Strange Bonding Experience

Hi All,

I have recently bonded my adopted 8 month old lop (Pudding - female) with my two that already live together - Vladimir (male) and Tarquin (female). All of them are neutered.

Things were going really well - after taking them out for a spin in the car and then placing them all in a neutral place, there were a few scuffles but generally everything was fine. We vinegared their living quarters and they have lived happily for the last two weeks.

However, I don't like confining them to their large pen and instead like to let them run around our enclosed garden. However, despite cleaning the patio vigerously (after all, they had all been allowed on it previously) Pudding and Tarquin began fighting and could not be put back together. So I rebonded them and they were fine again. I then let them out again, after running around for a while, they once again began fighting. So I rebonded them yet again.

While they all sleep together in the pen and are quite happy, I really feel that they need their space to run around - does anyone have any suggestions about overcoming this problem? I can only assume that the fighting is being caused because Tarquin and Pudding are scenting everywhere and then fighting for dominance?

Any help would be appreciated!

Mark

I'm having the same problem!!! Can anyone give some advice???

how long have they been bonded ...I know I have had to take a step back in my bonding of 6 off mine ..I thought as they were ok in the pen together they could move out to there shed and run but they started to fight so they have been confinded to there pen in the shed for a few more days . I think I will need to increase there space more slowly

It is often the sudden increase in area which results in the fighting. When ever I bond rabbits I always suggest only slowly increasing the space that they have as they need to sort out their dominance in any new space. After 2 weeks I would only suggest that they have a space of just over 36 square feet. After this time the space can still be slowly increased if required.

I agree about the space thing. We have just rebonded our two dwarf rabbits. I started off with them in 4 mesh cubes, but this seemed to cause fights, so I reduced it to two - a space about 2 ft by 1 ft. They were in this for two days, though I extended it overnight but kept them separated by two panels.

I then put out them in the garden, again in a small run about 2 ft by 5 ft. This went okay so now they are in a small area of the hutch and doing okay.

Whenever I tried to increase the space it caused trouble, so I had to go back a step. Also, I thoroughly scrubbed out the hutch with hot water, washing up liquid, and vinegar, to totally neutralise the space. I even removed the sleeping box so the hutch felt like a new place.