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BUNNY 911 – If your rabbit hasn’t eaten or pooped in 12-24 hours, call a vet immediately!  Don’t have a vet? Check out VET RESOURCES 

The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BONDING New to Bonding

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    • BarbaraC
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        Hi Everyone.  I have raised rabbits for almost 10 years now but this is the first time I am bonding two rabbits.  We adopted Finnegan, male Mini Lop, in May and quickly realized he needed a mate so this weekend we adopted Fiona, female Netherland Dwarf mix.  We took Finnegan to a local rescue league where he went on several speed dates.  It was clear immediately that Fiona was the girl for him so we came back the next day to take her home.  Finnegan was fixed in May and Fiona in April.  Finnegan was an abandonment situation so we don’t know exactly how old he is but the vet thinks somewhere between 2 and 5.  Fiona was born at the shelter so we know she is 10 months.

        Because their first meeting at the shelter went so well we decided to throw caution to the wind and introduce them that night.  We brought them into our front entryway, which is neutral territory.  It went so well.  He mounted her a few times at the begining but was easily removed before she could get too annoyed.  They spent the next two hours snuggling and Finnegan grooming Fiona.  We had 5 more sessions like this over the next several days there were a few skirmishes that broke out when Finnegan tried to get Fiona to groom him and she refused.  She has groomed him a few times but not very consistently.  He grooms her regularly and asks to be groomed all the time.  He even sticks his head under her but she just ignores him until she gets annoyed and then nips. Otherwise everything was right as rain

        Last night we decided to move them to an X Pen in the living room which is also where their cages are.  They still snuggled a lot at first but then Finnegan tried mounting her several times and she didn’t want anything to do with it. 

        I have read that you can trick a rabbit into grooming by smearing fruit on the other bunny’s head, however, Fiona refuses to eat any fruits or veggies.  The shelter told us she has never been keen on veggies, however, she loves hay and will eat her pellets over the course of the day.  Does anyone have any nonfood related advice on how to trick your bunny to groom her mate?

        Also, do you think we should move back to the front hall or stick it out in the X pen?


      • Pomandcourt
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        90 posts Send Private Message

          Are they getting along well other than Fiona not grooming him? There’s a hierarchy aspect to grooming as well. You’ll often find one bun grooms the other far more than the other. I also think, from my experience, their personality plays a role. Some buns are much more affectionate than others.
          When you say, “she didn’t want anything to do with it” did she just move away? Nip him? Did they start fighting? Have they snuggled since that?

          If they’re not fighting, leave them in the X Pen. They’re still developing their relationship and establishing their social dynamic. I’m assuming there’s enough room for them to be apart if they need a break? My bunnies love being together, but they also spend some time away from each other. Everyone needs a break.

          I have an almost trio (two of them are still on the rocks every now and then) and only my boy, Luke, grooms. Him an his sister, Leia, have been together since they were born and I adopted them once they’d been bonded. Leia almost never grooms Luke. Very rarely she’ll give him a few licks, but she seems put out. My other girl, Pom, demands grooming and pets at all times (putting her head under Luke’s, nudging him, etc), but I’ve never seen her groom him either, but she’ll groom me whenever the opportunity presents itself.

          Fiona’s going to be annoyed if he mounts her all the time, but as long as you’re discouraging it when Finnegan’s taking it too far and they’re not fighting.

          As for tricking them into grooming, I found the fruit trick wasn’t very effective. Pom will eat anything and goes crazy for sweets, but she’s not interested in licking it off another bunny.
          You can try different fruits and veggies with Fiona until you find something she likes. Leia is VERY picky and would only eat apples and lettuce and even that took convincing. She prefers small bite sized pieces hand fed to her. She’s slowly getting more adventurous, she’ll taste certain herbs and had a small piece of peach the other day. Just keep presenting different things to Fiona and she’ll probably find something she likes.


        • BarbaraC
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            Hi Pomandcourt. Thank you for the advice and encouragement. The X Pen is a standard puppy pen so it is definitely big enough for them to get away from each other.

            In a two hour period last night they fought 3 times. All 3 times were brief and I was able to break it up easily. 2 of the fights started because Finn mounted Fiona and the third was when he when he wanted her to groom him. She got annoyed and nipped him. Each time I separated them Finnegan went and stretched out on the other side of the pen and Fiona started grooming herself. Then she would hop over to Finnegan and they would be okay for a while until he started either mounting her again or was too insistent on her grooming him. Neither one seems too upset after the fight since as he flops over and stretches out and she grooms herself and then looks for his attention again.

