Bonding a trio

So was at the sspca this morning to sponsor a hutch and the lass behind the counter says to me to go have a look at the bunnies and of course to my mistake I did, the haven a very lovely very silvery and very friendly wee sweet lady in.
The last time I thought of a trio was when I had Miranda and talked myself out of it after good advice from all of yous because Miranda wasn't neutered.

Now I have jetfire and soundwave bonded and both are neutered, is there much of a difference between bonding two to bonding three baring in mind my two are just bonded a few months and had to have a wee push into going for a car ride.
Wondering would it be different for soundwave(weirdo bun) since he has jetfire already??

Xxx

I'm attempting it now. Simba and Nala bonded really easy ( there's something very rewarding about bonding two bunnies that otherwise would have led lonely lives imprisioned in small hutches) so I'm hoping adding Pumba will go smoothly. Pumba is laid back but being a lop, I find it harder to read her body language. I prefer uppy eared buns so why I ended up with a lop I don't know!! There was something about her I guess.

my only experience of trio bonding was when i got a pair and a single from the RSPCA mid winter. The centre is normally at least 45 mins away from here, but as it was snowing, hard, we got stuck on a hill coming out of the place and it took me 4 hours to get home.
I didn't know about he stress bonding theory then, and going for a car ride,but i think they bonded themselves in their separate boxes on the way home. However not knowing this, i had the two parties in separate hutches, and let them take turns in the run and swapped hutches to get them used to each other - actually the same way i have done all my bonds, quite successfully, but maybe i've just been lucky.
I'm sort of trying the same theory now with Eyes and the other two, but no idea if it will lead to anything or not, but Eyes is so lonely and just wants to be friends with them. Dillon will come tot he fence and 'show off' but Arte is not in the least interested and refuses to acknowledge Eye's existence. 'I have told him how i feel, i want nothing to do with him, if i ignore him he will go away'

We have the plan of the set up of the dining room, il be able to tell whether il have a trio or a pair and a separate.
Going tomorrow to speak to them about getting her and then ordering a couch for the room to make it more of an extra living room xxx

I hope it goes well sweetie, do keep us informed.

Hugs
Jo xx

I took the brave step of putting my three in the bath tub just now. I put single Pumba in first, them Simba followed by Nala. Armed with my wooden spoon to bash the tub with with if a fight broke out and a plastic colander to seperate the buns should they need to seperated quickly ( to protect my hands, bunny bites HURT!)

I find it so hard to read Pumba with her floppy ears and Simba kept standing on them!!! Pumba was head down so not sure if she was requesting grooming or being submissive, but no raised tails from any bun and no chasing or nipping. They all looked puzzled as to why they were in the tub! We did about twenty mins then I removed Pumba first and then the other two. Will try again tomorrow and then perhaps on the bathroom floor with some yummy treats.

Once I feel I can trust them unattended overnight I will put them in the playhouse as none of them have ever been in there and then hopefully scrub the outbuilding and move them back into that where they have lots more room.

I have now got a reserve on my little lady, she is over weight so need to wait until she sees the vet. She didn't have a name so I have named her which they will use for her now.

I'm gonna follow your progress Vince the bunny as I'm gonna copy you lol
I am pretty nervous especially regarding how soundwave will behave.

But looking forward to getting her home
Xxx

I managed to bond or kind of bond bubbles vernon and D 'Layla at the time.
Set up a separate warren consisting of hutch, tunnel and puppy pen within the exsisting one.alternated the rabiitis outside and one a the time in the spare. Not the ladies together.
When they accepted that I started to let them be together by opening pen and hutch door under supervision and for feeding time scattering the food all over.
Took about 3 month. But than d'Layla started fitting and the pair went nasty with her. So the new bond was vernon with bubbles.
Does that make sense?

gemma997 wrote:I have now got a reserve on my little lady,  she is over weight so need to wait until she sees the vet.  She didn't have a name so I have named her which they will use for her now.

I'm gonna follow your progress Vince the bunny as I'm gonna copy you lol
I am pretty nervous especially regarding how soundwave will behave.

But looking forward to getting her home
Xxx

What name?

I saw a glimmer of hope today with my 3. Eyes goes out on his harness most afternoons now on a long lead, but watched as he will often wrap himself round things. No matter where i start him in the garden, he will always gravitate to the run gate and then sit by the fence, where Dillon will often come up and see him. Usually Arte wont even acknowledge him, but today she went up to the fence and wasn't rude to him. Then went back to the mound in the middle of the run and snuggled up to Dillon!
I will take it very slowly and watch the progress of both Vince and Gemma - although i do recall you saying to me only a couple of days ago Gemma that you were not going to get any more....!

