Referred aggression

Its me again. [emoji5]
You would think my bunnies knew we were getting a New arrival.
With the idea of bonding the trio Dolly (lone bun) Gary and ani(pair) I have had them housed next to each other in the garden for 3 months with no issues whatsoever, , they have been interacting and getting on fine through the runs.
This morning, randomly, my special needs bun ani, pulled dollys fur through the run, thumped and then turned on Gary. Then he was chasing her and she hid . I intervened and they calmed down , so was this referred aggression that i hear so much about.. I'm so pleased I've decided to get dolly a new friend and not attempt to bond the trio. Obviously once dolly is bonded with her new man then i will find a way so either pair cannot communicate through bars [emoji849].. Ani's tale went up and she tried to get to Dolly through the run. Turning on her brother was a bit much poor boy. I have noticed ani relies on Gary so much and literally attaches herself to him whereever he goes, obviously because she can't see properly she feels safe with him. Could this be Jealousy maybe.
Seems strange after all this time.
6 weeks post neuter for the pair X


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I have lots of pairs and have double wire between enclosures. Also one pair has wood between so they tend to forget about the "neighbours". It could be the time of the year, some of mine have started to moult now and hormones are starting to rise, even though they are all neutered. The days are slowly getting longer and this affects them. Ani sees the other female as a threat maybe?

tonibun said:

I have lots of pairs and have double wire between enclosures. Also one pair has wood between so they tend to forget about the "neighbours". It could be the time of the year, some of mine have started to moult now and hormones are starting to rise, even though they are all neutered. The days are slowly getting longer and this affects them. Ani sees the other female as a threat maybe?

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I thought it was too soon for spring fever but I have noticed moulting and some excitable behaviour so I think your spot on.. The pair I had before in early March, jimmy used to mount Norah everytime food was coming and he used to chase her around the garden so it makes compete sense. During this lockdown sense of time and seasons is like a big blur.


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glitterdust said:

I thought it was too soon for spring fever but I have noticed moulting and some excitable behaviour so I think your spot on.. The pair I had before in early March, jimmy used to mount Norah everytime food was coming and he used to chase her around the garden so it makes compete sense. During this lockdown sense of time and seasons is like a big blur.


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@tonibun do you think I could bond the newbie and Dolly straight away in a neutral area I.e my bedroom with the window open, I'm thinking isn't this the equivalent of taking her to a rescue and dating.. I'm willing to spend my days staying with them and monitoring them until they are fine.. I was going to separate the shed again and let them live together but apart for anweek or 2 but can this step be bypassed.. Also I could do with a retreat myself with a book and some wine [emoji4]xxx


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There's no time like the present so they say. I bonded Blue as soon as she arrived and it worked well. Bringing a boy home to bond with a female isn't always so easy but you won't know until you try it. If it all goes pear-shape then you would have to bond them at a slower pace. It all depends on how Dolly reacts when they are introduced. Always put the boy in first as he needs to be the dominant one really. Maybe have him in your bedroom for a day to settle then bring Dolly in. Is she submissive or feisty, I don't suppose you really know if she has been on her own. They might hit it off straight away, fingers crossed.

tonibun said:

There's no time like the present so they say. I bonded Blue as soon as she arrived and it worked well. Bringing a boy home to bond with a female isn't always so easy but you won't know until you try it. If it all goes pear-shape then you would have to bond them at a slower pace. It all depends on how Dolly reacts when they are introduced. Always put the boy in first as he needs to be the dominant one really. Maybe have him in your bedroom for a day to settle then bring Dolly in. Is she submissive or feisty, I don't suppose you really know if she has been on her own. They might hit it off straight away, fingers crossed.

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She was very very submissive with Jimmy, licking him instantly, but I brought her into his home, then with Gary she was awful but I did alot of things wrong , she hadn't been neutered long enough and he had to been neutered and I was grieving, so I was all over the place..
I will try it first , leave him in my room for a day and then bring her in. I know she can love, she just needs the right man. The rescue said rabbo is a lady's man. She said when they clean him out, he goes off and chats to the guinea pigs through the fence lol x

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