Bonded and unbonded bucks

[ReeRee]

Hi bunny lovers

I am looking for some advice with bonding my two neutered bucks, Shamu and Chicken. We got them from pets at home in August and were told they were 3 months old. They lived together in the shop and in our home until they got to the hormonal stage and began fighting. This happened a few times so we separated them by putting one upstairs ans one downstairs in a large rabbit hutch (which was meant to be for outdoors but we had to bring it in as it was the ony way we could house them separately). We had them neutered in december and I movef them next to each other about a month before reintroducing them by putting one rabbit in the downstairs od the hutch and he other in the indoor cage next to it. Whilt we have an “outdoor” hutch I never put the rabbits outside. I swapped them every couple of mights.

I reintroduced them but we did it in their usual space (I know not advised) and they were okay – three days in and they were snuggling and everything. Then after a few days they started fighting. I’m not sure what happened. I did close the kitchend foor so they were outside in the yard for a while (I usually leave the door open so they can come in and not dire whether this had anything to do with it. I put them in their carey case and they were ok. Then I out them in the smaller (indoor) cage and thought that might be better as less space. No, circling, spraying, fighting. I separated them again for fear of them fighting when we were not around.

Yesterday (this is a week or two later) I had them in their carry case together all day and they played together in neutral spaces likethe bathroom and a friends house. I put them in their cage last night (they seemed ok for a while) and it was clear this morning they had been fighting.

I put them back in their carrier (small space – to re bond them and they don’t fight). I let them out earlier in my bedroom and they were fine (never been there before) and then I let them out in the kitchen / backyard (their usual area) and they were slightly aggressive again. Rather than separate them I put them back in the carrier. I am off work for a few days so figure this is a good time to work with them. They were bonded only a few weeks ago so I am not ready to give up. They seemed so much happier when they were bonded and it is so much easier for us as housing them separately indoors and giving them hours of (separate) run time each is not practical. We work full time and we got two rabbits so they woudl have company (as advised by P@H) and we didn’t realise this would be an issue.

I gave the cage a really good clean before I put them in it last night but not the kitchen as a whole (their scent will be around the kitchen on the floor etc) so wonder whether that would help. I mean it can’t hurt to clean up and it is not that I son’t clean anyway lol but I am tempted to do a deep clean today to get rid of their scent. Also tempted to try them in the living room as well as although they go in there sometimes it is not so much their territory and we often don’t let them in there.

Sorry for the long post but feel the background is relevant. I called the vet and the receptionist barely asked what was going on before simply saying separate te so they don’t hurt themselves. I am not ready to give up.

Thanks in advance.

[sarahthegemini]

The most crucial part of bonding is to do it on completely neutral territory. Also, I’m a little confused – are you “bonding” them during the day and then allowing them to be together overnight if the day goes well? You said ‘it was obvious they’d been fighting’ Did you put them in the same cage?? 

[Deleted User]

This sounds so similar to my situation that I posted about a couple of days ago on here and there still hasn’t really been much light shed on this. I like yourself got my two male rabbits from pets at home who were very happy being together and I presumed (probably a bit naively) that this was the two rabbits being bonded. I had no fighting from them at all until a couple of days ago. Which I thought was strange as this was three weeks after I had them neutered and I thought behaviour was meant to improve. After the fight my two had within a few hours they seemed fine again, there was one more minor scuffle the day after. But since then they seem back to how they were at the start. I just darent leave them alone for even a second just in case and I am unsure of next steps. So it would be really interesting to see how your situation turns out. Oh and I hope I don’t seem like I’m pushing in on your post. Just found it weird how our rabbits were from the same place and it sounded so much like what happened with mine

[ReeRee]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes the seemed ok but in hindsight that might not have been the. best idea!

It is difficult as a few weeks ago it seemed they were bonded (months after the neutering) as they were cuddling, grooming one another and together all the time but not sure what happened.

Now they are sleeping in separate cages again ans having bonding sessions until I am satisfied.

Basically they are fine on netural territory and sometimes in the usual spaces but we are not quite “there” yet. It is so difficult but I am determined to persevere.

How does one know when they are ready to go in the same cage? They seemed binded a few weeks ago but fought after a few days…

[ReeRee]

Not at all. I appreciate your reply. I do not come across many rabbit owners so it is good to be able to discuss with aomeone in a similar situation. Has your situation improved? I will look for your original post.

So did you re-bond your rabbits after they were neutered? It is said that it can take weeks for he hormones to die down so they could still be hormonal after 3 weeks. Mine were done before Christmas and one of them still sprays (he is not the one who exhibited the signs of hormones first).

I just find it really difficult as they are fine in neutral spaces a bit hit and miss in their usual spaces but not ready for the cage. I think this will take months!

I have them out now (not in neutral territory, which is not what is advised but they seemed to have bonded this way a few weeks ago). They dont fight in their pet carrier (it is obviously a small space but a relatively large carrier) and the threat of putting them in there when they fight seems to be enough to keep them behaving as they obviously don’t want to be couped up but I feel that is better than separating them. Obviously I leep an eye in case they did fight in there but they don’t seem to.

They already seem better than they were which is good. My husband is tired of having a giant rabbit hutch and separate cage in the kitchen so we need a solution!

[ReeRee]

Update (if anyone is reading) the rabbits are living in separate cages bext to one another but I have let them put toplay together around 3 evenings this week and they have been ok. There has been a little bit if territorial behaviour (they are in the kitchen which is not neutral territory) but they have been eating together, ignoring each other at times and also sitting calmly with Chicken grooming Shamu.

I plan to keep doing this but how do I know when they are ready to sleep together?

I’m worried they will fight in their cage. I am tempted to get some indoor pen stuff and make them a pen in the kithen, where the old hutch was, but still “new”. Hopefully they could live together but id it cane to it I supposed I could have a barrier between them.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

TIA.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I strongly advise you find somewhere 100% neutral to do your bonding sessions. It’s the most important part of bonding. Once they are able to spend 24 hours together in 100% neutral territory you can work on cementing the bond and introducing them to their permanent set-up.

[ReeRee]

The thing is, even when they were ok in neutral territory (they always are), they were still fighting in the kitchen. Now they’re fine in their usual territory so I feel this is a step forward. I know all the “rules” about bonding but I am not sure how putting my two in neutral territory will help as I am 99% sure they would be fine there but I’m still worried they fight once back in their usual cage.

[Author]

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