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Forum THE LOUNGE Bramble is getting a brother!

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    • kirstyol
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        I have been looking for a while now for a girlfriend for Bramble. I found an advert last night for a boy bunny, his human is being forced to move house and the new landlord wont let him keep his bunny. He is only willing to let him go to a good home where the humans will care for his bun well. I was intrigued, and a little sad that this poor guy cant keep his bun and before I knew what I was doing I had replied to the ad telling him all about Bramble and how I felt he needed a friend.

        So instead of a girlfriend, Bramble is getting an older brother. I pick him up tonight.

        I am really excited, but a little anxious. I have never bonded bunnies before, all my buns have been single buns. I know there is loads of help in the bonding forum and I have been reading through the threads there for a while now in preparation for getting a new bun.

        The new guy is a little older than Bramble at about two and a half (Bramble was one in march) and recently neutered. His human assures me he is very well litter trained and used to free roaming for a few hours each day but goes in his cage to sleep at night. Since this is a similar routine to Bramble, although Bramble has a massive dog crate/playpen set up rather than a cage, I am hoping he will settle in well here.

        My only worry is that there really isn’t anywhere in this house that Bramble hasn’t been, so finding neutral territory for bonding is going to be difficult. I am going today to buy new blankets and toys for them for when we start the bonding process after the new guy has settled in. I am also a little worried about the new guy’s diet, he doesn’t seem to get much veg only a little every other day I think from my conversation with his current human, and his rabbit food seems to be a cheap nasty variety. Multi-coloured stuff, but not the muesli style at least. So my first priority will be settling the new guy in and getting his diet right.

        Oh and a name, his current human calls him Ron, but I just don’t see Bramble and Ron working out so he may need a new name.


      • Sindri
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          Congrats on getting Bramble a friend!

          I know neutral territory can be an issue. Its a long story but I had to end up bonding in a box with my two. You could start by using a box to create neutral territory.As the process goes on trade up to a bigger box then to an expen. I didn’t have any success tub bonding mine. I had too much aggressive behavior with my two. You can take them for a car ride that’s a new space and it will stress bond them. An exercise pen covered with blankets can also create a neutral space for bonding.

          When do you get your new guy? You will have to of course post pics!


        • kirstyol
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            I am picking him up around 5pm (its a little after 3pm here now)!

            I am thinking about using the pen we have currently attached to Bramble’s dog crate and setting it up in the hall. When Bramble was a baby he spent a lot of time in the hall, either in his pen or free roaming sine its the only place I could 100% bunny proof, but he mostly stays in the living room now. I bought a new blanket today to use as flooring for it so it wont smell of Bramble, and picked up a few toys that they can share plus a few for Ron himself since I don’t know exactly what he has.

            He is coming with his own cage (I don’t know the size of it though) and carrier and we still have Bramble’s old cage that he had as a baby (I kept it because I think in the back of my mind I knew I would get another bun at some point) so I thought about keeping him in his own cage at first then maybe putting him in Bramble’s old cage and Bramble in his for a while each day so they get used to each others smell. Bramble will not be happy going back to that small amount of space but I think he will tolerate it in the short term for maybe an hour or two.

            Before they are ready to move into the accommodation Bramble currently has I will need to buy new flooring for it, its a sort of foam stuff that’s there just now but I have been thinking about changing it since Bramble has taken to chewing it recently anyway and I will clean it the best I can to try to reduce the amount of Bramble’s smell and make it as neutral as possible. But we are a long way away from that stage so I have time to work out exactly how I will do that.

            We don’t have a bath so there is no way to bond in the bath like I see people doing on here, but I could take them in the car if needs be. Bramble hates the car, but I guess that’s kind of the point.

            The first priority is getting Ron onto a decent diet and getting him a check up at the vet. Although he has been recently neutered so I know he has seen a vet, I just want to get him checked out to make sure everything is ok. oh and I need to add him to Bramble’s insurance policy which I will do before the vet visit. I made the mistake of getting Bramble checked out before I insured him, they found a problem with his teeth and now that’s not covered by his insurance since its a pre existing condition, if I had insured him first then I wouldn’t have known about the teeth issue and it wouldn’t have been pre existing and would be covered. So far his teeth have cost me 100s of pounds so I paid for that small mistake!

            Of course there will be pictures!


          • kirstyol
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              Well I have just been and picked up Ron and I am so sad. The house smelled kinda like the horse stables I used to work at as a kid, there were poops everywhere (so much for being litter trained) and poor ron eats a supermarket own brand multi coloured food with kale and spinach as veggies. When I got there he had a massive dish full of kale and his former human told me he doesn’t eat much of the rabbit food. I was thinking to myself that’s likely because its horrible and you are feeding him so much kale!

              He looks and feels very overweight, I would say he is probably somewhere around 3.5kgs judging on how much heavier than Bramble he felt when I picked him up. He did let me pick him up though and didn’t seem to bothered at being lifted.

              The cage he came with is currently still in my car, and will be away to the tip first thing tomorrow. I wouldn’t put my worst enemy in that, its quite literally falling apart with what looks like clips from something else trying to hold it together.

              I never took Bramble’s carrier with me since the guy actually seemed to really know what he was doing and had his own that he was willing to give me, figuring it would be good to have the two for joint vet visits I told him I would take it. The whole journey home (about a half hour) I have been worried that Ron was going to escape because its so poorly held together. It was the guys mums cats apparently and none of the clips were very good, and it was dirty as hell.

              Ron is in a bit of a state himself, but i think i will start a new thread in the diet and care section for advice on that so wont double post it here. I took a few pictures when i had him settled in Bramble’s old cage, but i want to leave him alone for a while to calm down, he is quite scared obviously with being in a new environment, plus i think that was his first ever car ride.

