Bunny bonding

[Emm-Jane76]

My name is Emma and I own four bunnies. Frank and Duncan who live together very happily and Penny and Sally who don't live so happily together - which is my problem! They are nearly eight months old and have just been spayed about four weeks ago. That was a drama in itself. Penny is a 'rebel' rabbit and chewed her stitches out a total of three times! Has anyone every heard of that before because my vet certainly hadn't! Anyway they have both healed but I still can't put them back together. They are true sisters but Penny keeps mounting Sally? Is this normal? I am at present trying to bond them and am planning on taking them out on a daily basis on neutral territory and whenever I feel Penny is going to mount, I just gently push her off. Sally just sits there when Penny mounts her so Penny is definitely the dominant one. Does anyone have any bright ideas or do you think there is no hope. I would appreciate some advice as I hate to see them on there own. I have had a suggestion of putting each of the boys with them but the boys have such a good relationship I don't really want to tamper with it?

[clairen]

Mounting is normal after being spilt, just their way of re-determining who is going to be boss. This often happens on and off during an established relationship. Chasing and some fur pulling during re-bonding also normal. What to watch out for is full on fighting (which you won't mistake for anything else). From what I hear on here, it is best to put them back together and keep them together (unless fighting occurs). Separating them just prolongs the process and you will keep going back to step one. You could try re-bonding them together in neutral territory for a couple of days (somewhere they don't go like your bathroom and where you can keep an eye on them) and then if ok transfer them back to the hutch. Or ask a rescue or one of the experienced people on here to help / advise you. You could spilt the boys and put them with a male partner but I wouldn't upset the status quo and would try the females together first.

[Emm-Jane76]

Thanks for your reply and to just confirm - it is normal for a girl to mount a girl and this would be to define dominancy? The reason I seperate them is because it always looks as though Penny is biting Sally just on the scruff of the neck and don't want to freak Sally out!

[clairen]

Thanks for your reply and to just confirm - it is normal for a girl to mount a girl and this would be to define dominancy? The reason I seperate them is because it always looks as though Penny is biting Sally just on the scruff of the neck and don't want to freak Sally out!

Yes, very normal, it's not sex, just a dominance thing "(Penny is saying I can hold you down as long as I want to" :lol:). As long as Sally doesn't have any wounds (just blow over the back of her neck to check) things are fine. Try and stay out of the mix and not handle them during the process (and keep a broom handle nearby to pull them apart if fighting occurs so you don't get bitten). Don't keep intervening when they are just chasing and mounting though as it will prolong the process.

Btw I'm no expert, all this I have learnt through being involved in the process of bonding my rabbits and reading up on here. I think this is pretty accurate info though. Good luck, they sound like they're doing fine :wave:

[jrn1310]

You will find that it is perfectly normal for the rabbit which is mounting the other one to hold on by using the fur of the under rabbits neck to stop him falling off.

[rabswood]

Pippin and Blossom are husbun and wife and Blossom the girl is always mounting Pippin and he just sits there, he doesn't seem to mind at all. Blossom sometimes completely climbs on his back until she falls off he doesn't seem the slightest bit bothered by it.

Rabswood

[shel20]

well im pretty new to the bunny bonding but currently bondin two young males and its goin great, alfie my older also does this (mountin, nippin pullin fur) but bobby the younger doesnt seem to mind and he has no wounds..which i constantly check for.this happens 50 per cent of there time together..about four or five 20mins at a time whenver im in the kitchen..i dont leave them out together yet just in case, the other 50 per cent they are lay together or hoppin explorin each others cages.iv spoke to a few vets and they say its fine as long as when they are apart they can see each other...ie cages together so they are constanly aware of each other and not completly separated. if there is lots n lots of mountin i get on the floor and kiss and stroke them both and it dissapates while they sniff and lick my cheeks!! sooo cute i love them!

[Emm-Jane76]

Thank you for all your help and advice. It really puts things back into perspective because I think sometimes we can become too over-protective about things which in reality is just nature and just a part of a bunnies natural behaviour. I will give those things a try and see how I get on. I will let you know!:wave: