What do I do?

[Sophie92x]

So for the past week and a half I have been slowly trying to bond my two neutered males, both just over a year old.
I started off by doing dates upstairs in my room in the evenings, they went fantastic, both buns were totally chilled out, grooming/eating/laying with eachother. They were probably spending up to 5hours together in my room, which got to the point that I could leave them unsupervised.
I decided to buy new hutches and runs a couple of weeks ago and made the decision that I would move them in together (I bought two of the same hutches/runs and connected them with a runaround connection kit). I moved them in one of the hutches/runs together and blocked the access of the other for now, but one of the rabbits started chasing the other and pulling his fur out. When they are in the hutch itself, they are fine. But in the run, he starts the chasing. I don’t know what to do because the one getting chased feels like he can’t do anything.

FYI everything is brand new in their new home, run floor was scrubbed before I built the new hutches and runs.

Do I just leave them to it and just make sure no injuries happen? Is it actually normal what they are doing?

[Dface]

Please separate them , they aren’t bonded and one of them could get seriously hurt

There is a whole section dedicated to bonding and steps that need to be taken here, and from the sounds of it you’ve skipped a few steps. Rabbits need to get on in neutral space, semi neutral space and only after that can they move into shared territory together.

I assume both are neutered?

[sarahthegemini]

You can’t go from being in a neutral environment (I assume upstairs was neutral?) to putting them in a hutch together to live with each other. You’ve missed tons of steps. Read up on bonding please. And separate your rabbits NOW. Having one chase and the other feel helpless and scared is not okay.

Also, it’s only been a week and a half. That isn’t slow. You’re moving far too quickly. 

[Sophie92x]

I separated them before I saw your posts, I am being told different things by people with ‘experience’ with bonding which was so frustrating as I knew the pulled fur was not normal! But I have made the decision to separate and continue with bunny dates for the next few weeks or however long it takes.
The only trouble I have is creating a semi neutral space (I live in a shared house, recently had new housemates who are a bit snooty with rabbits in the house)
I have moved the hutches/runs together so they can still see/smell eachother.

[Deleted User]

Yes they definitely need to be separated. Bonding typically takes longer than 1 1/2 weeks. Some people may have had an “easy” bond where their rabbits had bonded quicker, but that is the exception- not the rule.

I think it is also important to note if you got them at the same time, and if they have been around other rabbits at all in their life.

I read something while I was researching bonding that said it can be more difficult to bond rabbits that have always been “single” because they have not interacted with their species before, so they are very wary and intrusting. This same article said that rabbits who had been previously bonded tend to be more inclined to get along with other rabbits, though you still have to do the bonding process. I’ll try to find that article again if I can. But I think that makes sense!

[Deleted User]

oops double post! But that might be why some people who have experience in bonding have told you that it is a quicker process than it is. But every bunny is different and some just take longer so you have to be patient with them

[sarahthegemini]

You can always create semi neutral space. That’s what I did I set up a pen in the living room (which actually was completely non neutral) and put blankets down to cover carpet. I then put cardboard around the pen to stop them being able to see out. Basically they didn’t know where they were. Worked wonders!

[Sophie92x]

Oooo will have to try the pen idea, thanks!

Forgot to mention I got these guys a year ago as babies, got on well for the first two months but hormones kicked in and a huge fight broke out which resulted in wounds. I have tried to bond since then but it would also result in a fight.

When I decided to try again 1 1/2 weeks ago, they were absolutely fine, nothing but cuddling and grooming! I was hesitant to have them living together but so many people was telling me not to seperate them and pulling fur/chasing was normal!

Oh well, I will stick to bunny dates upstairs for the next couple of weeks and hopefully try and set up a pen downstairs! Hopefully it will all eventually work out.

Thanks for all the help guys!

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By Sophie92x on 10/01/2017 10:17 AM

Oooo will have to try the pen idea, thanks!

Forgot to mention I got these guys a year ago as babies, got on well for the first two months but hormones kicked in and a huge fight broke out which resulted in wounds. I have tried to bond since then but it would also result in a fight.

When I decided to try again 1 1/2 weeks ago, they were absolutely fine, nothing but cuddling and grooming! I was hesitant to have them living together but so many people was telling me not to seperate them and pulling fur/chasing was normal!

Oh well, I will stick to bunny dates upstairs for the next couple of weeks and hopefully try and set up a pen downstairs! Hopefully it will all eventually work out.

Thanks for all the help guys!

Well I mean, fur pulling and chasing isn’t uncommon in the early days of bonding (it should still be stopped tho) so maybe that’s what they meant when they said it was normal?

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