I adopted a pair of bonded rabbits (M age 1.5 years, F age 3, both fixed) around a week and a half ago.
For the first week they were very close. As far as I'm aware, the female is dominant. The female would occasionally run in tight circles around the male while he sat still and didn't seem to mind, I saw him grooming her one time, they would cuddle laying side-by-side frequently, etc. She would sometimes eat his share of treats/veggies because he wouldn't try anything new and he didn't seem to care.
The past several days they haven't seemed as close. I haven't seen them laying side-by-side or grooming each other the last several days..maybe a week. They're still share hay and veggies nicely, but when they anticipate receiving treats/pellets they now /both/ start running in a circle chasing each other. I haven't seen any nipping or hair pulling, so I'm not sure if they're just both excited for the yummy stuff or if it could get worse over time and devolve into fighting. They didn't fight about it at all, but he did make an attempt to steal food from her mouth tonight. I'm not sure if they're just less stressed after adjusting to the new environment and are therefore not sticking to each other as closely or if this is the start of a problem with their hierarchy..
I didn't bond them myself - they were already bonded in their last home - and it's my first time having a pair of bunnies, so I'm new to this. Should I try some bonding techniques like encouraging grooming by putting food on their heads or letting them have a run in a new neutral location? I'd try patting both next to each other but the boy wasn't socialized when young (this is his third home, her second) and still won't accept pats. Or am I reading into things too much and should I just wait and see if anything happens?
Advice appreciated. Thank you!
For the first week they were very close. As far as I'm aware, the female is dominant. The female would occasionally run in tight circles around the male while he sat still and didn't seem to mind, I saw him grooming her one time, they would cuddle laying side-by-side frequently, etc. She would sometimes eat his share of treats/veggies because he wouldn't try anything new and he didn't seem to care.
The past several days they haven't seemed as close. I haven't seen them laying side-by-side or grooming each other the last several days..maybe a week. They're still share hay and veggies nicely, but when they anticipate receiving treats/pellets they now /both/ start running in a circle chasing each other. I haven't seen any nipping or hair pulling, so I'm not sure if they're just both excited for the yummy stuff or if it could get worse over time and devolve into fighting. They didn't fight about it at all, but he did make an attempt to steal food from her mouth tonight. I'm not sure if they're just less stressed after adjusting to the new environment and are therefore not sticking to each other as closely or if this is the start of a problem with their hierarchy..
I didn't bond them myself - they were already bonded in their last home - and it's my first time having a pair of bunnies, so I'm new to this. Should I try some bonding techniques like encouraging grooming by putting food on their heads or letting them have a run in a new neutral location? I'd try patting both next to each other but the boy wasn't socialized when young (this is his third home, her second) and still won't accept pats. Or am I reading into things too much and should I just wait and see if anything happens?
Advice appreciated. Thank you!
