Supporting Casper

[Pets mum]

Aw poor girlie, she's all safe and loved now, can't believe how well they're getting on, its just lovely

 

[joey&boo]

Job done. Bonded, Well done everybun ....the snuggling will come with time

 

[tulsi]

What a lovely gentle bond. Totally understand re Casper being with another rabbit and not with Sophie. It is a delicate business.

Lots of happy bonding vibes to your darlings. Casper looks so at ease with Stamp. She looks pretty chill as well.

 

[a reader of books]

Aw, thank you all for looking and reading

I'm really struggling with feeding them. Casper doesn't want his mushy pellets anymore because he likes Stamp's non-mushy ones better, but he now has soft, mucus-y poops because he can't chew them properly and it has upset his tummy (this has happened a few times before; it also happens when he has spurs, because he doesn't chew his food properly then, either). I've been sneaking him greens here and there, but Stamp seems obsessed with eating and it's really hard to feed Casper without Stamp's trying to get it, and she's not used to greens yet, though I'm slowly introducing them to her.

I can distract her with pellets while Casper is eating, but that means she's now eating so many pellets that she doesn't eat much hay anymore, and I was so glad to have a bunny in the house who ate hay! The only thing I can leave for Casper that Stamp doesn't immediately devour is dried forage, but Casper doesn't really eat enough of that to get through the day. He's been grumpy, and it's affecting the bonding, and I think it's because he just doesn't have his normal greens-and-mushy pellet diet available all day and he's hungry. I can't leave his mushy pellets in there with them, though, because Stamp hovers everything up in no time at all, leaving nothing for Casper and leaving her with no appetite for hay.

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Mervinius]

Aw, thank you all for looking and reading

I'm really struggling with feeding them. Casper doesn't want his mushy pellets anymore because he likes Stamp's non-mushy ones better, but he now has soft, mucus-y poops because he can't chew them properly and it has upset his tummy (this has happened a few times before; it also happens when he has spurs, because he doesn't chew his food properly then, either). I've been sneaking him greens here and there, but Stamp seems obsessed with eating and it's really hard to feed Casper without Stamp's trying to get it, and she's not used to greens yet, though I'm slowly introducing them to her.

I can distract her with pellets while Casper is eating, but that means she's now eating so many pellets that she doesn't eat much hay anymore, and I was so glad to have a bunny in the house who ate hay! The only thing I can leave for Casper that Stamp doesn't immediately devour is dried forage, but Casper doesn't really eat enough of that to get through the day. He's been grumpy, and it's affecting the bonding, and I think it's because he just doesn't have his normal greens-and-mushy pellet diet available all day and he's hungry. I can't leave his mushy pellets in there with them, though, because Stamp hovers everything up in no time at all, leaving nothing for Casper and leaving her with no appetite for hay.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Oh that is a little tricky isn't it. Can they both have a bowl of mushy pellets? Are there two of you? Could one of you distract stamp with her pellets or some forage, whilst the other makes sure Casper gets all of his mushy pellets?
We had to wean Bumble off his pellets because Pip doesn't eat them due to a dodgy tummy. I tried hand feeding them to him when she was distracted as I weaned him off them. But sometimes I'd drop one and shed be on it straight away. . It was a tad challenging.

 

[a reader of books]

Oh that is a little tricky isn't it. Can they both have a bowl of mushy pellets? Are there two of you? Could one of you distract stamp with her pellets or some forage, whilst the other makes sure Casper gets all of his mushy pellets?
We had to wean Bumble off his pellets because Pip doesn't eat them due to a dodgy tummy. I tried hand feeding them to him when she was distracted as I weaned him off them. But sometimes I'd drop one and shed be on it straight away. . It was a tad challenging.

