Help with a territorial bunny please? U/D post 5...he is a she :-S

[helen01]

Snowy has been here just over a week and is now starting to feel his feet:shock: At first I had him outside in a hutch and run...but a) he kept going for me and the kids when we went in the run and b) it is so wet I felt awful him been outside.

I have brought him in and set up a large dog crate and puppy pen for him which he seems to love. My only problem is he can be very territorial about it and really aggressive when you get in the pen. He has attacked both my kids and sort of jumps on them, scratches and bites, he is growling while he is doing it:shock: He got me today as well:shock:

Both of my boys are really animal savvy and great with animals but are now too scared to go in. He came in with a pink pink that he was 'bonded to'...I dont think he was bonded to it but he was humping it so much I didnt put it in his crate/pen when I moved him.

He is booked in for neuter tomorrow (well we think its a neuter but not 100% that he isnt a she??) I know this should help with the hormones.

What should I do to stop the aggression? I pushed him off me today and pushed him into the crate as he was really going for it:shock: He can be really gentle and tame....were just not seeing that side of him at the moment

I am really worried about bonding him to Poppy now as she is too gentle for an aggressive bunny. My youngest sits with her in the shed for hours and if I cant sort Snowy out...this would stop if I bonded him and Poppy as he is too scared of him

I would really value your opinions please

 

[KarenM]

Eeeek, what a little treasure he is. :shock:

There are a few old threads on aggression in the Bonding/Behaviour section that you might find useful while you wait for others to see this:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=298476

 

[helen01]

Thanks fr those...I am having a read through at the mo. I am just hoping that neutering helps:? It would be awful for Poppy if the kids stopped going to see her because of Snowy She is very timid but not at all aggressive...

 

[Sky-O]

Chances are that the behaviour is either driven by hormones, or is driven by fear. Both of which are workable with.

Obviosuly you know how to sort the hormone issue, and are.

For fear you're going to need to look at the whys and the triggers. He may be blind/deaf, he may not be used to space or people, there may be a threatening smell on you guys, he may be scared of hands and what they do, or people in general.

Once you have worked out the triggers, then you can work out ways to work around the problem.

Likely a friend will help him too- especially a calm, confident one.

 

[helen01]

A lot of phonecalls from the vets this morning...Snowy is a she:shock:...I did wonder on Saturday:roll:

She has been speyed and is coming round from the anesthetic as I type. She wasnt pregnant (I did wonder as she/he started nesting on Saturday:shock

So....has anyone successfully bonded two females together when theyre older? Poppy is between 2-5years....very gentle and nice. She even lets one of my dogs in her shed and is happy to see him.

Snowy is as first post:shock: Sometimes so nice, will let me handle her...others she can be a bit of a monster:shock: I had a lovely cuddle with her this morning no probs so she isnt always aggressive.

My youngest said this morning that he is so scared of putting them together because he doesnt want Snowy to hurt Poppy (he said she is his best friend and he would be devastated if she hurt or killed her)

What should I do?

 

[Sky-O]

Having now read this post and read your PM I figured it was probably better to reply here.

I think that there were absolutely no guarantees that Snowy and Poppy would bond when you took Snowy on, even when snowy was a boy, so where you stand, with regards to bonding is absolutely no different from where you stood when you thought Snowy was a boy. It all still comes down to personality

I think trying to bond them, 6-8 weeks after her spay, is the right thing to do. It may work, it may not work, but that was the same as when Snowy was a boy, it may have worked, it may not have worked.

It may be that her behaviour and terriorialness is all related to her false pregnancy, so hopefully that will ease as her hormones die down. So for that you will have to sit and be patient. That said, if you see any aggressive behaviour then don't just immediately put it down to hormones, try and look for the trigger and the why for the behaviour, to give you a better understanding of it.

I had two rescues I bonded when both were old ladies. They were just best friends. Had they been old human ladies they would have been the two spinsters, sitting and nattering wherever they went, and they would ahve gone everywhere together, including when one was poorly sick, and been there through thick and thin. Summer and Tilly had a beautiful bond and there is no reason, currently, to think that yours won't bond either.

Here are both my lovely ladies, who will be binkying at the Bridge, together.

 

[helen01]

Thank you so much for your reply I feel a bit better now No their were never any guarantees... Its all down to them both I suppose

Hopefully once the hormones settle and she gets to know us she will relax a bit. I will make sure the kids are the ones that feed her and bring her veg etc, hopefully that will ease things

The vets have kept her in tonight as she is still a bit groggy, they did the same with Poppy after her spey on Friday so I suspect its pretty normal

 

[Sky-O]

I'm glad you're feeling better now, even if it is only a bit. I hope Snowy recovers from her op speedily and is back home tomorrow feeling much better

 

[helen01]

I'm glad you're feeling better now, even if it is only a bit. I hope Snowy recovers from her op speedily and is back home tomorrow feeling much better

Well...more than a bit! Thanks for your advice:wave: I think after hearing so much from the different rescues about it been best to have a male and female bond...I kind of went into a panic knowing he is a she

We all love Poppy so much and I really dont want another bunny to hurt her, but I am also really keen for her to have company as I know she would be much happier. I also feel for Snowy as I dont want to get into the situation of her being on her own and miserable

Do you think I should let them exercise near to each other to start to get used to each other? I could put Snowys puppy pen on the decking next to Poppys run next week while I am at home? Maybe do it ever day and see what they think? Would that help when eventually they meet face to face?

 

[Sky-O]

Stereotypically boys and girls are easier to bond with each other, but that doesn't mean the others are impossible, far from it.

I don't think having them next to each other in that way will be of much use when it comes to the proper bonding process, to be honest. The suggestions that I would make are in the article I've written about it, on my website- link in my sig.

 

[helen01]

Stereotypically boys and girls are easier to bond with each other, but that doesn't mean the others are impossible, far from it.

I don't think having them next to each other in that way will be of much use when it comes to the proper bonding process, to be honest. The suggestions that I would make are in the article I've written about it, on my website- link in my sig.

Thanks I will have a read:wave: