Hi All
Thanks in advance for any comments on this post as any opinion or help is appreciated.
We have two little rabbits, Daisy (Netherland Dwarf – 2 years 8 months old) & Benji (Lionhead – 11 months old), they lived separately whilst we waited for Benji to come of age and then we had him neutered, Daisy is already spayed. We bonded them successfully after a few months of trying. We first put them together in our new house which we moved in to in October this year. They have happily lived together in the dinning room (their room) this joins on to the living room – (their run a round space).
Benji about a week ago became ill and had to go to the vet hospital, Daisy went with him to keep him company, Benji had an operation where they had to empty his stomach as there was a blockage. He was shaved on his belly and has stitches and also has a few shavings on his ear. Daisy was with him the whole time (except surgery).
Since they have been home Benji has been on medication. A day and a half after Benji had been home he started getting back to his usual self however he is still on medication. I was downstairs with them and Daisy was eating a green bean, Benji wanted it they chase each other a little and then stopped so I went in the kitchen to get some spring greens to share and heard a loud noise, rushed back in to see a huge fight happening (if I wasn’t there to break it up I think they would have just continued). A lot of fluff came off and Benji had bit Daisy a little on the back. I separated them and made two runs next to each other like they used to be.
Today we went back to the vet and the vet said to put them back in together, however within seconds they were at each other again, so we have separated them.
We are thinking of keeping them separate whilst Benji is recovering. Then start the bonding process again. They are next to each other, can see each other and can smell each other. We are thinking the fighting is because either Benji smells different (the medicine) or the dominance has change due to Benji being ill.
In the flat we used to have them next to each other and then they took turns in being out in the living room and that was fine before we eventually bonded them (they were bonded about three weeks before we moved however we wanted to wait until we got to the new house to have them together).
[B]The questions really is: We are wondering whether us letting them individually run around the dining room and living room would be fine whilst the other is in their run and then when we start bonding again we will do it in a neutral area before introducing them back in to the same living area (dining room) – Does this sound OK? Also any other helpful tips and advice would be appreciated [/B]
Thanks Matt
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