Ah, you had incompatible diets, too! I can relate to how easy it is to drop a pellet and the wrong bunny being on it right away, haha. The thing is, now that he's tasted Stamp's non-mushy pellets, he's like, "Why should I eat mushy pellets when Stamp gets nice, crunchy ones?", so he doesn't eat his mushy ones anymore... Stamp will will the mushy ones, so I guess I'll just put them both on mushy ones so Casper will hopefully go back to eating them...? It's just me and Casper and Stamp here, so no help, unfortunately. I've been distracting Stamp with pellets while Casper eats his greens, but when she smells his greens she's at his side in an instant! She literally jumped into his bowl a few minutes ago.

Ooh, I just had an idea... Since Casper is quite a bit smaller, maybe I can get a house with a door too small for Stamp to fit through and put his food in there... I know I tried that same thing before, though, when I needed to keep Sophie from eating all his food, and that failed miserably as apparently even bigger bunnies can squeeze through small openings, haha.



Casper was just grooming Stamp I think he was maybe being a little too rough for her, though. I noticed when I brought her home that she has a bit of scarring in her neck, also, I assume, from her previous friends, so it might not be a comfortable place to be groomed.

https://imgur.com/a/lS3AZlM

 

[bunny momma]

It is lovely that Casper is welcoming Stamp into your home and even grooms her. He was such a lovely partner with Sophie, and I hope Stamp will soon be grooming him too.

As I was reading, I also thought it would be worth trying to use a area with a small opening for Casper's food. You can try putting a small opening or two in a cardboard box to see if it works before investing in anything else.

Sending lots of hugs to you as you grieve the loss of Sophie.

 

[joey&boo]

Cute little video. I had this going on with eddy and boo , the different dietary needs and abilities and on top of that them being very food motivated. Frances suggested the smaller box thing when i had noodle and joey, defo worth trying again . Maybe find ways to make pellet mush more appetising...fenugreek powder, dried herbs etc. In the end i used to have to do some feeds behind closed doors
It is a tricky situation but i have every faith you will get something that works for your buns

 

[joey&boo]

With green introductions i would recommend getting her on something super tasty. Eddy loved coriander more than nuggets..so long as quality was right

 

[a reader of books]

It is lovely that Casper is welcoming Stamp into your home and even grooms her. He was such a lovely partner with Sophie, and I hope Stamp will soon be grooming him too.

As I was reading, I also thought it would be worth trying to use a area with a small opening for Casper's food. You can try putting a small opening or two in a cardboard box to see if it works before investing in anything else.

Sending lots of hugs to you as you grieve the loss of Sophie.

Yes, he was such a wonderful friend to Sophie. It won't be the same with Stamp, of course, since she's not Sophie, but I hope they'll become good friends in their own way.

Thank you for the cardboard box idea. I'm not used to using cardboard for them because Sophie ate it like it was candy. I've tried it, but I clearly underestimated how small Stamp can make herself

I'll have to try again and make the opening as small as possible so Casper can only just fit through.

Thank you so much for the hugs

Cute little video. I had this going on with eddy and boo , the different dietary needs and abilities and on top of that them being very food motivated. Frances suggested the smaller box thing when i had noodle and joey, defo worth trying again . Maybe find ways to make pellet mush more appetising...fenugreek powder, dried herbs etc. In the end i used to have to do some feeds behind closed doors
It is a tricky situation but i have every faith you will get something that works for your buns

Ah, you had it with Eddy and Boo, too... I hadn't thought of adding something to the pellet mush to make it more appetising. I'll give it a try. I think I might have to feed Casper separately at times once they're bonded, too. Though I think it's mostly difficult right now because they're in such a small area that Stamp notices immediately when Casper has something tasty.

With green introductions i would recommend getting her on something super tasty. Eddy loved coriander more than nuggets..so long as quality was right

Well, she's already stolen a few pieces of carrot greens, so it sounds like she's made her choice, haha. Casper really likes coriander, too, though not all the time. He likes it from the market better than from the supermarket. It does look nicer, I have to agree.



Casper's all nice and clean today, so no bad poops, thankfully. I had to give him a butt bath yesterday, which he was not pleased about, understandably.

 

[Mervinius]

Yes, he was such a wonderful friend to Sophie. It won't be the same with Stamp, of course, since she's not Sophie, but I hope they'll become good friends in their own way.

