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Bonding problems please HELP!!

Hello all i need help but it's complicated please bear with me:

Bimba is a male lop bought from Pets at home he's 18 months old and he's been neutered.
In december i adopted a 3yo female lop froma rescue centre, we did 3 bonding sessions in which Bimba was very shy and didn't show any interested for Daisy.
The rescue centre people suggested i took daisy home and carry on the process of bonding.
I have a NIC cage and i divided it in half so they could see and smell each other.
After 2 days try bonding them and it was going ok untill Bimba tried to hump Daisy and a massive fight broke up, she really didn't like it so i gave them a break and didn't try it again until last week when both of them were behaving confortable with their surrondings and for 50 mins they behave, i must say that Daisy ran away from Bimba everutime he came to smell her like she was scared of him, and after 50 mins of that Bimba tried humping her and again they fought with hair being pulled and goign everywhere.
My concern is that Daisy have changed her behaviour as she's no longer accepting being touch by me sher grunts everytime my hand gets near her and she seems constantly scared of me and Bimba, i hate the thought but i'm considering taking her back to the rescue centre before any further damage to her well being is done, should i give them more time? or will Bimba always try to hump her?

any advice guys? sorry about the long post LOL

Danny
 
It is quite common for mounting to happen during the bonding process, it's their way of sorting out who is in charge.

Where are you attempting to bond them? It needs to be somewhere totally neutral to both of them, somewhere quite small but where you can watch them constantly.

You could try putting them both in a carrier or cage and taking them for a short trip in the car. Sometimes being scared together can help them to forge a bond, although obviously you don't want them to be too scared.
 
Dependant on whether she has been neutered or not I think considering you adopted her in December she is still really trying to come to terms with her new home and you aswell as dealing with a dominant male, that would explain her behaviour - I think she is trying to assert herself. Personally at this stage I wouldn't put them in carrier and go for a car ride, I would get her neutered if she isn't already allow at least a month for her to settle and then re-attempt the bonding in a 'puppy pen' in a neutral area to both of them. Use the month of recovery to bond with her, she needs to feel secure in the relationship with you aswell. You will inevitably get different opinions and it's up to you to choose how to deal with this ultimately, I wouldn't give up on her yet, she sounds frightened to me.
 
Yes the female has been neutered, i'm just concerned that in the first couple of days she was home she came and said hi to me as well as liked being touched, and now i can't get near her, do you guys think is becuase of the fighting? and will the humping ever stop?
 
yes she's being checked and vaccinated by the rescue centre, one of the reasons i adopted her, she was fully checked and ready for re-homing
 
yes she's being checked and vaccinated by the rescue centre, one of the reasons i adopted her, she was fully checked and ready for re-homing

What I would do and this is only my opinion, is give her more time and use it to bond independantly with her to build her confidence and then in a few weeks re-attempt the bonding as has been said in a completely neutral area to both of them, there are lots of threads if you do a search on bonding and read through you will get ideas. Personally if you are nervous or not confident when they get a bit 'heated' I would contact the rescue and ask them to come and help you or take the rabbits to them. You should only intervene if they are becoming very agressive and likely to really hurt each other. There are lots of experienced people here to advise you so take it all on board and knowing your rabbits weigh up what will suit them. I do think it sounds like she is nervous and being an older doe she is letting him know when enough is enough. Have you sat in with them?
 
i guess you are right Vicky, maybe i need to be more patience and wait for the right time, but when do i know she will be ready to start bonding?
she's very fussy and unlike Bimba the male she moves stuff about the cage even if i'm trying to tidy she will snatch stuff of my hand and put where she wants it, i'm not sure what does that mean too
 
i guess you are right Vicky, maybe i need to be more patience and wait for the right time, but when do i know she will be ready to start bonding?
she's very fussy and unlike Bimba the male she moves stuff about the cage even if i'm trying to tidy she will snatch stuff of my hand and put where she wants it, i'm not sure what does that mean too

