One bunny insists on nipping the other on the face

[bun.fluffington]

We have been trying to bond our 2 rabbits for 8 weeks now with little progress. Benjamin, the male, we adopted about 8 weeks ago and have been trying to bond him to our female, Pepper. We took Pepper on 3 bunny dates and they all went basically the same: they ignored each other. Therefore, we took home the one we got along with best; Benjamin. Benjamin, however, continuously attempts to nip Pepper now that we are at home. We are in the bathroom in my basement (the space behind the toilet is blocked off) which is a totally neutral location for both bunnies. We have one litter box in the room. When we bring them down there, they both hop around a bit first and they will then approach each other (Benjamin is usually the one that initiates the contact). However, Pepper refuses to lick Benjamin and he therefore nips her on the face. They will go nose to nose for maybe 1 second and then Benjamin goes and nips Pepper. We try and prevent this from happening by using an oven mitt to keep them from touching, but they are therefore not having much physical contact. When he does nip her, we pull them apart, give them pets to calm them down, and let the session continue, only for Pepper to be either completely panicked and thumping or for this to happen all over again. What we try to do is let them get really close and then put the oven mitt in between their faces and the pet them both to simulate grooming- but Benjamin is very persistent and tries to push the mitt away to reach Pepper. We tried smearing banana on Benjamin’s face to get Pepper to lick him, but that didn’t help. ANY advice would be much appreciated! I feel like this has been going on forever without any progress  

[LBJ10]

When you say “nip”, is it a little nip? Or are they actually fighting?

[bun.fluffington]

It does not break the skin, but having been on the receiving end of one (by accident), it is a very strong nip. It worries me especially because he always nips he face, where they are especially sensitive.

[LBJ10]

Nipping is actually pretty normal. A little nipping is okay, as long as no injury results. Bunnies do have thicker fur that we humans do, so a seemingly hard nip does not feel as bad to them. What happens when you do not interfere? Does Pepper run away or does she stand there and take it?

What you might try to do is some stress bonding. You can put them in a box and drag them around and shake the box. Or you could put them in a carrier and take them for a car ride. Perhaps a little “forced snuggling” will get them where they need to go.

[bun.fluffington]

Pepper has done both; she’ll mostly run away thumping and them be very tense and skittish for the rest of the date, continuing to run away whenever Benjamin comes anywhere near her. The problem is, Benjamin is VERY pushy and will chase after her, even becoming aggressive towards me if I block his path. However, the first time Benjamin nipped her, she just sat there. Since then, she has always run away and been very upset.

She used to be bonded to an 11 year old blind rabbit who as such a sweetheart! She has only ever known that kind of a rabbit and does not know why Benjamin is being so mean to her and gets very scared when he nips her. Should we allow him to nip her and stay totally away or should we intervene? And if so, to what degree? Thanks so much! This has been a very stressful time for me because I want nothing more than to see my two fur babies fall in love!

[bun.fluffington]

Pepper has done both; she’ll mostly run away thumping and them be very tense and skittish for the rest of the date, continuing to run away whenever Benjamin comes anywhere near her. The problem is, Benjamin is VERY pushy and will chase after her, even becoming aggressive towards me if I block his path. However, the first time Benjamin nipped her, she just sat there. Since then, she has always run away and been very upset.

She used to be bonded to an 11 year old blind rabbit who as such a sweetheart! She has only ever known that kind of a rabbit and does not know why Benjamin is being so mean to her and gets very scared when he nips her. Should we allow him to nip her and stay totally away or should we intervene? And if so, to what degree? Thanks so much! This has been a very stressful time for me because I want nothing more than to see my two fur babies fall in love!

[LBJ10]

Sometimes the nipping just has to happen in order for the bonding to progress. It’s just like humping. Sometimes you just have to allow some humping to occur. Otherwise things will stay at a standstill.

Is there something you could use that Benjamin can see through? A lot of people like to use a colander. If the nipping is mild, just sit back and see what happens. If it starts looking vicious, then intervene with the colander. Put it in front of the offending rabbit so the bowl side is facing them. Sort of like a fencing mask.

I also do recommend the stress bonding. Make sure to shake them enough so they don’t have time to fight. Instead they will look to each other for comfort.

[bun.fluffington]

So in this instance it is ok for us to allow him to nip her? Even if it on the face or ears? I am just so worried about her being injured because the face is such a sensitive area for them in comparison to their bodies. I am hoping to avoid stress bonding for a couple more days to see if allowing the natural order of things helps them bond faster. Thank you so much!  

[LBJ10]

As long as there is no blood and fur isn’t being pulled out. They can certainly do damage if they really want to. If he is really focused on nipping, you could try redirecting him to her rear end. I’m not sure how well it would work though. People have done it for humping issues. One bunny is humping the other bunny’s face. You don’t want anything down THERE to get bitten. So the bunny is redirected to the “correct” end for humping.

[JackRabbit]

Have you tried forced snuggles (hold them together side-by-side, pet both, and talk softly to them)? This is semi-stressful for them but gets them close enough to touch without harm and lets them get the scent of the other bun.

[bun.fluffington]

Pepper isn’t so fond of being pet, so whenever we try to put her somewhere to be pet, she just runs away (which only makes Benjamin more frustrated). Is there any way to do this that you could think of without causing Pepper to run away? I will definitely try it though- maybe she will be more likely to sit still if she is placed right next to Benjamin! Thank you

[LBJ10]

A box?

[Ann]

Are they any updates about your bunnies nipping problem? I’m dealing with a very similar problem. During the bonding session two males all fixed, months of introducing, fence to fence all that stuff. Now I’m in the step they hanging out without a fence, eating together, sharing toys. Lately one bunny lays down and the other is trying to bite the other on the face randomly. Did your bunnies got better?

[LBJ10]

Hi Ann! Welcome to BB! This thread is very old, I doubt the OP is still around. My guess is that they joined the forum to ask this question since they only ever posted 7 times. I would suggest starting you own thread since digging up old threads just causes confusion. If you need help doing that, let me know. I’m going to lock this thread now so it remains an archive.

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