Bonded bunny still humping/spraying

[Mara]

Hi all, my two bunnies Hummus and Freddie have been bonded for a few years now. They are both males, and both spayed, and usually get along quite well. Hummus is the dominant bun and lately he’s been harassing Freddie more than usual. I put them in the cage at night because they share my bedroom and I don’t want them jumping on my face at 4 a.m. (it has happened!), but I worry Hummus might be humping him a lot when in the cage. Lately they are not as cuddly with each other as usual. I’m concerned Hummus might be eating more of the food? And, even though he’s been spayed for about 3 years, Hummus still stinks sometimes which I imagine is related to this behavior. I don’t think I have to rebond because they’re not fighting. Is occasional humping okay? Are there things I can do to work on the relationship? Why does Hummus still smell bad sometimes??

Thank you so much for any advice!

[DanaNM]

This does sound like hormonal behavior (including the stinky-ness). Are you very certain they are both males and were both neutered? (Neutering is the term for castrating males, spaying is for females). Just asking because sometimes people get rabbits from sources where they might not get correct info (could be told they have a neutered male when infact they have a female).

Have there been any changes in your house hold, such as new pets or people? Sometimes a health change in one bun can also trigger this type of behavior, so it would also be good to have both bunnies checked out.

Occasional mounting is OK and normal in some pairs, but since this is a new change it’s worth making sure there isn’t something else going on.

. . . 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.  

[Mara]

Thank you for your advice! Freddie was adopted, and his records say he is male and neutered (forgot that spayed is for females!). Hummus I’m sure is a male because I got him as a baby from a friend who had a litter, and took him to the vet myself to get him neutered. However, even though I didn’t bond the two of them until Hummus was old enough and fixed, they lived in separate pens in the same room, and Hummus had already started spraying before he was fixed.

I recently took them with me when I visited my parents for the holidays, which is when I first noticed Hummus humping Freddie a lot. It’s been continuing now that we’ve been back home for over a week.

Maybe I need to put them in a neutral space for a bit to work on their bonding?

 

Thank you!

[DanaNM]

Ok that’s all helpful!

I’m guessing this is all just because you were traveling. As long as they aren’t bickering, I would just keep an eye on them, and things should calm back down over the course of a couple weeks. I’ve had to go through this with my buns when we’ve moved but things usually calm down on their own.

. . . 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.  

[Wick & Fable]

I agree that, while typically we expect a bond to hold through travel stress, that seems to be what’s at play. Continue to monitor and things should settle down soon!

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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