Need help with bonding two bunnies, where one is being aggressive

[Gergo]

So we have two bunnies we are trying to bond, this is our first time, and it’s not going super well so would appreciate some help.

Our first bunny is Cookie, he’s a 10 months old male we’ve had for about 6 months. He’s a Netherland dwarf probably, but he’s very small, about 900 grams. He’s generally well behaved but definitely has some issues sometimes such as attacking feet.

Our second bunny, Rosie, is also some kind of dwarf, she’s 2 years old or so. She’s quite a bit bigger than Cookie at 1.25kg. we’ve had her for a few weeks. She’s slowly getting used to her new home, we took her from a shelter. She came from a home that kept her locked up all the time. She’s super sweet and gentle and shy.

We keep them in different rooms, the first weeks or two the door was closed so they had no contact. Recently we opened the door and arranged things in a way they could see each other but not reach. While doing the rearranging they had a short interaction through a barrier and they seed friendly, looked like they licked eachother a bit. Then we put Rosie back in her pen and cookie got up to the pen, stuck his face in and we believe she bit him, or looked that way. No injuries thankfully. Other than that incident they are kept two barriers apart.

Since then, not sure if the scuffle had an impact, but cookie keeps pushing and shoving, biting and pulling at the barrier.
We put they’re veggies at the barriers so they see each other eat and whatnot.

We just tried to get them to interact in the bathtub and used parts of the barriers as a block to prevent fighting.

Rosie was a little nervous but she was very well behaved the whole time and even started grooming a bit.

But Cookie was acting like a crazed beast, he kept trying to push past the barrier and was almost always shoving his face into it. We tried getting them closer and partially lifting the barrier but he would start aggressively lunging. Thankfully they never got at each other, just the barrier. Rosie was completely uninterested and didn’t react or seem to care much. Cookie seems to be mostly jealous and feels threatened I think.

Whenever they are in their normal spots and Cookie comes up to the barrier and has visual contact with Rosie, when we move or take a step he starts bolting at our feet and does a lap around us then goes back to his initial position, all with his ears down and head pointed. He’s definitely a weirdo.

Were not sure what to do. Obviously want to avoid a fight or injuries. How can we proceed with this?

I know some people use stress bonding in a crate and all that but I heard that that’s not really a good way to do it. Also would be worried of a fight breaking out in the crate.

What should we do?

[Wick & Fable]

Are both of your rabbits spayed/neutered? If so, for how long? If not both are fixed, that is one large obstacle, as trying to bond while one rabbit is intact means you are fighting the influences of hormones, which is a battle owners can’t really win, since we can do nothing about how their biology will impact them, as well as the behavior of rabbits around them– so, if one is not neutered/spayed, I would halt any attempts and look into doing so. One-month post the operation, you can then try bonding again.

We have a very helpful bonding guide here: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/bonding/

It does sound like, assuming both are fixed, that some more time in just pre-bonding would be valuable. This means no bathtub dates, but simply living side by side (sharing a wall, if civil; gap if not) and you swapping litterboxes and toys to get them accustomed to each other’s scent. Once you see very consistent non-aggressive behavior/reactions through side-by-side living, that would be a good sign to do daily, short, bath-tub dates. Short can literally mean only 10 minutes a day, and then slowly allowing it to go longer until it can be for hours– at which point, you expand to a bigger neutral territory, and then eventually go to semi-neutral (again, see guide for information; this can typically take weeks).

Re: stress bonding, yes, there are mixed opinions. For some rabbits, it helps, but not for all. Every bonding process is different, and I think of using stress bonding when it seems like going forward has been impossible, despite following recommended practices.

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.

[Gergo]

Yes sorry forgot to mention, both are fixed. Cookie has been neutered for about 4 months, Rosie we don’t know how long as she comes from a shelter.

I think you’re probably right about waiting longer. We will try that. Cookie is a little crazy sometimes so he’s hard to predict.

We will also read the link

Thank you

[DanaNM]

I think what you’re experiencing is pretty normal when bringing a new rabbit home (regarding the aggression at the barrier)! I think Wick hit it on the head with more pre-bonding, I have a few suggestions to add on to that.

When one rabbit is acting really territorial, it can help to set the new rabbit up right in the middle of the original rabbit’s territory. So if possible, I would set up a very secure pen for Rosie right next to Cookie’s pen. If Cookie is free-roam, set him up with a pen too, side by side. Then you can give alternate free-roam time for exercise, or divide the room in half for play time (but you’ll need to use 2 pen walls to create a buffer to protect those noses).

Then I would let Rosie settle into this arrangement for at least a couple weeks with no side swaps, given that you said she was pretty shy so far. With shy bunnies it’s especially important to get them settle in to make sure they aren’t “artificially submissive” in bonding sessions.

Keep in mind, Cookie might be pretty mad about this for a few days, but he should settle down pretty quickly! I’ve had buns running the fence and trying to charge each other one day lounging next to each other a week later.

When Rosie seems like she’s acting confidently, start swapping who’s in which pen every day or two. Do this until Cookie is acting chill with the whole arrangement. Not charging at Rosie or running the fence or just generally being aggressive. Ideally you’ll even see their behaviors sync up (like mutual hay eating, grooming themselves) and they may sleep near each other on opposite sides of the fence.

Once that happens, I think you will be in really good shape to resume bonding sessions and they will both be more calm!

 

. . . 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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