First time trying to bond

[Bambi]

Hello! I am looking for some more information about bonding rabbits. Bambi (spayed mini rex about a year and a half old) is the one I’m worried about. She’s in that teenage stage and has a lot of attitude. She just recently decided she doesn’t like romaine lettuce anymore which was her favorite! She hates being picked up and only likes being pet when she feels like it. I just brought home MoMo last week, (young, possibly 6 months? small unknown breed, was spayed 10 days ago) she is very opposite of Bambi, very calm and looves cuddles.

When I brought MoMo home, I set up her cage on the other side of the living room ftom Bambi, until she got comfortable. I just moved her cage and pen close to Bambis, but far enough apart where they can’t get to each other. MoMo was curious about Bambi, but Bambi go extremely agitated, biting the pen and digging with a fury at the floor. MoMo ran off and I reached in to pet Bambi to try to calm her, she relaxed as I pet her but when I accidentally bumped a toy of hers she growled and lunged at my hand!

Am I doing something wrong or is this to be expected? I put a blanket in between them and Bambi has calmed down. I’m worried this is going to be a tough bond with Bambi’s sassy attitude.

[Mikey]

I hope you dont have them together just yet, as fights are bound to occur if you do. You should wait two months, up to six months, before you start bonding. Until you can start bonding, you can keep their cages about 10 inches apart so they can see and sniff, but cannot reach. Same goes for their pens: 10 inches apart so they can see and sniff, but cannot reach. Both buns are likely to try to cause some issues between now and actual bonding due to hormones. Bambi is also likely upset because you brought an intruder into the home that she didnt want. Give it time so they can get used to one another, and it should also get better after Momo starts to drain her hormones.

[Azerane]

Bambi is understandably upset that there is suddenly a new rabbit in her territory that she previously had all to herself. You will start to see her calm days over the coming days and weeks as she gets used to having another bunny around. Since MoMo was only just spayed, you have plenty of time to do pre-bonding work before you can even first introduce them in neutral territory. Swap their cages around, exchange toys, blankets and food bowls etc, get them used to each others scents in their areas. If Bambi is still high strung for a while, you will need to put off their first introductory dates until she has calmed down quite a lot and is lounging in her pen nearby where MoMo is lounging in hers. That’s when you know you can start with bonding, when they can be nice and relaxed around each other and not react when the other bunny hops nearby.

In regards to her lunging at you, this is also quite normal since your hand probably smelled like MoMo and Bambi would have been reacting to that smell and the stressful situation, rather than making a personal lunge at you

[Author]

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