Post spay re-introduction issue

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 6sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 9 months ago by Beka27.

Viewing 6 reply threads

Author

Messages
- 02/15/2014 at 10:33 AM
  Mutley
  Participant
  6 posts
  Hi folks. I come seeking wisdom. I have had a mother/daughter bonded pair of lop bunnies living together in a big indoor hutch. Mother (Chi) was already spayed after her first litter, but daughter (Bandit) was not fixed. We have since had the little madam spayed, then kept her apart from mother for 24 hrs to allow her stitches to heal up a bit and to allow some quiet time alone as she was very sore.
  
  Today I went to re-introduce the daughter, put her back in the hutch, and the mother instantly attacked her. In the end I had to separate them again for fear of the little one getting hurt.
  
  What have I missed? is it too soon, or is this only going to get worse the longer I leave it. Am I going to have to start from scratch and introduce them both again on the slippery kitchen floor over a few days?
  
  Any advice will be most welcome.
- 02/15/2014 at 11:13 AM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  Welcome to BB! Glad to hear Bandit’s surgery went well!
  
  She (Bandit) likely smells different to Chi since she was at the vets office. Give Bandit some more time to heal (maybe a week) and then try them together again with close supervision. If you get the same reaction, you will probably need to go through some bonding exercises to rebonded them. Hopefully, you can do an abbreviated bonding with semi-neutral space and maybe some stressing beforehand.
  
  Did you bond them initially, or were they never separated before?
- 02/15/2014 at 11:28 AM
  Mutley
  Participant
  6 posts
  Thank you so much for responding.
  
  As far as I am aware (I got them as a bonded pair from a family friend) they have never been separated. Up until now we have only had experience with solitary bunnies, and this is our first pair. It was such a shock when Chi went for Bandit, as they had been ever so close up until now. When we got Chi back from the vet without Bandit (Chi only went in for a checkup and yearly inoculations) she was visibly upset, looking for Bandit and pretty stressed out.
  
  The following day when we got Bandit back, Chi was able to see and smell her, and seemed to calm down, nibbling and digging at the bars of her cage (we had set Bandit up in a separate cage next door). I had thought it was a worried mum wanting to get to her daughter, but in hindsight perhaps it was an aggression display.
- 02/15/2014 at 12:58 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  For the rest of this week, try switching the two bunnies between the cages. Have Bandit in one for 24 hours, Chi in the other, then the next day switch for 24 hours. This can help the scent get spread around again without them being at risk for fighting.
- 02/15/2014 at 2:22 PM
  Mutley
  Participant
  6 posts
  That is a brilliant idea! I’ll start doing that tonight. Then next week perhaps I’ll reintroduce them on neutral ground.
- 02/28/2014 at 3:28 PM
  Mutley
  Participant
  6 posts
  And your idea was a big success. Bandit and Chi are now back as a happy family.
  
  Thank you so much for your help!
- 02/28/2014 at 5:09 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  What a sweet picture!
  
  Thank you for the update! I’m glad they’re happy together again!
Author

Messages

Viewing 6 reply threads

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.