I think we are going to rehome Miss Emma...

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kherrmann3

kherrmann3

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Ever since Toby's recent vet visit, Miss Emma has been a nightmare. She attacks us and Toby.

Yesterday, I let Toby run around the bedroom (Emma was in the cage with a run-around pen) and he went up to sniff her, and she attacked his face! She did this several times, and Toby turned back and looked at me with this sad, crestfallen look. It was almost like he was asking, "Mama, why doesn't she want to be my girlfriend anymore?" I almost cried when I saw him being rejected by her.

That wasn't going to stop him, oh no! He leapt over the exercise pen to get by Emma. Her first response was to attack. She lunged at him and clamped on. I grabbed him up off the ground and tried to pull him away, but she was clamped down pretty hard. I pulled him free and a chunk of fur left in Emma's mouth.

He was fine, no wounds or bleeding, but if a rabbit could cry, he would have done so then! He was huddled up by me for awhile and when he went back in his penned-off area (taller pen - no jumping risk) he sat in the corner and pouted for the rest of the day.

He has been bummed since they were separated on Saturday, but now he's really bunny-bummed. I have been trying to cheer him up, but all he wants to do is sit and pout. He is coming to Will and I for attention, but he keeps trying to go by Emma. She lunges and grunts, though. She's not backing down.

After the episode yesterday, I don't think I could ever rebond them and trust her. She is not a friendly rabbit to us, at all, and now she is turning super-aggressive against Toby. I have gone through all of the normal rebonding theories and techniques, and they don't work. I think I am just going to have to contact her former owner and give her back (the offer to do so was made when we picked her up originally).

*sigh* I just feel terrible for Toby. All he wants to do is go and groom his girl, but she wants to rip his head off. :(
 
i am so sorry.
toby seems a lovely rabbit.
so does emma in a way.. well notin tobys eyes.
im sorry. but it seems to be the best in this situation.
 
You do what you have to do. How long has it been since Toby went to the vet?

I have been through that. I now have it so they don't meet. You don't want to here the damage done with my guys.

For anyonewho reads this thread this is a big reason why it is advised to bringbunniestogether toa vet.
 
I would imagine he smells differently after going to the vet and that smell is putting her off and maybe scaring her or something. Its too bad she didn't go with him in the carrier so that she would smell the same way and not feel so put off by it.

I am concerned about what is best for him and his feelings if you return her to the original owners...I know they weren't bonded like Miss Bea and Tiny - but she tried to refuse to eat for a couple of days because she was so upset.

Even though Emma doesn't sound like she's bonded to Toby - he sounds like he's bonded to her.

I guess I want to wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do...
 
is that why?!!!
i really must remembe that when caramel and eyore are bonded.
thanks/.
 
try not to see it as a prsonal thing against you or Toby. in her world her friend went off to the vets and then a completely different rabbit came back and then tried to be her firned but all she wanted was her Toby back. They don't understand that he was the same rabbit,m just smelling different.

Rabbits are veyr tempermental and this is a risk whenever you have bonded rabbits., Essentially only you know what is right for you and them, and if that means rehoming her, then like Ali says, you have to do what you have to do. I hope both she and Toby are not traumatised after their traumas.

I also agree with Ali about taking them to the vets together. Some can cope fine apart, but some always need to stay together. I can only ever risk Smy fosters being separated, all my own buns have to ALWAYS be together because I've had too many divorces to count due to stuff like this,.

It's all a learnign curve and I'm sorry you, Emma and #Toby are going through all this.
 
This is probably going to sound stupid - but here goes.

To get a feeling for if this is really going to last (her attitude) - perhaps try putting a couple of drops of vanilla on her nose because that will throw off her nose. Then put a drop or two on him.

Stay with them - and put them together - in the tub - on the bed - in a laundry basket. I'd have your hands on both of them - but she if she will accept him if he smells like her.

This trick is sometimes used with aggressive does if a breeder had to handle the litter...that way the babies smell like the doe and there aren't any problems.
 
TinysMom wrote:
This is probably going to sound stupid - but here goes.

