Bonding

I have three females, all unspayed for the moment, and none of them get along with each other.

My black Lop (Corona) bites and leaves nasty wounds on the other two, so she has to be separated.

When together running around, they all get along okay, except for Corona and my fawn part Rex (Nugget). Corona once ferociously attacked my brown rabbit and made her squeal.

All of them are separated.

The ruby-eyed white half-Netherland (Belle) and Nugget are territorial when near cages but otherwise are okay, except they hump each other. A lot.

They all seem to hump each other a lot. Is this just a territorial thing?

Anyway...these are all the problems I have. I can't put any of them together in a cage, and outside of it they don't seem to like each other either. Can I fix this or am I doomed to have bunny-hating bunnies?

its not easy to bond females especialy if they are not litter mates and not spayed. its not impossible though so dont give up yet. The first thing to do is get them spayed. this might stop the humping if nothing else. you dont say how old they all are and this can sometimes make a difference as to wether they will bond or not. older bunnies often get set in their ways and find it difficult to accept company especialy that of the same sex.
Angie

The half-Netherland, Belle, is 2 years old this October.

The black Lop, Corona, is 1 year this October.

And the brown half-Rex, Nugget, is three months old.

I know that spaying is a big help, but I can't really afford to do three buns at the moment, so I'm focusing on getting the money to do Belle, since she's the oldest. I'm worried about uterine cancer because it shows up from 2-3 years of age normally.

Bills. That's the problem here, I would have the money otherwise. If only they didn't exist ^_^!

Anyway, any tips for helping them bond unspayed for now?

Oh, and another thing, Corona and Belle share a cage, but it has a seperator in it. So they are quite used to each other, but Corona still bites her when they're together.

For help I would get in touch with the bonding queen of the forum Phill, if she can't help I don't know who can she has allsorts of different combinations.

It will be perfectly possible to bond three unspayed girls. First concentrate on the youngest and try bonding her separatly to the to older girls. You will need a neitral space were non of the buns have been before. Try them all separatly with each other, Humping is a dominance thing it's them sorting out whos going to be top bunny so you can ignore this. Even with biting and fur pulling do you take one bun away as soon as this happens? If so don't! just split up the fight and put the buns abck in separate corners. Have some treats available and once they start to just sniff each other with out nipping give them a treat, this works much like it does in dogs!

Let us know how you get on XX

Wow thanks! I'll try this as for a little bit each day. I have this huge cage and it would be nice to use it for all three one day... .

hi

that's good advice Phill - when's your book coming out? - no we need a TV series really - get on with it! Pleaseeeee!!!

Might give it a go with Benny and the girls again once the piggie dust has died down a bit :?

Attempt #1 - Belle and Nugget

Well, I got them together in the kitchen this morning. Belle humped Nugget like crazy for about 15 minutes straight, then left her alone. Nugget lay still for a few moments before coming to her mom for protection. She crawled up on my lap and hid there. I put her back on the floor, and she went over to see Belle, but Belle chased her away and pulled out a chunk of fur. Separated them in different corners.

Nugget ate a Froot Loop she found on the floor before exploring again. This time when Belle came near her, she thumped and growled a bit at her, and Belle was a little startled. Nonetheless, the humping commenced yet again. This time for only a minute or so.

Nugget continued to deal with it then afterward would come hide next to me and thump whenever Belle got near. Belle seemed more interested in getting out of the kitchen at this point.

Nugget went over to see Belle again, got chased away and humped again. Nugget's starting to stand up for herself by now, thumping and growling at Belle. Belle's pulled out a few bits of Nugget's fur by now, too.

Finally, Belle lays herself down all stretched out. Nugget sits by me, not sure what to do. I make a small trail of treats to entice them to come together. Belle isn't interested. Nugget follows them, and is humped yet again.

Finally, after about 30 minutes, I split them up and put Belle away. Nugget is here with me as I type this, making sure I get the whole story right. She says she's confused as to why Belle is so mean to her. Nugget wants to be friends...

