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New rabbit - constant humping

heleni

Warren Scout
On Sunday just gone, we picked up our new rabbit Rupert from the rescue centre where he had been bonded with our existing rabbit Oreo. He is lovely, very friendly and they seem very happy together.

But, it turns out that he's an absolute sexpest towards her! He just keeps trying to hump her and will not give up. She runs away as soon as he hops on top, and sometimes looks at me as if to say "what have I done to deserve this?". She has never left any of her mates (he is No.4) have their way with her. I realise it's probably a mixture of spring, new bonding and new territory (he is neutered), and she is happy for him to be dominant rabbit - and she will follow him around, when he's not trying it on - but it does look hard work constantly trying to get away and not being able to relax.

What seems to make it more confusing, is that he often seems to start when I've been out to see them, as if it's a deferred dominance thing - but it doesn't happen if my husband goes out. Being at work all week I've not had the chance to spend much time with them, but hopefully over the weekend I will be able to.

Any thoughts on what, if anything, I can do to try and stop him from being quite so frisky, or is it just a matter of giving him some time. I'm worried that at some point she will just snap and possibly injure him
 
I wonder if Rupert associates you with food so he is humping Oreo. If it isn't food related, could you put a box or tunnel closeby for Oreo to hide away in? Hopefully he will calm down when he settles in.
 
Thanks Tonibun. I do provide breakfast and dinner but my husband has also been providing snacks inbetween, which are proving more popular, so really they should associate him with deliciousness too. The rabbits have a selection of boxes and tunnels to hide in, but he just follows her into them and has a go there. I hope it does calm down, as the young kids next door (under 5) like to look over the fence at the rabbits, and I don't expect that their parents have covered the birds and the bees (and the manicly humping rabbits) just yet!
 
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