Humping for no reason?

[K_sper]

I have two buns that I am currently trying to bond, I have very little experience in bonding so I’m honestly at a loss. Biscuit, who is a rescue and has been spayed, will not stop humping Elvira.

Elvira is unspayed because she had a serious reaction to the anesthesia that was used and she started turning blue because of a lack of oxygen. Fortunately, the vet was quick and performed cpr so she is still alive (a bit wobbly but still doing well). I know it is better to get them spayed, however, I am not willing to risk it.

They act well bonded until I put them together (their pens share a wall and they can interact that way). They will often groom eachother and touch noses. Their behavior changes when I take them out of their pens and put them together. Biscuit will hump Elvira relentlessly. Elvira never fights back and will simply move away from her, but this doesn’t stop her. I’ve read on a couple places that this can just be excitement and wanting to get her attention but I have no idea how to tell her intentions behind it.

I understand that this is a fairly common behavior but Elvira has had a false pregnancy due to these behaviors (this was before we tried to get her fixed though).

Does anyone know what I can do to help them bond? It feels like I’ve tried everything at this point. And I’m honestly loosing hope that they’ll bond.

[Wick & Fable]

Humping has reason and in this context it is dominance related and its severity/frequency is likely heightened since Elvira not spayed. Fixed rabbits will often hump during bonding because that is a hierarchical behavior and a part of their communication. Also, please note the occurrence of a false pregnancy doesn’t necessarily need to be contingent with Biscuit. False pregnancies are something intact female rabbits go through, regardless if there is another rabbit around or not: https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/False_pregnancy , though yes, Biscuits presence and behavior likely doesn’t help.

It is common for rabbits to appear bonded across pen bars, yet not get along once removed. Pen bars are a solid, immovable territory marker that clearly delineate space and boundaries. Bonded rabbits willingly share space with each other. Across pen bars, they are not sharing space at all. The dynamics of the settings are extremely different, even though it seems like the presence of a thin pen wall is small– it’s doing a lot.

To be honest, not every pair of rabbits are compatible and one being intact works against you. Hormones are unpredictable and there’s no way to know when or how they may impact the bond dynamic. The bond between two fixed rabbits is much more likely to succeed and be stable than that of an intact/fixed pairing. The territorial/mating urges generated in either rabbit that are amplified by the presence of hormones are not easy and sometimes not possible to overcome.

That being said, you can put your best foot forward to try techniques to make the bond work, but again, understanding that trying to create a stable bond with one rabbit being intact is difficult and potentially impossible, depending on the rabbits: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/bonding/

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.

[K_sper]

Thanks,

I honestly didn’t realize there was such a difference between them being in the same cage and having bars between them. I’ll definitely keep that in mind while I keep trying :).

 

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Oh my, that’s awful! I’m happy that you have such a great vet, that must have been so scary!

We’re new to bonding as well and are currently in the process of bonding a brother and sister that have had a fight before. They seemed to get along so well through the bars, but when we organised dates for them fur flew and they were batting at each other with their paws. Yikes!

I got this advice here: make them switch pens every 1-2 days and make them use each other’s litter box. Keep doing that for a month if you have especially territorial or feisty rabbits.

Our bunnies are dwarfs with very strong personalities, and we don’t have much neutral space. But I’ve swapped them often and scrubbed down the bathroom with vinegar. Their dates are turning into cuddle sessions with only occasional humping now.

I hope this plan will help you too!

[K_sper]

Haha yeah the vet is no longer spaying or neutering rabbits because it scared them so bad. I just started switching them between cages and they seem to be doing okay with it… not even stressed. I’ll definitely keep trying with it! Thanks :).

[DanaNM]

I just wanted to echo what Wick brought up, that it may be very challenging to have a stable bond with one rabbit unspayed. The mounting you are seeing is hormone driven, not for “no reason”. Mounting is a normal part of the bonding process as well, but when both rabbits are spayed/neutered, you will see it calm down during the bonding process. With one rabbit unspayed, the other rabbit may never stop trying to mount, which can be very stressful for both of them.

It is not impossible, and it used to be more common for unspayed does to be with neutered males back before vets routinely did spays. I would follow the bonding tips suggested here and go slowly with them. If you see that the mounting just isn’t getting better, then unfortunately this pairing won’t likely work out.

One thing you can try in bonding sessions to try to break up the mounting is to provide tunnels, platforms, and hides (with at least two exits) for Elvira to get away from Biscuit. Cardboard boxes with both ends open and turned on their sides work great for this. These obstacles can help break up chasing and will give them a rest. I have a senior male who recently started showing extra hormonal behaviors towards his bonded mate, and she has a “secret” spot that she hides in when she’s tired of him (it’s just a hide that’s tall enough that he can’t jump on top).

. . . 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.  

[K_sper]

I’ll definitely use that advice! I’ve been making sure to keep a close eye on how they’re feeling before, during and after their meetings to make sure they aren’t getting too stressed. Thanks 🙂

[Author]

Messages