Bonding help please!

[mai_taylor]

Hello, I'm new to the forums and would really appreciate any advice I can get.

We have had a boy bun (butter) for 18 months now, he was neutered around a year ago and we decided to get him a girl bun (peanut) to keep him company as we're out at work all day (she has also been spayed). This is the first time we've tried to bond rabbits and so far we haven't had much success. They've had four dates so far (all in the bath). At the moment they sit far away from each other in a ball looking scared, they will groom themselves and peanut will eat if we put food in there (butter won't) but if one of them does get brave enough to go up to the other or if we do try and put them closer together it just ends up in a full on fight will fur flying everywhere and we have to break it up. Last night they were sitting next to each other and everything seemed to be going ok but peanut brought her leg up to groom and I think butter thought she was going to attack so he bit her and then a fight started.

I'm just not sure they're making any progress at the moment and wondered if we should try something else but not sure what to do next? They have a penned area each in the same room so they can see each other and we swap litter trays so they can get used to each others smell.

 

[tonibun]

It sounds like Butter is acting a bit territorially so have you another area (not the bath) where they can both go to get this initial phase over with? Nearly always when bonding, the male chases the female for up tp 3 days then they start to settle down. There shouldn't be any real biting or fighting, maybe a little bit of fur is pulled but nothing too serious. They do this chasing bit to ensure they know who is the dominant one. Good luck with your 2.

 

[mai_taylor]

It sounds like Butter is acting a bit territorially so have you another area (not the bath) where they can both go to get this initial phase over with? Nearly always when bonding, the male chases the female for up tp 3 days then they start to settle down. There shouldn't be any real biting or fighting, maybe a little bit of fur is pulled but nothing too serious. They do this chasing bit to ensure they know who is the dominant one. Good luck with your 2.

Thanks, yeah we could try them in the kitchen with a bit more room and see how things go, they were full on fighting but no injuries so far that we can see.