cloverandchip
New Kit
Hi! This is my first time posting here so hopefully this is in the right place .
Last year my male rabbit sadly passed away meaning I was left with a single female (Clover). Clover is 7/8 years old and has been living on her own, mainly inside over winter. She seems happy enough but is starting to shows signs of slowing down due to her age. I recently adopted a 5 year old neutered male (Ron) with the view to bond him with Clover. They are currently living side by side during the day and get on fine next to each other. However, the first few 'face to face' bonding sessions haven't gone well. There's been a lot of aggression between them and they seem to hate each other! The other day Ron seemed to 'shut down' completely and just sat in a corner shaking. I later noticed he sustained a small cut on his back from a fight with Clover. All the sessions have been done in a neutral space (either the bathroom or a run on the grass). I tried a small enclosure but this just seemed to stress them out more. I ensure they don't escalate to any 'full-blown' fights but it's difficult. Is there any hope they can be bonded? If so, what are the best methods for navigating a tricky bond? Would they be happy enough living side by side? Any advice would be greatly appreciated- Thank you!
Last year my male rabbit sadly passed away meaning I was left with a single female (Clover). Clover is 7/8 years old and has been living on her own, mainly inside over winter. She seems happy enough but is starting to shows signs of slowing down due to her age. I recently adopted a 5 year old neutered male (Ron) with the view to bond him with Clover. They are currently living side by side during the day and get on fine next to each other. However, the first few 'face to face' bonding sessions haven't gone well. There's been a lot of aggression between them and they seem to hate each other! The other day Ron seemed to 'shut down' completely and just sat in a corner shaking. I later noticed he sustained a small cut on his back from a fight with Clover. All the sessions have been done in a neutral space (either the bathroom or a run on the grass). I tried a small enclosure but this just seemed to stress them out more. I ensure they don't escalate to any 'full-blown' fights but it's difficult. Is there any hope they can be bonded? If so, what are the best methods for navigating a tricky bond? Would they be happy enough living side by side? Any advice would be greatly appreciated- Thank you!