Unwelcome Visitor U/D I no longer have a threesome.

I am not a happy bunny - and neither are the furry variety. When I got in from work yesterday Gabe and Spring's run was full of both of their fur. I have never ever seen any aggression between them so was taken aback - my first thought was that somehow the threesome had escaped (albeit unlikely) and upset them.
The threesome however were safe in the shed (Rosie still refuses to go into the run on the Mats of Menace   ). I let them out for some free time on the grass and straight away Hollie had a pop at Rosie - Rosie is mean to Hollie at times so I just thought that Hollie had decided she had had enough. Hollie and BJ then went down onto the grass so I sat on the steps to watch over them. Suddenly a tiny wildie came out from under the conifers, squeezed through the run panel mesh blocking off the conifers and went up to Hollie and BJ. Before I had a chance to stand up and scare the wildie away Hollie went ballistic and chased it back through the run panels.
The wildie was very small - can only just have come out of a nest but I cannot understand where it has come from. With fencing off the back of the garden I had thought we had seen the last of wild rabbits. Of course having seen the wildie I understood Gabe and Spring's tiff. Their run is made up from different panels so I am hoping that the wildie couldn't get in with them but given that they never fought when the wildie that was making a nuisance of itself last year was around I do wonder.
This morning the threesome went down onto the grass and could obviously smell where the wildie had been so Hollie and Rosie went for each other. There was fur flying everywhere before I could intervene. Both thankfully are uninjured and settled back down OK in the shed but I am very fed up. If the wildie has come via the front of the house or next door I cannot stop it. I can't stop it either getting to the threesome's area of the garden whilst it can squeeze through the run panel gaps. The bunnies love being out on the garden but I can't let them now whilst the wildie or it's smell is around.
As pretty as wildies are I really do not want this one in the garden  

Wow!  What a shock to come home to. I don't have any experience with this but I can send calming vibes and lotsnof     for you.

It gets worse - when I got in from work tonight Spring and Gabe's wendy house and attached run were full of fur, as was the threesome's shed. I don't know how I can stop this wildie from getting to scent and sight of them, the sizes involved may it nigh on impossible.

Oh no

I am so sorry, I do not know what to suggest to you. I am really sorry hun. I hope it loses interest soon.

Vibes for the bunnies and hugs for you.

     

Don't know what to suggest. But certainly they will defend their warren even against each other.
Hope wildie will lose interest and stay away.

That is such a shame Vanessa. Hopefully it won't be long before it disappears, but how stressful for you and the buns.

Sending vibes for the wildie to find other wildies.  Poor mite is probably lost and lonely.

More hugs for. you.

Goodness me - what a tricky situation...I just cant think of what you can do.

I hope he moves on...or the buns get used to him being around and calm down.

Is there no way Vanessa you can buy a big roll of chicken wire off ebay and attach it to posts and make like a perimeter fence around your rabbits so
the wildie can't get near them   

We could manage this for the threesome, they are effectively contained within a perimeter at the moment. Because the wildie can squeeze through the run panels it has had access to their garden area. Whether it has made up onto the decking though I do not know. We are too late howver, the damage is done - the threesome are no longer bonded. The shed was full of fur this morning and Rosie is warning off Hollie all the time. I can split them in the shed for now and try to re-bond them if things calm down. I am utterly fed up.

As for Gabe and Spring, the position of their wendy house and attached run means enclosing that is pretty much impossible.

Apologies for being self pitying but this year is becoming a nightmare - it is one thing after another.

Oh no, what a nightmare. I'm sorry this unwelcome visitor has caused so many problems with your threesome, it must be really upsetting to have them stressed and falling out. I really hope the wildie moves on and you can get on with settling them back down. x

It gets worse. Have just looked out of the kitchen window - the baby wildie is in the garden. It has manged to get through the bars of Spring and Gabe's garden run and is now in the runaround tunnel that links it to their permanent run. It cannot get in with Gabe and Spring as it is closed off at the other end, but no wonder they have kicked off if they can hear it in there. It has more than likely then been in their run when they have been out on the garden        A nightmare    

I wonder if I can try and catch it and take it out to the fields.

If it is in the tunnel can you lure it into a carrier with something and drive it to a nice area and leave it there?  Bless your heart.  This really is a crises.

You need a humane rabbit catcher ( we use to have one but a rescue borrowed it and we never got it back)   
It's one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Humane-Rat-Mouse-Mice-Mink-Animal-Rabbit-Rodent-Wire-Metal-Catcher-Trap-Cage-/151264031541

They are very safe and won't hurt the bunny and they are ideal for catching bunnies. We used them for getting wildies out of peoples garden. We use to get the odd call saying 'Can you help we have a wild rabbit in the garden and it's eating all me flowers'   

If you have a local rescue they may lend you one or the RSPCA may. The RSPCA may even come out and set it up for you. They use to in the good old days.

We are feeling a bit like you at the moment only our problem is another feral cat and it is driving us mad as it is trying to eat our feral cat Monroe's food we put out for him. We have already moved Monroes shelter to near our kitchen door so we can protect him more from the other feral. We actually think it belongs to someone and is trying to grab a free meal here as it's a healthy looking young tabby cat.

Thank you Hollie and Maisie, I am not thinking straight. It is a good idea to try and catch it from the tunnel if it is still in there when I get home.

As for the threesome BJ is fine with both the girls but Rosie is not for tolerating Hollie. I cannot bring them indoors to rebond - the conservatory is too hot now. I could take them down to my daughter's spare room to try. Or the other option is to keep them separate but together in the shed for now and ask the SAA to try when they go there to be boarded whilst we are on our holiday. I really don't know what to do - Rosie is a very stubborn and determined rabbit. It was her that caused the problems when she was with Herbie and Hollie.

