Today is not a good day...This morning I woke up to find Dennis sitting on the couch eating hay, covered in tufts! I went over to the pen and Delilah is sitting in his side of the pen! I have no idea how she got in, she had to have jumped the 30 inch x-pen! They have been housed next to each other with a sheet covering the shared barrier so they cannot see each other but get used to the smells for bonding. I was soooo mad at Delilah! Their earlier meetings were not terrible, but weren't great either and they had some nipping and tiffs before. Well they got into a fight and Dennis now has two big chunks of skin missing. I think he was getting so beat up that he had to escape by jumping the 30 inch fence! They are just surface wounds, like the fur got ripped off and the skin just came with it, but they are a decent size. I cleaned them with some diluted peroxide and put neosporin on them, is there anything else I can do?! Poor little guy, I feel so awful! I called the vet to see what they said and they told me to use the peroxide and neosporin, clean it a couple times a day, and really watch them. Dennis still ate his veggies and hay and is pottying normally. The boo boo's are tender though, he doesn't like me messing with them, but is isn't acting uncomfortable. My other problem now is that I tried to put Dennis back into his side of the pen adn he clawed and jumped at me to have me pick him up and hold him. He is now mortified of being in his pen because he thinks she is still in there and will attack him. I set him back down and he jumped over the pen side again to get away. it is so sad...I don't know how I did not hear it happen, I was asleep. I just feel like SUCH a bad bunny mom! I was so upset this morning. I just feel like I let Dennis get hurt, if I had just gotten up this morning, like I thought about doing, instead of going back to bed it would have never happened! Now what?! I don't trust leaving him next to Delilah, it was very weird that she went into HIS pen anyway (on a side note, this may have worked out some of the dominance issues they were having during sessions...it didn't happen in a good way, but a thought maybe...)...Trying not to cry about it all...

I yelled at Delilah when I saw her in the pen. She knew instantly that she did something wrong and put her head down. She is just so nasty sometimes...He has been in the bredroom the rest of the day today. He was actually living in the bedroom and we moved him next to their pen. I think he will have to go back into the bedroom, he is just too nervous to be near the trio's pen.

I think he will have to go back into the bedroom, he is just too nervous to be near the trio's pen.

That's a good idea. Keep them well separated for a week or so. It'll give him a chance to heal up nice also.

Did Delilah get any injuries also?  

This morning I woke up to find Dennis sitting on the couch eating hay, covered in tufts!

Oh poor little bunny.     They can be terrors sometimes. 

Here is a little info about the small sessions we have had so far: (all sessions have been on the bathroom floor, blocked into a smaller area)

First Meeting of Dexter and Dennis:
Dexter likes him, no aggression. Both thumped at first, Dexter groomed Dennis, Dennis flopped. Dex made one little nip at Dennis which set Dennis off into a little nipping thing. Turned the blow dryer on, stopped them in their tracks. When they first approach each other is when Dexter gets nervous and will thump or give him a little nip. They have had a couple other small sessions that have all been ok, Dexter grooms him, Dennis bit raisins off Dexter's head. Only one sessions hasn't worked out with them, and Dexter was in a weird mood that day and was not acting himself so we ended it on a good note. They both sit next to eachother for mutual pets, and will both take treats.

Davey and Dennis:
Davey likes him. No aggression at all, Davey even gave him a couple licks which is big for Davey! It took him weeks to groom Dexter, even just one little lick, and we had to use food on his face to get him to start. I think it was very positive. They sat next to each other for mutual pets. Davey's first meeting with him he was too nervous to eat a treat, but after that he would eat them.

Delilah and Dennis:
Read the first post. She is interested in him and would go visit him in the bedroom (this was before the fight). They had a couple little tiffs through the pen bars, but nothing like she was when we were bonding with Dexter. She seemed like she was much better with him than she was with Dexter, but I guess not! Hopefully taking some time off from Delilah and Dennis bonding will help, although they probably have worked out most of their bonding issues, albeit not in the most ideal way.

 

Well last night we moved Davey into the bedroom, sharing Dennis' pen that I divided up. He will spend the nights in there with Dennis, but return to the trio's pen during the day and for play times. I will just say that Davey was not thrilled about being stuck in that little space but he will get used to it. He was driving me crazy trying to fall asleep last night; chewing the wire, digging, all the noisy things that keep you up! I had to create my own divider. I used the top wire part of the pet store cages with one of the larger flaps opened up. The pen is made around our dresser. Dennis I do not have to worry about chewing the front of the drawers off but Davey is a nibbler so I had to "heavy duty" his side. Hubby suggested that Dennis wear a little doggy sweater to protect his boo boos, what a sight that would be! I told him, maybe just a little t-shirt instead!

Please excuse the mess on the dresser. Most of it is Dennis' boo boo cleaning stuff

I put hay on either side to encourage them to eat together. Dennis didn't care and ran right up and started chowing down, but Davey was still nervous.