Advice required for bonding bunnies please

[Caz]

Hi, I am looking for some advice on bonding bunnies.

I have had my female bunny, Sammy, for about 5 years. She was speyed when she was younger. I had her about a year before getting a male bunny friend for her, similar age. He was then neutered and we had quick success in bonding them. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing but we kept them seperate but they could reach each other through a baby gate seperating 2 rooms. That rabbit was Patch and he was a nervous rabbit, he came from a good home before we got him, it was just his personality rather than anything making him scared. He was quick to be submissive to Sammy and they had a good relationship, funny thing was, he wouldn’t groom her, just her groom him even though she was meant to be the boss! They used to snuggle together or lie near each other etc. They were happy bunnies 🙂 However Sammy did start to get a bit food aggresive in the last month, going for him when it was rabbit nugget time, chasing him away, she was fine once she had started eating, then she didn’t mind him eating from the same bowl. We tried seperate bowls but it was more the leadup to feeding rather than what bowl etc. She is a large rabbit and craves her nuggets, I had to cut back on them as she didn’t used to eat enough hay but I think this makes her feel constantly hungry and has started this aggresion. They were still fine the rest of the time with each other. Anyway, unfortunately Patch was suddenly taken ill about a month ago and although the vets tried to save him, he had to be put down 🙁 Sammy seemed to be looking for him after he had gone, she was eating and drinking, toileting fine but seemed to be unsettled. We knew straight away that she would need a new friend.

Anyway, sorry for the long intro, I thought it might help to know the circumstances.

We went to the SSPCA for a new bunny friend but it took a while to get one as they had mainly females. We didn’t get a chance to let Sammy decide which friend as where we live there wasn’t a choice! We got a male called Gingerbread a week ago on friday. He had already been neutered and he is 4 years old. He is a fair bit smaller than Sammy. He is a lovely bunny with a good temperament. Fairly inqusitive, a bit nervous at times as everything is new but it doesn’t stop him nosing around or coming up to be stroked.

The set up I have is a room and a large hallway seperated by a baby gate. They tried to bite at each other through it, or more so Sammy did as Gingerbread was nosing through. We put extra fencing inbetween so they can sniff through but not get each other. I have been swapping them over rooms every day for 7 days. One litter tray is in each room so they are both using both litter trays obviously depending which room they are in. There has been the odd dropping but pretty much they are both happy using either litter tray although I have noticed Gingerbread ‘marking’ it with his chin and other items around the rooms (which already smell of Sammy). I have been putting their food at either side of the gate, encouraging them to eat near each other. They both seem happy munching away as they know the other one can’t get to them. One mishap was on the second day. It was Gingerbreads turn in the hallway and he seemed to want to go back in the other room. The baby gate has stopped Sammy getting out for years if I needed to shut her in one room. She has tried to get out by pulling at it but never ever tried to jump it, as she is bigger than Gingerbread I didn’t even consider he might be able to jump it. I went away and came back not long later and couldn’t find him. Sammy was lying down at the back of the room. I went in and saw some fur, and found Gingerbread lying about 3 feet away from her behind the dog basket. They were both breathing fast. I took him out and checked them both over, they were luckily both fine, just a small amount of fur.

I then built up the gate majorly high and added extra height so unless he is a super-rabbit he won’t be getting over it again! I am worried that this mishap will ruin their chances of becoming bonded. I continued the swapping rooms daily, which is a week yesterday.

I decided today to try starting the proper introducing and will also continue swapping rooms. I took them to a smallish area neither of them have been, I took Gingerbread first abotu 30 seconds ahead of Sammy, as I read it is best to let the male go in the are first as they are less territorial. I then out Sammy in the same area. I had boxing gloves on my hands in case I needed to put my hands between them. My partner had a couple of pans to clatter which someone suggested if they start to fight, make a noise to try to stop them. It was a promising start, they both were nosing around, past each other taking no notice of each other at all. They were probably like this for about 2-3 minutes. They did the odd sniff at each other. Then Sammy decided to ‘mount’ Gingerbread. I also read that this was ok to allow for a very short time, like 5-10 seconds but no longer, as they have to establish dominance. I allowed it for about 5 seconds then pushed her off him. He was not happy and then went for her, I seperated them and he went for her again, she then escaped off up the stairs so we left that session at that!

I was going to try the same again tomorrow, for 5-10 minutes and keep doing that for  a few days and see how it goes, along with swapping their rooms each day.

