Bonding worries

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 1sd reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 4 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 10/08/2017 at 11:31 AM
  Hollyanne
  Participant
  1 posts
  Hi all,
  
  I have a beautiful black & white male Dutch rabbit called Dutch, he is around 6/7 months and neutered. He is a lovely bunny with a great personality and is very playful. He has his own bedroom and runs around our apartment when we are home, he loves nothing more than running around the place. My husband and I both work Monday-Friday 9-4pm but when we are at work he has his whole bedroom to run around which is filled with lots of toys and when we are home he is usually in the lounge with us. He is a very happy bunny but I wanted him to have a friend that he can run around with and groom.
  
  Yesterday we got a blue & white female Dutch called Doris, she is only a couple of months old and very small. She is already a very confident bunny and is very relaxed with us. We have them set them up next to each other in cages and they both seem quite interested in each other, she is much more interested than he is. He has only thumped once but he has growled a bit at her, but he has been running up to us and growling at me and my husband, he has also lunged at us. He is normally very soft with us and would never usually do this. When he is away from her he is totally relaxed again.
  
  Has anyone else had the same problem? Dutch seems to be relaxed with Doris but agitated with us when around her.
  
  Thank you!
- 10/08/2017 at 9:01 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9064 posts
  Firstly, is the female spayed? She must be in order for them to bond (and should be to prevent uterine cancer anyway).
  
  Since you’ve only had her for a day, this seems pretty normal, as he is likely feeling defensive over this new intruder in his home. If she isn’t spayed yet, her hormones will likely keep driving him crazy, so you will probably want to house her in another area until her spay and her hormones are settled. You should allow her at least a week to settle -in, with no pre-bonding (cage swaps, etc.).
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
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