I know flopping is a sign of a happy bun but it's how Peggy looked after she had gone to the Bridge and I went to say 'goodbye' to her at the vets so seeing anybun like that scares me.

They do need to go outside, although I am a bit scared the extra space will mean they will stick to a three and a one.

Sue is nomming more than any of the others. She is first at the food bowl every time.

I went to our local market with a client today and bought two huge bunches of parsley for £1 each and some carrots with tops on. I think I am going to have very happy bunnies at supper time.
 
I'm so pleased its going well for Sue and her new friends :D

I'm not sure but do you have a local library who might be willing to put newspapers aside for you? Ours has a few daily/weekly titles and I've thought of asking them if I get low again.
 
Sue and her new friends are now outside. I moved them out this afternoon. Didn't get up until then as I worked last night. There was a lot of chasing. It seems very cold here - colder than I realised - so I just hope they will be OK. My lounge is quite a cold room - I often sit in bed to watch TV - and I don't have the heating on much so they haven't gone from very warm to very cold.

They all loved the space and ran around stretching their paws. They were getting so fed-up in a pen.

I am not working tonight or tomorrow so can keep going out and checking on them.

Just hope their bond remains intact.
 
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