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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BONDING Nipping Bunnies

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    • Frankie
      Participant
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        I barely post on here because I can usually find the answer to my questions via other people’s posts, but I haven’t been able to find anything relating to this question I’ve had for a couple of weeks.

        Basically, I’ve been bonding Izzy and Spock and it started out really well and I now like to class them as almost fully bonded. The reason they’re not fully bonded is because I haven’t got them living together yet as I’ve been ill so I’m waiting till I’m feeling okay again to move onto this step. They have been in each other’s houses though. Izzy hated Spock in her cage, kept lunging at him, grunting at him and trying to nip him, but when they were both in Spock’s 2 story hutch, they were perfectly fine. Spock didn’t seem to care and Izzy seemed quite happy. I think it’s because Izzy gets territorial about her cage, I mean I can’t even put my hand in to pet her without her lunging and grunting at me. And feeding her is worse, I have to hold her head gently so I can put her food in without my hand being maimed.

        Anyway, like I said I class them as almost fully bonded because they play with each other, race each other up and down the stairs, Izzy cleans Spock (but he never reciprocates because he’s rude like that) and finally, after waiting for this to happen for sooooo long, they flopped together and had a good snuggle!

        But lately they’ve been giving each other a few nips. It started out light, sort of a warning and they seemed to make up after with little nose bumps and stuff, but then it started getting worse. There’s no bleeding, no fur pulling, no boxing, just nipping. But usually they stop after about 2 nips, yet now it’s getting to the point where they’ll just go back and forth until I separate them. They refuse to work it out on their own so I have to step it and pet them at the same time and cuddle them and then they’re okay again.

        The thing is, I think it’s Spock that’s starting this whole nipping them. He practically forces Izzy to clean him by pushing his head under her chin. And if she refuses, he shoves her because he is a lot bigger than her (him a French Lop, her a Mini Lop). Izzy stands up for herself though, she’s a real tough one who doesn’t take any crap from Spock, which is good because he can be really annoying at times. And I think that’s what’s happening, he’s annoying her and she’s telling him off for it. At first, he never did anything back to her, she’d nip him, he’d move away and then go and bump noses with her and they’d make up. But then something pretty bad happened. No bleeding or anything, nothing serious, but bad. Spock was following Izzy around, not chasing, just following because he wanted to cuddle but Izzy didn’t. Every time he got close, he’d push his head into her but then she’d move away. After the fifth time of doing this, Izzy turned around and nipped him on the head lightly as if to say “back off”. But Spock took this badly and nipped her back, and then went to nip her AGAIN but Izzy got there first and nipped him right under the chin!

        Spock FREAKED OUT, started frantically cleaning himself under his chin, wouldn’t come near me at all, had a horrible worried look in his eyes and just genuinely looked frightened. Obviously I told Izzy off, it was my first instinct because Spock is my first bunny and even though I love Izzy, she will not be let off when she hurts him. Spock finally let me pet him and cuddle him, he calmed down and I put Izzy back in her cage and Spock back in his hutch, but he still seemed quite shook up. I was really scared and angry because they shouldn’t be doing this!

        After talking to my mother about it, she suggested that maybe it’s because Spock’s a bit older and Izzy is still young (she’s 10 month now and Spock’s 1 year old, 2 in October), and I thought that could be it. Maybe Izzy is still too young to grasp Spock’s clingy-ness, because he is very clingy. He loves his attention and loves to be pet and snuggled, even when I’m not giving him his attention he’ll come up to me, nip my lower back and scrabble my legs/stomach/back until I give him attention. So if he does that to me, then he’s gonna do that to Izzy when she can’t be bothered right?

        I never meant for this post to be so long but I wanted to make sure everyone knew the details because it’s not just a simple nip here nip there, it’s starting to get to the point where they do it every time they’re out together (unless they’re in the garden, they get too distracted by all the lovely grass to even think of cuddling and stuff). The reason I’m posting this though is because I wanted advice or just other people’s opinions on this. Have you ever had 2 bonded bunnies nip each other? This whole situation is making me want to delay moving them in together until Izzy turns 1 because if this is happening outside the hutch, if Spock is annoying Izzy too much when they’re not living together, god knows what will happen if they’re in the same hutch! I don’t know, I would just like some advice or opinions or anything really to sort of make this whole problem make more sense and maybe find a way to try and fix it.

