Sammy&Patch
Warren Scout
We've had Hazel (female) for 5 years (estimated age 7-8 years), and Shadow (male) for 4 1/2 years (estimated age around 6 years). They were a difficult bond at the start but have been living in harmony for about 4 years. The are indoor bunnies, they have free roam 24/7 of 2 rooms, a large hallway, stairs, large downstairs hallway. They can also come in our bedroom off the hallway when we are in there. They have both been neutered years ago.
Shadow tends to attempt to pester Hazel by chinning her back and making weak attempts to get on her but she just has to hop away a couple of steps and he mainly gives up. Sometimes he continues a little longer and follows her but nothing bad and everything is fine between them, I've never been concerned about it. But this last week for some reason he has decided to start pestering her really badly, properly trying to get on top of her, she keeps trying to get away and he won't give up. She ends up trying to hide in a wicker tunnel thing where he can't really get to her easily, but he still tries. They both love food but when we put their veg or nuggets down he is mainly more interested in trying to pester her, or eat a bit and then pester her. She wants to eat but he keeps disturbing her so she gives up. I am now having to sit with them to keep him away from her so she can eat, usually they eat side by side without problem and I leave them to it. Both of them are still eating but I noticed her poos are smaller than usual. They have a lot of space so for example now she is downstairs and he is still upstairs so she is getting some respite. We have a pet camera so I've been keeping an eye on them when I'm elsewhere and it just seems that while he's around her he won't give up, he is actually mounting her and she's letting him a bit at times but it doesn't seem enough. The periods when he's resting/sleeping she seems happy to be next to him or nearby even though she could go off elsewhere. Yesterday I checked his anal glands as they had been blocked before and they were blocked again which was rock hard, I managed to carefully remove it. I don't know if that is relevant. Hazel is clearly upset by all this but at the moment not enough to stop her eating and running over for her food etc (yet!). So far she has been ok with him, not reacting badly other than wanting to get away but I noticed one instance yesterday when she turned round to him, put her head down. I stroked both their heads but when I stopped, he moved and she lunged at him a bit, he turned back and she lunged again but I stopped them. It didn't look like she bit him but I feel that could easily have turned into a fight which they haven't had for years. They sometimes get a little like that when you're giving them any food if you don't put it down quick enough but it's solved by putting down the food quickly, then they will eat happily together.
To note, health wise, Hazel has long term sneezes, snuffly nose, but that's not any worse than normal. Shadow seems in good health at the moment.
I don't want to seperate them if possible in case it breaks their bond so I don't know what to do. I tried pushing him off her but that seemed to make him even more determined. I tried gently pushing his head down but that didn't seem to make a difference. I picked him up off her and carried him away from her, when I put him down I stroked him a bit and he settled, she ate her veg. When I stopped he came back towards her but then just lay down at the top of the stairs (a spot she likes but he doesn't normally sit in) and he was breathing quite fast. He didn't want his veg or anything then but then he bounced back a few minutes later and ate as normal. He did similar the evening before and I thought something was wrong but I think it was just he wore himself out keep following her.
I would appreciate any ideas or advice if you've had a similar experience. I thought about a spray water bottle which is what helped when I was bonding them but that was to stop the aggression between them rather than this type of pestering. The main thing is I don't want Hazel to be more and more upset and not want to eat but I am trying to be careful to not upset Shadow either. He is spooked more easily than Hazel and when we had people staying over the summer he would run off more than normal for a week or so after and then he settled back to normal. When we've had to do ear drops before he again was more skittish and run away at the smallest noise. He's been great again lately only running off if there was a loud noise or something. So it would be a shame if me trying to stop him makes him anxious around me. Unfortunately Hazel doesn't tend to jump up on high things, which Shadow does, so she can't escape him that way.
Thankyou for any help.
Shadow tends to attempt to pester Hazel by chinning her back and making weak attempts to get on her but she just has to hop away a couple of steps and he mainly gives up. Sometimes he continues a little longer and follows her but nothing bad and everything is fine between them, I've never been concerned about it. But this last week for some reason he has decided to start pestering her really badly, properly trying to get on top of her, she keeps trying to get away and he won't give up. She ends up trying to hide in a wicker tunnel thing where he can't really get to her easily, but he still tries. They both love food but when we put their veg or nuggets down he is mainly more interested in trying to pester her, or eat a bit and then pester her. She wants to eat but he keeps disturbing her so she gives up. I am now having to sit with them to keep him away from her so she can eat, usually they eat side by side without problem and I leave them to it. Both of them are still eating but I noticed her poos are smaller than usual. They have a lot of space so for example now she is downstairs and he is still upstairs so she is getting some respite. We have a pet camera so I've been keeping an eye on them when I'm elsewhere and it just seems that while he's around her he won't give up, he is actually mounting her and she's letting him a bit at times but it doesn't seem enough. The periods when he's resting/sleeping she seems happy to be next to him or nearby even though she could go off elsewhere. Yesterday I checked his anal glands as they had been blocked before and they were blocked again which was rock hard, I managed to carefully remove it. I don't know if that is relevant. Hazel is clearly upset by all this but at the moment not enough to stop her eating and running over for her food etc (yet!). So far she has been ok with him, not reacting badly other than wanting to get away but I noticed one instance yesterday when she turned round to him, put her head down. I stroked both their heads but when I stopped, he moved and she lunged at him a bit, he turned back and she lunged again but I stopped them. It didn't look like she bit him but I feel that could easily have turned into a fight which they haven't had for years. They sometimes get a little like that when you're giving them any food if you don't put it down quick enough but it's solved by putting down the food quickly, then they will eat happily together.
To note, health wise, Hazel has long term sneezes, snuffly nose, but that's not any worse than normal. Shadow seems in good health at the moment.
I don't want to seperate them if possible in case it breaks their bond so I don't know what to do. I tried pushing him off her but that seemed to make him even more determined. I tried gently pushing his head down but that didn't seem to make a difference. I picked him up off her and carried him away from her, when I put him down I stroked him a bit and he settled, she ate her veg. When I stopped he came back towards her but then just lay down at the top of the stairs (a spot she likes but he doesn't normally sit in) and he was breathing quite fast. He didn't want his veg or anything then but then he bounced back a few minutes later and ate as normal. He did similar the evening before and I thought something was wrong but I think it was just he wore himself out keep following her.
I would appreciate any ideas or advice if you've had a similar experience. I thought about a spray water bottle which is what helped when I was bonding them but that was to stop the aggression between them rather than this type of pestering. The main thing is I don't want Hazel to be more and more upset and not want to eat but I am trying to be careful to not upset Shadow either. He is spooked more easily than Hazel and when we had people staying over the summer he would run off more than normal for a week or so after and then he settled back to normal. When we've had to do ear drops before he again was more skittish and run away at the smallest noise. He's been great again lately only running off if there was a loud noise or something. So it would be a shame if me trying to stop him makes him anxious around me. Unfortunately Hazel doesn't tend to jump up on high things, which Shadow does, so she can't escape him that way.
Thankyou for any help.
