New house - less territorial?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 11 years, 9 months ago by bunnnnnnie!.

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- 07/08/2014 at 12:57 PM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  The bunnies, my guinea pig, and my boyfriend have moved into our new home! I have the bunnies all set up in their new room (they have their own room now!). Their cages are set up right next to each other, maybe 6-7 inches apart.
  
  There’s been absolutely minimal territorial behaviors since moving in. Hera in particular was the queen of “poop bombing” around Zeus’s cage. There hasn’t been an outside-of-litterbox poop since moving in. They’re actually kind of hanging out together, almost. I’ve caught them laying together with the cage wall seperating them.
  
  I’m suspicious of this new behavior! LOL! It just can’t be that easy, can it? Will the old habits return once the house is no longer neutral territory?
  
  Zeus is thoroughly enjoying the new place! He hop hop hops all over the place and does big, slow loops around the furniture. It’s like the large rabbit version of zoomies LOL. Hera is still getting acclimated and getting more courageous.
- 07/08/2014 at 12:58 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Moving to Behavior.
- 07/09/2014 at 8:51 AM
  Pipje
  Participant
  73 posts
  I just moved house with two unbonded bunnies who were trying to kill each other during bonding sessions in the old house (in neutral territory). When we moved I put them in a pen in the new living room.. no fighting… then gradually let them out together in the whole living room… and perfect behaviour! Within a week they were snuggling and grooming and there had been none of the fighting/chasing/biting that was happening every time in the old house.
  
  I think just being in a place with completely new smells and sights changed everything and there was no reason to be territorial. I guess even rooms in the old house they’d never been in still had the smell of the house so they were territorial about it? No idea, but it was like magic, as soon as they were in the new house they were friends. I just let them explore together so neither could claim the room as their own.
  
  So yes, it may just be that easy!
- 07/10/2014 at 7:43 AM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  I think that’s normal. New territory is the best time to start bonding.
- 07/10/2014 at 8:46 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Thanks everyone! Hera still gives Zeus her “mean face”, and growls at him. But that’s about it. Here’s hoping the territorial behaviors stay minimized like this! Zeus is starting to get comfy in the new environment. He was stretched out under the kitchen table last night, LOL.
- 07/14/2014 at 9:05 AM
  bunnnnnnie!
  Participant
  1491 posts
  Well, the poop bombs are back. It was nice while it lasted I suppose! Time to unpack the vacuum cleaner LOL.
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