HELP WILBUR & JACKIE ARE STARTING TO FIGHT

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SOOOSKA

SOOOSKA

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Joined
Feb 20, 2005
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Location
Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Please help Wilbur &n Jackie had a little spat last night, but seemed to be ok after. Tonight they really started to go at each other.

Should we separate them tonight. Right now they are on our bed with Chris and they are still trying to go at each other.

We will definetely have to close the bedroom door when Winston & Vega have their run time.

Thanks I look forward to your replies.

Susan


We just put them in the bathtub
 
Hmmm...do you think it has anything to do with the new bunnies in the house? I'm not sure what you should do...sorry...has this ever happened before? Definitely don't leave them alone together if they are fighting...although I'm sure you knew that. I guess perhaps you'll have to work on re-bonding them somehow..
 
Yeah I think it's because of the new Bunnies. They were fine when Daisy Mae went up to their door. I think it is Jackie starting it.

Susan
 
Oh geeze!

I dont think I would permanently separate them. Are they being good when they are on the bed with Chris? What about when theyre in the bathroom?

I think I would get some vanilla and rub a little on the palms of your hands, then rub Jackie and Wilbur both down so they smell the same.

Then if theyre ok on the bed, try taking them into their room. If theyre ok in there, maybe you or Chris can sit in there with them for a while. I would close their door or close the door to the other room so theyre less likely to smell Winston/Vega.


 
Another thing- just wanted to remind you to stay calm bc they pick up on your stress if youre upset about them fighting.

Ive had this happen before where Basil attacks Max if another bunny comes into the bedroom. Or like how Lucy will attack Tumnus if she sees or smells another bunny.

I always sit them both down somewhere calm and neutral and just pet them gently and speak to them softly. Stroke their heads pressing down gently to let them know you're in charge and just be part of the bonding process.

I wish I could come over and help. Im sorry youre having so much trouble :(
 
Thanks guys great advice. The bath tub seemed to work. We left them there for about half an hour. Of course Jackie tried to jump out, that girl is fearless. We then put them back in their room, but had both cage doors closed in case they started to fight. They went over to the air vent and layed down. Wilbur was kissing Jackie she kinda gave him a couple of licks.

Now they are both in one cage we are keeping a very close eye on them. I told Chris I would sleep in the room tonight, but he thinks they will be ok.

This is so nerve racking.

At least Daisy Mae isn't as bad as last night with Winston & Vega she only ran along their cage a couple of times tonight.

Susan


 
Whew, so glad theyre ok!

Another thing I do is to put a baby gate in front of the door and shut the door so they have absolutely no access to one another. Because when you have just the baby gate they can see/smell eachother and when you have just the door closed they can still scratch at the door or mark right outside the door. Having both sort of provides double protection ;)
 
Gosh it's 2:30 now and I'm sitting in the hallway outside Wilbur & Jackie's room. They started togo atitagain.I'm so worried their bond will break. Should I let them scuffle a bit or break it up every time I think they are going to go, at it.

Rosie, did you have problems with your fur kids when you brought new ones in. Do you have bonded pair's, sorry I don't remember right now. I'm so upset that their bond might break.

I don't know what to do tomorrow as I have to go out. Do I leave them out or do put them in separate cages.

Thanks for any advice.

Susan
 
How much room have they got? If they can stay out of each other's way, no problem. Can they have free-run of the room? Are there lots of shelves and tunnels and boxes with entrances and exits?

Dill and Sherry may look joined at the hip, but in reality, they can't stay in a cage together even for a few minutes. Dill has a cage phobia, he takes it out on Sherry.

Sugar and Sekura (mom and daughter) fought like crazy. Sugar had hair missing all over the place when she got here.It didn't go away until I built them a pen, and added a third shelf.

When Dawn's bunnies got here for their near-month-long bunny-sitting session in a pen in the middle of my living room, Sherry went crazy, grunting and biting at them through the bars, pooping and peeing everywhere.

