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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.
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He may simply be saying, “hey, I’m the boss around here”. Lottie is acknowledging by backing up and then returning to what she was doing, so I would say that is a good sign. And grooming is great, even if it is one-sided!
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Thanks for the feedback! I’ve let them keep ignoring each other and we’re starting to see one-sided grooming again! A new behavior that’s emerging is Pekoe has been lunging at Lottie, which we discourage/interrupt as soon as we notice. In the instances where we haven’t stopped him in time, Lottie generally moves away then almost…
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I wouldn’t rush anything if they are peacefully getting along this way.
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We’ve had a couple days of long sessions in this larger space and things are progressing! There is still nipping but it seems like Lottie is reacting less frequently. Pekoe has gotten less patient though and the poop wars are beginning. We have hay on the floor as well as a litter box that they…
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Sounds like a larger space was all they needed! I agree that ignoring is not a bad thing. It’s progress.
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I think ignoring is great, actually. I means sth like “I don’t see you as a threat and I’m not a threat to you”. I’d let them do the ignoring in peace tbh. It’s a really promising and important step. There is communication going on, but it’s very subtle. After a cpl of sessions of…
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We moved into their evening hours and things went relatively smoothly. Overall, it felt like a good 7-hr bonding session! Lottie groomed Pekoe once but he has not yet reciprocated. He got nippy whenever Lottie approached him from the side or hopped towards him too quickly. We also noticed both buns stuck to the same…
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Digging can also be out of frustration. Particularly if they want to do something, but aren’t able to. Example: They want out to run around, but the pen is closed.
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We tried a larger space today and started during the time of day when they are normally napping, and so far so good with minimal nipping! I have a feeling bonding will be more eventful though as we move into their more active hours… There is some digging behavior we’re noticing with both Lottie and…
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Is the carrier by itself not already scary? Cause my bunny does not like the carrier no matter what. I’m thinking they wouldn’t associate the other bunny with the carrier… just that the carrier is scary and, oh look, someone is here that can help me feel better. But I guess we can’t read their…
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We’ve walked around our home for a few minutes with both in the carrier and that seems to help some. Is using that method to start every single session a bad approach? I want to avoid the association that carrier with other bun = scary. The 3 x 3 is not the usual space, no.…
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It sounds like she doesn’t appreciate his pushiness (demanding to be groomed) and she just wants some space. I would not be overly worried yet. You could either try giving them a bit of a break, or you could try distracting them by taking them for a car ride (or similar) in a carrier together.…
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Spay/Neuter Are your bunnies spayed/neutered? Yes If so, for how long (for each)? Pekoe (male): 5 years, Lottie (female): 1 year If not, why not? Are you aware of reproductive cancer risk in females? If not, please read about it here. Housing Please describe your bunnies’ current housing set-up (living together, as neighbors, etc.). Set up as…
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Thanks for the advice.
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If she isn’t spay, but has no access to a male, then she could be experiencing what they call a phantom or pseudo pregnancy. Her hormones make her think she is going to have babies and she builds a nest. This will resolve after a few days once she realizes there are no babies (assuming…
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She isn’t spayed.
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This sounds like nesting behavior. Is she spayed?
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My female rabbit is constantly digging right now and taking my clothes to her little sleeping area she barely started doing this and she was pulling out her hair from her belly and feet. She’s eating and drinking just fine
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I had a bun who got sore hocks after he had recovered from a long bout of illness. I wrapped his feet with self-adhesive wraps (you know the kind of colorful wrapping with patterns of paws etc), lined with his own fur. The wraps would’ve been too abrasive without the soft bunny fur inside them.…
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You could try switching to a softer litter/bedding. We use the shredded paper that is normally used in hamster cages. Its super absorbent and helps with odor control. We had a bun who had a problem with matting and soft poops and the paper bedding helped keep him cleaner underneath. It was also softer on…