Bonding help please!!!

I have a three yr old mini Rex and I just got a 9 week old mini Rex, and I introduced them slowly, they were just sniffing around and then they started going at it. Immediately separated them and only tried twice since then and they chased and went after each other both times, so I was told to separate them til they're both spayed because the
More they fight the more they'll dislike each other (makes sense) but when they're in their cages they lay on the side closest to each other, if one is out and other is in the cage she will lay outside the cage, it's so confusing but I do know they fight. Also it's only been four days since new buns been in the house so should I give each other time and they'll just get used to it or should I keep them separated til spayed and then try again??

I also alternate cages each night so they get each other's smell but they still go at it sometimes.

Someone help me please they're both females, unspayed and a three year age difference tell me anything to help me make them bond I'll try anything!!!


-thanks all replies very appreciated!!

Hello, first of all, you need to let your new rabbit settle into the house first. Which also applies to letting your 3 year old girl, get used to having a new bunny in the place (sights, sounds, smells etc). Unspayed females can be quite defensive of their territory. Since your 3 year old didn't even get along with a young rabbit (most adults and babies get along ok) I think you might have a little bit of a tough time.

Give the new rabbit at least 2 weeks to settle in. Get your 3 year old spayed, and when your new girl is old enough (about 5 months, speak to your vet), get her spayed too. Only once they have both been spayed for at least a month should you attempt introducing them together again (it allows time for the hormones to settle). By all means keep them close to one another (in separate cages) and keep alternating cages and food dishes etc, but you really need to slow things down with the introductions and take them one step at a time.

When you do finally re-introduce them to one another, make sure you do it on neutral ground. Somewhere in your house, where neither your 3 year old, or your new rabbit have ever been. The bathroom floor or even in a bath tub is a common choice since the area is small and they can't get good traction if they do break into a fight.

I think the older bun being sexually mature and unspayed is a big reason they're not getting along. Like Azerane said, unspayed adult females are particularly territorial. I'd spay the older bun as soon as possible and keep them apart until her hormones have fully subsided before trying to bond again. Putting them together any time before then will only result in unpleasantness and if they fight too much they may start holding a grudge against each other. Bonding would be a real challenge then.

Even if you weren't trying to bond her, you should have her spayed asap, otherwise, there is a high risk you will lose her to uterine cancer.

Yeah the older bun is getting spayed first but she's so docile it's weird, i don't know the first couple times I let them be together the 9 week old would go after the 3 year old..so idk lol they've lived together switching cages every other night and they seem to be docile, not fighting through the cages or anything. And they sleep the closest they can to each other in seperate cages. I haven't re-introduced them since the fight a week ago.

And I got them to eat off of the same banana too, but separated again very shortly after

I put them in the bathtub together for about four minutes and they ignored each other and mostly just tried to get out..the second I brought them back into their room to their cages they started chasing each other again... What am I doing wrong and why aren't they getting over each other I switch cages every night and it's been a week!

I would totally back off if I were you. Wait until they are spayed and healed. Once that's done, then you can try bonding. Baby bonds don't count anyway. And even if you did get them to bond, just taking one to the vet (for surgery) will cause that one to come back with totally different smells. Sometimes that alone can cause bonded bunnies to break their bond. In other words, it just seems like wasted effort to be trying to bond them now.

Just wait until their surgeries are done. There won't be any harm in waiting. Not waiting, on the other hand, might cause some negative after effects that could have a bad influence on future bonding attempts.

Once they are both spayed and have had a few weeks for hormones to dissipate, then start anew. Be patient. Some bonds may go smoothly but some can take weeks or even months.

(On a side note, the 9 week old is too young to be having banana - that's a super sugar overload for a gut that is still vulnerable to bacterial imbalances.)

Oh, and the photo you just posted... they are absolutely adorable! :inlove:

They are chasing each other when you bring them back to their room, because this isn't neutral territory. You have to attempt bonding in neutral territory(where neither bun has been), otherwise when in their own territory they can get defensive and territorial. You are trying to go at this too fast. Bonding isn't easy and is usually very difficult and time consuming. Like was mentioned, it can take several weeks to even months, starting with short sessions that may only last a few minutes each day, and gradually building up from there. You have to be patient and do this correctly, or you could wreck any chance your rabbits may have of being able to bond. Like the others have said, get them spayed, then attempt bonding. In the meantime, I suggest you read up on bonding. It can be quite complicated and is not usually easy to do. There is also a risk of injury to your bunnies. So it is best to go at it being very well informed with as much knowledge as possible, so you are avoiding common mistakes and also reducing chances of possible injury to your rabbits.
http://www.wheekwheekthump.com/2013...rs-guide-rabbit-bonding-everything-need-know/
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

We had Beatrix for about 3 months before we got Bunjamin, and we had a hard time getting them to get along, as well, but with patience they are now inseparable! We didnthe same thing as far as alternating cages, and I put their food next to each other in their cages so they would get used to another rabbit around their food. Once they started laying next to each other in their cages, I thought, "Wow, their friends!", but upon actual introduction the fur literally went flying! We did short, ocassional introductions periodically throughout the week in neutral territory, and they always resulted in a fight and chase away. But we kept switching those cages, and took turns having one bun in the cage and the other free to roam (mostly Bunj in the cage though as we were still trying to establish good litter habits). And wouldn't you know, one day out of the blue there was Beatrix sticking her head next to the cage so Bunjamin could groom her! I let Bunj out and they had a little spat before going their separate ways. From then on I let both out together whenever I was home to supervise. They basically ignored each other for a couple of days, and then one day I peeked in on them and there they were groomong each other! Now they do everything together and are attached at the hip when sprawled out! It just took persistence while they got used to each other and figured out the workings of their relationship. I think their fighting was the struggle to establish dominance, and once they got that matter settled they could get on to being friends. And by the way Beatrix was spayed before introduction, and Bunj is getting neutered in the next few weeks.