She and Dill even reacted badly after Jan's visit, and Jan hadn't even been around her bunnies for at least at week. But she spent the next three weeks pooping and peeing on the couch. (Sherry, notJan).

Yet when the foster bunnies arrived,I guess everybunnyresigned themselves to being part of a warren.No problems.

Sherry still poops and pees in one spot in front of the foster's pen. Dill still poops and pees in one spot in front of my bedroom door (he knows I'm two-timing him with Pipp in there), and the backroom bunnies poop and pee in front of the blockade leading to Dill and Sherry's area.

But that's it. The boundaries are set.Everybunny's happy. (They don't even get to upset when the fosters get the run of the room).

So... get more bunnies? :biggrin2: <running and ducking>

Seriously, it will sort itself out, but they'll all need some time. You're at the 'awkward' phaseright now.

The next month will be a little crazy.:pullhair:

Good luck with it!



sas :clover:
 
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one having those issues, PIPP! Sorry we have them but I don't feel as bad!

Bo has pooped all over the run when they are out. Even alone he has to drop his poos everywhere!

And he gets SO mad at me over that babyyyyyyyyyy........... :pssd:

He and Clover are fine in a pen - but since Heidi got here, they smack at each other more and stuff. They've not bitten or anything but if they did, one would hide.

Poor Heidi, they won't even let her near the playpen when they are in there. When she does get in and plays alone - Bo sits on his top level and just glares at her .... and me for that matter. I call him my Boo Boo and I get this look like "I'll give you a boo-boo woman!" :shock:
 
Hey Susan - any luck with Wilbur and Jackie? Are they still fighting? Keep them in their seperate cages (which are next to each other right?) when you are going out. Also I agree with what everyone else said - keep them totally seperate from the new guys, rub them with a bit of vanilla, and keep having sessions with them in the bathtub etc.

I'm not sure what else to do.. Misty kind of attacked Charlie when we got Oliver, but we were going to bond all 3 anyway, so we let Misty meet Oliver and forced all three of them to be in the same room and she calmed down after a while.

Who is attacking who? Do you know who the agressor is?

____________
Nadia
 
Well I certainly didn't get much sleep during the night. I liter sat outside their door to make sure they didn't fight. Every time I heard a noise I would peak in on them. They were ok but I really think it Jackie that's starting all the scuffles. Poor Wilbur just wants to be her boyfriend. I Thought they were going to go at it a couple of times but I just said NO real firmly and they didn't do anything.

When I get them out for their run time I will not let them into the hall I will close this bedroom door and let them play in here. I told Chris to keep a lookout for anyone throwing doors away we could take them and then cut the doors in half so their is no door at the top and we can keep an eye on everyone.

Daisy Mae is still going a little nuts with them in her room. I have a sheet over their cage, so that can't see each other too much.

Pipp, Wilbur & Jackie's room has 2 huge NIC cages with many levels. They also have a big wooden box that Chris made for them, I'm just afraid if they get in there and start to fight it would be hard to break it up. Jackie did have a mouthful of Wilbur's fur but no other battle scars. Maybe I'm just being overly protective, but Buttercup was bitten once by Wilbur (in the middle of the night) and he ended up needing emergency surgery on his mouth, he had a very big cut.

When Chris read your line "The next month will be a little crazy" hesaid month. So i told him not to worry I'll go without sleep if they need tobe watched.

Susan
 
((HUGS))

For Daisy Mae and the new buns, if you can, you should set up an area outside their bedroom (which is Daisy Mae's territory), where you can put Winston, Vega and Daisy Mae together (DM and the pair in seperate cages) just to sniff each other out. I don't think DM will ever be very welcoming to them if the only place she can get to know them is in her own territory..

I guess the only thing you can really do is keep working with them.

If you want me to come over to help you at ANY time, just PM me. We can be the bonding army - You, me, Crystal....

Nadia
 
Oh poor Wilbur, such a sweet little boy. Im sure Jackie is feeling threatened having yet another girlie bun in the house.

What about moving Winston and Vega into your bedroom? Or is that not an option bc of the asthma etc?

