Help Please – older bun scaring new baby bun

[Ali925]

Hi all,  Sorry this is long…but I want to make sure I get every silly detail…

As some of you already know, I brought home a new baby bun (Mr. Blu) last week (he’s 2 months old).  I already have a 6 month old spayed female (Oreo).  We put Mr. Blu in his own cage, with a pen attached, in the same room as Oreo.  They have a few feet between the edge of her pen and the start of his…and their cages are farther apart. 

Upon first bringing Mr. Blu home, Oreo seemed very interested in him, not sure whether positive or negative interest…he was making noise so she knew something was there and she started pushing on her pen in his direction …  But after a little while, she just went back to doing her own thing.  They seem to mimic each other, when she gets her salad he goes to eat his pellets.  When one is laying down, a lot of time the other will do the same when they’re in sight of one another.  I think it’s very cute, and I thought it meant things were positive, even though no formal introductions were made (and won’t be until after he’s neutered).

One night I let Oreo out to just run around the house under constant supervision (we don’t do this much yet bc we have to bunny proof some more first) … and she got close to Blu’s pen and got very aggressive pushing on his pen cage…  (It wasn’t my intention to let her get that close to him, but he had come out and was more visible as she passed by…)  Anyhow, he didn’t seem scared and just kind of stood there..normally he’s very very easily scared since he’s still new to us and so young.  We pulled her away and that was the end of it.

Since that night, and actually I think even before that night, she seems annoyed at him when he’s making noise…especially when she’s trying to sleep.  I’m hoping that accidental introduction doesn’t harm their potential as companions… 

The worst was last night – Oreo was trying to sleep and Blu was making noise/playing/jumping around and Oreo got so mad, pushed her pen as close to him as possible…never saw her like this.  She’s a very sweet bun.  I didn’t see it but my husband said it really scared him, and scared Blu even more.  Blu ran inside his cage and sat in a corner shaking for at least a half hour or so. 

So my question is, what do I do?

Move Blu to another room?  We don’t have many options in our small home…

And do you think this means Oreo is not going to be good with another bunny?  Or is there a lot of aggression since there is a cage between them?  I was afraid of this, and we’re so happy with Blu so far too.  I don’t want him being scared like that…

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading….any help is appreciated

~Ali

[Sarita]

Yes move Blu. This kind of behavior is not unusual. Pretty much Oreo’s routine has been disrupted and she’s unhappy.

This behavior is not indicative that she will not be able to bond to another rabbit. That’s usually why it’s recommended that they be able to help make the decision and that the other rabbit already be altered. It just is easier that way. However that can take time as well to bond. No 2 bonds are every going to be the same no matter what the case is. And some babies have bonded with adults as long as the adult is willing.

[Ali925]

Okay, thanks Sarita, that’s what I was afraid of. We’re just short on space in a small house. Should it be a room far enough where he can’t really be heard? I’m just worried that he’ll feel neglected. Oreo is in our living room where we watch TV, and spend most of our time. So I was concerned that he’ll be far away from us I know that’s the right decision but I feel like he’s getting the short end of the stick.

I knew that bunny dating was the better way to go, but I really wanted this little guy…so I’m just hoping for the best.

[Sarita]

Can you try first moving him across the room away from Oreo so he won’t be lonely in another room?

[Ali925]

What if he’s out of sight? The way our room is set up is Oreo is in front of our picture window and her pen comes to the middle of the room, almost in front of the TV…Blu is to the right of the TV (TV is across from couch) and their pens are caddy corner sort of.. but with a good distance apart. The only option for that room is behind the couch? It’s across from Oreo but there would be a couch and a table in between, and a good distance… Would it bother her to still hear him? Sorry for all the details, not sure if it’s helpful..but I’m really concerned… Thanks again Sarita.

~Ali

[Sarita]

I say give it a try – you won’t know until you try. It may bother Oreo less if she doesn’t see him making a bunch of noise – it may not, but I say give that a try and see what happens and then go from there.

[Ali925]

Okay, will do.. thanks!
I’m just hoping all the moving doesn’t confuse Blu too much, but I know it’s best for him..

[Beka27]

Some rabbits can sense if there’s a bun somewhere else in the house… even if it’s nowhere near them. I agree that this does NOT mean they won’t bond, just that you’re doing the right thing by waiting it out and taking it one step at a time. It’s very frightening (at least it was for me) when your sweet little bunny suddenly bares her teeth and goes for blood and fur starts flying. It’s almost surreal… like where is my sweet baby, what happened?! But once they bond, it’s so nice to see them together and happy.

[Ali925]

Thanks Beka, I know Oreo is very aware of every little noise in the house. We can’t open up a bag of pretzels in the other room without her ears popping up..haha I think she’s always hoping it’s a treat for her.

Anyhow, I decided to give their current living situation another day or so since I will be home most of the day to monitor them. I currently put a tall cardboard box between their cages, so she can still hear Blu but not really see him. I remember someone suggesting to do this, so I thought I’d give it a shot before rearranging all of Blu’s things. So far I haven’t seen anything negative, but I’ll have to see how the day goes.

I would have moved him right away if Oreo was constantly badgering him, but it was only those 2 times where she really freaked out. Most of the time she just keeps to herself. I’ll see how it goes today and then figure it out from there.

Thanks again for your help!

[Elrohwen]

If she only freaked out at him two times, I think you’re doing the right thing. I think it will help them get used to one another if they’re housed nearby, but blocked off the visuals for a while it probably a good idea. Hopefully she’ll get used to the noises and smells without much stress and then you can take the cardboard away and see how she is with the visual.

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