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please help!!!! bonding help needed.

C

carolinej

Young Bun
hi, i recently adopted 2 male bunnies form a rescue. they came as a pair and are neutured but unfortunately started fighting so had to be seperated and are now living in seperate hutches. after much consideration i decided to try one of them with a female. i took him with me to the rescue centre, he spent some time with her there and them we came home. it has been just over 48 hours now and they do not seem to be making friends at all! she has taken over the hutch, chases him round alot and seems to be stopping him going upstairs into the enclosed bit. they are also having some fights but not all of the time. he seems really quite scared of her and i just dont know what to do. i cant have another hutch as already got 2. please help- i want him to have a companion but is this all too stressful for him? i am i being impatient? should i leave them longer? i cant seem to find any rescues round here that will provide a bonding service. thanks.xx
 
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Hi :wave:
I am sure there will be some experts along soon but I don't think it sounds too awful as they sound to be tolerating each other a bit. Are they both neuteured? Are there any injuries resulting from the fighting? Are they in a neutral area, where neither has been before? I understand bonding is very stressful but you are in the right place :)
 
Where are you located? It would rellay be best to go to a rescue and have all 3 of them bonded on neutral territory. It would be worth travelling for a bit. Or maybe you can try the female with your other male bunny? But it MUST be on neutral territory and the hutch must be cleaned to remove any smells before you let them back in. Sometimes even the smell of a nearby bunny can cause fighting. Are your two hutches right next to each other?
 
i am in stourbridge in the west midlands. i really would appreciate some help as my nerves cant take much more!! the male is neutured but the female is not yet. the rescue seemed to think that would be ok. she is booked in for 2 weeks time. the hutch that the 2 are in is quite a large hutch with a run attached. the other rabbit is across the garden and he is also neutured.
 
I would have the female neutered first and then try bonding again. Not sure how long it takes for the hormones to change after a spay. How old is the female?
 
I would say the hormones may well be the problem and you may be best to wait til she has been spayed and hormones have died down. Saying that, I have read about worse bonding attempts on here. If you edit the title to say about bonding and where you are, it might help get the attention of the 'bonders' :D
 
lisa82 said:
I would say the hormones may well be the problem and you may be best to wait til she has been spayed and hormones have died down. Saying that, I have read about worse bonding attempts on here. If you edit the title to say about bonding and where you are, it might help get the attention of the 'bonders' :D
Click to expand...


Good idea! :D
 
Did you thoroughly clean your male buns hutch area so that there is no scent of him before bringing the female home? or did she go strainght into his already occupied area with him? How long were they together at the rescue?

Have you thought about sending them all off to a rescue that do bonding facilities;) They may be there a week but in that time it gives you plenty of time to throughly clean all area's before they return home:D
 
There is Tracy in Rugby, I think doorkeeper Louise might do bonding, she is in Redditch I think and then there is Tree who is in Wolverhampton, she might be able to do it for you:D
 
Tracy (rngpwelfare) is on 01788 335585
Tree (Soad - Underhill rabbit rescue is 07961 829 437
Doorkeeper Louise is - 07949 657268

If your really worried Caroline, Split the two tier hutch so that they can be housed seperately until things can be sorted out;) not ideal I know but if you have no where else to house one of them and they are fighting, its seems the only answer for tonight at least;) :) just take the ramp out and put a sheet of ply wood over the hole on the top floor:)
 
bonding update!

thankyou all for your advice yesterday! it was very much appreciated- this bonding thing is a very stressful business!! i watched them until quite late last night and then finally went to bed and left them to it (not that i slept much!) i dont want to be too hopeful but this morning there does seem to be some improvement..... they are both in the same room now and he has been grooming himself in front of her which i am told is a good thing. they are no where near each other but i think i am right in thinking this is looking more positive?!?! what does everyone think?
 
It does sound more positive but I am surprised that the rescue let you take home an unspeyed female to bond yourself, how old is she?
 
i am beginning to question the rescue centre myself now!!! she is about 4-5months old. they do seem to be far too laid back about it all and when i have rung them for advice they arent very helpfull at all!!
 
I have on occasion let young girls go as a pair because they were too young to spey but I have ALWAYS paired them up myself before letting them go.

The problem is getting them speyed at the right time as once they hit puberty they start to give the male a hard time and you need to get them done asap before any damage occurs, emotional or physical.
 
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