Oh good grief!!!! What a stress for you, and the bunnies.

I was also going to suggest trying to catch it and moving it somewhere suitable.  If it is very young it *should* be fairly easy with the right equipment. In my experience, when they are very young the fear hasn't quite kicked in yet. The very young ones at my old work used to come right up to our feet. One of my colleagues managed to pick one up too

Good luck!!!

Oh goodness I'm sorry the girls have properly fallen out :-(. I guess the wildie wants to be close to other bunnies.

I hope you have some luck catching him - I don't envy you at all :-(

I agree with Maysie and Holly and trying that out.

I am just so sorry they are no longer bonded, that us awful for you and the buns and hope you manage somehow to rebond them again.

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear of the troubles you are going through.
Of course the wildie will look for a meal and maybe even companionship. Can you block the hutches or wendyhouses over night so he can't get in?
Others than that the human trap sound the best way forward. Hope you gat this situation sorted soon. It is not the time for tree somes it seems. Sending you hugs!

This morning we caught the wildie. When I looked out the window first thing it was in G & S's garden run, near the tunnel. Thankfully it jumped into the tunnel when we moved towards it and we were then able to get it into a carrier. It was tiny, how can something so small cause so much trouble   I didn't dare put it out on the field behind our house where wildies hang out - I am sure it has come from there, somehow coming under the fence. Instead I took it up the road into a wood, next to a field.

I feel really bad about this   but couldn't risk it coming back. Thankfully Gabe and Spring have now settled back down but I fear the threesome is a lost cause. I have spent a lot of time with them and watching them today. Rosie now will not tolerate Hollie       I have now got Hollie in her own space in the shed but whether this will work out or not I do not know.

There is no possibility of finding Hollie a new partner   I really do not know what to do for the best   

BJ, bless him, is totally unconcerned and spends his time going between the two of them.

Don't feel bad, a lot of people do worse things to rid their garden of rabbits

I'm sure he/she will be fine where you left him/her. We all know you wouldn't have dumped him/her just anywhere

Sounds to me like you have done the best thing Hun. I'm sorry to hear that the girls won't be reconciled. :-( :-(

I am very despondant. Yesterday I agonised whether to bring the girls in and try again. Instead I let them have some time on the decking so I could watch their behaviour. Hollie has been bitten several times    , she has several scabs . Understandably she is now very wary of Rosie and tries to get a nip in first, even if Rosie approaches her in a non-threatening way. She then scarpers so Rosie gives chase, tail up. Rosie refuses to allow Hollie into the shed   
BJ meanwhile doesn't get involved and is happy to go between the girls. I am worried that Rosie will turn against him but I suspect not, I almost see her revelling in having BJ to herself. Even though Hollie is still in the shed, but separated from them, Rosie has shown no sign of referred aggression.
So the current situation is that Rosie and BJ are in the main part of the shed and Hollie has the hutch and shelf. They can see each other on the botton level of the hutch but cannot bite each other. This is nowhere near ideal as Hollie cannot get outside apart from when I am around in the morning and after work to let her out with me supervising. I have considered swapping the girls over on a daily basis so that they alternate days with BJ and access to outside but am very concerned that this may cause Rosie to turn on BJ at some point. If I knew this would work this would be what I would prefer to do.
My daughter has offered to take Hollie as she has a spare room but we would both be sorry to see her living on her own, she does need company. She is very devoted and caring, first to Herbie and then BJ, and even Rosie. To this end I have spoken to the rescue that Gabe came from - they have a 7 year old nethie that they are finding difficult to re-home. I would still be involved as I would still be partially responsible for Hollie but obtaining a 6th rabbit, even if it is not physically with me is not something we really wanted to do   This couldn't happen for another month as first Louise and then Chris and I are on holiday in July. In the meantime I can only hope that Rosie calms down and starts to accept Hollie, but as Rosie is a very dertermined, stubborn bun I cannot see it. That is why I have not brought them in and tried to force them to get on.
Another complication is that all five are to go into boarding whilst we are away. I have spoken to SAA (this is where Spring came from) and they sympathise. They could accomodate Hollie in a cage within Rosie and BJ's pen (the pen is very large), even with a view to re-bonding them. But from when Gabe was there I know that they would be able to bite each other through the bars and if things have not improved by the time they go I am not convinced that bonding there would not work either. My back up plan will be to leave Hollie at home, I would hope that Matthew can look after her with help from Louise if needed. Or I could try the bunny boarding lady down the road, or if we go down the sixth rabbit route, if the dates work out I could send Hollie to be bonded.
If anybody has any suggestions or can think of anything I have missed I would be grateful. The whole thing is a real downer - I cannot believe such a tiny wild rabbit could cause such problems.
Sorry for the whinge - my annus horribilis continues.

Sixer, I really feel for you. And I can honestly say I know what it feels like as I'm in the same situation, just I only got three to consider.
Sending you all get on and be good vibes that can be created!
It seems that if bunnies decide to do such things and split or choose not to bond but fight we hoomins can only take it on a day to day basis and go with the flow.    

Thank you Claudia     I know you are in a difficult situation too.

I have spent pretty much all day with the threesome, keeping Hollie and Rosie apart. Rosie has snoozed in the shed, Hollie in the run. BJ has pottered between the two. Both Chris and I agreed that BJ seems to be happier with Hollie - she will groom him incessantly and is less needy than Rosie. Chris commented that it is unfair that the non-troublemaking rabbit is the one that is to be ousted   but the bottom line is that Rosie and BJ were together first.

Louise has been up today and after seeing the brief but unpleasant interaction between Rosie and Hollie agrees that getting them back together is a non-starter. We have had Hollie in to check her over - one of the bites on her side is very big   

So we have agreed that little Hollie is to go and live with Louise, hopefully with a new partner.