Heated Introduction

They are getting along great. The first time they met at the adoption event they seemed to like each other. They were eating in the same litterbox this morning. Then earlier they were lying next to each other. So far so good!

I have another question. One of them seems to be giving off a weird stink, kind of like the one I would smell between Fen and Niki. I don't know who the culprit is.

It could be one of two things.

I've heard that post spay females can smell for a couple weeks as the hormones leave their body.

Also, sometimes males even up to a couple months after a neuter, can omit an odor when they try and mount or mate with a female.

Glad they are getting along so well! Let us know how things go!

I had the pleasure of seeing Nikolai groom Mischa tonight!! He did it for so long it gave me time to film!

[ame]http://youtu.be/fgvjcdcuvVI[/ame]


Her ears are back, which did have me concerned at one point. Is there anything to be worried about? Otherwise she is not displaying aggressive behavior.

Yay for grooming!!!!!

Has nikolai mounted mischa? Some of that grooming (like the nips on the back) looked like when Archie would mount Agnes. That's how he would prepare, a few pulls on the back fur.

Your females ears back doesn't indicate aggression to me at this point. It looks like submission and she might look a tad tense or scared.

What I have learned through my bonding, is that it often starts off as the male being alpha. Then it switches and the female is being alpha. I thought it was just an Agnes and Archie thing but I guess that's pretty common

That being said, I would watch as mischa gets more comfortable she may not like the back grooming like that and could react. She may just get up and run away or she may nip back to tell nikolai she doesn't like that. So just watch for any potential conflict there.

Other than that I think it is huge progress!!!! I did a big happy dance when I saw my first grooming!

At one point I had three bonded rabbits- a neutered buck, the oldest and two sisters (spayed). The smaller of the two sisters actually had the longer legs and eventually her body grew into them and she was the largest of the three. It took her a while to realize this. Thereupon, she started slowly demonstrating that she was the dominant rabbit. Some of the behavior was unacceptable.

She would lick and lick the other two on the face, inch up to the base of the ear and then plant her teeth hard enough that she drew blood.

For that she got two days in isolation in the bathroom. Never having been without her sister before, this was very stressful; she started to shed; I put her back with them and she never again tried the biting maneuver.

More pics!

Thanks for the nice pics. I take it they are getting along now?

By the way, "Nikolai" is the Russian version of name "Nickolas" (this is how it sounds in Russia) . ALong with Mischa, which is short for "Michael"
I hope your buns will get along and happy pretty soon!

I know. I went with a Russian theme.

Tonight Nikolai laid next to me (as close as possible, me being in my computer chair). I cannot describe how happy that made me to know he trusts me enough to do so.




And the lovely Mischa: "What? ... No ... I'm not decimating my willow house."



I am also no closer to identifying her breed... members have commented suggesting breeds but do not know 100%. If anybody can figure it out, please do let me know. :rollseyes

I am meatloaf.

You should see when Teddy does that. It looks like a ball of fur. NO discernible features, especially since her ears are floppy and her face is flat. Literally just a ball of fur.

Thought I'd share this adorable vid!

http://youtu.be/hcm5glu-3N0

It sounds like it's going well for you! I'm currently bonding my rabbits too and it's a long process, i've been bonding mine for 6 months!

The only advice i'd give is don't rush any of the stages. It went well with my rabbits at first and I rushed it and they had a fight. After that it was so hard for me to get them back to where they are now!

Also spraying the rabbits with water if they get aggressive helps!

Good luck