Bonding the unbondable? More rabbits?

[TaylorB]

Hello everyone!

Quick back story to my issue:

Started with two young males, one flemish, one dwarf. Dozens of bonding attempts over 6 months, nothing worked.The live separately now, though their pens are close to one another. The flemish is now bonded to a disabled girl I rescued. On rare occasions, the dwarf and the girl are out at the same time. It takes a few hours a day to keep the girl clean and happy, so during exercise time, they might be in the same part of the house, with me right there to watch for issues. They seem OK together. Never any issues, but the girl poses no threat at all, because, well, she can’t really walk…

So here’s my thought, assuming I find a wife for my dwarf, do you think the addition of the girls might ease the tension between the two boys? It’s been almost a year now and they go at it every chance they get. 

As far as stress bonding goes, the flemish isn’t afraid of anything, so I can’t see that working. Small spaces, they immediately attack, big spaces, they find each other and it’s on.

Thoughts? Suggestions? 

Thanks! 

[Starla]

My two buns are the same way. Still not bonded but I have been doing stroller walks with them. It’s like stress bonding. I take them both in a pet stroller on 30 minute walks and they do not show any aggression at all (well Sev, my female, is the one with the aggression). My female is the same way, she isn’t afraid of anything. The tub didn’t stress her out, she doesn’t really care about my other buns territory. I was once cleaning Houdini’s cage and Sev walked right into his cage and showed aggression (I forgot I left her cage door open). It’s strange because she shows no aggression towards my cat or dogs, just Houdini (my other bun). I’ve actually seen my cat and her play. My cat was acting frisky (not scary frisky) and tapped her (no claws, he learned this through a reinforcement method that actually worked) and she ran after him and she chased my cat and then my cat chase her and so on, like tag lol. Let me add my cat has learned that when I say his name or stand up to back away from both my rabbits if I feel like my cat is being to aggressive. I didn’t plan on my cat being friends with both my rabbits but it happened naturally lol. So I completely understand the fearless behavior, it makes me really think how different wild and domestic rabbits can be lol. But for some reason the stroller causes her not to try to attack Houdini (thank god!!). Houdini on the other hand will go up to her trying to cuddle. My stroller bonding has been delayed recently due to the storms in Florida. I’m hoping after a few more stroller rides that I can try bonding them in a unfamiliar space again.
Almost forgot to add, Sev is so fearless that one time when we were on a walk and we were barely moving (I needed to drink some water) she jumped out of the stroller. Luckily she didn’t move so there wasn’t a problem. Now, I have to close the stroller, which I don’t like since it’s harder to see them and pet them but Sev is so reckless.

[Starla]

Update: I think the stroller rides worked, in the process of a bonding in a xpen in a unfamiliar place and they are doing sooooo much better than before. I think its the stroller that did this, I could be wrong maybe its since they havent done one of these in the while. But I’m convinced it’s the stroller rides. They are doing so well that I can go on my computer and write this! They are ignoring each other and have had 3 encounters, 2 of them Sev launched and honked but no real biting or fighting and the other 1 was simply smelling Houdini’s face. Sev (my aggressive bun) has been encountering Houdini, Houdini has not yet encountered Sev. It’s been almost 20 mins, both groomed themselves for a short time!

[Author]

Messages