Boy rabbit acting aggressive towards sock with other rabbits scent on it

[Callie810]

We have had our boy rabbit Rocky since February and we recently got our girl rabbit Willow.

Willow is not old enough to be spayed yet so they are currently in separate pens in completely different rooms in the house. We are planning on bonding them when Willow is ready. Having read on various websites that it is a good idea to get the rabbits used to each other’s scent before officially introducing them we have been using a pair of my bed socks.

We have been putting a sock in each of their pens and swapping them every so often. Willow is not fussed in the slightest, she will sniff it and have a bit of a play with it but ultimately doesn’t seem to react to it being different.

Rocky on the other hand is a different matter. If you just put the sock in his pen and do nothing with it he will go over it it, sniff it and do that thing where they spread it out with their front paws. However if you so much as dangle it in front of him or move it he lunges for it, chases it and growls like I have never heard him growl before. It looks very agressive.

I am starting to worry that this is a sign that the bonding process won’t go well and that he will lunge and try to attack Willow. I know that this could happen to being with but this is the third time the sock has been swapped and it’s the same reaction every time.

Could the fact that Willow isn’t spayed make a difference?

[sarahthegemini]

It’s very possible that over time, he will become less aggressive towards the scent. That’s why pre bonding is so important

[Deleted User]

Don’t fret!

Ophelia was my resident bun, and then I got Quincy. The situation you are describing is exactly how they played out! New bun not bothered at all, but Ophelia would lunge and attack the stuffed animals if I moved it at all. She is free roam and I could be across the apartment and if I bent down and grabbed the stuffie she was running over grunting at it.

I think the thing is that he is defending his territory, because he’s the one that lives there. She is new, so she’s just chilling trying to settle in.

I am bonding my two now, and they have been doing pretty well so far! So, If I were you I would just do lots of prebonding while you wait for her spay. That’s what I did when I was waiting for Quincy to be neutered. If possible, could you house them NEAR each other, where they cannot touch but they can see and smell? That will definitely help them get used to each other. But before you do that, let the new bun settle in for a few weeks.

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