Izzy/Irving has to go back to Red Door

[wendyzski]

Earlier this week, when I was relocating his pen, he got around me and ran into the kitchen.  He and Winslet interacted pretty well for a little while, so I let them, but I took my eyes off them for a second and a really bad fight broke out.

During the week, I had to wrap his pen in paper in an attempt to :out of sight out of mind:, but both were trying to chew through the barrier - him to get out and play, and her in to attack the interloper.  He's soo cheerful that he hops up to anyone aproaching the pen, looking for attention, pettins, and treats - even when the thing on the other side is a grumpy bitey ladybun.  Things weren't calming with time - they seemed to be escalating.

Then last night, while he was having Out Time, he figured out that he could jump the 34" barrier I had in the hall, and Winslet was on the other side.  Another viscious fight all up and down the hallway, with clumps of fur flying on both sides and I had trouble separating them.   I realized that if he can clear a 34" blind barrier it was only a matter of time before he figured out how to get out of a 36" pen, and that I wasn't going to be able to keep him safe long enough for them to work things out, and I'd never forgive myself if he got out while I was at work and one of them got seriously hurt.

So to protect Irrepresible Irving from his own doofiness and placate my Attack Bun, I took him back to Red Door this morning.  They already have a date lined up for him.  I'll miss him terribly, and I can't help feeling that if I had only dome something different or earlier or better they could have worked things out. But at this point, this was really the only option.

*cries*

Comments

[fuzzyscribble.livejournal.com]

I've owned Gerbils for the last 30 years... and they have heavy scent related territory issues. I've had gerbils that were sleeping in a happy gerbil pile one day... de-clan and start fighting to the death the next. I had to split up my current triad of gerbil girls because of an aggressive gerbil... sometimes they have hormone changes... which change their scent... and all of a sudden they become "strangers" to one another. I've tried split-tank... and even rubbing all of my gerbils with a little vanilla extract to give them a "common" scent to get them back together... but they seem to be permanently de-clanned.

It's sad... but really, there wasn't much I could have done to prevent it. I always wash my hands before handling them so I don't introduce any weird smell into their environment. I don't play with them around anything heavily scented. And they get the same diet and treats... so I did everything I could on my end.

I don't really know rabbits... but know that eventually you'll find someone who is compatible with your cranky bunny. Unlike gerbils... which even most rescues see as "disposable" pets... I can't try adopting a friend for my lonely gerbil... and have a place to bring them back to if it doesn't work out. Thank Jah for Red Door... and kudos to you for trying so hard and being such a responsible bunny owner.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

I adopted a hamster from a shelter once! If you search Petfinder, they are out there = just not very common