Stubborn. Fights are down but no progress

[Dalielah]

both altered

Kira is 4 1/2 year old female. She was previously bonded to another female for several years.  Her partner died last year and I’m now trying to introduce Java
Java is 2  year old male, has been a single bunny.

I did a few meetings in the bathtub. Some minor scuffles but then they would take to different corners.  I opted to try with a marathon bond since that was the the breaking ground for the pair I had previously bonded.
I started with a tall clothes hamper so they were close walking around with it.  I’m not sure it stressed them so much as it was just distracting and annoying them.  When I’d set the hamper down, they would fight and me picking it back up and walking again was enough to end it.
Once I could set them hamper down for long periods with no fighting I moved them into an open top pin with everything blocked off but the large litter box for them to stay in so they would stay close.  All good there.  However they seemed to have taken to separate sides of the litter box.  They bathe individually, lay and eat hay this close no issue.  They stayed the night like that Beside my bed.  Next day still the same.  Mostly.  She lays with her head closer to him.  And if he starts bathing himself she shoved her head close, he ignores her, then she nips him and he stomps.  She’ll lay back down, then wash rinse repeat.  Because nips stomps and posturing became the extent of their fights I took all things blocking the rest of the enclosure.  Giving them 3×3 with of space with the litter box still there, food dishes and water.  They ate a salad together with the only issue being when they accidentally lady and the tramped a piece of cilantro and a fight broke out when they met in the middle.   But then they took to separate corners after salad time.  Then bam the territory war started, she wasn’t allowed in his corner and she had chosen the litter box corner that he wasn’t allowed in.  I broke up the giant chase that ended in fur and food and water and litter everywhere.
I figure I gave them too much space to fight over too soon.
I started over.  Stress bonding in the hamper, then back to the shared litter box they have to stay close in.  They spent night there last night again.
Again, he will stay on mostly one side, she will invade his space obviously asking to be groomed, when he doesn’t, she nips and he’ll stomp at her.
Coming into this evening now still the same.
I know they need to work this out, but what more or less can I do?
I’m trying to be patient.  They will both be free roam in my living room once they get their groove so I’d love to get them out of this little space sooner than later.
I did trick him into licking her head with some banana, but once the banana is gone, she wants more love, he ignores, she nips and he stomps. Lol.

[DanaNM]

Hello 🙂

So, you already mentioned the most important thing, patience. 🙂  How long have you been working with them so far? Did you do any prebonding to help them acclimate to each other?

From what you describe, there is a good chance your current strategy will work with a bit more time, if their behavior isn’t getting worse over time (sounds like once you removed the litter box things got better again?).

There are lots of different approaches. I think if I were you, and I wanted to keep working with them in the small space, I would work on building trust a bit more by petting them both lots and keeping them very calm. When one bunny approaches the other, pet pet pet to make them think they are getting groomed. When one asks the other for grooms, pet pet pet them both. You don’t want to get in a cycle of them getting frustrated with each other and becoming fearful. Eventually you will need to ease off the petting, but I have had a lot of success with this strategy.

Also remember every pair is different, so what worked for you last pair might not always be the best. I tend to like to do some short dates before marathoning, to get the point where they at least seem calm around each other before launching into the overnights. Don’t be afraid to give them some breaks if they seem like they are just getting frustrated. It won’t undo any progress you’ve made. With my most recent two, I started a marathon, then realized it wasn’t getting anywhere in the current space (each night they would scuffle, and each night was getting a bit worse even though they were cuddling during the day), so I gave them a day off to rest, and then restarted the marathoning in a new space that evening.

Litter boxes can cause disputes early on, so I tend to use a layer of puppy pee pads with tons of hay on top, rather than an enclosed box.

Personally, for marathoning, I have had much better success with a very large space (like 2 x-pens linked up). If disputes happen, I’ve found they are less likely to escalate because they can get away from each other. When animals are afraid the options are fight or flight, so if they have no option to flee they will fight. So if this an option for you, you might try that as well.

But if that’s not an option, nothing you are doing sounds like it’s going too horribly. As long as both bunnies are eating and pooping normally, and fights are not increasing in severity or frequency then you will likely get there with the current plan. If you want to try a larger space again I say go for it (as long as it’s neutral), just don’t add a litter box just yet. I usually hold off on that until they seem almost bonded.

 

 

. . . 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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