How to best integrate an ex-rabbit companion?

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Wiebke

Wiebke

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I have picked up a new girl (renamed Olwen) to add to my mixed couple of indoors guinea pigs.

She's two and has been rescued from a far too small hutch in which she has lived with an elderly rabbit. At some point, probably early on, a sister died.

She doesn't seem to like my guinea pigs at all, and gets the "knives" out (teeth gnashing) whenever she gets near them, is frightened or on overload with her new surroundings. At the moment, I have her separate in my small cage, which I have just moved back into the living room (but on top of the coffee table).

Has anybody any experience with similar situations?

I would really like to keep Olwen. She's a lovely character on her own, and a great kisser into the bargain! But as we need to go up to Wales at least once a month, I have to have everybody getting on in one cage for at least a couple of days.
 
olwen i think it probably **** getting ust top her new sistuation, may introuduce them slowly through the cages first ?
 
I would give them time. Plenty of space perhaps 5x2 if you can and see if that works. Sadly a bonded pair may not take in another sow. Good luck all you can do is give it a good go but I do find with 3 sows that there will always be one that maybe pushed out.
 
PS: I had them all on the lawn this afternoon; but Olwen and Llewelyn will gnash at each other if the cages are too close. So I tought I'd better start with a place where she can hear and smell the others, but doesn't feel encroached upon until she's got the hang of things.

I also have let her loose around in the living room when the others were outside, so she can get used to roaming and running. Watching her discover all those tunnels and huts and corners is a real joy for me. Once, she even broke into a little run! Finally, Olwen went to sleep in a felt tunnel, so I've put that in her cage with a towel draped over one side to make it feel more like a hutch.

I know that it takes a lot of patience and persistence (which I've got).
 
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