Please help: Fixed rabbit spraying after getting companion

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This topic has 2sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 6 years, 4 months ago by Lyinness.

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- 12/21/2017 at 4:53 PM
  Lyinness
  Participant
  5 posts
  I recently adopted a fixed female rabbit after having a male rabbit for about 2 Years. He is also fixed since he was 4 months old. He never had a real spraying problem before,’maybe sprayed once or twice after being fixed and before getting the new girl. But since the new rabbit, he has been spraying almost every time he comes into contact with her. They never fight and that’s really the only problem I have. I have no idea how to get it to stop. I’ve tried everything, from prolonged exposure face-to-face contact, to just contact thru adjoining cages with limited real contact. Please help me as I have read many websites and forums and all the advice says is to fix the rabbit and it will stop, however that is obviously not the case for me since he’s been fixed since a very young age! I am desperate, thank you.
- 12/21/2017 at 7:07 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5781 posts
  I think you need to look at this as a bonding issue rather than a spraying issue. The spraying is your rabbit’s method of expressing his thoughts about the bonding process, like how some rabbits will excessively groom another, hump another, or bite/fight.
  
  How long did you spend pre bonding your rabbits? What was the timeline? Perhaps it was slightly rushed, leading to very possessive reactions when he sees her.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 12/21/2017 at 7:39 PM
  Lyinness
  Participant
  5 posts
  He started doing that the first time they met. I started by letting them mingle and hump which was recommended as the meeting method by the shelter. Then I started letting them mingle in small intervals and then I would have them next to each other in cages. That’s basically it. It seems to be worse though if I keep them apart for longer (as in keep them in adjoining cages but not letting them touch). He humps A LOT too. But that’s gone down a tiny bit. But he’s always been that way even with his stuffed animals. (He just rarely sprayed)
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