dwarfflops
New Kit
Hi! I adopted two bunnies at the end of October last year: an 8-year-old Netherland Dwarf boy and a 3-year-old girl (not sure of her breed). They were already bonded when I got them, but only for a couple of months since August. Unfortunately, they’ve now fallen out, and I’m unsure what to do!
Background:
These two have been through a lot since bonding. They were moved between fosters within the rescue before coming to me, and I’ve had to relocate their living space in my home from downstairs to upstairs. The 3-year-old girl also has recurring respiratory infections (she’s already on her second round of antibiotics with me), so she’s often on edge.
She came from a hoarding situation where over 20 bunnies were kept in a shed. She suffered a lot of injuries during that time and is understandably a very nervous bunny. The boy has a bit of a "feisty" reputation too—he used to pick on his previous partner (who has since passed away), though there were no major fights, just some fur pulling.
Despite all this, they had been getting along fine—until Friday evening last week when a fight broke out. Luckily, I was home to separate them before things escalated, but it was clear that it could have gone very badly. There were no injuries from the fight, but the boy ended up with lots of bald patches. I’m not sure who started it.
What ive tried:
From Friday evening to Sunday evening, I attempted to rebond them using a small pen with close supervision, but there was no improvement. The girl kept trying to bite or chase the boy away whenever he got too close. On the other hand, the boy was really trying to make amends—lots of submissive behavior and “apologies.”
When that didn’t work, I took them both to the vet to rule out any health issues. The vet confirmed that the girl’s respiratory issues had worsened (hence her second course of antibiotics), so we’re guessing she might be acting out because she feels vulnerable.
I did get another rabbit on Tuesday (a boy who is currently downstairs and hasn’t met them), and I’ve been careful to change clothes and wash my hands to prevent scent transfer. While I don’t think the new rabbit is the cause of their falling out, with bunnies, you never know! (I also have another bonded pair downstairs, and their scent has never caused any problems.)
Currently, I have the two in side-by-side pens and am doing scent switching. However, I found some blood on the boy today, so it seems she managed to bite him through the bars. They still aren’t getting along, and the boy seems so sad because of it.
Advice needed:
Do you think they can reconcile after this? Should I keep trying, or would it be better to separate them given that blood has been shed and their bond wasn’t long to begin with?
I also have a single boy waiting to be neutered before bonding. My original plan was to bond him with my other bonded pair (as their male companion passed away 5 months ago, and they’re still struggling with the dynamic change). However, I’m now considering pairing the new boy with the 3-year-old girl once she’s calmed down, while the Netherland Dwarf boy could join the existing pair to form a trio. At the same time, they were so lovely together before the falling out, and I don’t want to separate them unless it’s really the best option.
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Background:
These two have been through a lot since bonding. They were moved between fosters within the rescue before coming to me, and I’ve had to relocate their living space in my home from downstairs to upstairs. The 3-year-old girl also has recurring respiratory infections (she’s already on her second round of antibiotics with me), so she’s often on edge.
She came from a hoarding situation where over 20 bunnies were kept in a shed. She suffered a lot of injuries during that time and is understandably a very nervous bunny. The boy has a bit of a "feisty" reputation too—he used to pick on his previous partner (who has since passed away), though there were no major fights, just some fur pulling.
Despite all this, they had been getting along fine—until Friday evening last week when a fight broke out. Luckily, I was home to separate them before things escalated, but it was clear that it could have gone very badly. There were no injuries from the fight, but the boy ended up with lots of bald patches. I’m not sure who started it.
What ive tried:
From Friday evening to Sunday evening, I attempted to rebond them using a small pen with close supervision, but there was no improvement. The girl kept trying to bite or chase the boy away whenever he got too close. On the other hand, the boy was really trying to make amends—lots of submissive behavior and “apologies.”
When that didn’t work, I took them both to the vet to rule out any health issues. The vet confirmed that the girl’s respiratory issues had worsened (hence her second course of antibiotics), so we’re guessing she might be acting out because she feels vulnerable.
I did get another rabbit on Tuesday (a boy who is currently downstairs and hasn’t met them), and I’ve been careful to change clothes and wash my hands to prevent scent transfer. While I don’t think the new rabbit is the cause of their falling out, with bunnies, you never know! (I also have another bonded pair downstairs, and their scent has never caused any problems.)
Currently, I have the two in side-by-side pens and am doing scent switching. However, I found some blood on the boy today, so it seems she managed to bite him through the bars. They still aren’t getting along, and the boy seems so sad because of it.
Advice needed:
Do you think they can reconcile after this? Should I keep trying, or would it be better to separate them given that blood has been shed and their bond wasn’t long to begin with?
I also have a single boy waiting to be neutered before bonding. My original plan was to bond him with my other bonded pair (as their male companion passed away 5 months ago, and they’re still struggling with the dynamic change). However, I’m now considering pairing the new boy with the 3-year-old girl once she’s calmed down, while the Netherland Dwarf boy could join the existing pair to form a trio. At the same time, they were so lovely together before the falling out, and I don’t want to separate them unless it’s really the best option.
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you.