To get a feeling for if this is really going to last (her attitude) - perhaps try putting a couple of drops of vanilla on her nose because that will throw off her nose. Then put a drop or two on him.

Stay with them - and put them together - in the tub - on the bed - in a laundry basket. I'd have your hands on both of them - but she if she will accept him if he smells like her.

This trick is sometimes used with aggressive does if a breeder had to handle the litter...that way the babies smell like the doe and there aren't any problems.
Click to expand...
That can be a gem of a trick, as can that, and a car journey all combined. IT doesn't always work, but combingng the 'big guns' can make the difference.
 
I tried the vanilla thing, and she bit me... HARD. She was never a biter before. She attacked Toby the same way. :(

I know I should have taken them together to go to the vet's, but the problem was I didn't have a big enough carrier, and Emma is REALLY hard to catch. I only have one big enough just for Toby (no wiggle room) and the bigger carrier was back at my mum's house. I borrowed the bigger one from her, then gave it back because I was going to get one myself, but then finances didn't play out like I wanted them to.

Even when they were "bonded", Emma was biting Toby. It wasn't as hard or vicious, but as soon as food or anything that sounded like food was introduced, she would attack him and chase him away so she could get all the food.

Toby loves doting on her, but she doesn't return the favor to him. Plus, I think that she had an abused past (her former owner got her from a shelter with not much background on her) and she was never socialized to people or bunnies. I don't think she knows how to act. She is just very rough with him.

I don't want anyone to think that I am "taking the easy way out" or anything. I just want what's best for the bunnies. Being that Toby is my heart-bunny, I tend to look out for his best-interests ahead of hers. She is well-cared for and I try to socialize her and play with her, but she wants nothing to do with us people. I wanted another bunny for Toby to have a "special somebun" and having two cages of rabbits who don't get along isn't an option for our living arrangements. Plus, as long as she is around, he is going to try and get back to her.

I feel like crap right now. :cry2
 
it can be hard when we see buns who have a realitonship that is not as 'good' as we would want it to be, but, it sounds, to me, like you resent her. maybe because she isn't to Toby what you want her to be, or she rejects you or something. I may be completely wrong, so feel free to correct me if I am.

it's also important to point out that nipping is a healthy and normal part of a relaitonship betwene some rabbits. it is about domiance and Toby does not actually soun bothered by her behaviour. my trio of sunny, dawn and hope are always nipping each other, yet they are also very loved up and suggle together and stuff at othet times.

does toby seem happy with her when they are bonded?

if he is, then maybe its worth persevering if you want to, because that might be in their best interests.

emma sounds very scared right now and thats not surprising. try to make sure you are calm around her and not frustrated, or upset, or desperate or anything else you might feel, just try to be calm. it can help taking a mntal step back form the situation sometimes because it can allow you to detach from your emotions surrounding her and the situation.

im sorry you feel so rubbish. it is hard when things like this happen. owning rabbits is all a learning curve, a steep one, and this is just part of that. ir happens to us all where things go wrong. all you can do is take a step back and try to work out what you think is best for toby and best for emma and go with that.
 
I will admit that I am starting to resent her. At first, I thought she was an awesome bunny with a lot of potential, and she was doing a lot better up until about two weeks before Toby got sick. She was really shoving him around and he would hide in the corner and was all tucked-up and afraid of her. He would still try to groom her and be close, but she would just bully him again. When she bites him, she isn't just nipping, she's taking chunks of fur out. He has had some scabs on his back from bites, too. I didn't catch them until recently because Toby is all fur. I don't know why she is suddenly turning on me and attacking me now. She used to tentatively come up for head pets, but she is lunging and chomping on me. She did that prior to Toby going to the vet.
 
i wonder if there is something else going on that is not immediately obvious. any chance she could be ill/njot feeling great? anything changed in your home? have you changed your perfume/body spray/anything you put on? or been around anything like dogs or cats? has your mood changd generally? is she spayed?
 
I am sorry you are going through this, but what will happen to her if she goes back to her former owner and continues this behavior? Will let send her to a shelter to sit and never be adopted if her behavior doesn't change? Will the shelter then euthanize her?

