cutekitty28
New Kit
about 6 weeks ago we got another rabbit to join our female lop who was 14 months old. She had been neutered and we thought we would get her a little friend. We 'rescued' a 9 week old baby rabbit and when we first introduced them Buttons (our rabbit) was so aggressive towards Charlie (new rabbit) I was bitten twice trying to split them fighting. I was so shocked at how aggressive Buttons was.
We tried again later that day and again Buttons went straight for Charlie. So for the next 3 days i swapped there living areas in the day and night and placed Charlies little cage next to Buttons. After 3 days i took them for a car trip. They seemed ok (both got stressed) and after put them back. The next day took them out again in the car but when we came back this time i put them back in the hallway. Buttons after a few minutes went straight for Charlie so we split them again.
Continuing to swap them round in the day in the hutches.. I had read about the wear down way so got a spray water bottle, some gloves and brought them both into the hall. Everytime Buttons was aggressive i would spray him slightly with the water. As you can imagine he got a bit wet. After about 10 mins he started to leave Charlie so only left them for a little bit after.
For the next 2 weeks i continued to put them in the hallway and Buttons had stopped being aggressive. So i moved to a pen in the garden and again Buttons started being aggressive so again sprayed her with water and kept telling her to 'be nice' and praised her when she was.
I put them in their pen in the garden everyday for 1 hours supervision for a week and decided to take the plunge and put charlie in the normal cage/shed/run setup that Buttons has. (We have a double door shed with a 2 teir hutch in with half the space in the shed to run around then a large run that comes from the doors of the shed onto the grass) Buttongs wouldnt let Charlie near her hutch but would accept him in the run and area in the shed.
Slowly as the days went along and buttons had shown no aggressive behaviour towards charlie i let them have the whole run of the shed together (usually buttons is locked in his hutch and charlie in his cage) I left both thei homes open and things went well....
6 weeks on Charlie now sleeps with Buttons in her hutch in the bedroom! they lie next to each other and groom each other! I never thought this would happen and after the first few weeks had started to look for a 2 teir hutch for charlie as never thought they would be able to be together after seeing just how aggressive Buttons was....
We tried again later that day and again Buttons went straight for Charlie. So for the next 3 days i swapped there living areas in the day and night and placed Charlies little cage next to Buttons. After 3 days i took them for a car trip. They seemed ok (both got stressed) and after put them back. The next day took them out again in the car but when we came back this time i put them back in the hallway. Buttons after a few minutes went straight for Charlie so we split them again.
Continuing to swap them round in the day in the hutches.. I had read about the wear down way so got a spray water bottle, some gloves and brought them both into the hall. Everytime Buttons was aggressive i would spray him slightly with the water. As you can imagine he got a bit wet. After about 10 mins he started to leave Charlie so only left them for a little bit after.
For the next 2 weeks i continued to put them in the hallway and Buttons had stopped being aggressive. So i moved to a pen in the garden and again Buttons started being aggressive so again sprayed her with water and kept telling her to 'be nice' and praised her when she was.
I put them in their pen in the garden everyday for 1 hours supervision for a week and decided to take the plunge and put charlie in the normal cage/shed/run setup that Buttons has. (We have a double door shed with a 2 teir hutch in with half the space in the shed to run around then a large run that comes from the doors of the shed onto the grass) Buttongs wouldnt let Charlie near her hutch but would accept him in the run and area in the shed.
Slowly as the days went along and buttons had shown no aggressive behaviour towards charlie i let them have the whole run of the shed together (usually buttons is locked in his hutch and charlie in his cage) I left both thei homes open and things went well....
6 weeks on Charlie now sleeps with Buttons in her hutch in the bedroom! they lie next to each other and groom each other! I never thought this would happen and after the first few weeks had started to look for a 2 teir hutch for charlie as never thought they would be able to be together after seeing just how aggressive Buttons was....
