wishingstar
Well-Known Member
To make a long story short, a person I've known for a couple of years asked me to take care of her rabbit, Benny, because she can't take him with her when she goes home. Things haven't been going well, though. My rabbit, Astro, is not used to being caged, and I've been keeping Benny in an exercise pen in the same room, as it's basically a studio apartment and there's nowhere else to put him.
Today, though, I had to put Benny in his hutch, and Astro in the exercise pen.
Astro keeps pooping and peeing around the exercise pen while Benny's inside and Benny keeps pooping and peeing outside of his toilet in retaliation. It's been like this for weeks, and it's getting to be too much for me. I know that they're being territorial, but it's so stressful, and I'm losing my patience.
Trying to bond them, I've made the mistake of letting them play in the same room together a few times. With a little help, though, I was able to put them in the bathtub together today, but it ended with them fighting after, maybe, ten minutes. Astro seems so excited, though, about being around another rabbit, and it breaks my heart to see Benny ignore him and then, when Astro gets on his nerves, attack him.
They're around the same age, but they're both males, and Benny is much larger than Astro. I know that it's not an "ideal pairing", but I feel obligated to make it work, and I'm afraid that Astro will become lonely if I have to find another home for Benny. Do I need to give it more time? Or, is this a lost cause? Does anyone have any tips?
Today, though, I had to put Benny in his hutch, and Astro in the exercise pen.
Astro keeps pooping and peeing around the exercise pen while Benny's inside and Benny keeps pooping and peeing outside of his toilet in retaliation. It's been like this for weeks, and it's getting to be too much for me. I know that they're being territorial, but it's so stressful, and I'm losing my patience.
Trying to bond them, I've made the mistake of letting them play in the same room together a few times. With a little help, though, I was able to put them in the bathtub together today, but it ended with them fighting after, maybe, ten minutes. Astro seems so excited, though, about being around another rabbit, and it breaks my heart to see Benny ignore him and then, when Astro gets on his nerves, attack him.
They're around the same age, but they're both males, and Benny is much larger than Astro. I know that it's not an "ideal pairing", but I feel obligated to make it work, and I'm afraid that Astro will become lonely if I have to find another home for Benny. Do I need to give it more time? Or, is this a lost cause? Does anyone have any tips?
