Sarah Gunni
Member
Hey! Sorry in advance for this really, really long post. But I want to get all the details in.
3,5 weeks ago I decided to adopt another bunny. I felt it was finally time to find a friend for my two year old (neutered) girl. She's free roaming our entire house. She's a very independent little lady - she's never aggressive, but just jumps away if she doesn't fancy to be pet. She's very curious and though independent, still quite social. At the adoption center I found a 3 year old (spayed) male. From what I was told, I thought his personality would be a match. He was also very curious, maybe a little bit more outgoing, but also possible territorial. He wasn't used to be free roaming, and had been at the shelter for 5 months.
I was prepared that it wouldn't be an easy bonding process. I was prepared to be patient and flexible with my plan. But honestly, it's been more difficult than I expected, and I worry I have to give up on him.
I took her with me to the shelter, but she got scared, so the bunny dating thing didn't work. I took them home in two different cages. I set him up at a spare roam, that she doesn't always have access too. I had the door closed at first, but then at a few hours a day I let them see each other through a fence. I kept switching their stuff, and mixing up the poop and pee in the litter boxes, because switching them wasn't an option.
She kept digging at the blanket in front of the cage. He kept pooping and peeing everywhere. I thought I saw progress in their interactions after about 4 days, so I decided it was time for them to meet.
The first interaction was at the bathroom, in a small area. He got scared, because he couldn't run on the tiles. She wasn't annoyed the she was kept there. After about 15 minutes they got annoyed with each other. I put them together for a pet.
The second interaction happened the next day the same place. It went well at first, so I put a towel on the ground so it was easier for him to move. Then they started fighting. I again put them together for a pet, and ended the session.
The pooping, peeing and digging continued. But they also ate and groomed themselves just at the gate.
I tried a stress bonding session a few days later. I put them in a smaller basket and walked around. Later that night, I let them meet again, at another neutral area, but slightly bigger this time. I put towels on the ground, and sat there with them. Some fighting again.. He seemed to ask her to be groomed, and when she didn't, he got annoyed. She got annoyed, when he ran too fast, too close to her. But they also showed good signs, like eating, grooming and napping.
I let them have a week or so off. Where they for a few hours or more could see each other at the fence, but didn't meet. The pooping and peeing stop, and the digging got a whole lot better. She especially still kept trying to move the fence to get to his side. She succeeded once, but I realised seconds later and stopped it. I gave him access to another room, so he could get more exercise, but it of course also meant to "take" a room from her.
Then I took them both in the basket on a car ride, so get to my dads house for a bigger and still neutral area to do the bonding. The session was better than the previous one, but some fighting still happened.
I felt like the last option was to go with the "wear them out" method... So for the last three days, I've spent every evening with them at our 4 sqm bathroom. I put towels out. I put two litterboxes with hay and two water bowls in each their end. I've sat on the floor with them, and I've engaged myself in their bonding. Doing a whole lot of petting, together and one by one. Doing a clicking sound while trying to relax them, and then continued that sound when they were near each other.
They sometimes run to the each other. Sometimes the ignore each other, sometimes they fight (a little - very limited amount of fur has fallen out). He often puts his head down to be groomed. I pet them both, when nothing else happens. But then finally, at the end of the first night, she groomed him. A few seconds later, he tried to bite her. Next day that happened sooner. Twice. In between they ignored each other or fought. Only after 3 hours, she groomed him for 10 minutes and it didn't end in a fight.
Now, on the third night, the grooming has gone both ways. But it still sometimes end with them fighting. They also still chase each other and fight a little. I'm still trying to engage myself in the bonding by petting them and I clap my hands loudly when they fight to distract them.
I'm just not sure, how to go from here. I see progress, but I honestly don't understand why they're still fighting. I don't know what else to try and I don't know what tempo to move forward in. I've read so many articles, blogs and threads, but I honestly haven't found anyone describing the situation I'm experiencing. So I'm very curious to get advice on how to make this a succesfull bonding.
