Can’t cope anymore

[Stitchntwinks]

So the stitch and twinkle bonding saga continues, they can spend hours and hours together, anyone would think they are a bonded coup,e, but as soon as stitch humps twinkle all hell brakes loose, today they had a massive fight, nothing to vicious bun lots of circling and chasing and nips and dominance stuff, I broke them up in the end, they are now sulking at either end of the room, nothing between them though so they could get to eachother if they wanted, whilst they had there battle twinkle was jumping and running and basically doing binaries which was weird. But although it isn’t as much as he used to stitch is still hellbent on humpung here, is there any chance his neuter didn’t work 100 percent and we just didn’t realise till now? I’m nearly at the end of my tether, it’s getting so tiring and I have to keep telling stitch NO when he attempts to hump, he nos it’s wrong though because when he nos I’m watching he does t do it half as much. I just really don’t no where to go from here. Any advise?

[Sarita]

He probably doesn’t really know it’s wrong – it’s just instinct with him.

I think my best advice is to just step back for awhile and take a break from bonding. As far as the neuter, it can take awhile for the hormones to actually settle down but that doesn’t mean the instinct to hump is going to go away.

[Stitchntwinks]

Yea, it’s so frustrating because they are finee until he does that, think I’m going to start over with early bonding session techniques

[Hazel]

As time goes on they will become less “jumpy” about each others behaviour. They will built more trust and it will get better. Don’t give up! Like Sarita said, his hormones might still be raging a little, when was he neutered?

[Stitchntwinks]

Yea hopefully they are just learning about eachother, they are now happily sitting In there letter tray together munching Away! , honestly I’m one confused bunny mummy! Erm he was neutered around 3 month swish ago and she was a rescue and was spayed at the rescue p,ace before we got her

[Beka27]

What is their housing like? Can their space be restricted again, or dropped to bare bones so there is nothing worth getting territorial about? They may need another cementing period.

[tanlover14]

Good Lord — my heart goes out to you with this situation. My little guys were sooo easy thankfully compared to yours. I know we started around the same time and mine have been living together for almost a month. I can’t remember if you tried switching them into each others cages back and forth so they get the scent of each other and maybe that would help them become accustomed to the other? You’ve tried so much, I know from reading your posts, so I apologize if you had already tried this.

But don’t give up! It’s sooo much work but just remember in the end your buns will be happier for it and sooo will you! The hard work will eventually pay off — you can tell they definitely don’t hate each other so they probably just haven’t been able to compromise in the pecking order yet (at least thats what it sounds like to me from him still humping and the other not accepting it as acceptable).

[Stitchntwinks]

Yea they are sleeping separately at night but are still living together when we are at home, it’s literally just when he humps her that it starts otherwise they are no trouble, I’m sitting watching them now and they are just in their litter tray nibbling hay and generally being happy, I think it’s partially them both being playful but maybe not totally sure how far they can go with eachother, because yesterday when they had their big tiff twinkle was doing binkys over stitch, it’s just nuts..

I just want them to be ok together all the time and be happy And safe, but apparently I’m asking too much!!

[Stitchntwinks]

Still not getting better, should I take it back to the beginning?

[Hazel]

I know normally the humping is a temporary dominance thing and best left alone, but since it’s causing them to fight you might wanna focus on not allowing him to hump Twinkle at all. You would have to watch them constantly when they are together of course and maybe they won’t have as much bonding time that way, but a “No Humping” policy might be what is required, at least for a while. You said you tell him “No” when he does it, have you tried spraying him with water?

Something else you could do is maybe get a stuffed animal and let Twinkle have it for a while. When it has Twinkles scent on it you can give it to Stitch as a humping buddy. If he takes to it he might get it out of his system and won’t wanna molest Twinkle as much when they are together.

I wouldn’t start the bonding from scratch just yet since they are doing quite well, except for the humping fights.

[Stitchntwinks]

Yea most of the time he stops when I tell him or I get the water aquifer out and shake it and then he runs away haha, he knows he isn’t supposed to! I am thinking of taking he back to the vets, I no sometimes they don’t to the neuter properly, and it would just be out luck if that happened here

[LittlePuffyTail]

Something else you could do is maybe get a stuffed animal and let Twinkle have it for a while. When it has Twinkles scent on it you can give it to Stitch as a humping buddy. If he takes to it he might get it out of his system and won’t wanna molest Twinkle as much when they are together.

I`ve found this helpful. When the humping starts, just swap in the stuffed bunny. Kind of disturbing but it helps get the humps out of the system.

[Hazel]

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 08/14/2012 04:51 AM

Something else you could do is maybe get a stuffed animal and let Twinkle have it for a while. When it has Twinkles scent on it you can give it to Stitch as a humping buddy. If he takes to it he might get it out of his system and won’t wanna molest Twinkle as much when they are together.

I`ve found this helpful. When the humping starts, just swap in the stuffed bunny. Kind of disturbing but it helps get the humps out of the system.

Lol, I know… I was kinda ashamed to suggest it…

[Stitchntwinks]

Yea, I no, we have to remember the humping isn’t sexual, I think I’ve come to a it of a conclusion the last few days, whenim at work there separated, and then at night they get playtime together, iv been for for a long weekend and had them out for 12 hours straight a day, there has been a bit of humping as obviously it won’t just disappear but I think stitch might be doing it out of excitement and wanting to burn off a bit of energy, obviously the dominant humping is still there a bit, but he hasnt been as obsessed with it, when I’m home they get the whole bottom floor of my house to run around, and love it! Just a thought, but does seem to be the pattern, but they can’t have the run of the house when I’m out, and I can’t leave them together all day yet,, what do people think!? It’s just a theory

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