i need some opinions :)

[taylor]

Hello! I’m new to posting here, but I’ve been reading all of the lovely threads for years! I have a few questions on bonding my rabbits.

Ive had peanut for about seven years, he’s been my best friend and the light of my life! I’ve always wanted to get him a friend, and the chance come up. Unfortunately, the owner i got my female rabbit from does not know too much about her. Based on her behavior and appearance(veryyyy cage territorial, a bit over weight, no scars, etc) I’m pretty sure she’s not spayed. I plan on getting her spayed ASAP, so until then I’m not going to start the full bonding process. I have her in a big cage, and peanut is free range in the room, and when it’s time for her to come out and play, i put peanut in her cage and i bring her out so they can get used to each other’s scents. But she is a very bold girl, so she runs out before i can put him away sometimes, and they end up circling and mounting each other. I know this is normal behavior, but I’m worried it will stress them both out prematurely. It seems everytime they’re around each other they both breathe extra heavy, and I’m terrified of causing them stress. I know bonding is a difficult process but I’m just wondering what the opinions from everyone would be, should i be extra cautious and make sure they don’t meet without a barrier until she’s spayed, or are these brief meetings not a huge deal? and did your bunnies react the same (scared, heavy breathing?)

Also, anytime she’s in her cage and they’re not snacking or laying down “together” (aka on either sides of her cage), peanut thumps A LOT. like constant, at least every two minutes. does anyone know what this means? Is he distracted he can’t get to her? does he know she’s not spayed and wants to get to her even more?
Sorry for all the questions! I’m new to bonding.

And peanut is neutered, he has been since i got him. i am fixing her diet from her old owner and she will hopefully be losing weight here, and in the meantime I’m setting up her appointment 🙂

[Peanutthebunny]

firstly Thumping the back foot is a natural reaction among rabbits to danger that they have smelt, heard or seen

I’ve never owned a rabbit but I’ve done loads of research here’s some videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxk4ZEA2i4k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmaH-d1LOxc

be careful and just do it for a bit a day  🙂

good luck

[Louiethebunny]

Peanut could just be thumping because of your new unfamiliar rabbit, I would be super concerned unless it reaches a very serious point. You sound like you have everything going super well right now!

[DanaNM]

I would make sure they cannot have any face to face interactions until she is spayed. You might even want to minimize pre-bonding for now if they are acting stressed about it, as she will smell very differently after she is spayed. Even after spaying, you don’t want to do face to face interactions in any non-neutral space to start off with, as the interactions are more likely to be aggressive/territorial. (Imagine someone walking into your house and announcing “I live here now!”)

Don’t worry though, everything you’re experiencing is normal.

. . . 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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