My new foster bunnies - thoughts/advice please?

(sorry for the long post)

On Thursday evening, another pair of foster bunnies arrived. They have come to Pawz from the RSPCA having been rescued from a fairly hideous environment - 70 bunnies not being properly cared for. They are now neutered and healthy, and I have named them Caspian and Tumnus.

The only other things we know about them is that they are both boys, brothers, and have been together all their lives - ?bonded pair.

It is the query over whether or not they are bonded that I was looking for some advice about (I am very aware that we've had them no time at all). I've spent quite a bit of time quietly watching them, and they don't act like any other bonded pair I've seen - no grooming, no cuddling, no affection of any kind that I would expect to see in a bonded pair. I would particularly expect them to huddle together for comfort given the stress they are currently under, having been passed around a bit to get to their foster home, but they aren't.

The only interaction I've seen between them has been less than positive. Caspian humps Tumnus a lot. When they arrived, Tumnus retreated to a small gap between the cages we have in the room with them. He was there all Thursday night and all day Friday (he may have ventured out over night on Thursday). When I went in yesterday morning, he was still there, shaking, and there was a lot of his fur lying around, some of it in quite large clumps. When I'd sat with them for over an hour, and given each of them some carrot, he started looking like coming out of his hidey hole. But every time he did, he'd poke his little face out, and Caspian, who is much more confident and had been happily bounding around all over the place, pushed him back in, making grunting noises.

After a while, Caspian hopped into one of the cages, so I shut him in, and went and picked up Tumnus to check him over for any sign of injury. There wasn't, but you could see where the clumps of fur had come from He was shaking still, absolutely terrified in my arms, so I didn't hold him for long. I wasn't sure if he'd eaten anything other than the carrot, or had anything to drink, and there were no poops near him, so I popped him in the other cage - a nice safe, secure place for him to call his own and retreat to, and obviously with access to food, water and a litter tray, and then left them both over night in their cages.

When I went in this morning, I was pleased to see that Tumnus had eaten all his pellets, done some poops, and had plenty to drink as well. Caspian had as well - I had wondered whether separating them over night might upset Caspian. Tumnus had also stopped trembling, which is the first time I'd seen him not shaking since we met. He did start again when I put him some fresh hay in and changed his water, the poor little thing.

My current feeling is that it will be better for them both to be kept separately. Ordinarily, I would never dream of splitting a bonded pair, but neither myself, my partner or the people from Pawz who have seen them think they are actually bonded. Our feeling is that they are living together and tolerating one another in a kind of uneasy truce, and would be better kept apart.

I am new to fostering - Cookie and Oreo were my first - and I've not had to deal with neglected/mistreated bunsters before, so I'd just really like to hear your thoughts on the situation. I just want them to be as happy as possible in Spare Oom (sorry, I am a Narnia geek )

Thank you!

Sue x

Oh, and here are some pictures of the little beauties:

Caspian:



Tumnus:

What beautiful buns.

They do sound happier apart. It may be that the two were shuved together during the rescue and were never actually "together".

If they seem happier apart, I would keep them apart.

Im not an expert though hun - I hope someone who knows more than me will be along soon to help.

I think you have done the right thing. If they were bonded, it doesn't sound like a very healthy bond, although it might just be the stress of being moved around that has brought on the violence.

I had two male rabbits who were bonded and there generally wasn't a lot of lurve on show (natch!). The dominant bun did tend to herd the other one into areas that he decided were OK for the partner and it did take a while for them to settle together.

Keeping them separate and bonding them with a neutered female will probably be much healthier for them in the future.

i'm new to rabbits but would say you've done the right thing maybe keep them seperate but so the cages are near each other so they can see and smell each other then try to slowly re-introduce them
either way hope it all turns out ok lovely buns
fiver...

love em 2 bonny buns xx

I'm not experienced at all with bun bonding but I don't think they should be kept together, especially if there is fur flying! They sound happier when they are not together.

They are beautiful

I wouldn't keep them together if there is fur flying either. Tumnus does look scared in your photo as well. I would be considering moving Tumnus away from Caspian all together (another room) and see if he is more confident. If there is no change then he may just be traumatised. If he perks up it would indicate Caspian is the problem. Sometimes people do not appreciate the difference between living together and bonded.

Well this morning's response has told me that my decision to separate was the right call. When I went to open Tumnus's cage he came hopping over to the cage door to greet me He wouldn't allow a nose rub, and there is no evidence that he has venture out of his cage yet, but there was a marked difference in his demeanour (do bunsters have demeanours?) - not shaking, so quite so timid.

These 2 are going to take some work I think, poor lads.

Thank you all for the reassurance.

so glad it's all working out i'm sure with your love patience and of course hard work things will hop along fine (excuse the pun),
fiver...

It sounds like you have done the rght thing keeping them seperate. perhaps bond them to a spayed female each, I think they would be happier that way too. Good luck

Definately sounds like youve done the right thing, especially if he's now coming out of his shell a bit more

It does sound like you have done the right thing just keep an eye on their eating etc.

Two of my bunnies, Daphne and Jasmine, were like this when I adopted them about 2 years ago, constant humping, fur pulling and nipping, so I separated them. I split them up and they pined for each other, both went off their food.

They live happily together now in my group but every now and then they will have a little disagreement. If they were recently neutered they could just need the time apart to recover?

Yeah, I kept an eye on their eating etc, and they're both eating and drinking fine, and Caspian is really quite confident and I caught several binkies today, which made me very happy