Newly adopted bonded buns

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 4sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 11 months ago by Sarita.

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- 05/12/2013 at 2:17 PM
  Jjs2288
  Participant
  2 posts
  Hi! I’m new to the forum after lurking for a while. I’ve got a bit of a question about my newly adopted bonded buns.
  
  They’re 18 months old, neutered males who have been living together for the duration. We’ve noticed a dominant rabbit of the pair, through our research we understand this to be normal, however I’m a bit concerned.
  
  Since they’ve been with us they’ve been grooming, snuggling and flopping together, but the more dominant rabbit has, on a few occasions, been humping the other one and at one point this looked like it could have turned into a fight. Could this be all part and parcel of them getting used to their new environment?
  
  Thanks
- 05/12/2013 at 2:34 PM
  Jjs2288
  Participant
  2 posts
  Here they are!
- 05/12/2013 at 5:25 PM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  Welcome to BB! Your boys are very handsome.
  
  Humping in bonding pairs is very normal. It’s a dominance thing. Some do it more than others. In a new environment, it’s very normal for the dominant bunny to want to establish that he is still the boss, thus the humping. As long as it’s not turning into a fight or their is front mounting, it’s best to leave them be. They need to sort out these things out.
  
  It will most likely calm down when they are settled and comfortable in their new home.
- 05/13/2013 at 1:26 PM
  tanlover14
  Participant
  3617 posts
  ^ Agree with LPT. Whenever I have moved my buns to a new area this kind of behavior has been presence. The dominant bunny usually feels the need to re-exert his dominance. Which can sometimes also just annoy the other bunny. I wouldn’t be too worried unless they fight.
  
  If they DO fight, do not separate them. Instead put them into a neutral territory (that neither has been) and stress them out. I prefer to use a box or laundry basket and to turn the vacuum on – or the bath tub usually stresses them out also since they can’t get a very good footing on the floor. The stress of being in a new situation that is scary will turn on their natural instincts to rely on each other and should really help.
- 05/13/2013 at 1:57 PM
  Sarita
  Participant
  18851 posts
  Humping many times can be stress related so it’s possible that this is caused by the new environment. I’ve also had one rabbit hump another when they got excited (like for food) and this was a female bonded pair. Humping can just be many different things so you have to consider the circumstances as to what is causing the humping and it’s not necessarily dominance although it is usually the dominant one doing the humping although it is not always humping to be dominant.
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