Friend for Pepper

[Firsttimer]

Well I’m finally all set to get a companion for my wee girl Pepper.  I’ve found a man who rehomes rabbits and currently has 29.  He advised I get a male who is the same size as Pepper and reckons he has a couple that may be suitable.  So, I’ve bought a second cage and we’re off for a date in a couple of hours. 

[Deleted User]

I have just read your post and the first thing I thought was … I hope you are not going there on your own … (besides with your bunny of course).

It sounds weird to me … a man has 29 rabbits… does he breed them for selling purposes.

Have you thought of trying a shelter or don’t you have any near where you live.

I am hoping everything works out ok though.

Dawn xx

[Beka27]

Dawn has a good point. can someone go with you? friends, family member? that does sound like a breeder… i guess you’ll know when you get there if they’re all the same breed… will he charge you or is he just looking for a suitable home.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Good luck bunny hunting!

[Gravehearted]

well – I know rabbit rehome is generally the term I’ve seen used for rescues in the UK – so hopefully he is in fact a rescuer.

please let us know how the first dates went this morning, Lorna!

[Firsttimer]

Yes it was an animal rescue farm and I had checked everything out before I went there with my husband.  It took two hours for me to get there in the end and we took home with us a six month old cutie.  Rather than travel the distance again we brought him home and he is living in another room in the house to let him settle.  If they don’t get on I can take him back.

We got home with him at around eight o’clock last night.  Just before we went to bed a few hours later my female Pepper followed me through the house to come and say hello to our new boy.  She had a quick sniff of the cage but pretty much ignored that he was there, she was more interested in exploring his room.

This morning we have discovered that he is a digger!  He seems much braver than Pepper was when she first came to us.  Meanwhile, Pepper had peed everywhere in her cage which is totally unlike her.  I didn’t expect her to do that as she is spayed.  Is this normal territorial behaviour?  She was literally paddling in her own pee.

[Deleted User]

Oh dear … sounds like Pepper is not a happy lady now that there is competition in the household.  She is protesting!

Did you take Pepper with you … Did she have a look at the bunnies?

Is the new bunny neutured?

 

[MarkBun]

Yes, she ‘circled the wagons’ and marked her cage as hers. However, the fact that she ignored him in his room was a good sign. It is possible that while in her cage, she heard/sensed him and began to protect her stuff by marking it all.

What do you mean that he is a ‘digger’?

[Beka27]

pics?! i hope everything goes well with them. yes, is he neutered already?

[babybunsmum]

oh how exciting!  glad you found a friend for pepper   good luck with the bonding process.  i’m about to start trying to bond my 2 girl buns and a couple of other members here are bonding too.  check out or chime into the thread in the lounge called ‘the bonding adventures of pinky & rupert & flurry’ if you’re interested!

[Firsttimer]

Pepper seems to have taken a complete opposite reaction today.  She is determined to get her teeth at him.  I said he was a digger because I have put sawdust in his cage to start him off – he’s never been an inside bunny and one moment all the sawdust is on one side of the cage and the next moment it’s all moved to the other side.

He is not neutered, I plan to do this soon but am not sure about doing it immediately only to find out these two will never get on.  I think this might be difficult!  We have decided to call him Dylan.

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[Firsttimer]

Just read the bonding info, it says neuter first.  I will make an appointment to get him checked over etc and speak to the vet about neutering.  Don’t want to make it all too stressful for them both.  I have to point out that he is delighted to see Pepper and runs to her when he sees her.  But I suppose that must be normal for an unneutered male!

[Sarita]

Oh he’s cute!

[kimberleyanddarren]

congrats on your new bun keep us updated when u bond!

[MarkBun]

Yeah, even with the neuter it will be a month before the hormones go away. However, the lowering of the testosterone may make pepper feel a bit safer. Buns will defend their territory, even if they were bosom buddies outside of it.

[Firsttimer]

Last night I moved Dylan back into the spare room where Pepper hadn’t been allowed to venture before his arrival.  I thought they were both so agitated that I would give them a break overnight.  They both ate once this had happened.  This morning before I went to work I let Pepper have her usual run around the living room for fifteen minutes and then gave her some breakfast as usual and closed her in her cage.  I then gave Dylan his food and pulled his cage back through to the living room so that the two cages are right in front of each other.  Pepper immediately started trying to break out of her cage to get at Dylan.  He just paced his cage.  I have left them like this while at work.  I am thinking that tonight I will move him back to his room and let her visit him as we did on Dylan’s first night with us as Pepper seemed so much calmer when we did this.

[Firsttimer]

Dylan and I have been to the vet and had a chat about neutering.  The vet said that neutering him would not make a huge difference with bonding as all of the aggression is coming from Pepper.  The are both out of their cages just now having spent the day with their cages together.  Pepper outside the dog pen and Dylan inside.  Pepper has had a few attempts at chomping on his face but things are much more relaxed than they were last night.  I’ve put Peppers food bowl next to Dylans and she has been running back and forth to it.

 

 

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[Scarlet_Rose]

Awe Dylan is handsome! I hope they make a loving bond and my fingers are crossed for you!

