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Help Please!!

Velvet2011

New Kit
Hi everyone.

I have a mini lop and i have just rescued a mini rex last week. I have had both rabbits living in a large shed and the new bunny in a large dog crate so that they can both see each other. after seven days of living like this i have for the first time today let them out to be together to bond.
My Mini lop Misty that i have had for 4 yrs just lays flat out on the ground while velvet the mini rex new bunnie constantly humps her and pulling out her fur. Is this normal and how long should they be left together before they bond. i feel so sorry for Misty. Please can you help.

leah
 
Do you now for certain the gender of each of the rabbits? are either or both neutered?

If you don't I'd split them up immediately to prevent them from breeding.

Otherwise, mounting is a normal part of bonding and asserting dominance over the other rabbit to establish a pecking order. Fur pulling likewise is OK as long as they are not biting, drawing blood or locking onto each other. They should meet on neutral territory - not the pen or cage of either rabbit, somewhere neither have been. Wherever they plan to live once together also needs to be neutralised with white vinegar.

There are many more people on here more experienced at bonding than me. If you do a search in the bonding part of the forum you should find lots more advice. :wave::wave::wave::wave:
 
Hi everyone.

I have a mini lop and i have just rescued a mini rex last week. I have had both rabbits living in a large shed and the new bunny in a large dog crate so that they can both see each other. after seven days of living like this i have for the first time today let them out to be together to bond.
My Mini lop Misty that i have had for 4 yrs just lays flat out on the ground while velvet the mini rex new bunnie constantly humps her and pulling out her fur. Is this normal and how long should they be left together before they bond. i feel so sorry for Misty. Please can you help.

leah

Awww poor Misty - you've not been very fair to her, you need to get the minirex off her and back in the crate and out of Misty's territory..

The rescue should have advised you on this but you shouldn't let this continue, your rabbit might end up not eating and go into stasis or they'll fight.

I hope the minirex is neutered as Vikkivet said - I'm assuming it's male, you need to bond them in the dog crate but you'll have to neutralise it first, so put your minirex in a carrier even for 10 minutes and wipe the crate over with white vinegar or water if you have nothing else.

You need to put lots of hay on the floor of the crate and scatter food in it and nothing that they can become territorial over, plenty of water and throw in herbs/dandelions etc to distract them.

As Vikkivet says if it's male and female and both are neutered a bit of humping is normal but it can be excessive in which case I would intervene, just gently moving him off her and stroking them both and hand feeding some wet herbs like dill etc can provide a welcome break for her. She will need to assert herself but as an older doe may be nervous, you have to ensure she doesn't get hurt or stressed out too much and it is sometimes necessary I think to intervene to give her a rest if nothing else. Distract him when you move him as I said with food or treats etc

Have a read through the threads in behaviour and bonding, there is lots of tips and suggestions :wave:
 
Misty the mini lop is female and spayed and velvet is male not neutered. sorry i know this sound stupid but how long does the humping and fur pulling last for?

leah
 
Misty the mini lop is female and spayed and velvet is male not neutered. sorry i know this sound stupid but how long does the humping and fur pulling last for?

leah

Oh dear he has to be neutered first. He will be a real pain otherwise and drive her mad, actually he could injure her. Separate them now and get him neutered first.
 
hi

Sorry i should have also said i took both of them into my kitchen area and it is only a small kitchen. i just dont want poor misty to get stressed out as she is such a layed back bunny.

Would i keep them together till they have bonded or would i just do it for 30 minutes every day.

many thanks

Leah
 
Hi - As has already been suggested, you NEED to keep them separated until he is neutered otherwise he will just keep at her her. He doesn't know that she has been spayed and will be a hormone driven pest until he is :(

Give him 6 weeks for the hormones to diminish then start the bonding :D
 
Thank you all so much, i will call the vet tomorrow to arrange this. I dont know what i would do without this forum as the sspca did not give advice about this apart from asking is my current rabbit spayed.

Thank you all again.

Leah
 
Thank you all so much, i will call the vet tomorrow to arrange this. I dont know what i would do without this forum as the sspca did not give advice about this apart from asking is my current rabbit spayed.

Thank you all again.

Leah

Awww it's not your fault but you have to be cruel to be kind, he's going to drive her mad otherwise and as I said it could injure her back etc, and actually it's not kind to him as he will be going nuts with his hormones raging, males bounce back well from the snip usually but you'll need to confine him to the crate for about 24-48 hours to be sure his wound heals, ask for internal sutures, if you need advise on post op care, try a search on neutering or do a new thread, there's lots of folk who have their buns male and female neutered/spayed to help you, it'll fly by and it will be much safer and better for them both that way :wave:
 
I agree with whats been posted he needs to be neutered before he is put with misty otherwise she will be one upset bun, :wave:
 
The SSPCA are notorious for not giving correct information about rabbits! Do not feel bad, its not your fault. Getting him neutered will be the best step forward, and as males recover faster than females, it will not be too long before you can put them back together.

You didn't get him from the Inverness centre did you? They had a mini Rex in last week and I thought he was gorgeous!
 
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