• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Help bonding male & female who lost there original partners

bunnylover4

Warren Scout
Hi all

I used to have alex & gizmo as a pair but had to separate as alex bullied gizmo and he was a gummy bunny.... (gizmo sadly went to rainbow bridge in November ) then there was yoshi&tiggs who were so loved up . Sadly tiggs went to rainbow bridge in march. So now we had nine year old Yoshi & 7 and half year old alex living next door to each other.
They were flirting with each other any chance they got so we got advice on putting the two together from our rabbit savvy vet who knows my buns temperament and she advised to put alex in yoshi's enclosure as she is normally a very dominant female so she should feel more insecure making yoshi have the upper hand....
It seems to be working yoshi has been groomed by alex a lot and he has groomed her a little but there has been no mounting . They have had a few scuffles nothing major just a few sly nips which we have separated using welding gloves ..... now they are both laid down near each other in the enclosure but we are unsure what to do now .
We can't leave them unsupervised in case they fight so do we separate ? How long should we leave them together ?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
If they seem to be getting on OK and you are able to supervise them, then I would keep them together. If you are not able to supervise then I think you need to separate them, but this would be a pity if things seem to be going well.
 
If they seem to be getting on OK and you are able to supervise them, then I would keep them together. If you are not able to supervise then I think you need to separate them, but this would be a pity if things seem to be going well.
they have been together since 4pm roughly but they are in the summerhouse so can't supervise at all times as I need to eat and have a 16mth old daughter 🙄 But they can see each other when apart through mesh so wondering when to part them. I am too scared to do unsupervised dates as Alex is a sly and nippy female
 
If they seem to be getting on OK and you are able to supervise them, then I would keep them together. If you are not able to supervise then I think you need to separate them, but this would be a pity if things seem to be going well.

This is 100% correct.

I think the reason you got no more replies is that there isn't anything else to add.

If they are not settled and are still sorting their heirarchy (which can take 72 hours+), then it would be highly risky to leave them together unsupervised, so the advice would be to separate until you can supervise again. But, ultimately, it's your risk and your rabbits, and only you can decide what you want to do.

I, personally, wouldn't bond on unneutral territory, so my advice would be to bring them inside, where you can bond and supervise (even if that means separating them at night), so that you are not tied to the summer house, and it gives their bonding a better start.
 
Back
Top