        Any help would be appreciated.


      • jerseygirl
        Moderator
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          it’s starting to get to the point where they do it every time they’re out together (unless they’re in the garden, they get too distracted by all the lovely grass to even think of cuddling and stuff

          When you say out together, in what sort of space are you referring to?

          You may have to experiment with the environment they’re in together during these times. Making it smaller or larger, making enclosed or open, filling it up with things of interest or paring it right back to basics.

          It sounds like a pen in the garden might be a good, neutral place to do further bonding work.

          My pair that bonded at Easter still have some power plays. It doesn’t escalate much though but I worried the boy was bothering the girl too much. Trying to get her attention & trying to mount.
          I actually discovered if I gave her a project (she likes demolishing cardboard boxes) he left her alone more. I’m not sure if it will help your almost-pair but thought I’d mention it in case you’re out of ideas.


        • Frankie
          Participant
          9 posts Send Private Message

            When they’re out together, it’s usually in the living room/dining room which is pretty big, the hallway which is also pretty big and they’re allowed to go upstairs onto the upper landing which is also pretty big again. And when the weather is nice, like it has been today, they get to run around in the garden. When they’re in the garden, they never ever nip each other. But when they’re in the house, there tends to be some nipping, but I always give them lots of things to play with. They have a big tunnel, lots of cardboard boxes and cardboard tubes, I always leave their homes open so they can run in and out when they want, sometimes Izzy goes into Spock’s but never Spock’s into Izzy’s as he’s learned she doesn’t like him to. They have Spock’s big pet carrier always open to hide in (Izzy’s is too small for Spock so I just leave that out the way), and I’ve made them a big cardboard house, simple but good for hiding in. Sometimes I get out Izzy’s wooden house and Spock’s wooden log tunnel and they play with those too but again, the nipping doesn’t stop. They have all these things to play with, and they do play with them, but they still nip and I don’t understand why. To try and make them sort it out, I’ll get them to run up and down the stairs a few times which tires them out and then they’ll flop next to each other and harmony is restored but that’s only for a while, then they’re up and at it again with the nipping.

            I think my boy is like yours, always bothering the girl, he never tries to mount her. Ever since they’ve met and he was neutered, no mounting as happened. At first it seemed that Izzy was the dominant one because Spock used to just sort of put his head down and stuff every time she went near him, but now I have no idea who’s the dominant one. Maybe they’re trying to figure it out themselves and that’s why they’re nipping? But I don’t want to let them carry on the nipping in hopes they sort things out in case they don’t sort it out and start to fight properly. Spock is a big boy, he’d easily hurt Izzy if they fought, but then again Izzy can be really vicious if she wants so I think she’d do some damage too. The amount of times she’s made me bleed on purpose and by accident, I’ve lost count!

            Like I said, the weather was great today so I had them out in the garden and they were fine. They stayed away from each other for most of it but when they did cuddle together, they were so peaceful and seemed quite happy. I think they might just be getting bored of the house? But there’s not much I can do as I live in England, he weather isn’t always great so the house is the place they play in. And they’re indoor rabbits so I would’ve thought they’d never get bored of the house? I don’t know, I’m still trying to figure out their emotions and stuff. I’ve successfully figured out when they’re both moody and when they’re both happy and when they’re both hungry, but sometimes they’re just so confusing. And Izzy can get horrible mood swings. I never thought rabbits could but she can go from really happy, binkying everywhere, giving you cuddles to nipping and scratching and grunting at you to go away.

            I’ll figure it all out some day, I know I will, but I’m just happy that today was a great day that involved happiness and no nipping!


          • jerseygirl
            Moderator
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              At first it seemed that Izzy was the dominant one because Spock used to just sort of put his head down and stuff every time she went near him

              When he does that he’s requesting (or demanding!) that she groom him. So it can actually be viewed as a dominant move from Spock. If she didnt take to grooming him and you don’t see him do it as often, he’s probably given up. Lol

              It sounds as if it might be too early to let them both into the living areas together.
              I would try a smaller area (even a pen) and allow supervised time together each day until their trust of each other develops more. Then you could slowly enlarge to space and until its a room, then more as you see fit.

              ETA: Ill have to come back when time allows, to add done other things I wanted to mention.

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          Forum BONDING Nipping Bunnies