I know freecycle I fell in love when I seen her she is such a wee sweet heart, she is definitely my last lol.

Her name is bumblebee ( I finally have a autobot (good guy))

Xxx

What, no more bunnies love?

Hugs
Jo xx

I've the day off work today so today is bonding day ooh eck!!

I've set up a puppy pen on the Lino in the kitchen and put all three in there together. First mistake was putting a fresh cardboard box in there as a littler tray filled with hay. Nala claimed it as her own and all three had a huge scuffle, and Nala really scuffled with Simba to my horror. Armed with my wooden spoon  and plastic colander, I seperated them all and removed the box. That seems to settle things down a lot.
Forty minutes in and Simba is laying down next to where I am sat, Nala joined him and Pumba is sat in the opposite corner looking worried (I think, or maybe bored?)
Occasionally Simba or Nala will approach her, sniff her and then hop away and then return to each other again. They aren't fighting, grunting, fur pulling or chasing so all is well at present but the last scuffle kicked off so randomly.
I'm a little concerned about the bond between Nala and Simba being broken, they have only been together around a month and they were love at first sight.

Ooooh ..... Simba just washed Pumba' s face !!!

An hour and half in... I've got a terrible bum ache from being sat in a hard plastic stool by the puppy pen, Simba has been washing Pumba's face and Nala washed Pumba's face just now too. Pumba hasn't left her corner but is now munching on some hay. She is being very submissive to the other two which is a good thing as I don't think Nala would accept a dominate female.
Nala has just crashed out infront of Pumba. When Pumba tries to navigate the puppy pen, it does create a bit of agitation and Pumba makes an agitated sound before retreating to her safe corner.
I've learned that Nala considers me her territory and made swipe for Pumba when I tried to sit them both on my lap for shared smoothing, so I got out the pen and back in the uncomfy stool lol!

Really hope this works out for them all.

Another lesson learned... Don't give them too much space to start with. Pumba decided to do several laps of the puppy pen and pandamonium set out! Nala got agitated by the movement and set upon Pumba and her mate Simba. All three have 'told off faces' now and a pen a third of the size it was...

jolovesbunnies wrote:What, no more bunnies love?

Hugs
Jo xx

Not together if anything we're to happen to any of them then I would rescue another wee soul maybe a big giant bunny.

Vince the bunny sounds as if you've had an eventful day lol lovely looking bunnies, shame about the fighting but sounds as if they are on the right track
Xxx

It all went horribly wrong Gemma... I put the puppy pen outside whilst I cleared the mess in the kitchen and as soon as Pumba dared move, Simba set upon her and Nala joined in to. Then Simba me Nala were fighting. Poor Pumba was terrified and tried to climb out the puppy pen. It was awful so I seperated Pumba and left Simba and Nala to cool off.
I've decided that Simba and Nala are just happy being a twosome. Pumba needs a gentle husbun as she is a very submissive bunny.
I'm giving the bonding a rest as it's stressful to Pumba, it was going well but every time she moved Nala got funny with her.

At least you are clear now hun as to the way forward. Some
bunnies will never get on the same as we humans. and Pumba sounds adorable and good luck with getting her a gentle hus bun, I think that is what she really needs.

Hugs
JO xx

Oh no sorry it didn't work out
Hope she is ok
Give her big hugs from me
Xxxx

sorry it didnt work out Vince, its such a shame, but maybe she just isn't their type. She looks so sweet and gentle, she deserves a husbun of her own.

I have a similar dilemma at the moment with my three, and i have a feeling it too isn't going to work here either...

xx

Is it going to be things happen in threes or third time lucky when it comes to my turn

Xxx

I've just been extending the warren out in the garden (I will post some photos in the relevant section later) and it's such a shame Pumba won't be able to use it.
Thing is I didnt want two sets of rabbits, I wanted them all as a trio enjoying the same outdoor housing. Pumba is a house bunny at the mo and my house is small so she is in a 3ft indoor page with the front left open and a puppy pen attached so she can get out the cage. I did let her run around half the room but then she started chewing my expensive wooden furniture lol! She is very sweet, cheeky but she will sit with me on my lap and I've never had a bunny that does that before. I've got a little hut and a run outside for her but I feel bad she doesn't have the set up that the other two have. I need to put my creative hat on and figure out something nice for her but better decide quick as if she's going outdoors she will need to grow her winter coat soon.

We look forward to the photos hunni.

Hugs
Jo xx