            She doesn’t move away from him when he is asking to be groomed but will give him a nip when she’s had enough. This then escalates into a fight and yes they have snuggled in between these episodes and after.

            The shelter told me that the only fresh food they could get Fiona to eat was kale but she has turned her nose up at that since we brought her home. We have also tried, red leaf lettuce, blueberries, parsley, cabbage and grapes. I have been trying the foods that I know are okay for Finnegan first since I don’t want to introduce too many new things to his diet all at once and since my husband and the kids love to feed him I can’t be sure that they won’t just grab what ever is in his drawer in the fridge. I am not too worried about this since I know the move to our home, a new cage, a new bunny and all the new humans probably have her a little stressed. I am hopeful that if I just keep offering her veggies she will find something she likes and we can take it from there.

            I do have one other question though, since Finnegan likes to gobble his food up right away and Fiona is a grazer, how do I handle this once they are sharing the same housing? I need to make sure that he isn’t eating all the food and leaving her with nothing. I can’t separate them while they eat since it can take her all day. She is much smaller then him so I’ve thought about making a structure that he wouldn’t be able to fit into but then I’d worry that he would get stuck.


          • Pomandcourt
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            90 posts Send Private Message

              Haha good luck making something only one bun can fit in! My 7lb Angora wiggled under my dressed and it’s less than two inches off the ground.
              Has Finn eaten all her food before? It might be best then to feed them at intervals instead of all at once. I give mine half their food in the morning and half when I get home from work.
              If Fiona is a very small eater, you could add another feeding time in the evening.

              You shouldn’t feed rabbits cabbage or anything from the cabbages family (broccolli, cauliflower etc) it can cause gas which is very painful and potentially dangerous for bunnies. If they have a little bit in a mix or have had some before, don’t worry. I just wouldn’t feed them any in the future. Also be sure to avoid iceberg lettuce (you may know that). Here are some pretty extensive lists that are helpful: http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Vegetables and http://rabbit.org/suggested-vegetables-and-fruits-for-a-rabbit-diet/ I check them regularly as I can’t keep all that information in my head. Also keep in mind that any carrot tops/beet tops and other root veggie tops that people aren’t eating should be organic as much harsher pesticides are used since they’re not going to be eaten. If organic isn’t available or is too expensive, just skip them and go with veggies that are meant for people.

              She’ll definitely be a bit more adventurous once she’s fully bonded with Finn (buns like to mimic each other) and is fully adjusted to your home.

              If they get a bit of veg that they’re not supposed to, they’ll probably be fine. Pom got into some tulips I had bought for my mom and ate three whole ones -_- super not okay for rabbits to eat and she was completely fine. I just try and avoid anything that might upset their tummies so that if they do something stupid (like eat poison tulips) their stomachs have only one thing to deal with.


            • BarbaraC
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                Thanks Pomandcourt. Right now they aren’t sharing a cage so I am able to feed them separately but I know how Finnegan is and he will not leave even one pellet behind!

                I don’t normally feed my bunnies cabbage either but it was one of the veggies that the shelter had been giving her so I thought I would give it a shot. I have read such conflicting things about broccoli and cabbage that I tend to just stay away from them. In fact both sites you listed actually list cabbage as safe in small quantities. I try to err on the side of caution and only feed them veggies everyone agrees on.

                Our last bunny died of E Cuniculi and we only had Finnegan a month when he was diagnosed with liver torsion so the last thing I want is to rush another bunny to the ER especially if it something I can control like their food.

                It amazes me how little is known about rabbits and their health. I am grateful for sites like this and the support of fellow bunny parents.


              • Pomandcourt
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                90 posts Send Private Message

                  It’s so hard to keep track. Some thing say one thing is fine, others say it should only be in small doses, and then a third will say it’ll kill them. They’re so high maintenance! I’m the same as you, if it’s even potentially upsetting to them, I avoid it.

                  I’m so sorry to hear about your other bunny. I hope Finnegan stays healthy.

                  They’re learning more and more about rabbit health as they’re becoming more popular pets. In the meantime, all we can do is our best and help each other with our experiences.

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              Forum BONDING New to Bonding