Help! Sophie is freaking out!

[nikkir]

Hi! I’ve never posted on here before but I am really needing some advice.

I’ve had my bunnies, Sophie and Jackson, for about 2 years.

They had a very slow introduction and it took awhile for Sophie and Jackson to get used to each other. Once they finally did, they snuggled, groomed and slept with each other fairly often. They’ve never been super cuddly with one another or anything… but they’ve always gotten along. Sophie has always been a little bit of a bully, but Jackson doesn’t mind.

Recently, I took in a litter of stray kittens. They have been in my bedroom in a crate. Sophie and Jackson also live in my room (mostly). They have both lived with adult cats their whole lives (well, since I adopted them) and have never minded the cats. A couple weeks ago I woke up to Sophie chasing Jackson all around the room and biting him.

I’ve been having to keep them separate because now they are fighting. I figured it was because Sophie was stressed about her new roommates (the kittens), so I moved the kittens out and they are still fighting! Its mostly Sophie. Jackson runs up to greet her and she pounces on him… at first he just hopped away from it but he is starting to fight back. Its terribel!!!  I don’t know what to do…. I feel horrible. I just want them to be friends again. I feel terrible for invading their space with the kittens, but they’ve always gotten along with all the other animals in the house with no problem. I didn’t think it would stress Sophie out so much.

What can I do?????

[Sarita]

I think I would rebond them by reintroducing them in a neutral space other than the bedroom where they are now. Maybe a neutral space may be all they need or you may have to start the rebonding process altogether in a new space.

[Tate]

First things first, I’m assuming BOTH rabbts are neutered as they have been kept together for a while now without incident.
It’s entirely possible Sophie is displaying ‘misplaced aggression’. She would rather be taking out her frustrations on the new kittens, but can’t so Jackson is now the punching bag. I’d think that moving the kittens to another place altogether will remedy this. Are you just fostering the kittens now? Do you know when they will leave?

[Stickerbunny]

Also, remember buns are scent oriented. You moved the kittens out of the room, but their smell is still there. I would recommend taking your buns out of the room for a few hours and doing a thorough vinegar/water cleaning to try to rid the room of the kitten smell. Then reintroduce them to each other on neutral ground and go from there.

[nikkir]

Those are all good points! And yes, they are both fixed!

I already moved the kittens out of the room into an area of the house the buns don’t have access to at all. I will have the kittens for probably another month until they all get adopted. They still have second rounds of shots to through and spays. They are totally away from the buns now though.

I hadn’t thought about the smell still being there. I did some basic cleaning when I moved them but nothing serious.

I will clean out their area really well with some vinegar and re-introduce them on neutral ground.
I really hope that works. I hate seeing them fight!

[Sarita]

Keep us updated and if you need more suggestions after you try that, we are happy to help.

[RabbitPam]

Just a little note to add: when you handle the kittens you will get their smell on you. Might want to have a change of shirt or wash up a bit before you go back to the bunnies, or brush yourself off a bit just so you don’t smell like them as much. (Grab one of the adult cats and rub it all over you to mask the smell. LOL – take a dry cat bath.)

[Author]

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