Thank you for the cardboard box idea. I'm not used to using cardboard for them because Sophie ate it like it was candy. I've tried it, but I clearly underestimated how small Stamp can make herself

I'll have to try again and make the opening as small as possible so Casper can only just fit through.

Thank you so much for the hugs


Ah, you had it with Eddy and Boo, too... I hadn't thought of adding something to the pellet mush to make it more appetising. I'll give it a try. I think I might have to feed Casper separately at times once they're bonded, too. Though I think it's mostly difficult right now because they're in such a small area that Stamp notices immediately when Casper has something tasty.


Well, she's already stolen a few pieces of carrot greens, so it sounds like she's made her choice, haha. Casper really likes coriander, too, though not all the time. He likes it from the market better than from the supermarket. It does look nicer, I have to agree.



Casper's all nice and clean today, so no bad poops, thankfully. I had to give him a butt bath yesterday, which he was not pleased about, understandably.

Its amazing the teeny spaces they can fit in isn't it. Im constantly suprised at what they can squeeze into. I look forward to a scientific experiment of what size hole stamp can't fit through.

 

[bunny momma]

Hopefully you can find the optimal sized hole for only Casper to get the goodies! Though Stamp may learn to use her teeth to make some modifications so if it works you may need to make it with wood.

Would Casper eat Fibafirst sticks? My Peter does not eat enough hay and I started giving him Fibafirst to improve his poo size/quality. He eats his Fibafirst stick before his pellets. I gave him a small piece each day and now he enjoys two or three sticks each day. They do not sell them in my country so I have them shipped from UK and a 2kg box will last a long time. Just a thought.

Sending more bonding vibes.

 

[joey&boo]

That photo of her bum within the box aww Casper is all lovely & clean again, even if he didn't appreciate it.

Keep trying & adapting - you'll get there

 

[a reader of books]

Thank you all. Stamp squeezing her way into the box made me laugh, too I will definitely have to do some scientific experimenting, haha. I think I will get out my measuring tape and measure Casper and make the smallest possible hole I think he can fit through, and go from there, making it slightly bigger until he can go through. I clearly made yesterday's door opening much too wide!

Bunny momma, he and Sophie used to get Fibafirst sticks, but he was never very fond of them. He mostly just left them, though I personally thought they smelled very yummy! Lucky Peter getting his food imported just for him. It would be nice if all bunnies would just eat enough hay, wouldn't it?

I dropped Casper's bowl of greens in their bonding area today. Shards everywhere, and Stamp was trying to eat to greens (not safe with all that glass!) and Casper was trying to chew a hole in the bag of pellets! It was a bowl made of really thick glass, too, so I hadn't expected it to break so easily. I do tend to drop or chip their bowls (their pellet bowls are ceramic) quite regularly, so I should probably look for something more durable... Stainless steel, maybe.

 

[keletkezes]

Thank you all. Stamp squeezing her way into the box made me laugh, too I will definitely have to do some scientific experimenting, haha. I think I will get out my measuring tape and measure Casper and make the smallest possible hole I think he can fit through, and go from there, making it slightly bigger until he can go through. I clearly made yesterday's door opening much too wide!

Bunny momma, he and Sophie used to get Fibafirst sticks, but he was never very fond of them. He mostly just left them, though I personally thought they smelled very yummy! Lucky Peter getting his food imported just for him. It would be nice if all bunnies would just eat enough hay, wouldn't it?

I dropped Casper's bowl of greens in their bonding area today. Shards everywhere, and Stamp was trying to eat to greens (not safe with all that glass!) and Casper was trying to chew a hole in the bag of pellets! It was a bowl made of really thick glass, too, so I hadn't expected it to break so easily. I do tend to drop or chip their bowls (their pellet bowls are ceramic) quite regularly, so I should probably look for something more durable... Stainless steel, maybe.

Really tough solid plastic bowls are my go-to: just the ones in the supermarket etc. for picnics, the really thick ones. Steel also works but the noise when you drop it, OMG, death to all with ears!

