Bonded Bunnies Bullying Nightmare

[theo_ct]

Hi all,

Having incredible stressful problems with my bonded pair, Pumpkin (lionhead) and Hero (lop). First of all there’s the background:

Both female, spayed. Bonded for 6 months plus. Bonded using dating technique in neutral territory. Both between 6 or 7 years old.

So it seems some bullying has started from Hero toward Pumpkin and it’s getting worse. Around 4am – 7am she chases Pumpkin relentlessly, resulting in huge amounts of stomping and a huge mess. Pumpkin is getting very upset and when we get to her she seems distressed – no injuries have taken place, minor fur pulling but mostly just chasing and nipping. Pumpkin is clearly a bit scared of Hero now, but during daytimes they will happily snuggle up as if nothing has happened. It is making us lose some serious sleep, I haven’t slept properly in days now and this has got to stop.

I’ve asked in other groups and they’ve said this behaviour is totally normal – that rabbits are active at this time and chasing between bonded bunnies is to be expected. But how do I know when this has gone too far? Pumpkin seems exhausted in the mornings after being chased and Hero’s bully mode doesn’t seem to be reducing. I’ve tried a lot of things – feeding them a bit more before bed, leaving some toys out as a distraction… Nothing seems to fix it. They are free roam, but at night they move into a smaller study room with reduced space. I don’t think its anything specifically to do with the room, as they snuggle in there during the daytime sometimes, too, and have been in it plenty of times before this started.

Please, any advice I would be so grateful for. We are considering separating them as this is getting so insane – however other shave advised against this. I’m worried about Pumpkin, who seems to be getting as tired of this as me.

Thanks so much for reading this. All help appreciated

In the photo you can see Hero is the big one, Pumpkin little.

[theo_ct]

Just to update; most recently I read this article which suggests putting a barrier between them in a shared zone to help cool the fighting, which I could easily do to keep Pumpkin safe without breaking the bond. Do you think this is viable?

(Edited by Wick – removed link)

[Wick & Fable]

I am honestly speaking from naiveté, but my understanding is that bonds can sometimes go through a rough spot, similar to a little tiff in a human relationship. I think taking some precautionary steps, including doing a physical barrier so the aggressive chasing and bullying stops happening would be wise. The more negative interactions accumulate, the more likely the bond will break.

It might also be helpful to try and do some bonding sessions during those high-active times in a more neutral territory, like a pen set-up in the bathroom. Do these more aggressive behaviors show up then? I’d be curious.

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.

[DanaNM]

That doesn’t sound like normal bonded pair behavior to me (with the fur pulling). If the chasing was more about mounting, then I think that’s more normal (one of my pairs does this every night). But if the chased bun is obviously in distress, that’s not good and can lead to problems down the road.

When she chases, are her ears forward or back? Is it a fast chase or more slow?

Sometimes subtle health changes or other household changes can trigger these sorts of things. Can you describe their diets? Everything good with them in the appetite and poop department?

After ruling out any medical issues or other cause, some bonding sessions in a neutral spot, possibly with some stress sessions, will probably straighten things out. And I agree that separating with a barrier at night is a good move until they are super solid again.

. . . 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.  

[theo_ct]

Thanks both for your responses. Last night we tried with an x pen fence between them and it seemed to work really well – no violence at all, and now the barrier is gone they seem happily exploring together (for now). Pumpkin is quite relieved and Hero is more chilled out.

They have had vet check ups recently, Hero went through some gas problems recently but Pumpkin has a good bill of health, so don’t think she is being bulled for health changes. It seems more that Hero is very protective and enters into an aggressive mood – and Pumpkin becomes scared of her, so when she runs, Hero chases, and a cycle is triggered.

Appetite and poop seems good – they eat timothy hay and pellets as their main staple diet.

We will see how it goes in a neutral space soon to try and patch up their bond!

[DanaNM]

Sounds good!

. . . 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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