Anyway, is this typically how this goes? Will it ever improve?

Thats a great start! If you keep doing that every day with each pair you will soon see a difference, the thing to try after you have got the two older together separatly with the younger is to try the two older together this may take you a little longer as they will be more set in there ways but just use the same process. Bonding can take years sometimes!

I have two buns Pan and Hester who i have been trying to bond for 3 years!!!! I finally did it today!! and they have lived in pens next to each other for two years!

Progress may be slow but you will get there XX

Let us know how you get on XX

Thanks! I'll post an update in here on how each session goes, and just to make sure I'm doing things right.

Congrats on bonding your two! You must have been just about ready to throw in the towel!

Just a side note: how often should I do this and how long? Should I alternate between Nugget and Corona one day, Nugget and Belle the next or do both in one day at different times?

I would do it everyday but a different bun each day just so Nugget can get a wee break from one if it's to much for her XX (The two i bonded today are now part of an 11)

hi

:rabbit2: Respect to 'The Bunny Bonder of Scotland' (as she was known in years to come - spoken in a hushed whisper of course...) She made millions from her 'School for Bunny Matchmakers' - sold the film rights to her book too - forget 'Gorillas in the Mist' - 'Bunnies in the Snow' (Phill's true story) had us all weeping in frustration because we JUST COULDN'T DO IT LIKE PHILL!! :lol:

Wow Phill you must have some patience! 3 years to bond!
I'm getting a third rabbit tomorrow so this is really interesting as I will be trying to bond her to the pair I have already.
Good luck with everyone elses bunny bonding, hope it goes well

Re: hi

elve said:

:rabbit2: Respect to 'The Bunny Bonder of Scotland' (as she was known in years to come - spoken in a hushed whisper of course...) She made millions from her 'School for Bunny Matchmakers' - sold the film rights to her book too - forget 'Gorillas in the Mist' - 'Bunnies in the Snow' (Phill's true story) had us all weeping in frustration because we JUST COULDN'T DO IT LIKE PHILL!! :lol:

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Oh Elve you do make me laugh!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Do you want me to pop down to sheffield and have ago with the girls for you!!!!! :lol:

hi

Phill, I could never afford your consultancy fee :shock:

OK , a question for the great Phill, Bonder of Bunnies extrodinaire,

I'm thinking ahead to when I can try bonding my 2 groups into one. At the moment each group has free range over the garden, run and shed (all at different times) so I havent really got a neutral territory. I have a front garden with a lawn, but this would mean being on display to the world, as the bus stop is right outside my house. So, if I were to stop them going in one area how long would it take until I could consider it neutral territory?? Or do I go and get another run, put it on the garden and not let any of them into it, then use that as my neurtal bit??

I want to plan ahead so that once Flossie and Daisy are spayed I can get them both together with Bunny. (Bunny and Flossie are already bonded). I was planning to try and get Daisy and Maisie bonded with Bunny and Flossie, Maisie is only 6 weeks, so will leave getting her spayed for some time yet.

I will have to separate Taz soon, and so will have to wait until he's castrated and then bond him back in.


OR I could get Flossie spayed then bond Taz in with her and Bunny, getting him castrated later, which would leave Daisy and Maisie together, so that way no bunny on their own, but would Bunny take to another male, and will Daisy be sick of Maisie by then???


Phill, please help I'm in such a muddle with all of this!!!!

Okey doke!!!! :lol: leave Taz until he is done which you should be able to do as soon as his bits drop anything from 12-16weeks! so he shouldn't have to be alone for to long.

Use your kitchen to bond! It's definatly neutral territory!

Re: hi

elve said:

Phill, I could never afford your consultancy fee :shock:

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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Phill said:

Okey doke!!!! :lol: leave Taz until he is done which you should be able to do as soon as his bits drop anything from 12-16weeks! so he shouldn't have to be alone for to long.

Use your kitchen to bond! It's definatly neutral territory!

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thanks Phill, you're a star