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Failed Bunny Bonding

Jacqui_UK

Jacqui_UK

Alpha Buck
Ok well I have 2 spayed does and one neutered boy. I wanted to put the boy in with the girls so after months of side by side action and no aggression I decided to get a large neutral area to bond the bunnies. All hell broke loose. Fur flying everywhere :( I read that they hold grudges and that this will never work now :(

Any advice or is my boy doomed to be a loner?
 
Fur often flies everywhere, but it usually looks worse than it is. Chasing nipping, humping and lunging are normal as they have to sort out the pecking order. Unless it is a full-on, locked on ,fight don't be tempted to give up. If I read your post correctly they've never been together before so there won't be any "grudges".
 
I'm far too scared to actually try bonding my 2 single bunnies who live happily as neighbours, but I have heard that a smaller, neutral area is better as they can't run away and chase so much - plus lots of food piles, hay and boxes etc to distract them. If there's mounting, nipping and fur pulling that's OK, but if they lock on and whirl round and round flat on the floor like a catherine wheel then you need to split them with a long-handled broom or a water pistol quickly as they dig at each other's stomachs.

I tried to bond my single boy to a group of 5 girls and 3 of them attacked him like this, and he now hates all females, but gets company from living next door to a single female I had to split from the group last year.

I have also heard that when bonding one to more than one it's best to introduce the dominant bunny from the pair/group to the newbie first, away from the others. The reason they will both attack a newcomer is because they are both defending their bonded partner, so it can be tricky with more than just 2 rabbits.
 
When I was bonding Buu and Beau I just clicked their clicker when they were chasing too much and they stopped straight away and came running over, distractions work well :lol:
 
I tried a small area first and it was constant logger heads so gave them run of the bunny proofed garden. They came near other other and all hell broke loose. I will wait 2 more weeks and try again I think. They are side by side.
 
Ok now Hunni and Missi have turned on each other and there have been serious injuries. So they are now split up :( This is all going so badly :(

Will they all have to be lone bunnies?
 
Sorry to hear about the fighting, I know how horrible it is. Could it be the new bun's presence still winding them up as he was near? Maybe try rebonding the bonded 2 later in a neutral area with no new bun to confuse them? Although I am no expert. What injuries do they have? :(
 
Try this

I bonded my 2 in a very small space, using a plant sray with water in it and wearing single oven gloves. Every time they had a go at one another I would spray water on their noses which disconcerted them and the one time the fur flew I got hold of them and separated them. They attacked the oven gloves, but my hands were safe.

Now if, for any reason, they get aggressive with one another I just throw the oven glove in the room and they quieten down - it appears to be a bully as far as they're concerned and they join together against it.

Ailz:)
 
Sad to have to say this but I have had to split up my previously bonded buns as they have full lock-on fights when together. We can't keep them separately and will have to re-home Albie. It's awful to have to do that but this way Albie will have a better quality of life and will hopefully be bonded with a male rabbit. (We thought she was a male when we bough her as a companion for Middy but it has been a disaster.)

So, Albie is going to emergency foster care (as we are going on holiday), and Middy will be alone, which seems to be OK with her as she is a free-range housebun. (Middy will be cared for while we are on holiday!)

I'm very sad but what can you do? You can't enforce a bonding, and believe me, we have tried. The result? A very bitten Middy, growing dislike of each other and, well, not a happy situation. :cry: :cry:
 
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Middy said:
Sad to have to say this but I have had to split up my previously bonded buns as they have full lock-on fights when together. We can't keep them separately and will have to re-home Albie. It's awful to have to do that but this way Albie will have a better quality of life and will hopefully be bonded with a male rabbit. (We thought she was a male when we bough her as a companion for Middy but it has been a disaster.)

So, Albie is going to emergency foster care (as we are going on holiday), and Middy will be alone, which seems to be OK with her as she is a free-range housebun. (Middy will be cared for while we are on holiday!)

I'm very sad but what can you do? You can't enforce a bonding, and believe me, we have tried. The result? A very bitten Middy, growing dislike of each other and, well, not a happy situation. :cry: :cry:
Click to expand...

Are both spayed?
 
Both my Smirnoff & Chocolate were single buns, when I tried to introduce the first time. They proper fought.

2 years later & they are both part of a bonded group of 13. Although I agree you can't force bonding - sometimes it can just need more time.

If it's a fur-pulling/nipping thing - I have been known to spray with water. They break up & start to groom themselves.
 
The fights are constant locking into each other a scrabbling and kicking in a tight ball till I split them :( I am lucky to have spare hutches and runs as I am always prepared for the worst. How long should I leave it till I try again. As I want them to be a group of 3 should I try to bond the 3 together or the 2 previously bonded first then the other.
 
Here is how I have them in the day time. DO you think this is ok or is it worse to do this?

2000679991892565525_rs.jpg

2003565227975367504_rs.jpg
 
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Middy said:
Yes, they are. I'm really, really upset now. I think Albie will have to go tomorrow. I know it's for the best, but... :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
Click to expand...


Could you contact a local Rescue? ARC or someone? Maybe they could help you bond with a donation or something?
 
ARC has tried, Angie. Janice successfully bonded them in the first place but had to abandon as she was faced with two injured animals (one especially badly) when we tried again after Albie fell ill and was away for a week in hospital. They only have to come into contact for a millisecond and they are fighting badly.
 
I am too far away to help you unless you are going on holiday and coming this way and I would pair them up whilst you are away.

Is there someone near you who could help who is experienced and who could offer you some neutral territory? Is there a rescue near you who may be able to assist you.

From my own personal experience one of the main problems with pairing up is getting the correct area to bond them on, ie totally neutral territory without any smells they are familiar with.
 
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