Trying to bond two females that don’t get along

[MangleBunny]

This is my first post so I hope i’m formatting this right.

I have three rabbits, Mangle (Female,2 years old) and Kylo (Male, 4 and a half) who I have had for over two years, about three months ago I adopted Sylvia (Female,around a year old but the rescue wasn’t sure) and her and Mangle haven’t gotten on at all. Mangle and Kylo have free roam of my large master bedroom, Sylvia is separate in a pen but they are able to sniff each other through the bars. Originally Sylvia was aggressive with both Mangle and Kylo and would growl and try to scratch them but this has calmed down, Kylo never had any problem with this but Mangle has become increasingly violent towards Sylvia. Mangle will try and yank open the pen separating them and if she succeeds (usually if i’m out of the house) they will fight each other resulting in cuts and scratches (Never bad enough that I have to take them to the vets but having them covered in scabs and cuts is awful)

On multiple occasions I have removed the pen and let the three of them roam around the bedroom and they have gone hours without a fight, but it always ends with the girls fighting. I’ve tried having them on the sofa together, putting them on neutral territory, putting them in the empty bath together but these always lead to fights quicker than them having the full bedroom to roam around.

I don’t know if it’s fair to keep trying to bond them or if i should stop and get Sylvia re-homed. I would love to keep her even if they can’t be bonded but that sadly isn’t possible. My mother has said i have one month until we have to re-home her which is heartbreaking for me because she is such a friendly and wonderful rabbit.

 I’m stuck and don’t know what to do at this point, any advice is appreciated, all I want is what’s best for the rabbits.

[DanaNM]

Hi there,

Are all of the girls spayed? If not, bonding will be very difficult.

Also be very sure they cannot get to each other or nip through the bars, as any nipping or injuries can cause grudges. I think since they have hurt each other, it would be good to completely separate them for a few weeks and try to let them calm down. Then start with pre-bonding cage swaps to try to start building trust.

I also think that having them meet in any space that isn’t neutral will set you back. But, I do recommend using the largest space possible, especially for three bunnies. 2, or even three x-pens linked up in a garage or yard would be great.

That said, I think the process might very well take more than a month…. especially with pre-bonding.

Do you have a very large neutral space available to you that you can try them in? If that goes more smoothly I wonder if you could make a case that they will bond eventually, but you just need more time.

. . . 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.  

[DarthVadar]

Pre-bonding is definitely necessary in this situation. When you do put them together, try petting all of them while they are right next to each other. It calms down the aggressive ones and gets them used to being near each other. I had a pair that was going absolutely nowhere until I tried this, and now they are completely bonded. Adding a new rabbit to an already bonded pair is a real pain, and often does not work, so don’t get discouraged if things take a while.

[Asriel and Bombur]

I wouldn’t say it doesn’t often work. There are plenty of successful trios, you just have to do it right.

[Author]

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