Bonding troubles: How to move forward

[moonbunny]

Both bunnies are unspayed females, but are different breeds (Himalayan and Dutch) and Bunkey is a bit older.  I adopted both when they were kits, Bunkey in August 2012 and Nibbles in April 2013.

I attempted to introduce Nibbles to Bunkey when I first got her, but Bunkey became aggressive and Nibbles sustained a minor scratch. Since Bunkey was sexually mature and Nibbles was only a kit, I separated them and Nibbles matured separately.

When Nibbles reached adulthood, I re-introduced the two bunnies and began the bonding process. 

I started by allowing them to observe and smell each other through boundaries such as see-through doors and bars and then moved them into a neutral area for one-on-one time.

It has been several months since I began the bonding process. They now live in the same room, but take turns running around and being in the cage. While the one bunny roams, the other is in the cage and vice versa. I switch them daily so that each bunny gets ample time outside the cage. I made this decision because the bonding is not going well and I fear that unsupervised interaction may lead to an injury.

Firstly, Nibbles follows Bunkey around sometimes, which Bunkey does not appreciate. Bunkey can become violent if she is aggravated and then the two Bunnies end up chasing each other around the room and some fur flies. Secondly, they engage in what I call “pet wars”. Each bunny lowers her head, asking to be “petted” by the other. Their heads butt against each other and they shove until Bunkey eventually concedes and grooms Nibbles. The problem here is that Nibbles never grooms back. Nibbles does not seem to know that love should be reciprocated and she has only ever licked me a couple times while Bunkey licks me every day. This again, angers Bunkey. 

I desperately want my bunnies to be friends, or at least able to live with each other without any violence. Will spaying them help? Should I spay Bunkey, who shows aggressive tendencies? Do their ages, breeds, genders and the scratch incident have any effect on them not getting along?

Thank you for any advice,

Laura

[Ouisie]

Hi Laura and welcome  

First things first, female rabbits are the most territorial especially if they are unspayed and are unlikely to get on well unless they are both spayed. Their hormones can make them aggressive. 

Spaying is also best for the female bun as it will prevent them from getting all sorts of nasty diseases. I believe 80% of unspayed female buns will get uterine cancer. 

You can of course keep trying to bond them unspayed but I don’t think it will be successful. After spaying, it takes a while (6-8 weeks i think) for the hormones to dissipate then you can try bonding again. A break in the bonding process during this time will allow them to heal and hopefully forget previous bad encounters. If you have the space, you should keep them in separate rooms, it could be there are problems because each rabbit believes the room they are in belongs to them and the other is an intruder. Bonding should be done in a completely neutral space to avoid this territorial behaviour. 

We rescued 2 mature females and had them both spayed for their health and to allow bonding to be smoother. At first they fought like crazy, I’m talking biting, attacking, nipping. We had to pull them apart, they just really hated each other. It was heartbreaking as they are both lovely natured and we just wanted them to have a companion. We took a long break and gave them their own spaces to forget. When we wanted to start bonding them again, we took them to a small neutral space. My husband sat with his hands holding Daisy on the ground, and I did the same with Navi. We wanted them to get used to each other and be around each other without the fighting. We persevered and did this for about 3 or 4 weeks(2 sessions a day for 10minutes gradually increasing the time). We knew we were in it for the long haul.

Gradually, we gave them a little more freedom, there was a lot of humping and nipping, but we kept at it. Always ensure a bonding session ends on a good note. If the girls started fighting we would separate them, and then gently hold them next to each other calmly for a few minutes). Eventually Navi would start grooming Daisy.  

After 3 months of building, they are finally living together, and love each other. This happened only last week and we couldn’t be happier. And they look so content with each other. 

I truly thought these buns would never be bonded. I thought there was no hope, but now I think any 2 buns can be bonded. It’s all about taking it slow and building their trust and relationship slowly

I hope I have helped!

Louise

[Tessie]

I totally agree with Ouisie, both girlies need to be neutered

[moonbunny]

Unfortunately, there are no rabbit shelters in my country and most local vets consider bunnies to be “exotic” pets. I have, however, contacted a local Exotic Animal Hospital that lists bunnies as one of the animals they care for asking for more information on spaying.

While I understand the benefits of spaying, the prospect of surgery on my little buns makes me really nervous. It will also probably cost a small fortune.

[RetroSquid]

Posted By moonbunny on 8/02/2014 8:19 AM

Unfortunately, there are no rabbit shelters in my country and most local vets consider bunnies to be “exotic” pets. I have, however, contacted a local Exotic Animal Hospital that lists bunnies as one of the animals they care for asking for more information on spaying.

While I understand the benefits of spaying, the prospect of surgery on my little buns makes me really nervous. It will also probably cost a small fortune.

Hi, Moonbunny. 

Yeah, I totally understand your anxiety about getting them spayed, but, it really is the best thing. 
We, myself and Louise above (my wife) Go through the same anxiety when each of our cats, ferrets and rabbits have gone through it, but, if you find the right vet, it should be routine for them, just speak to the vet first and make sure you’re comfortable with them.

As for the cost, such is the price we have to pay to keep our furry babies happy and healthy, literally couldn’t tell you the exact cost of treatment we’ve paid out over the last 18 months… most definitely over £3,000 or so… 
Although it won’t cover the cost of spaying your buns, but I would also recommend looking into pet insurance if you don’t already have it.

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