Help! Next steps in bonding with a territorial female

[binkieBun]

My rabbit and his bonding female rabbit are off to a good start. The female has been establishing her dominance. Both groom each other and seem happy during their bonding session in an EMPTY nuetral pen.

As next steps, I added a litter box that had been used by both of them, a hay bin, water bowl, tunnel, and toys in the neutral pen. The dominant female got restless, and started nipping the male… Things got better when I removed the items, especially the litter box.

How am I supposed to move forward in the bonding process?
I want them to start sharing items in the neutral pen, so they can eventually live together.

 

[DanaNM]

Hi there, it would help if you fill out the “bonding template” pinned in this section. If you copy and paste it into your reply we can get a bit more background on your process so far to give better feedback. 🙂

That said, it’s best to use a brand new litter box when introducing it to them, or one that has been cleaned VERY well. Same goes for toys etc. You can gradually introduce used things once they are sharing non-neutral space, but if you give them everything all at once then it can cause problems.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Hazel]

What Dana said. Clean everything very well, and only put one new item into the pen at a time. When they’re good with that, move on to the next item.

[binkieBun]

Thank you for your feedback.

Spay/Neuter  ————————

Are your bunnies spayed/neutered?
YES

If so, for how long (for each)?
MALE – 5 YEARS;  FEMALE AT LEAST 1 YEAR

If not, why not?

Are you aware of reproductive cancer risk in females? If not, please read about it here.
YES

Housing  ————————

Please describe your bunnies’ current housing set-up (living together, as neighbors, etc.).
TEMPORARY SEPARATE SIDE-BY-SIDE EXERCISE PENS FOR BONDING

Bonding background ————————

Did you allow the bunnies to “settle-in”?
YES, OVER 24 HOURS

How would you describe your bunnies reactions towards each other (answer for each bunny): shy, scared, curious, calm, aggressive, excited, affectionate, etc.?
FEMALE: ENERGETIC, ASSERTIVE, SOMETIMES NIPPY AS A DOMINANT RABBIT
MALE: AFFECTIONATE, CURIOUS, SOMETIMES SCARED WHEN BONDING HAS A STRUGGLING MOMENT

Have you done any “pre-bonding” (cage or litter box swaps, etc.)?
YES, CAGE SWAPS THAT INCLUDES LITTER BOX, ETC.

If so, for how long?
ABOUT 2 WEEKS

Have you started sessions yet?
YES

How long have you been working on bonding your bunnies?
ABOUT 2 WEEKS

How frequently do you have bonding sessions, and how long are they?
EVERY OTHER DAY, ABOUT 30 MINS.

Have you tried any stressing techniques?
NO, BUT WILL TRY THE CAR RIDE TECHNIQUE SOON

[DanaNM]

Thanks!

Yes I think my initial advice still holds!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[binkieBun]

Great. Thank you for getting back to me. 😀

[DanaNM]

I’ll also just add that you haven’t been working with them too long and your sessions are pretty short so far (if they are still just 30 min). If they still get feisty over a clean litter box, try waiting until they are spending many hours together at a time and then try to add it in. It could just be a bit too early in the process to add it. Buns can be pretty particular over their litter boxes!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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