husbun for my hershbun!

Forum

OUR FORUM IS UP BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING AND FIXING THINGS. SOME THINGS WILL LOOK WEIRD AND/OR NOT BE CORRECT. YOUR PATIENCE IS APPRECIATED. We are not fully ready to answer questions in a timely manner as we are not officially open, but we will do our best.

You may have received a 2-factor authentication (2FA) email from us on 4/21/2020. That was from us, but was premature as the login was not working at that time.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

What are we about? Please read about our Forum Culture and check out the Rules.

BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately! Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 16sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 6 months ago by somebunny.

Viewing 16 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 05/07/2011 at 10:52 PM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Hi everyone! Today we took hershey for a bunny date with 2 potential husbuns, and we have pretty much ended up adopting another rabbit (joseph). we’ve been told that we can return him to the rescue after a one week trial if we feel it doesn’t work out.
  
  Wondering how we can make the best of the week? I know it is a very short time.
  
  We brought them home in the same carrier in the car and they were pretty stressed out but no fighting. Since we got home we’ve made a little area for joseph with hershey’s pen that contains a litter box, food bowl etc. It is quite close to where hershey lives. we had to use her pen, so now there is no way to isolate her in a cage (although she has been living almost free range for a while now)
  
  Joseph seems pretty stressed or sad right now. he has remained in his new litter box since he got home and has not eaten anything. (Hershey is fine).
  
  Not really sure what to do right now to make him more comfortable and what the next step should be for bonding them?
- 05/07/2011 at 10:59 PM
  Helenor
  Participant
  291 posts
  Joseph might just be a little upset from the big change of environment. I say keep an eye on him and see if he starts eating. If he’s okay, you can maybe start some sessions with the two of them in a neutral area, like a bathroom that Hershey’s never been in (the tub works).
- 05/08/2011 at 12:03 AM
  peppypoo
  Participant
  1945 posts
  It might be best to house him somewhere separate for now – he might be a stressed that he is in another bun’s territory, and Hershey might not take to it so kindly either that there is an unfamiliar bunny in an area that she already marked out as “hers”. Like Helenor suggested, try having them meet in unfamiliar territory to begin the bonding sessions.
- 05/08/2011 at 2:43 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Thanks guys! Unfortunately we don’t have much room in our house, but we have moved Joseph in the bathroom/hallway for now. He still seems uptight but at least he is moving around. We just put them in the bathtub for a little while too – nothing happened but hershey was obviously the dominant one!
- 05/08/2011 at 8:25 AM
  peppypoo
  Participant
  1945 posts
  Some dominance display is perfectly normal…if they kind of ignored each other otherwise that’s good . Better than fighting!
- 05/09/2011 at 1:54 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  well today didn’t go so well in the tub…hershey did her smelling of joseph and then proceeded to bite him and continue to be aggressive. He was also angry and growled and thumped, although he was still very scared of her. seems like they hate each other!
- 05/09/2011 at 5:59 AM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  https://www.binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/Bondin…fault.aspx
  
  Here’s a link to the Bonding Info. section of the site that may have some tips and procedures to help make the week productive. It takes time and patience, and sometimes the bond IS going well despite aggressive behavior. It’s their way of working out their relationship to decide who is going to be the dominent one. You need to keep them from biting and doing harm, but otherwise you don’t have to step in with the growling and other behaviors just yet. Be at the ready with heavy gloves (to protect you from bites) and bring a strainer on a handle to slip over the face of one if they are about to lunge. Also, NEVER let either hump the other one’s head or face. That is very dangerous for both. But if one or both are neutered (I assume he was fixed at the shelter) then the humping is a gesture of dominance and she may be the one to do that so don’t be surprised.
  
  Another tip you’ll find is the surrogate. Get two stuffed bunnies (avoid beans that can be leaked when chewed) to put in each of their cages, leave overnight, then swap so they can smell each other on the surrogate. Sometimes they act aggressively to the surrogate, then calm down and are better when with the real thing.
  
  The link above is from the green banner on the top of the site page, in the drop down menu headed Bunny Info.
- 05/09/2011 at 6:11 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  The two “surrogates” don’t even have to be bunnies per se… they can be any type of stuffed animal or doll, but preferably one that is “baby safe”… no loose strings, no button eyes that can be popped off and ingested. And check the surrogates frequently to check that the stuffing isn’t being pulled out. Binkybunny, during one of her bondings even covered the surrogate with fur shed from the other bun.
- 05/10/2011 at 5:37 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Thank you – I’ve had a read through the bonding information and can see there is a long way to go. We have tried a stunt double last night, but the soft toy was quite small so we will find a bigger one and try with that.
  
  In the meantime, Joseph is now thumping at us even when hershey is not around.. I’m not sure what that means. They have not seen each other today. I suppose he is just getting used to his new surroundings? Or perhaps he misses his foster home! Should we wait until he is comfortable in his new home before bonding them, or is ok to continue in neutral territory?
- 05/10/2011 at 12:23 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  I love your thread title. Lol
  
  I guess a new environment plus bonding is pretty stressful and he may be unsettled. It’s sort of something you have to go through though. It’s some big changes but for the better in the long run once rabbits bond.
  
