Bunny in shock

We have been trying to bond our rescue bun with our old bunny (she's ten) and she has always bonded without any problem. These two won't bond. For the past few months we have brought them indoors and they are fine, we recently bought a large outdoor run to put on the grass (8 x 8 and 3 feet high with a net cover). They seemed fine in there, but I always stay close, just in case.

Yesterday they were snuggling up and all of a sudden fur was flying. I separated them within ten seconds.

Today, the young rescue bun won't eat or poop and just sits in the run of his hutch. He won't even eat his favourite treats and makes no effort to come out into the garden.

I'm so worried he's in shock, he doesn't appear hurt in any way. I'm leaving him alone with his fave foods and the door open so he can go into the garden if he wants (other bun is locked in the big run). Normally when I go into the garden, he races around his run and tries to push the door open.

I don't know what to do, any advice? They are both such gentle rabbits, I don't know what's wrong and I don't want to lose this bunny over this. I say bunny, he's at least one and very big!

oh I'm sorry you are having problems - I have no idea about bonding though

If he has not eaten or poo'd since yesterday then he needs Veterinary attention.

He may be in GI stasis due to stress

Please contact your Vet now and good luck xx

Thanks for your message. He ate his veggies last night, lots of poops last night (which I cleared up first thing this morning), but nothing in or out since. He has just snuck out of his run and gone to lay next to the other bun's run, so maybe he will be ok. If he doesn't eat in the next hour, I will call our vet. I worry that putting him in his box will stress him even more, but I'll go and try to tempt him with some apple now.

He is such a gentle rabbit, I am sure he was traumatised when the other bun pulled some fur out.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

If he is not himself, then he might have an injury you havent spotted. He could be in pain.

Hi Lindy, how is the new bunny doing now? This is obviously some territorial issues although I know females are hardly ever territorial. Let's just hope that it's one of those relationships that take some time to bond. Crossing my fingers for you!

Oscar has just been running around the garden which is a good sign, and earlier he was lying next to the old female bunny, though thankfully the wire run was between them! When we bring them in the house they snuggle happily for hours. It's definitely the old female who starts it, Oscar is very gentle. Until early afternoon he was in a corner of his run and almost rigid.

I'll go and check on him again, but he has always been nervous since we got him as a rescue from the RSPCA about five months ago.

I went out and gave him nose rubs as he loves those, and it did seem to perk him up, so fingers crossed. He didn't eat his apple though

W

Update: The nose rubs must have worked I went back out after five minutes and he had scoffed his treat and apple, and is now happily munching some parsley. Phew! I just have to check it comes out the other end now

Lindy, I hope he is okay and doesn't have a wound from her.

Is he neutered?

Are they currently in different hutches and you have been bringing them into the house together and then separated them again each day? Is your long term plan to house them together in the same hutch?

I think that someone needs to now advise you about bonding and what to do now that they have had a fight. We have quite a few bonding experts and hopefully Jan will be able to advise you.

Yes he is neutered. We have had had the female ten years and she has had three fully bonded partners, and it's always taken a maximum of two weeks to fully bond, never a problem.

We had them in the same large hutch divided into two, swapping sides each day to the scent got around, and bonding them gradually in the house. This has always worked in the past, but not this time. Oscar had a very bad eye lid injury when they fought some time ago, but mega £$£ and visits to the vet and he recovered fully.

This just isn't working. Someone on the board suggested a sectioned off area in the garden as the next step, and that seemed to be going well, they would go in this 8x8 run and happily snuggle and groom, (always supervised) but yesterday after about an hour the fur started flying.

We were told Oscar was 3-4 when we got him, but we reckon he was one at the most! He has grown lots since. We also think he is gay, honestly! Neither tries to hump the other, and this may sound weird, but his mannerisms are very camp! OK that sounds crazy, but we all feel that he is, maybe our other bun senses it!

Anyway, he is now eating and running around, so I think he was in shock and basically needed the magic nose rubs to tell him all is ok.

But yes, we had been bringing them in, then putting them into the large run. We had to buy a separate hutch as there was no way they could continue sharing the big one split into two. They take turns, one loose in the garden, the other in the large run, but they tend to lie next to each other with the wire separating them.

I can't believe this bonding hasn't worked, as I say, never a problem in the past, but I would welcome any advice. In the house they are like two best friends snuggled up.

They both have their own large hutch and run now, but as I'm home all day, they spend their time in the garden during the day. The plan was for them to share the same hutch, as our other late bunnies had. (Two died of abscesses, one of e.cuniculi despite many months of treatment)