Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
Well today George went in the bonding pen with floofy Louise and fuzzy Zara... and they'll be living as neighbours which is a bit sad for everyone (except Zara). I'd not heard any teeth chattering since the day the girls arrived and George came out each morning and popcorned a little circle to see his neighbours so he was ready, and in the pen Louise was very interested in him but Zara chattered, bared teeth and eventually fought him like a lion. He never got past an initial, gentle rumblestrut to show his moves, poor boy. She started bristling straight away and Louise retreated into a neutral corner and just sat there to let them work it out. I let it go for a couple of rounds as at first George was bigger and keen to be friends so it looked like she was testing him. Then everyone stopped and seemed to be eating for a bit, but you could just tell.... my son said it was like 'an uncomfortable family dinner'! Then the teeth chattering and squealing increased, then another altercation. It seemed to settle for a while but whenever Louise went to investigate George, Zara kicked off and got between them, scaring George off and furiously rumblestrutting Louise. George went to see Louise who was sitting in one corner at the time and quietly semi-mounted (she never even got up!) but that was the last straw for Zara who began initiating actual fights by approaching sideways on her toes to look bigger, darting at poor George who tried his best to fend her off until he cracked and ran desperate circles of the pen, wheeking his head off as she chased him and I leapt in and got her with a bathtowel, but not before she'd nipped his bum (and my hand) firmly (but not too hard).
Zara got sent to the cat-box to calm down and I left George and Louise in the pen to get to know each other a little bit. He was super-nervous and she is gentle so by the time I'd scrupulously cleaned and rearranged the living accommodation they were friends. They didn't follow each other around (possibly they could sense Zara bristling in the cat-box, and Louise did go over to see her a few times) but they did the quiet squeaking noises you hear when one is walking around and letting the other know where they are going! The mimicked each others grooming and laid near each other to rest. I'd put a box in at this point and George let her have it without objecting! Then they seemed to have a relaxing competition where they deliberately spread out further and further until they both looked like they'd melted.
Zara got sent to the cat-box to calm down and I left George and Louise in the pen to get to know each other a little bit. He was super-nervous and she is gentle so by the time I'd scrupulously cleaned and rearranged the living accommodation they were friends. They didn't follow each other around (possibly they could sense Zara bristling in the cat-box, and Louise did go over to see her a few times) but they did the quiet squeaking noises you hear when one is walking around and letting the other know where they are going! The mimicked each others grooming and laid near each other to rest. I'd put a box in at this point and George let her have it without objecting! Then they seemed to have a relaxing competition where they deliberately spread out further and further until they both looked like they'd melted.