[MarkBun]

The next thing you may want to try is to put a handful of greens on each side of the cage. Eating is a social thing for buns so maybe if they’re facing each other while nibbling on greens, it’ll help. I feel that this was one of the main things that helped to remove major pieces of agression from Maryann.

[Firsttimer]

OK thanks for the suggestion, I will try that tonight.

I’d forgotten how time consuming the whole process is of training a new house bunny, – sawdust everywhere, poop and puddles gallore and no idea what’s going to get chewed next haha.  But I don’t for a minute regret it.  Pepper needs a friend and Dylan is adorable.

[Firsttimer]

I’m so amazed with what has happened so far.  Over the last twenty four hours I noticed that Pepper hasn’t been so viciously trying to attack the bars to get a Dylan.  Then I remembered I had a harness stashed away somewhere, Pepper hates it but I thought putting it on her would be the safest option for Dylan.  So I found it and put it on her and then put each rabbit into their own carry box and took them both the the bedroom ensuite – the only room in the house Pepper hasn’t been to. 

She was a totally different rabbit.  First of all I opened both carry boxes, one at each side of the room, I’d put a further cardboard box on Dylans side so he could hide if required.  Neither rabbits wanted to come out the box, Pepper was unusually nervous and I don’t think Dylan has figured out that he can jump out yet.  So I helped him out and then let him approach her.  I was holding my breath with nerves!  She hoppd out and he tried to get to her back end which she wouldn’t allow, so he settled for her face.  Then she got on top of her carry box and he tried to do his business on her face again.  I expected her to bite or make some kind of movement but she didn’t so I pulled Dylan away and gave him some greens and offered her some as well.  She didn’t move, she just put her chin to the ground and half shut her eyes, poor thing.  A Totally different Pepper.

Anyway I’m so relieved there wasn’t any warring and as their first session was so short I’m going to do it again in a couple of hours but without Peppers lead so that SHE can run and hide in the box.

I’ve also phoned and booked Dylan in to the vets for neutering on Wednesday.  I’ve never had any concerns about my vet having taken Pepper there many times before but I was so shocked when the secretary told me not to feed him for twelve hours before taking him in.

[Sarita]

That sounds promising.

I wouldn’t listen to the receptionist – this happens quite a bit and I wouldn’t let it be a reflection on your vet – just let your vet know she said that so the vet can train or retrain the staff on rabbits. Luckily you know what’s correct but the vet needs to know what the staff is saying so that he/she can correct it.

[MarkBun]

Even Dr. Harvey’s receptionist once told me about not feeding my pet. I had to let him know I had a rabbit and then he said, “Oh, nevermind then.”

If I were you, I wouldn’t overtax the buns with too much bonding. 15 min in the morning, 15 mins at night should be good. It’s GREAT that you have a neutral space to work with. Now Pepper doesn’t feel she needs to defend her territory. In addition, sometimes a harness makes a bun feel as if someone is ‘holding’ onto them so they act a little more sedated (well for those buns not used to harnesses anyways). Heather as Rabbit Haven tried a sweater on Maryann to keep her calm. Didn’t work though.

Don’t pull Dylan off too soon. Pepper may learn from you that he shouldn’t be doing that and will begin to get aggressive when he tries it. Granted though, he’s probably doing that more out of the hormones than dominance issues..

[Firsttimer]

Pepper and Dylan have spent quite a bit of time together today.  I put them in the dog pen in the living room – Peppers room and they have been absolutely fine – surprisingly.  There is a bit of chasing going on so I have been seperating the pen in to two halves every so often to let them rest.

I’m now a little concerned that Dylan’s eating isn’t improving.  I’ve seen him eat hay and drink water every day, but he just doesn’t seem too interested in the pellets.  Previously he’s been tipping his bowl as soon as he gets it and the pellets have been all through the sawdust, but I’ve been feeding him outside of his cage and keeping an eye on how much he eats and it’s not much.  Do you think this is just because of all his excitement?

[MarkBun]

It could be the excitement. It could be he doesn’t like the pellets. But as long as he’s eating hay and greens, it’s good. According to Save A Bunny, only 5% of a bun’s diet should consist of pellets. 80% hay and 15% greens. Of course, I”m lazy and Maryann and dono get 15% pellets and 5% fresh greens.

Dun worry, they’ve been rather disapproving over this and I receive plenty of thumps.

[Firsttimer]

Haha, yes he definately enjoys his greens.  Maybe he never got pellets at his last home.

Also, how long will I have to wait after Dylans operation before I can allow him to walk free with pepper again?  She is spayed but I was thinking in terms of his recovery.

[Beka27]

the rule is generally a month for the incision to completely heal and hormones to go buh-bye. neutering is less invasive, so depending on how well he heals, you might be able to do three weeks, as long as they don’t get too aggressive. also, ask your vet when he goes back for a follow-up.

[Sarita]

I wouldn’t worry about him not eating alot of pellets – those should be the smallest part of his diet as Markusdark says.

[Beka27]

or was he getting alfalfa at the last place and you’re giving him timothy pellets? as long as he’s eating his hay and veggies, i wouldn’t stress about that.

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