Bonding two females..stressed out pleas help!

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This topic has 9sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 8 months ago by Monkeybun.

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- 03/05/2012 at 4:45 PM
  tofuandjamong
  Participant
  5 posts
  Hello! I’ve had Jamong since December 2011, and decided to get her a friend after i’ve trained her and had more experience. I’ve kept Jamong in my room, and it is where she feels comfortable the most and claims her territory. I received another rabbit from the same previous owner Sunday. I’ve had her sister, Tofu, meet Jamong in my room..and I noticed Jamong would thump front of her several times..and Tofu even came to Jamong and put her head under Jamong telling Jamong is more dominant..is that not the sign? Yesterday, I took them to a neutral territory, and they met again..but I saw them lay next (not too close) to each other..So it must mean they felt a little more comfortable in the neutral territory.
  
  Today, in the morning, I left Tofu in the cage which was Jamong’s, and released Tofu to try bonding again..Tofu would follow Jamong and pull her fur out..trying to tell Jamong that she is more dominant..even in the neutral area, where Tofu has never been before..Jamong rarely visited my closet either. When I let Tofu out of her cage, she would put her scents outside of the cage..everywhere, the plates where they ate from, everything! It is very very hard to watch Tofu and Jamong not get along well, since they are sisters too, and because Jamong was my first, so of course I feel closer to her. I really don’t know what to do next..I gave them some old fashioned oats to eat from the same bowl, and I was surprised they did..But a little later Tofu scared Jamong away..and whenever Jamong would go into the cage, Tofu would oppose it and scare her..I feel like in seeing this..how Tofu scares Jamong soo much, they will never even get close to bonding.
  
  They are both spayed. Please help!
- 03/05/2012 at 4:57 PM
  Pandorachik
  Participant
  900 posts
  First off, Welcome! I love new BBers!
  Ok, so, from what I read, both are spayed?
  I say go back to square one. Here is a good video on bonding.
  (I don’t know if I need to put it or not, but I Do not own any rights in this video.)
  Heres the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfUDIIe_Kpk&feature=plcp&context=C3b24ec1UDOEgsToPDskK15l33DLN6QOE34aGBLf4-
  It may give you some useful tips. Sorry I am not an expert on bonding. But hope this helps some!
- 03/05/2012 at 5:17 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Always always always do bonding sessions in neutral territory, with nothing they will fight over. No food, no litter box, no toys. Just because they are siblings, doesn’t mean they will like each other immediately. You will need to go slow, and do sessions every day. Always try to end on a good note, don’t end a session when one gets aggressive as they will learn thats how they need to act to get away from the other bunny. If you end it on a good note, you will slowly wear them down, and get them used to each other.
  
  House them side by side so they get used to each others presence, and swap cages every night. That way they will get used to having the others scent in their space.
  
  And just a tidbit of info, don’t give bunnies rolled oats, it isn’t a good food for them
- 03/06/2012 at 5:22 PM
  tofuandjamong
  Participant
  5 posts
  I did another bonding session today in the bathroom same as yesterday and it was not good..it was quite disturbing as there was biting but I stopped it before it got worse and actually got scratched and bitten..doesn’t hurt though. Then I transferred them into the same cage since I only have one now, and there was some scuffling, but no fur pulling..THANK GOD! Tofu groomed jamong once..and thats it.
  
  Tofu lays down in the cage, does that mean she feels some what comfortable or doesn’t mind? And when they touch noses, does it mean they want to fight? Today Tofu tried to smell under Jamong, but she didn’t like it. It’s usually Jamong that runs away, and she seems so stressed out..Is there ANYTHING to help her relieve stress? Should I not bond them together often?
  
  Thank you so much!
- 03/06/2012 at 5:32 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Eek! You only have one cage? how is the other bunny housed then?
  
  keep going with sessions. You should do them every day, you need to wear them down. Touching noses isn’t fighting, when they go nose to nose they are kind of demanding grooming from each other. You need to let them figure out which is the top bunny.
- 03/06/2012 at 5:46 PM
  tofuandjamong
  Participant
  5 posts
  Jamong is litter trained so I leave her seperate litter tray box in my room, because thats where she usually stays. Today I plan on switching them, having Tofu come out (left her in the closet), so that they can get used to each others scents..Tofu will thump her feet in front of Jamong..im guessing its her sign that shes the top bunny? But it seems like Jamong is refusing.
  
  Jamong will make noises (like a plead for help) when they were together in the bathtub..so I think the bathtub is out for a neutral area..
  Do you think it’s a bad idea for me to bond them together in the cage? It’s better then the tub..where the fur pulling happened..really minor fur pulling was done in the cage though.
- 03/06/2012 at 5:47 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  Yes, definitely a bad idea. It is one of their spaces already, you need a neutral space.
- 03/06/2012 at 5:48 PM
  tofuandjamong
  Participant
  5 posts
  OH and Tofu would often scratch Jamong..it just stresses me out and its hard to watch! Yesterday Tofu scratched Jamong but she didnt do anything..I checked her and she wasn’t bleeding, but it must’ve hurt..
- 03/06/2012 at 5:50 PM
  tofuandjamong
  Participant
  5 posts
  Can I bond them in the same neutral area again the next day? I’m thinking of the bathroom upstairs.
- 03/06/2012 at 6:31 PM
  Monkeybun
  Participant
  10479 posts
  TYep, you can use the same neutral space. Just as long as they have only ever been in it together, and not by themselves.
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