Im sure Wilbur and Jackie will be ok. Sending good thoughts your way.
 
OK here's another thought, maybeI shouldn't have put them in Daisy Mae's room right away. Should I put them in our basement for a while, I can make them a nice cage with a big run and then go down during the day to play with them.

They really are the cutest bunnies (Chris is hooked already, he's calling them Daddy's little boy & girl)they do love each other so much, but I'm still hoping that Daisy Mae can become part of a trio.

Susan:apollo:

PS

Right now Wilbur & Jackie are cuddling together but I'm taking no chances I'm literally changing my clothes and putting socks on before I go into their room. I cannot let their bond be broken that would be too heartbreaking.
 
Yeah, I say move them to the basement if having them in your room isnt an option.

I think it will make life easier for everyone to have them in a separate room for now.

I know putting them in the same room so they can smell eachother works for a lot of people, but from what Ive seen from Daisy Mae its probably not a good idea if there are other options.

If I was to put two bunnies in the living room with Tumnus and Lucy, she would go absolutely nuts. Id be more successful to house the bunnies in a seperate room and try bonding slowly on neutral grounds..
 
Hi Susan,

I'm sorry you're going through this. I know how hard it can be. Jordi and Wesley fought when we had a cat in the house. Well, Jordi fought. Whenever she started being a biotch, I would put her and Wesley in their carrier and take them downstairs. This would always scare her and make her snuggle up to Wesley. As soon as she got back upstairs, I could see that look in her eye again. I would then distract them with a huge pile of veggies or hay to share.

It took her a few days but she got used to the smell.

Best of luck to you all!
 
Any luck speaking to Chris about setting them up in your bedroom? That way they would still be somewhere where you spend a lot of time and you wouldnt have to make so many changes to the basement etc.

It would also probably really help things with Daisy and Jackie and Wilbur. If you were to put bunny gates in front of each door, each could have run time in their respective rooms. This would keep the hallway neutral so no one is really smelling the other bunnies. And if you want to try bonding the three (DM, Winston, Vega)once they settle in later, you can always do that on neutral territory in the bathtub or basement.

I have Basil and Max in my room and I love it. I get to snuggle them when Im going to bed and when I wake up. My asthma is alright, since I have a HEPA filter in there that I keep running. I also keep the door open whenever I can to let air through.

Just an idea. It would be a good setup if Chris will approve :biggrin2:and if your asthma will be ok.
 
SOOOSKA wrote:
Pipp, Wilbur & Jackie's room has 2 huge NIC cages with many levels. They also have a big wooden box that Chris made for them, I'm just afraid if they get in there and start to fight it would be hard to break it up. Jackie did have a mouthful of Wilbur's fur but no other battle scars. Maybe I'm just being overly protective, but Buttercup was bitten once by Wilbur (in the middle of the night) and he ended up needing emergency surgery on his mouth, he had a very big cut.

When Chris read your line "The next month will be a little crazy" hesaid month. So i told him not to worry I'll go without sleep if they need tobe watched.

Susan
Click to expand...


Can he cut a small exit hole in the box? That's really all it will take, and then they'll be fine. Wilbur can just stay out of her way when she's cranky, and she will get over it, trust me!

And sorry Chris, a month at the outside. ;)

I don't know about moving them out of DM's room, baptism by fire can work. ;) I might be inclined toallow the new guys to establish a section of the room as their own. It'sless work than neutral bonding. But she may end up just tolerant of the other two rather than bonding with them, so it's a tough call.

I always wonder how people with multiple bunnies get it to work -- the rescue people here will get a new bunny and just plop it in with the others and their never seems to be a problem. Peg has bunnies out together all the time, no issues. I think it just takes crossing from the queen of the house attitude to a communal living mindset. :biggrin2:That probably explains why switching cages and bowls, etc, works.

Is there space for one big pen with separate compartments/blockers so the whole works can spend (supervised) time in close proximity? Might be interesting to see everybunny's reactions.

sas :clover:



 
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