It sounds like an older doe just doing what they do to be honest, I have noticed females are a bit more 'territorial' I was half expecting you to say she wasn't neutered. Do you know how long ago she was neutered or anything about her past, had she been an only bunny on her own in a nice home or a more traumatic past?
 
yes i was there with them, today i tried bonding them after a 2 weeks break and they were ok untill the male tried to hump so i left them to sort it out between themselves for a bit, they just went for each other's bum lightly bitting and pulling some hairs to start then they broke out into a full on with paws kicking a bitting each other that's when i intervene and separated them.
 
i guess you are right Vicky, maybe i need to be more patience and wait for the right time, but when do i know she will be ready to start bonding?
she's very fussy and unlike Bimba the male she moves stuff about the cage even if i'm trying to tidy she will snatch stuff of my hand and put where she wants it, i'm not sure what does that mean too

I think for me I would gauge it by how each rabbit is with you, when you feel they both trust you independantly and they are 'flopping' down next to each other in their pens, that would be a good indicator for me personally. It does need to be in a neutral area though.
 
i guess you are right Vicky, maybe i need to be more patience and wait for the right time, but when do i know she will be ready to start bonding?
she's very fussy and unlike Bimba the male she moves stuff about the cage even if i'm trying to tidy she will snatch stuff of my hand and put where she wants it, i'm not sure what does that mean too

This is normal rabbit behaviour - mine throw stuff around all the time.:lol:

BTW, Vicky's advice sounds very sensible to me.:)
 
yes i was there with them, today i tried bonding them after a 2 weeks break and they were ok untill the male tried to hump so i left them to sort it out between themselves for a bit, they just went for each other's bum lightly bitting and pulling some hairs to start then they broke out into a full on with paws kicking a bitting each other that's when i intervene and separated them.

Yes it sounds like you did the right thing, she may be territorial if she wasn't used to having a nice home and her own 'stuff' she's not likely to be too keen on a younger male dominating her and having to share it all straight away, you are still quite new to her too really. If at all possible give her more time, spend lots of time sitting on the floor and let her come to you. Have some food she likes and wait for her to come you. She sounds like she needs a bit longer to me but, it is only my opinion. The rescue should help you out aswell if you contact them and explain what is happening.
 
It sounds like an older doe just doing what they do to be honest, I have noticed females are a bit more 'territorial' I was half expecting you to say she wasn't neutered. Do you know how long ago she was neutered or anything about her past, had she been an only bunny on her own in a nice home or a more traumatic past?

i don't know anything about her past to be honest, she has a 1/4 bald patch on the chest also she has a abnormal floppy and enlarged chin, i keep saying she has a double chin, the rescue centre assured me that the vet was happy with her ans she was in full health but i cannot say what kind of life she had in the past
 
i don't know anything about her past to be honest, she has a 1/4 bald patch on the chest also she has a abnormal floppy and enlarged chin, i keep saying she has a double chin, the rescue centre assured me that the vet was happy with her ans she was in full health but i cannot say what kind of life she had in the past

:lol::lol: Thats her dewlap, they form that for nesting but, I believe it can be an indicator of a 'chubby' bunny but, not always. Awwww she needs more time I think and if it kicks off you may need to get outside help but, it will help for you to bond with her first. Let us know how it goes with her whether she chills out a bit more with you and responds to some one on one time, have to go but, do a search on bonding aswell and have a read, all bunnies and owners and where they live etc is different so I personally think it's very difficult to apply one set of rules to the process, I think it has to be done with the minimum amount of stress to the bunnies though which inevitably can cause more stress and work for the hoomins :lol: Best of luck, don't give up on her she is probably a lovely little girly under a tough shell which she may have needed over the years to protect herself. x
 
This is normal rabbit behaviour - mine throw stuff around all the time.:lol:

BTW, Vicky's advice sounds very sensible to me.:)

Yes I agree, I wouldn't move her stuff around, keep that to a minimum, she only has her little area to be hers and she wants it to be how she wants it. I personally don't move their stuff and if I do for cleaning - I try to put it back where and how it was. That's girl's for you :lol::lol:
 
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