Fur pulling during bonding

Oreo (existing girl rabbit) and Bramble (new boy rabbit) have now been bonding with mixed success for 10 days. When they were first introduced, at Windwhistle, they got on OK with Bramble showing signs of being top rabbit, so we brought them home the same day (the first of a few mistakes!). Although it had been neutralised Oreo clearly recognised the hutch as hers and decided she wanted to be boss. She started nipping him and pulling out his fur. We confined them to the 5ft x 2ft upstairs and they seemed to calm down. So we made the mistake of giving them more space by putting them in the run a few times, and although they would spend 4 or 5 hours with no problem, suddenly it would all kick off (usually late afternoon) and she would chase him and pull fur, he fought back a little. There has been no clawing or significant biting, as far as I can tell. Our garden looks like pigeons have been shot, with the amount of fur. The birds are very happy though, they have lovely furry nests this season!

So we then confined the rabbits back to the upstairs hutch on Friday evening to start things again and haven't moved them since; they immediately calmed down and have been getting along fine from then until last night, with Bramble doing plenty of grooming and both of them looking more relaxed (happy to share a food bowl, trying to nick each others parsnip pieces without fighting, though not obvious friends) at which point I was thinking that on Friday I would give them the downstairs as well. This morning I went out and once again there is an absolute mass of fur pulled, apparently from both of them, and Oreo was growling and nipping again - clearly they have had a falling out and I don't know why. The only change was that I put a cover over the front of the hutch as it was a cold night. Or perhaps they're getting cabin fever from being cooped up?

Oreo previously bonded easily with two other rabbits (one died of/with EC in old age, one died a few weeks ago of a heart attack, we think, after being startled) though that was all done as Windwhistle, so it is not great to see things going badly this time. We think Bramble fought with his brother which is why he was single. Both are neutered.

Any thoughts on how I might calm the situation down, and how I might know when it is safe to gradually increase their space? I thought we'd got to that point but maybe not. I don't want the rabbits to get too stressed out (Bramble is looking tense again) or to go bald!!! Plus they will need more space to stretch their legs. Thank you for any help or ideas!

I think your main problem is you are using Oreo's hutch and they don't forget that easily. You need to put them in a space or cage where neither has been, especially your female and start all over again really. After 2 weeks of being together with no fighting or falling out, during which time you can really neutralise the hutch, you should be able to put them together in the hutch. There is no way you could buy another hutch, this would be the best way as there will be no lingering smells for Oreo. Even a smaller one would do until they are properly bonded.

Introducing a male into an existing female's territory is not always easy as the females are very territorial.
So you need to make sure they are fully bonded before putting them back in the area where Oreo lived previously.

Good luck.

Sounds like we've got a load of work on our hands!! We won't be able to buy another hutch but I do know someone from whom we might be able to borrow a small run which we could then put in the kitchen, or we might be able to construct a temporary pen for them in one corner of the room.

I hadn't realised that females are so territorial, as Oreo is usually pretty meek and mild. I'd thought it was finally going well after 4 days with no scrapping

It can be difficult bonding at this time of year because of the added crazyness caused by spring fever. Try not to feel disheartened I'm sure you'll get there. Are they still only in half the hutch? If they are and things are still a little tense I too would be tempted to go back to completely neuteral territory and starting again.

If they have the whole hutch you could confine them to one half again.

I had to do this loads of times with one of my bonds as they were always fine until space was increased. It felt mean confining them but we got there in the end and they are now very happy.

They are now in the kitchen in what must be the world's most Heath Robinson run! It's in one corner made up of a section of the run lid, an old pallet and lots of old bricks and tins of paint to hold it all together - apparently it comes with added spiders. I gave them half an hour apart first, just to give them a little break from each other. Sitting quietly together in a clean (unscented) litter tray - let's see how long that lasts... OMG, Bramble has just flopped (not yet seen that from him) and Oreo hasn't yet nipped him - she looks terrified of the kitchen.

This weekend I will give the whole shed a bleach and also a vinegar, to be on the safe side . Weather is looking good for a good cleaning/drying weekend. They were in half the hutch only but clearly that was either too much space or too much Oreo's space. I will enjoy having them in the house but hope I don't have to do it too many times over!

Vinegar is the best thing to clean with for neutralising, assuming you already did the necessary clean post possible EC I wouldn't worry to much about bleaching everything again.

Thanks Amy. I did the EC bleach clean back in December, before we got Bertie (Bramble's predecessor, who sadly died suddenly after we'd only had him about 10 weeks - we think it was a heart attack due to shock, but we don't know what caused it, maybe a cat as he always startled easily. Bramble and Oreo got on well with no fighting, which makes this more frustrating). I had wondered if the bleach smells would throw Oreo off the scent, so to speak, more than vinegar, but if I don't have to do that, great, because it makes life much easier and makes it less likely that I kill off the grass during the rinsing stage!!

Sending bonding vibes - good luck!

well, we are now a week into the kitchen bonding attempt and things are, touch wood, going well. No fur pulling and only very occasional nips that I'm not particularly worried by. Oreo is looking quite disheveled from Bramble's grooming attempts, and both generally seem relaxed around each other - sitting in the litter tray together and sleeping near each other, jumping over each other, sharing food. I've gradually increased their space so now they've got a triangle with edges of about 4ft x 6ft - when I extended it last night, Bramble got very excited and started binkying, though he soon gave that up when he landed in the water bowl.

The hutch and shed has been soaked in vinegar and smells like a chip shop. I won't be putting the rabbits back there until this time next week at the earliest, but I'm wondering if it might be safe to put them in the run for an hour or so when I get home from work (as they've not been out there for about 10 days and it's a lovely afternoon) or whether that is asking for trouble? The run is about 5ft x 6ft rectangle so about twice the space they've currently got.

Our rabbits have fallen out again. following my last message I put them in the run for a couple of days and all was going well, and then they fell out again when Bramble tried being boss when they went on a new patch of grass. Back to the kitchen where they became friends again for about 7 days, back in the run with no problem one day and then the next day they fell out again big time, due I think to a new box in the run. Back to the kitchen and they still were fighting. To another neutral spot and they were still fighting. So we had to separate them. Initially Oreo got the upstairs of the hutch and Bramble the downstairs, shed and attached run, then the next day we re-attached the hutch door so Oreo has upstairs and downstairs (plus time on the grass when weather is nice) and they can see each other and sit side by side.

When they were on different levels, Bramble was looking for Oreo, and Oreo looked miserable. Now they can sit side by side if they want, which they do some of the time. Bramble has really come out of his shell and is very confident and a bit of a trouble maker really, rather than seeming nervous as he did through the bonding attempt. Oreo seems a bit down still - not used to being confined perhaps, and certainly not acting the mean bossy boots she had been during the bonding. He tried grooming her through the wire yesterday but couldn't quite reach.

Based on their behaviours when alone (and Oreo with previous partners) he should be boss but it doesn't work out like that when they meet. They will be friends but we're all nervous when they are getting on, as he gives in rather than choosing to be subservient and will try to stake his claim if anything changes - we've all lost weight through the stress!!

So I'm not sure what to do now - whether (and if so, when) to try rebonding them, or whether to let them live side-by-side but apart, or whether to get each a new partner. Any thoughts would be appreciated.