Bonding Help – agression

[T.Bunny]

 Hi all,

 

I’m new to the forum but I came across it while trying to find bonding information for my two bunnies. So that you guys can help and please i really need some help.

 

So we got Berry a spayed american fox female about a year and 3 months ago and we did everytihing doting bunny parents do. We litter trained her, taught her good bunny manners ( no chewing , no jumping on the sofa etc) and most importantly we bonded so well with her. 

Then i started working full timne again and Berry started spending more and more time alone so we thought we would get her a bunny friend. Now usually we would bunny date her, but there was a bunny needed a home and I went ok well we were thinking of bonding her anyway……………. (yip not the best idea). He( we called him ninja) is a neutered netherland dwarf mix about 9 months old.

 

Initially their first meeting was like love at first sight, they both had never been with another bunny and they were so excited to see each other. This went into good bonding time, lots of eating together, chewing playing sharning a litterboxx, grooming etc all good signs. Then we had to go to cork for three days and the bunnies went to a bunny surregate mom with lots of bunny experience. 

 

we came home to two very ….VERY different bunnies. They HATE each other now and I cant stop the agression. I have brought both of them to the vet because they fought so hard because I couldnt get them out of the bath quick enough. I tried everything from weeks of just bathtub time and while they are in there he submits to her there is grooming and no fighting. But thats the only place this happens…once they are out of the tub they act like the dominance thing is still an issue. They both charge each other at different times and he wont let her near him he instantly goes into agressive mode. 

Can anyone please help me with where togo from here…do I seperate the buns into different rooms? and leave them for a month and start the introductions again??? Im lost please any help is appreciated.

[Elrohwen]

Aww, that sounds so stressful!

I would let them be for a little while, maybe a month or so, and start over at the beginning.

Have you tried stressing? Putting them both in a laundry basket and shaking them around can do wonders (so can taking them on a car ride with them both in a box). You might want to start with a lot of stressing at first so that they don’t have a chance to fight, and then try doing bathtub dates again before you move on to any other area. When you do move to another area, go back to stressing before you put them in the new spot. If they start chasing or anything you can always put them back in a laundry basket, shake them around, and try again.

[T.Bunny]

Thank you Elrohwen that seems like a good idea. Do I separate the cages?or leave the cages together and just have no bonding time?

[Elrohwen]

It’s up to you. Do they try to fight between the cages? If not, I would leave the cages where they are as it’ll hopefully keep them used to each other. You can even try switching them around in the cages every day or every couple days so they’re used to each other’s scent.

If they do try to fight and act stressed out by being near each other, you can try putting cardboard or something between the cages so they can’t see, but can still smell and hear each other.

[T.Bunny]

after watching them over the weekend, the fighting only happens when neither one will submit to the other. so i think it may just be a dominance issue. they don’t fight between cages and if they are in a segmented pen they flop out together either side of the fence. they look for each other when they are out so there is some interest between them. I think I might try and document their behavior over the next while.

[Elrohwen]

With dominance issues, they’ll probably just need more time to work things out. Definitely keep them separate and try doing sessions (with stressing) until they come to some kind of agreement without having to hurt each other.

[T.Bunny]

 Thanks so much for your help. I kept the cages together and today I worked with Ninja (the male netherland cross) and it seemed to help a great deal. I think one of our problems with this whole suitation is that Ninja has not fully bonded with either myself or my partner. So I worked with coaching him out of his cage and let him find his feet with me upstairs. Im a little worried that he has it in his head that everytime we open the cage its for something unpleasent (due to rehoming and vet issues)

Once he found his feet I set up a room divider and let both bunnies out on seperate sides and success there was no agression today. There was kissing though the bars and some grooming each way and a begining to helping out with those dominance issues. I think im going to repeat this every day for a week and then see if he is a little more confident. If it works out I may look at some introductions after that. 

[T.Bunny]

So some updates from yesterday. I have been lucky enough to have some time off at the moment so I get to spend full days with my buns. I have figured out that both are really intelligent and that the dominance thing is being sorted out really really slowly. At the moment Berry is in charge, she tells him when he can eat drink and use the litter tray and when he gets annoyed listening to her there is a scuffle.

So the morning routine for the last few days was let him come out of his cage when he wants too, he would usually follow me upstairs quite fast. When he is comfortable after an hour or two I would let Berry come join us.

To do this I would start with treats of veggies in the kitchen initially with a room divider yesterday I didnt use any until we got to the problem room (the living room). The both would cuddle either side of the divider so then I took it down . Both buns went to opposite sides of the room and flopped out and groomed themselves. Over time they got closer together but no grooming or kissing each other. Im taking this as a good sign because there has been no fighting. Lets see what the rest of today brings

[T.Bunny]

Im so excited I just have to tell someone. Ninja is doing the bunny circling of Berry and he GROOMED her is was short but it happened. There has been no aggression and they are no doing everything together. They dont snuggle but they flop out a few inches apart every day the distance is getting smaller. YEAY

[cainan]

Woo hoo! Congrats! I just went through this myself so I know how awesome these seemingly small victories are!

[T.Bunny]

well tonight is the first night with both of them in the same cage so im a bit worried, im on bunny duty for scuffles etc ill let you guys know how its going in the morning. There is light at the end of the tunnel thank goodness, crossing fingers

[T.Bunny]

I can’t believe I am going to type this but my buns are BONDED!!!!!! Thank you so much for all your help, I will post some pictures later. I cannot tell you how the stress levels and living environment have improved. Both buns are now loving and want cuddles and binky-ing around. The first few nights were a bit rough but now all is quiet on the bunny front and all it took was two weeks off work and constant attention. eeek

[Monkeybun]

Congrats!!! Make sure they are not separated at all for the next 2 weeks to cement the relationship. Great job!! Can’t wait for snugglebun pics

[T.Bunny]

 I wanted to share some bunny bonding pics but they just seem to refuse to have their picture taken. I snapped this quickly with my phone this morning

 

[TriBun]

Yea! I’m so glad it worked out. They are so cute together

[T.Bunny]

 I managed some pictures yesterday, they are just adorable now and i love when Ninja is running around Berry in circles and then starts showing off by darting around and those half bnkies sooo cute. Aslo its hailarious when Berry hops off and Ninja doesnt notice, when he turns around realises he is on  his own, stand up looks for her and then darts to her side as fast as possible often bumping his head in the process.  

   

   

[Elrohwen]

Very cute pics!

[T.Bunny]

who would have thought that a little while ago these two couldnt be placed in the same space!!!

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