Trio Bonding Journal: Barney, Belle and Baby!

[AnnaW]

I decided it’d probably be best to make a bonding journal for my 3 buns, to keep track of their progress and keep you all up to date!
Baby is an un-neutered 9 week old Continental Giant,Barney is a 4 year old neutered rescue angora and Belle is a 2 year old spayed rescue lop, having had a front leg amputated and both back legs quite severely splayed.

Barney and Belle are happily bonded and have been for about 2 years now, I never had to ‘bond’ them as such they just fell in love!

So far since Baby came home on Saturday, I have swapped toys and blankets to allow them to smell each other and allowed Barney and Belle to smell Baby whilst I was holding him. This morning they hopped out of their room and went straight over to Baby’s cage and touched noses with him through the bars – no aggression was shown by any of the 3 buns

Hoping that’s a good sign though of course won’t be letting them have physical bonding dates until Baby is neutered. Will upload as many pics as I can (when I’m not at work!)

Any hints or tips appreciated

Love Anna, Barney, Belle and Baby x

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Wow I didn’t realize Belle had such physical issues! That will definitely add a spin to your bonding as she won’t be able to defend herself (Or at least I don’t think so from your description-not sure how mobile she is!) . I do think your giant will be gentle after his neuter (they apparently usually are) but you will have to watch that, and watch that if Barney has any reservations about Baby that he doesn’t take it out on Belle (called referred aggression or displaced aggression, if they feel threatened, they may turn and bite their buddy upon seeing something scary).

Good luck!!

[AnnaW]

Hi KokaneeandKahlua – I was just about to update this thread for today and have added a pic so everyone can see Belle’s legs. To put it into perspective, she can no longer even sit stationary without her back legs sliding away from her into uncomfortable positions such as these. Poor sweetheart, shes still very bouncy and loves her treats and food (and her life, otherwise I’d make a judgement call). Belle is actually the more fierce of the two buns, maybe because she knows shes a little disadvantaged!

Anyway here are the pictures from tonight. The setup we currently have is that Baby is in his cage in our room and I leave the door to the bunny room open, so that Barney and Belle can come and go as they please, and therefore there is no forced contact what so ever. Barney made several visits, touched noses with Baby a lot, did lots of chin rubbing on his cage and actually was trying to lick Baby’s nose through the bars! Belle hung back and pigged out in their room, so I am yet to get any pictures of her interacting with him.  

Love Anna, Barney, Belle and Baby x

[AnnaW]

Hi everyone! 

Just a little update here;

Barney, Belle and Baby have had some more meetings (with a cage between them) this evening. There has been lots of chin rubbing by Barney and Belle, presumably marking his cage, and lots of nose touching. Again, no real aggression as of yet but Baby did have his tail raised and was racing round his cage – not sure if just excitement though? Again, it was an open door policy so Barney and Belle were coming in to visit Baby as they pleased, no forced contact  

Here are some pics!

Love Anna, Barney, Belle and Baby x

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