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Rebonding Pickle and Beans eventually...When should I try?

So, it’s about 8 weeks since Pickle and Beans were neutered. Since then they’ve been living seperately in the kitchen with divide between them with bars in it so they can still see each other and stick their noses through. They often look for each other and will bunloaf on the snugglesafes side by side at bedtime. They swap sides every day.
Today I decided to put them both in the hall (about 3 foot square!) and try to reintroduce them. Initially one of them humped the other, who just stood there and took it, then we had some humping of the head and a bit of circling. More humping and trying to hold on to the neck whilst doing so, which resulted in a bit of fur pulling (very easy as their both moulting). They then started boxing type fighting. I seperated them with my bare hand a few times and got few scratches as a result. They both rested for minute before it was back to humping and then boxing again. I separated them at this point. Should I have held my nerve and left them to box and sort out who was boss? Should I try again? Or should I just admit defeat and try to work out how to accommodate them seperately and get them girlfriends?
Oh I forgot, when I put them back home, Pickle ran over to the bars to see Bean and stuck his nose through. Beans went over to him and then wandered off. The last time they were together (when Pickle escaped into the side where Beans was), when I seperated them - I was there when he escaped - they tried to box through the bars when I first put them back.
 
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I'm sorry that it's not going smoothly. I think I would invest in a pair of thick gardening gloves and have another try, this time trying not to separate unless it appears that they are going to injure each other. Bonding seems not to be an exact science and I think that gut feeling is probably more important than trying to follow bonding rules. I would think that 8 weeks should be long enough and that the issue is not still hormones.
 
Yeah, I think it’s a question of holding my nerve and not intervening too quickly. I took it as a positive that they weren’t trying to carry on the fight through the bars when I put them both back home. I might take out of use and give the cage that they use as a base on one side of the kitchen really good airing and cleaning with neat vinegar and then put it in the lounge and try again next week. I’m out tomorrow and then having some injections and r/f nerve leisoning in my neck on Saturday and so will need to be careful on Sunday, but Monday onwards when I’m just resting at home might be a good time to try.
Plan B Get more bunnies... :lol:
 
I always intervene as I'm so worried about them getting hurt so can't really advise. I'm sorry it didn't go well. I'd try again though - trust your instincts about when to separate
 
I always intervene as I'm so worried about them getting hurt so can't really advise. I'm sorry it didn't go well. I'd try again though - trust your instincts about when to separate

Yes, I would always intervene, but only actually separate them if I felt they were going to injure each other.
 
So, I think Pickle and Beans are destined to live seperately :(
I cleaned out one of the carriers with vinegar and popped them both in it to bring them through to the lounge where I’d set up the cage having cleaned it with vinegar too. They both studiously ignored each other in the carrier. I put them into the cage and they both had a quick sniff of the hay etc before approaching each other. They then started boxing but stopped when I put my hand between them. They’d rest for a minute before going back to boxing. The boxing carried on and I intervened again. Pickle sat facing the corner for a few minutes, whilst Beans sat facing him and then ate a bit of hay. Pickle eventually turned round and a Beans went for him again. I felt that the fighting was starting to get more vicious and so broke it up a few times. The final time, I’d pulled Pickle to the side of the cage with my gloved hand and had him between my hand and the cage. Beans then came over and bit the back of my hand (thankfully the glove stopped it breaking the skin, but it hurt!).
I decided at that point to call it quits and took Pickle out of the cage and put him back in his side of the kitchen. He ran under the table and stayed there. I took Beans and put him back in his section. He went to the far side of the kitchen away from the divide. Normally they immediately look for each other when they’re put back but I haven’t seen them do this since (admittedly I’ve been in and out of the kitchen and so may have missed it). I let them settle down and gave them both a good groom and checked that they were both unhurt, just fur tufts had been pulled.
So, I’m thinking that they are going to be single bunnies for now. Hopefully they will go back to their usual interaction between the bars. In a few months I should be in a better position financially and so will probably look into adopting partners for them then. In the meantime I’ve just ordered an outdoor run for them so that they can get some fresh air in the evenings. Hey ho.
 
I’m sorry it’s not gone well:cry: I would have done the same as you. I hope your hand is ok?

It must have been very stressful, so I’m sending you hugs xx
 
I'm sorry too that it's turned out this way. I think it seems that they definitely don't want to be friends. The run for outside will be nice. You'll be able to sit out there as well.
 
As you can see Pickle is clearly traumatised by it all. Not. :lol:

Py2SsBdl.jpg
 
I’m sorry to hear that 😔. Four rabbits doesn’t sound like too much of a hardship though!! They are almost identical to our boys in looks. Ours are now very closely bonded and happy, but it took a lot of time and setbacks. If you wanted to give it another go, search for ‘rabbit rambles’ on Facebook, that is the lady who did an amazing job with our boys. They did come home and have one big fight, but since then they’ve been fine!!
 
Aww thanks for the support everyone. I might have one final attempt when the new outdoor run arrives as it’ll be a totally neutral space. Buns both seem happy enough today at least .
 
I've only bonded boy/girl and in a big space so the girl can keep running away for the first couple of days. Good luck.
 
Yeah, I did wonder if a bigger space would be better. I’ve paid for priority delivery of the run so hopefully it’ll be here in a couple of days and the weather holds so that I can try again before I’m back at work next week.
 
Hi, sorry to hear you're having trouble with the rebonding. If it's any consolation our 2 male rabbits had a fight after they were neutered and we tried to rebond them this weekend which didnt go well. We couldn't really pick up the different signs of a potential fight breaking out because it happened so fast. One of our rabbits (previously the submissive one) chased the other one and bit a clump of his fur out. We were advised that you have to leave them to have a bit of a scuffle so that they could work out who's boss. The one who was being chased stamped his food and then they just went for eachother so we took them apart and separated them again. I think I'm just so nervous that another big fight is going to break out that I am reluctant to let them fight it out. Its so disheartening to watch them like this so I feel your pain! This was our first attempt at rebonding and potentially it was too soon (they were neutered on 3 June and the fight happened a week and a half after that) so will give it a bit longer and then try again. Hope your next attempt goes better!
 
Hi Meganb, thanks for sharing that. It’d be so much easier if we could explain it to them! I hope your next attempt goes well x
 
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