I definitely second the idea of mushy pellets for all if worst comes to worst.

My childhood Nethie Charlie could fit through a gap about 1.5" wide. We found that out when we didn't put the run quite flush with the hutch one day XD I'd suggest starting too small and getting a bit bigger. Once you've done it in cardboard, then you know what size to make a wooden or other more durable box. Or put a tube into a box...? If he can get down a tube and Stamp can't, you might be on to a winner I recall being told (probably 30+yrs ago) that you measure rabbits across the back of their lower jaw for width but I'd check that with the internet first.

Chibbs is my least foody rabbit: it's why Lopsy loved her so much XD Lopsy and Aboleth would do anything for food, and Barrie's pretty keen on trying anything. Chibbs sometimes just doesn't bother with pellets: she'll come in from the lawn, find something tasty in the run, we'll put the pellets in her face and she might take one or two and we know she's smart enough to know where they go, but she just doesn't care. She's really weird XD

 

[a reader of books]

Really tough solid plastic bowls are my go-to: just the ones in the supermarket etc. for picnics, the really thick ones. Steel also works but the noise when you drop it, OMG, death to all with ears!

I definitely second the idea of mushy pellets for all if worst comes to worst.

My childhood Nethie Charlie could fit through a gap about 1.5" wide. We found that out when we didn't put the run quite flush with the hutch one day XD I'd suggest starting too small and getting a bit bigger. Once you've done it in cardboard, then you know what size to make a wooden or other more durable box. Or put a tube into a box...? If he can get down a tube and Stamp can't, you might be on to a winner I recall being told (probably 30+yrs ago) that you measure rabbits across the back of their lower jaw for width but I'd check that with the internet first.

Chibbs is my least foody rabbit: it's why Lopsy loved her so much XD Lopsy and Aboleth would do anything for food, and Barrie's pretty keen on trying anything. Chibbs sometimes just doesn't bother with pellets: she'll come in from the lawn, find something tasty in the run, we'll put the pellets in her face and she might take one or two and we know she's smart enough to know where they go, but she just doesn't care. She's really weird XD

Ah, I thought plastic might not be great because of chewing? It's certainly a lot less noisy than steel, though, I agree! I got this one in my teens for bunny greens:



...so bunnies have been eating out of it for 20 years now, so it's certainly durable, but the noise when I drop it! Horrible!

Gosh, a 1.5" gap! It's always fun when you discover how small a gap they can get through after they've escaped I like your tube idea. A narrow tube would be harder to squeeze through than a narrow gap. I was going to measure him across his shoulders, but if it's his lower jaw I should be measuring that would be a big difference! So, I'm glad you mentioned that. I'll see what the internet has to say about it.

Aw, Lopsy loved Chibbs because she wouldn't take his beloved food I've never met a healthy bunny who cares so little about food they'd leave pellets. She sure is special, your Chibbs

 

[a reader of books]

Casper and Stamp aren't bonded yet, they're not yet very close, and spend most of the time apart, but there's also no fighting or anything bad, so I wondered if it would be okay to move them into Casper's room? I've been giving it a good clean, so it's completely empty right now except for a desk and some storage shelves in one corner, so it's neutralised, and I'd keep them in a similar size area as they are in now, with only the stuff they have now, but it would be a lot more convenient to have them in there, as my storage space is rather awkward and cramped and there's almost no natural light in here. I can also not use my washing machine right now... I think they'll bond just fine but just need more time to get closer, and they might as well do that in a nicer room where I can keep an eye on them more easily, I was thinking, but it's only been 7 days, so I'm not sure if it's too early to move them?

 

[joey&boo]

I absolutely would move them

 

[keletkezes]

I agree with J&B, they should be fine. There might be a bit of low-level going backwards but they seem pretty chilled bunnies

 

[bunny momma]

I have some unbreakable thick harder plastic bowls for pellets and they are very hard to chew. They are crock style bowls and they come in different sizes.
Though your metal bowl is very nice, so perhaps just get another one.

That is another cute photo with Casper in the tunnel watching Stamp