I would like advice on if any of the way I am doing it seems like a bad idea, or something better might be appropriate, and whether any of the signs they are showing are good or bad as to wether this might work. I could continue with the swapping rooms for a bit longer without the bonding session but I don’t know what is best. I have heard of the method in the car but I am petrified that as soon as they are put in a cage together they would rip each other apart. When Gingerbread went for Sammy, banging the pans didn’t stop them, I had to get between them with the boxing gloves so I am worried that fear might not stop a fight in them. I would also like to know what people think about letting Sammy mount Gingerbread yet or maybe I should have stopped that until a later session when they know each other better. I was encouraged by Sammy being dominant rather than aggresive but am concerned that Gingerbread might not accept being the ‘underdog’ and I know Sammy so well that there is no way she will let someone else be the boss! I guess they have to have one as the boss? After the session, Sammy went away sulking and Gingerbread was acting as if nothing had happened. He seems to be coping with a new home and Sammy being around much better than she is. I thought he would be hiding away etc but it is as if this has been his home all along.

Thanks for any help, tips or advise

[vanessa]

Hi
Since they want to fight, I would let them get to know each other through the gate, for 2 or 3 weeks. Then I would try doing a bunny smoosh. Put them on the ground between your knees, and hold their heads and pet them. Don’t let them run around. Make them sit and be petted. I would do this for 4 or 5 days, so they get use to the idea that being next to each other = pleasure of being groomed/petted. Go on youtube and look up bunny bonding techniques. It is a 6-part video starting with smoosh ideas. I found it helpful to get mine past that initial “I want to fight with you” stage.

[BrunosMama]

Have you tried stress bonding? Putting both buns in a box/laundry basket and taking them for a car ride can work wonders. It puts them in an uncomfortable situation, so they snuggle together and depend on each other for support. Putting them in bathtub has a similar affect. Two of our pairs were bonded on the dining table because it was slippery and forced them to help each other out.

When you say swapping rooms, you mean exchanging the buns into the others cage? Often times, being neighbors for a week or so lets them size each other up. The cage swap can help too.

If our buns were getting too nippy, I would set them together and pet them a minute, then let them wander again. Or I would set one bunny in my lap and let the other sniff.

As for mounting, unless there was aggression, we let them sort it out. If it got to carried away, we would intervene though.

Sounds like you’re on the right track! Don’t lose hope! Sometimes it can take awhile.

[Caz]

Thanks for the advice, it’s been just over 2 weeks of swapping  them over each day. They can see and sniff each other at the gate between the 2 rooms. I will try it another week and then try the bunny smoosh as you suggest! Thanks 🙂

[Caz]

Thanks for the advice. I have a room for my rabbits which leads to a large hallway of similar size, there is a baby gate dividing them which used to be open most of the time so my bunnies can come and play out here too. I used to shut it ocassionally if I needed them out of the hallway. I have been using the gate to keep one bunny in the room and one in the hallway with litter trays, food etc in both. I have swapped them daily for the last 2 weeks and they can sniff each other at the gate. I have been putting the food bowls either side of the gate to encourage them to eat near each other.

I am concerned about the stress bonding. I think it would work for GIngerbread my new bunny. But my old bunny Sammy I am worried she would just fight with him anyway. She isn’t scared of the vacuum cleaner, she runs up to it and other loud noises. She does get spooked sometimes if there is a sudden noise but gets over it pretty quick. She doesn’t like going in the car to the vets but I woudlnt’ say she was really scared of it. Do you think it is still advisable to try it considering the above? I am willing to give it a go, I just can’t imagine her snuggling him, I am worried she would just attack him and that I wouldn’t be able to get them apart quick enough before they hurt each other.

Thanks, Carolyn

[vanessa]

I have a similar thing. My Lancelot isn’t scared of the vacuum cleaner, and I can’t really tell if either of them are scared of a car ride. But she huddles up and she is the nipper – so I think she doesnt’ like the car ride, and he doesn’t mond it. So the car ride worked for her. I would try that for your buns. If they don’t like the car ride, have someone help you. Find a half-height laundry hamper, or a tallish box, and have someone sit in the back seat with you. You put one in, and hold your hand on the bunnies head while someone else puts the second in, and holds it still. Then pet them, and start the car ride. Once the car is started, they will probably feel uncomfortable, and you wont’ need to pet them. Petting will just be to help you get them into the box. The first time doing a stress bonding is often more stressful for the human!

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