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[MochiBoba]

I have 2 concerns:

First concern is my rabbit, mochi. I got her back in December and in March of this year we got a new bunny (boba) and I’ve tried EVERYTHING when it comes to trying to bind them but mochi still chases boba around trying to bite her, I’ll be getting her fixed in July so I’m hoping she’ll calm down a bit. It’s a struggle keeping them separated in two different cages and boba being in a smaller cage.. any tips on bonding?

Anyways, main concern is lately mochi has been acting a little strange. Every time I get her cage all nice and clean she messes it up and t looks like I didn’t even touch it! When I’m cleaning her cage I let her have some free time but I find that she’s hovering me as I clean and tries nipping at me if I try moving anything! Literally 20 mins ago I was giving her dinner and her dish was upside down so I reached in her cage to flip it over and she charged at me and bit me! As a bunny owner my feelings were kind of hurt… I don’t want my baby being mad at me. Maybe she’s upset about boba? I mean we’ve had boba for about 3 months now so i don’t know if that could really be the reason??

Second concern is about boba, boba is very.. fragile I’d say? When petting her she tends to jump a lot like she’s been startled and I’ve come to a realization that she’s never “kissed” me before. She’s no really affectionate, she’s more of a free soul she’ll never lay with me and if she does it’s literally so rare but I find it so strange that she doesn’t give me kisses, does she not like me?? For instance.. my boyfriend gets the bunnies twice a month for a week and when she’s with him she’s flipped over all the time and relaxed and allows him to pet her. He says it’s bevause his bed is so high up she “has no choice than to be relaxed “ but I don’t know… do some bunnies not like affection at all? I’ve never owned a holland lop before so I’m not sure if it’s a breed thing or not b

[sarahthegemini]

Firstly, you can’t bond rabbits that aren’t both spayed and neutered so you shouldn’t be trying to bond yet anyway. Not to mention, if you got Boba in March (3 months ago), you must be rushing since you need to let her settle in first, you need to pre bond and then start sessions. Trying to do all that in just a few months is far too quick.

Take things much slower. First, wait til both are spayed. Then let their hormones settle for a month, commence pre bonding and then try actual bonding sessions.

Secondly, it’s very obvious that Mochi doesn’t like you messing with her territory. Obviously, you’re cleaning it but to her you are invading it and messing it up. Only thing you can do is not allow her access to the cage and you whilst you’re cleaning it.

Thirdly, whether a rabbit is affectionate or not is nothing to do with breed. And just because your rabbit doesn’t kiss you doesn’t mean she doesn’t like you. But if she’s jumping every time you pet her, stop petting her.

[Wick & Fable]

Sarah is correct in saying the reason why you cannot bond them and why you cannot attempt to bond them at this time is because they are not both spayed. Rabbits who are not spayed/neutered are driven by their hormones to defend their territory, so it is very dangerous to have two rabbits together, whether it be supervised or not, since chasing and biting, as you mention, occur very suddenly. Until they are both spayed and have had at least a month to settle after the spay operation (for recovery and hormone regulation), they need to stay separated, especially since they have already fought. Rabbits can hold grudges, so they need to forget each other until they are both fixed and ready to go through bonding.

In terms of Mochi specifically, her territorial behavior may be because of her hormones and not being spayed. Acts of aggression dealing with her space will most likely lessen when she is spayed.

As Sarah mentioned as well, a rabbit not “kissing” or cuddling is common, and between having fits with Mochi and being still new to you, it is not surprising that she is not yet relaxed and trusting. It is not an attribution of breed necessarily. Both you and your boyfriend interact with the rabbits differently, in nuanced ways, so perhaps ask your boyfriend how he interacts with them both. On one hand, if you’re the only one that attempts “bonding” them and he does not, that is a major flag that being in an environment that harbors those fighting memories is inherently uncomfortable and she’s reluctant to relax.

The next step is separation until they are fixed, then you can try to bond them over several months (it is a long process). I recommend reading the bonding info provided by this website to you know what to expect when the time comes: https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx

Also note that the presence of an unfixed rabbit can stir hormonal behaviors from a fixed one, so it’s recommended for both to be fixed.

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.

[MochiBoba]

Oh jeez, I feel so awful!

I’ve had a friend be able to bond their rabbits within 2 months and they’ve never had a problem and neither are fixed. I shouldn’t have assumed that my buns would’ve been the same
I was in shock with how territorial mochi has gotten because it felt like an overnight thing, I felt like she may have been just mad.

Now, you said to separate the bunnies for at least a month so they can forget and so hormones can be intact so I keep them in separate cages but should I have one stay at my boyfriend’s for a month so they’re really separated?

Thank you both so much for your insightful messages I will be changing some things up and becoming a better bun parent, hopefully boba will forgive me!

MochiBoba

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