  I think in a week it going to be a little like those 1st meetings and can be a bit up in the air. If they didn’t try kill each other in the 1st meetings and have not been vicious in sessions since, then I think there’s potential. Sorry to sound like a Pollyanna! If you feel like you’re wanting to keep Joseph, you could relax a bit and go into bonding more once he’s settled in. I think the bath session you described is pretty typical. They’re scared and a bit of aggression is part of that. It can take some time.
  
  Personally I think it comes down to your instinct about these 2 and the time you can (or want) to commit to bonding them. I guess that is why rescues have a trial period because not all owners are in ideal situation to spend time bonding the rabbits. Sometimes I think people have an expectation that it should be quick and easy too.
  
  Thank you – I’ve had a read through the bonding information and can see there is a long way to go.
  
  Sounds as if you’re ready to give it a go.
- 05/10/2011 at 12:31 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  I just re-read the last line in your post.
  
  Should we wait until he is comfortable in his new home before bonding them, or is ok to continue in neutral territory?
  
  Can I assume you do want him to stay and offer congratulations on your new bunny?! If this is the case and Joseph is staying, then I would allow him to settle in. That’s what I’d would want to do anyway.
- 05/11/2011 at 3:03 PM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Joseph is really sweet and totally opposite to Hershey’s personality, we really like him so we are going to keep him and hope they get along sometime in the future! However if it ends up not working out we will need to give him back to the rescue as it is difficult to keep them apart in our house.
  
  Last night we tried stressing them in a basket and Hershey behaved a little better but still tried to bit him when the movement stopped, and Joseph was huddled underneath her. We tried to end it on a positive note with hershey not biting.
- 05/13/2011 at 5:53 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Hello, I have another update, wondering if you have any advice as to what we should do next.
  
  Yesterday we took them on a car ride & then kept them in a cardboard box at another house (neutral territory). it went ok with hershey not as aggressive but still trying to bite jospeh when she got the chance and in the end they were just sitting next to each other.
  
  Today at home we put them in a nic cube box like the one posted in another thread here & hershey ended up trying to attack joseph. unfortunately i got caught in the middle and got a bite on my hand (should’ve put gloves on first) which was bleeding and still hurts! so now we are all traumatised.
  
  i really want them to be friends …but she is such a bully, how can we calm her down?
- 05/13/2011 at 5:53 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Hello, I have another update, wondering if you have any advice as to what we should do next.
  
  Yesterday we took them on a car ride & then kept them in a cardboard box at another house (neutral territory). it went ok with hershey not as aggressive but still trying to bite jospeh when she got the chance and in the end they were just sitting next to each other.
  
  Today at home we put them in a nic cube box like the one posted in another thread here & hershey ended up trying to attack joseph. unfortunately i got caught in the middle and got a bite on my hand (should’ve put gloves on first) which was bleeding and still hurts! so now we are all traumatised.
  
  i really want them to be friends …but she is such a bully, how can we calm her down?
- 05/14/2011 at 4:17 PM
  Bunnymad111
  Participant
  48 posts
  Has she been spayed? that might help and maybe just give them more time to bond and sometimes bunnies need to scuffle a little bit because i think its abit of a thing whare in your situation its ‘ whos in charge?’ so maybe hershey is trying to show she’s in charge and i remember when i bonded my rabbits they sniffed eachother then chased eachother abit, few bites and things , nothing HARMFUL but after a little scuffle they became best friends! wierd… may not work for your rabbits but it did with mine, and my girl bun is always the dominant one, bossy things these female rabbits ;L
- 05/15/2011 at 5:50 PM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Hello, another update! Hershey was spayed at 4 months (she is 3 now). Yesterday we took them for a car ride, then neutral balcony and we noticed a big difference in hershey – she did not try to bite joseph as much & even ended up grooming his head towards the end of the session. Joseph on the other hand was still being stubborn/scared and did not move around much.
  
  LAter that day we put them in the bath tub again, hershey seems to be more comfortable in the bath tub and so the nipping began again (not as bad but i had my gloves on this time!). There were a few moments of head to head stubborness regarding who will groom who first. Hershey seemed prepared to groom Joseph but he would not be nice back to her, so we kind of ‘made’ him and in the end he was grooming her & she was very happy. We gave them both some banana and ended it there.
  
  So, it seems like she is still being extremely territorial towards him, however is willing to groom him. Whereas he is not willing to groom her or have anything to do with her.
- 05/23/2011 at 5:00 AM
  somebunny
  Participant
  168 posts
  Update again! We have had a few more sessions in neutral territory where hershey has been nipping joseph and has even mounted, and the two have been stubborn about grooming. It seems like they both want to be top bun – hershey is aggressive and joseph refuses to submit! what to do? we have ‘jump started’ them both which has resulted in grooming of each other…but it doesn’t seem genuine
  
  In addition we swapped their houses for a couple of nights, and have now moved joseph into hershey’s room (divided by the pen/nic cubes). He seems comfortable in his new place, however hershey is extremely skittish and aggressive, trying to get him through the bars, eyeing him down, zooming around her half of the pen growling etc. We got them stunt doubles and hershey was aggressive towards the brand new toy(no joseph scent) as well!
  
  So what to do when there is a stand off? It’s been this way the last few times in neutral territory. sigh!
Author

Messages