I have had to rehome 2 rabbits in the past due to things out of my control (rocky life for a while). I, however, would never rehome any of my current bunnies do to biting or not getting along with each other. All 3 of my guys are currently not bonded. Yes, it sucks because I have to have different play times for them and even a totally seperate play space for Brody because he pees in front of the other guy's cages...but I work around that and everything works out. If I had a bonded couple and then they decided to "divorce" and I didn't have the space for another cage...I'd be getting rid fo a piece of furniature that isn't really needed.


Kindly....I'm just saying that Emma is your responsibility now, she was right when you took her from her former home. YOU are the one who needs to help her get through this, before laying down the responsibility on someone else who may not want that responsiblity and dumps her on a shelter or a bad home. With time and energy, she can get better. Look at some of the bunnies that Alicia has helped get through biting/lack of socilization. It CAN be done, you just have to be willing to help her.


:(
 
Maybe you should take a deep breath and wait this out for awhile, sounds like everyone and everybun is upset and stressed in the house right now and everyone just needs to calm down. If you wait a little while maybe it will pass, Emma is just upset about Toby being taken to the vet. You did take this bunny into your home and so you should try everything you can to keep her there. Maybe try to spend some quality time with Emma? She could be picking up on the fact that you resent her. Try giving her treats and doting on her a little bit, rather then just on Toby.

I would wait this out at least a month before I make any decision to rehome her, just my two cents. Good luck and I hope everything works out well!
 
We have been thinking of giving her back for about a month (even before the vet visit) because of her attacks on Toby. None of our "other" things have changed, like body spray, etc.

Originally, she came from a shelter that is a "no-kill" unless absolutely necessary (more humane than allowing the critter to live). She could always go back there. I have given her a chance, I feel rotten already. I don't need people to tell me that I'm being irresponsible. I already feel like crap. Sorry if it's coming off as rude, but I can't have two bunny cages in this apartment. We managed for a foster because it was temporary, but our living situation changed and we literally have no room for two huge rabbit runs/cages.
 
I hope you don't have to rehome her. She's such a doll. Maybe she's resenting all the "attention" Toby is getting away from her. Of course, only you know what's going on there, but I really don't want to see her go, or have Toby have to lose his girlie. :(
 
I went through the same thing a few years back with Wilbur and Jackie (That was the reason I joined RO). I took Jackie to a vet because she was sick and then kept them separated (in the same room) for 1 night. When I put them back together the next day all hel? broke loose.

We had to separate them into separate cages. Wilbur getting the big NIC cage and Jackie getting one of those small rabbit cages.

We kept trying to put them together with no luck. The only place they were lovey dovey was on our bed, back in their room Wilbur would attack Jackie.

So every night we brought them on our bed to play with each other, this going on for over a month. Still no bonding.

Because Jackie was in the small cage which wasn't fair to her we decided to build a second NIC cage in their room. Well you would not believe it, the day we finished it they some how got out together and re-bonded. So they are 2 very lucky bunnies as they now have 2 very large NIC cages that they share in their room.

So the moral of my story is they can rebond, it just takes time and patience.

I really hope you have the time to try to rebond them. Their really is nothing better than seeing 2 bonded Bunnies.

Good Luck.

Susan :)


 
What would happen to her if you returned her? Could you maybe look to find her a home yourself if that's allowed?

If you do rehome her and still want an additional bun maybe its going to need a slightly different approach as to how you go about getting them to potentially avoid heartache like this again.
 
kherrmann3 wrote:
our living situation changed and we literally have no room for two huge rabbit runs/cages.
Click to expand...
You don't have space for even two 2x2 cube cages that are 2 panel high? How did you house Emma before her and Toby bonded? Even a large pet store cage is something I would recommend, if it means she doesn't have to go to a shelter.

Is there some piece of furniture you don't have a use for, that you can remove and put a cage in it's place?


Wait it out, like others have said. Give her a chance to get better. It just takes patience and time.
 
I might be completely wrong here but she sounds to me like a pregnant rabbit. Is that possible? Forgive me if I missed you saying she was spayed earlier
 
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