3,5 weeks ago I decided to adopt another bunny. I felt it was finally time to find a friend for my two year old (neutered) girl. She's free roaming our entire house. She's a very independent little lady - she's never aggressive, but just jumps away if she doesn't fancy to be pet. She's very curious and though independent, still quite social. At the adoption center I found a 3 year old (spayed) male. From what I was told, I thought his personality would be a match. He was also very curious, maybe a little bit more outgoing, but also possible territorial. He wasn't used to be free roaming, and had been at the shelter for 5 months.
I was prepared that it wouldn't be an easy bonding process. I was prepared to be patient and flexible with my plan. But honestly, it's been more difficult than I expected, and I worry I have to give up on him.
I took her with me to the shelter, but she got scared, so the bunny dating thing didn't work. I took them home in two different cages. I set him up at a spare roam, that she doesn't always have access too. I had the door closed at first, but then at a few hours a day I let them see each other through a fence. I kept switching their stuff, and mixing up the poop and pee in the litter boxes, because switching them wasn't an option.
She kept digging at the blanket in front of the cage. He kept pooping and peeing everywhere. I thought I saw progress in their interactions after about 4 days, so I decided it was time for them to meet.
The first interaction was at the bathroom, in a small area. He got scared, because he couldn't run on the tiles. She wasn't annoyed the she was kept there. After about 15 minutes they got annoyed with each other. I put them together for a pet.
The second interaction happened the next day the same place. It went well at first, so I put a towel on the ground so it was easier for him to move. Then they started fighting. I again put them together for a pet, and ended the session.
The pooping, peeing and digging continued. But they also ate and groomed themselves just at the gate.
I tried a stress bonding session a few days later. I put them in a smaller basket and walked around. Later that night, I let them meet again, at another neutral area, but slightly bigger this time. I put towels on the ground, and sat there with them. Some fighting again.. He seemed to ask her to be groomed, and when she didn't, he got annoyed. She got annoyed, when he ran too fast, too close to her. But they also showed good signs, like eating, grooming and napping.
I let them have a week or so off. Where they for a few hours or more could see each other at the fence, but didn't meet. The pooping and peeing stop, and the digging got a whole lot better. She especially still kept trying to move the fence to get to his side. She succeeded once, but I realised seconds later and stopped it. I gave him access to another room, so he could get more exercise, but it of course also meant to "take" a room from her.
Then I took them both in the basket on a car ride, so get to my dads house for a bigger and still neutral area to do the bonding. The session was better than the previous one, but some fighting still happened.
I felt like the last option was to go with the "wear them out" method... So for the last three days, I've spent every evening with them at our 4 sqm bathroom. I put towels out. I put two litterboxes with hay and two water bowls in each their end. I've sat on the floor with them, and I've engaged myself in their bonding. Doing a whole lot of petting, together and one by one. Doing a clicking sound while trying to relax them, and then continued that sound when they were near each other.
They sometimes run to the each other. Sometimes the ignore each other, sometimes they fight (a little - very limited amount of fur has fallen out). He often puts his head down to be groomed. I pet them both, when nothing else happens. But then finally, at the end of the first night, she groomed him. A few seconds later, he tried to bite her. Next day that happened sooner. Twice. In between they ignored each other or fought. Only after 3 hours, she groomed him for 10 minutes and it didn't end in a fight.
Now, on the third night, the grooming has gone both ways. But it still sometimes end with them fighting. They also still chase each other and fight a little. I'm still trying to engage myself in the bonding by petting them and I clap my hands loudly when they fight to distract them.
I'm just not sure, how to go from here. I see progress, but I honestly don't understand why they're still fighting. I don't know what else to try and I don't know what tempo to move forward in. I've read so many articles, blogs and threads, but I honestly haven't found anyone describing the situation I'm experiencing. So I'm very curious to get advice on how to make this a succesfull bonding.
