Has anyone got experiances with bonding two does?

Hi,

well I thought I finally found Bunbuns a husbun. all started off well, seemed like love at first sight, they were super loved up at the rescue centre, and looked all great. she kept grooming him and running up to him to play. However as soon as they came home he really changed. He was very, very aggressive with her. I first thought she was being territorial, but after watching them, she still kept going up to him trying to groom him, she even pushed her toys towards him, but all he did was snap at her and a few times tried biting her. He really turned from a cuddle bunny to something else. I think he may not have been happy indoors. he is 4 years old, never been with another bunny and always lived outdoors. They initially fought a couple of times after that I thought it calmed down. she kept trying to get closer to him, and he just didn't wanna know. Then Friday night they had another fight, I was just in the next room, so I could split them instantly again, but unfortunately I also heard a squeal, no idea from which bun it was, needless to say I kept them separate again. She kept looking to his run all loved up, he just gave her his backside to look at. The lady from the rescue place picked him back up yesterday and he's his old self again. she however is missing him, keeps looking around for him. We'll try to bond her again next week with a different buck, but just was wondering, since there is a beautiful, very gentle, like her, doe there that they just got in, could two does get on? I now know she really doesn't seem to be territorial at all, so would two does get on if the resident bun isn't territorial? this new buck we will try next is only 8 months old, so hopefully not as set in his way as the 4 year old one, but I want to keep my options open if they don't get on. hope that makes sense

Yes I have 2 girls together

I bonded them myself one is a Dutch very easy going than other is a Nethie complete nut job:roll:

They have Been together for 4 months and get on great with a thump now and again from the nethie demanding grooms or fuss from me :roll:

I also have a pair of boys so either work well

Just need to make it a proper 4 :shock:

thanks for that, yeah my dutch girl is super easy going too. I was wondering if I may not try a girl with her, cause she tried dating 4 boys, three she just run off scared, 1 she got on great with, the one we took home, but looks like she's too much of a pushover for most boys, so thinking maybe a girl would be better. will see what they have at the rescue place for us. worth a try I think. thanks for your feedback

You need an easy going partner by the sounds of it so they can be mutual friends stay well away from Nethie's they are headstrong and bossy :roll:

I only have mine as a guy from work was giving her up :roll: and I was a pushover

How long were they at the rescue being bonded? Just wondering whether the move unsettled things?

Babsie said:

How long were they at the rescue being bonded? Just wondering whether the move unsettled things?

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I would agree. It's a pity they couldn't have spent longer there, a week or so?

I had a Nethie and Rex. The Nethie was mine from when I started my rabbit obsession - my first rabbit, and the rex was a on the fly rescue of mine. The rex unfortunately passed away. My two females while they did bond to a point they had a -very- at odds relationship. As long as nothing was going on they could relax and lay down near each other. Hang out and be calm. When -anything- even surprised one of them they immediately would start honking angrily at the other as if it were their fault. They couldn't be left in the cage together when I wasn't home at all. I think while the pairings are not impossible, females are a little harder to bond once they are 'adults'. If you can find a really easy going female bunny and yours is currently not -too- overbearing with dominance you may be lucky enough to have some resounding success. My rex was a bit of a pushover until I rescued a male whom both of them loved at that point, what little bonding was done unraveled and the two girls would no longer relax in each others direct presence. I was hoping the male I rescued, my angora would give them a trio/reason to bond closer - but surprise surprise I had two very exclusive relationship control freak bunnies.

At the moment I have the Nethie(Cinnamon) and Angora(feathers) well bonded together as Feathers is very easy going and playful. The ironic issue with Cin and Feathers is that even though Cin is the bossy one she completely gives up dominance to him for whatever reason, I guess I can blame how the bonding worked - or perhaps when she came out of surgery for an issue with her eye that left her impaired. She changed her tune a little and became less bossy to him, now more bossy to me. Good luck!

Thanks all for your comments.

they spend a week or so together, well 6 days, and it was what seemed an instant connection. She would constantly run up to him, lick him and stuff and play with him. There wasn't a single fight. They were outdoors at the time, since he's been outdoors all of his life, and he's 4. all went well, they brought them here, and she wanted to continue playing and grooming him as she did before, but he wasn't having any of it. it was like he was suddenly a different rabbit. In fact he did do nothing buy try and hide in the corner and snap at her. No matter what we tried to make him adjust, he wasn't having any of it. I have a feeling he may not have been happy being indoors, and looking back on reflection, she was the one that made the effort even back at the rescue place. he's such a cute boy, and we're planning on getting him back, with one of his boys when our garden is done. We found out he came with two other boys to the rescue place, so thinking we take them all and get an outdoor run instead for them. still leaving us with Bunbuns needing to find someone. Since she's a pushover, a real sweetie. but yeah it looked all really great there, no fighting, just a bit of humping, and they were eating together more less instantly. like they have known each other all their life. I think the big issue was he just wasn't happy here. I may have been able to get him adjusted to indoor life after a while, but would that be the best for a bunny who wants to be outdoors. I personally don't think so, he should be in an environment he loves, not forced indoors when he doesn't like it. the fact he was really aggressive towards her was a deal breaker for me in the end, because she has got to be my main priority in this. no doubt if we put them both outdoors together he may have been different again, but it's not an option right now. it's a real, real disappointment because I fell in love with him already, and I think she has too, but he wasn't happy here. as soon as back in the rescue place and outdoors, he started binking again, so I knew I made the right decision here. so fingers crossed this weekend will be better, I am asking them to bond her indoors this time, so that whoever she ends up with, is used to being indoors. whether that is a boy or a girl, but glad that the option of girls could be open, as it widens the options we have.

thanks again for all your comments and help.

If Bunbuns is an indoor bunny, I'd try looking for a rescue with a very placid indoor rabbit to bond her with.

yep, totally agree, no point trying to bond her with another outdoor bun, especially if it's an older one very set in their ways. at least seeing that some of you had success with two does it now opens things up a bit more, cause before I was just looking for bucks, so that "should" make it easier now.

Have sent you a PM as may know of something