Pulling fur

[Paisley&Sage]

Hi, my rabbits are in the early stages of bonding. My male, Mr. Paisley, I have had since he was a baby. My female, Sage, I got a month ago. They are both about 18 months. Mr. Paisley is scheduled to be neutered in several weeks so I have been keeping the two rabbits separate. For the past month the two rabbits have been meeting through an x-pen. They seem to be getting along really well. They groom each other, lay down beside one another, and binky as if to impress the other one. However, with in the last week or so both of them have been starting to pull small tuffs of fur from each other’s foreheads. Neither seem to mind and even seem to like it. Neither runs away when this happens nor lets out a noise to express discomfort. They even both seem to try to place their forehead within reach just so the other one can pull out fur. I feel as if its their way of saying “come here, I want you”. Is this normal? Does this sound friendly? What should I do? Thank you.

[Wick & Fable]

We have a bonding template you can fill out, which can help members better understand your bonding progress and context: https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/bonding-template-read-me-for-bonding-help/

Fur-pulling is not a net-positive sign, but no retaliation is good. It sounds like they are still working stuff out in terms of willingness to groom vs. nip the other because they do not want to groom, and this is a natural part of bonding.

If you have not already, please see here for our bonding overview: 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.

[DanaNM]

Is Sage spayed?

The fur pulling from the head could be rough grooming, but it sounds more like nipping. Or since one (or both?) buns isn’t neutered, could be a precursor to mounting?

In general I don’t like to let buns have access to each other through a fence, because nipped noses can happen fast and lead to injuries and hard feelings between them. I usually either double up the x-pen so there is a buffer, or use a small mesh to create a “nose guard”.

Coincidentally my friend’s cat is named “Paisley Sage” 🙂

. . . 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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