Quick introduction: I have two bunnies, both fixed, one male (Marlow) and one Female (Sophia). I got Marlow almost a month ago, and Sophia is here on trial to potentially bond with Marlow. It’s been many years since I bonded bunnies and I’m struggling. Here’s a quick recap of everything that’s happened. Before I started bonding, I spent a week swapping things back and forth between their pens so they could get used to each others scent, and they lived side by side for 2 days.

Day 1 – Session 1: I introduced them for 15 minutes in the bathtub immediately followed by a 5 minute stress bonding session in the carrier. Neither had any interest in each other. No humping, biting, chasing, smelling, nothing. They sat on opposite sides of the tub completely disinterested in one another. 

Day 1 – Session 2: The same night I did a 30 minute session in a slightly larger area. Same results. Marlow was comfortable enough to flop and groom, but Sophia stayed on the opposite side of the pen, completely disinterested. 

Day 2 – Session 1: Hour long session in a 1.5 ft x 1.5 ft pen, this was the smallest area they’d been in together besides the carrier and I provided them with hay. Sophia kept presenting her head, she wanted Marlow to groom her. He couldn’t care any less about her existence. He just kept eating. He didn’t sniff her a single time, approach her, nothing. Marlow just kept trying to size up the pen and figure a way out.

Day 3 – Session 1: Hour long session in the same small pen with hay. First half an hour was uneventful, both were completely disinterested. Half an hour in, she started presenting her head to him again for him to groom her, he didn’t care and ignored her, so she started nipping him. It was very mild. She would present her head, he wouldn’t respond, she would nip him once. They would move, and do it again. Then randomly she started grooming him. He would tolerate it for about 10 seconds, then run away from her. 

Day 4 – Session 1: Hour long session back in the bathtub. I gave them a big salad to see if that would get things going. They both just seemed really curious about where they were. Complete disinterest. Sophia didn’t present her head, no chasing, nothing. They both groomed themselves, Marlow ate the salad, Sophia didn’t. 

Day 4 – Session 2: Same day, hour session, back in the small pen with hay. First 15 minutes were uneventful. Both were eating their hay, disinterested in one another. Then Sophia started presenting her head again, Marlow had no interest. They had a good spat after that. Sophia started nipping his butt repeatedly, pulling fur, Marlow didn’t nip back, he just kept running frantically in circles trying to get away. I broke it up, both seemed pretty startled. I pushed them together and did some forced cuddling and I pet them for about 2-3 minutes to calm them down. Then I put some apple pieces all over Sophia and had Marlow eat them off of her. After that there was some occasional thumping from Sophia, but both bunnies went back to eating hay, ignoring each other, and eventually they both flopped on either sides of the pen. 

Every bond I’ve experienced before has either been love at first sight, or they are really interested in each other’s scent and they hump and chase until they figure out the hierarchy. I’m really confused about Marlow’s genuine disinterest in her. It’s almost like he doesn’t even see, or smell that she’s there unless she is biting him. Is he trying to tell me he prefers to be alone? Or am I headed in a good direction? I’m really confused. Help!