about to give up- please comment

[Manda and Loki]

I’ve been working with my buns for about 2 weeks now- and I know it hasn’t been long but at this point I just don’t think it’s going to work like this. My female is just relentless and no matter what I do- spray bottle, loud noises, stress bonding in laundry basket… she seems fine until I get them back in a neutral area in the playpen… and she goes after Loki. Nothing crazy, which is why I think separating them for months is absolutely ridiculous but I don’t know what else to do. Maybe it will help. Loki will do nothing and all of a sudden Freya will try and nip his face or try and pull hair out of his bottom. Loki doesn’t bother her one bit… in fact he really tries to socialize with her and be close to her and she just wants no part of it. There has been a lot of progress with Loki, but not her. Loki at first would not dare to touch hay or pellets while in the same space as her… but now he will. and you can tell he likes having her around when she is (rarely) nice. and I feel awful putting him threw the stress. I will just be truly heartbroken if it never works. I just feel like it’s not impossible because of how willing Loki seems. I can’t think of why Freya would be so aggressive other than- When I first brought her home and I’d let Loki out to play… he tried getting very aggressive towards her threw her cage. I do not have the option to put them in different rooms so i’m wondering what to do now. Honestly i’m just looking for advice because i’m willing to do whatever it takes. This is my first time bonding. They are also both fixed and have been for awhile. They’ve been caged separately but next to each other since I got Freya. (in march) They also came from places where they socialized with buns before.

[Frey&Louise]

http://www.sandiegorabbits.org/companion-your-rabbit/bunny-bonding-basics

Like any relationship, a new pairing of rabbits can be slow to develop or be love at first sight. Almost all rabbits can work out their differences and enjoy the companionship of another rabbit. Still, the process of bonding two rabbits will take time, patience, commitment and some work on your part.

The following tips are from HRS volunteers who have matched up many, many rabbits over the years. 

• Relax! Take a deep breath and relax. If you are a nervous wreck, the rabbits will be, too. 

• Males & females: We seem to have the best luck in pairing neutered males with spayed females. Usually the males appear to be dominant at first with their excessive mounting. The female will put up with this for a short while, but will usually assert her dominance by mounting the male or nipping him to show she is the one in charge. At this point, the male usually backs down and they start on the road to friendship. Same-sex pairing is not out of the question, but requires at least one submissive rabbit in the group and a little more patience on your part.

 Spaying & neutering: It is considerably easier if BOTH rabbits in the pairing have been fixed. In fact, you may not be successful with the match if they are not. Once fixed, you are working with temperaments and personalities, not hormones and uncontrolled desires! If the rabbits are newly altered, (6 months or less) they may still be quite amorous towards each other. This behavior should dissipate the longer they are fixed. Please see our handout “Altering your Rabbit’s Future” for more reasons to alter your companion rabbit and for our list of recommended veterinarians.

NOTE: If your rabbit has just been spayed or neutered, it is highly recommended that you wait at least two weeks (a month is better) before introducing him or her to another rabbit. This will prevent the male from possibly impregnating an unspayed female (or continuing to exhibit hormonal behavior), and a newly spayed female from fighting off the male due to being uncomfortable from her recent surgery.

• Time: Although the average length of time until most rabbits are pretty well bonded is about two weeks, we have seen rabbits take as little as one afternoon or as long as many months to become friends. Neutral territory is imperative. YOU MUST put the rabbits (and keep the rabbits) in a small, neutral area for about one week. Beginning the bonding in a small, neutral territory is vital to this relationship working out. A kitchen, bathroom, or portable exercise pen all work well. DO NOT put them in a cage together until they have been getting along perfectly for several days. If a serious fight breaks out in a cage, it is generally difficult to separate them and injuries can occur.

• Fighting, nipping & mounting: Although these behaviors may look similar to you, they are all very different and it is important to recognize the different ways rabbits speak. Fighting is usually an instant, purposely vicious attack. Rabbits sometimes attack the other rabbit’s face, underside or genital area. DO NOT separate the rabbits unless they are truly fighting. Every time you separate the rabbits, you will have to re-introduce them, making this process take even longer.

Nipping at each other in a playful manner is not usually serious and is done for several reasons. Remember, rabbits sometimes communicate by nipping and this could be done to say “Hey, pay attention to me” or “Who are you?” and “Get out of my litterbox!” This too should dissipate as they learn how to approach and communicate with their new partner.

[Manda and Loki]

I’m going to keep trying. I just started car stress bonding and it seems to go very well. It’s when I trust Freya to give them more space… that she goes after Lokes again. So i’m just going to continue with the stress bonding for awhile and see what happens. They were also great in the bathtub. I put banana on their heads as well- Freya licked it off Loki’s head and quickly looked back at me like “where’s more?” and Loki was too scared to even attempt it. 

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