              The toy rabbit in this picture is his only toy


            • Little Lion Head
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                Awwwww I am so happy you found this guy!!!! I can’t wait to hear how it’s all going. What a lucky bun to have found you!


              • kirstyol
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                  Thanks LLH, I was actually in tears writing my post in the diet and care forum just thinking about how sad it is that his former human seemed to love him so much but just didn’t seem to know how to look after him. He is currently settled in the cage in the hall and I will be picking up a new playpen for him tomorrow if time permits, if not definitely the following day. He really is a sweety though, definitely not scared of humans he has allowed me to pet him and had a good sniff.


                • MoxieMeadows
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                    Congrats on the new addition. I’m sure he’ll be very happy with you.


                  • kirstyol
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                      Thanks Moxie, I managed to get a vet appointment for him for tomorrow so hopefully get advice from them on the best way to proceed. I have gotten a lot of the loose hair off him (and most of the stuff that was stuck in it) and he seems genuinely comfortable in his new environment. he is very comfortable with us, happy to have pets and sniffs and doesn’t seem at all bothered by there being another rabbit here.

                      He is drinking a tonne of water, and not peeing as much as I would expect, but peeing at least.

                      I did some googling and I think he may be a palomino bunny, apparently they are quite chubby buns naturally so he may not be as overweight as I first thought, the vet will know I guess.


                    • Sindri
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                        He is handsome! I am glad you got him and he seems to be doing well thus far. Let us know how is vet visit goes. I remember you saying something about changing his name have you thought of one for him other than his original name?


                      • kirstyol
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                          I just don’t think Bramble and Ron really work well together so I feel he needs a new name, on the other hand it seems slightly unfair to change the name he has been used to for two and a half years. I also cant think of anything that does work with Bramble – something else fruity maybe? I really don’t know


                        • Sindri
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                            I kinda see what you mean. Though I adopted my second cat and changed his name. The shelter had a silly name for him I think Yodel was what they called him. He was considered to be 4 years old. I looked at him on the car ride home and said to him I sure wish I knew what your name really is. I didn’t want to call him that. I said what should we name you and he looked at me and suddenly the name Grimjow came to mind. So I have always called him that and he has responded to being called that name. I jokingly wonder if he telepathically told me that was his name because I don’t know where on earth I came up with such a silly name for him for him. I know people on here like to give name suggestions if you want to change it from Ron to something else. I cant think of anything off the top of my head. I am glad he is doing well. I hope his vet visit goes well and he is healthy.


                          • kirstyol
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                              Ron’s name is Ronald Huffington apparently! but he has always been called Ron for short. I am terrible at names, the other half named Freddie the hamster and I actually came across Bramble’s name on facebook, one of my friends had put a picture of her cocktail on and it was called Bramble. I thought what a stupid name for a cocktail – but a brilliant name for a rabbit! So Bramble it was.

                              I think the vet is going to love him, they love Bramble there because he is so friendly and Ron might just be even more friendly than Bramble. When I take Bramble he tries to make friends with all the other animals in the waiting room, I am a little worried about how Ron might react but he doesn’t seem phased by anything so far so hopefully he will be ok


                            • Little Lion Head
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                                When I hear Ron I think of Ronald Weasley from Harry Potter! But I agree Ron and Bramble don’t work well. And I don’t think you should feel bad about changing it. It’s a good transition from his past life to his new life with you! I’m sure Pumpkin and Shamrock have had several names!


                              • kirstyol
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                                  OMG LLH that is exactly what I thought! Made even more strange by the fact that, for a few days at least, I was all set on calling Bramble Harry! We already had Freddie the hamster and I thought Freddie and Harry made a good combination. I need to call and add Ron to the insurance policy before I take him to the vet and they are going to ask his name, we leave in an hour – this is too much pressure for me!


                                • Little Lion Head
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                                    Ok, if you had named Bramble Harry I would say you HAVE to stick with Ron lol!!!! Can you tell the insurance company you will call them back w/ a name?! that is too much pressure!


                                  • jerseygirl
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                                      Congratulations on the new bunny!

                                      the other hand it seems slightly unfair to change the name he has been used to for two and a half years. I also cant think of anything that does work with Bramble – something else fruity maybe? I really don’t know

                                      i don’t tend to call my buns by their names when I’m talking to them. I’ll use terms of endearment and pet names. He might not be as used to it as you think.
                                      I think it doesnt go with Bramble because it’s short sounding. A 2 or 3 syllable name tends to go better.

                                      Fruity names; how about Persimmon? Kinda has “on” (Ron) sound at end, it’s orange and it puts another Wesley in there! Lol

                                      Citron? Er.. maybe not. That sounds like “Sit Ron” as if you’re speaking to a dog.

                                      Mango…Quincy…(Quince)

                                      I found a fruit called Jambul… Bramble and Jambul?

                                      For a fruit & plant connection; Rowan?

                                      Or a regular sounding name like Benjamin. The two B names have a nice ring.

                                      I’m sure he’ll adapt to whatever you decide on!

                                      We don’t have a bath so there is no way to bond in the bath like I see people doing on here, but I could take them in the car if needs be. Bramble hates the car, but I guess that’s kind of the point.

                                      You can use a stationary car as a neutral bonding area. Back seat (even better if seats fold down) or the boot if it’s parked in a garage.


                                    • kirstyol
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                                        LLH: they told me I had to give a name, but it would be no problem to call and change it if needs be, vet said the same thing so he is Ron for now until we decide on something better.

                                        jerseygirl:I like your suggestions, I am terrible at making decisions though! My car seats fold the wrong way, they fold in on themselves rather than back but I could put them both in the back seat I guess.

                                        I am going to update my diet and care thread with news from the vet, rather than repeating the same info twice.

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                                    Forum THE LOUNGE Bramble is getting a brother!