Bonded rabbit chasing partner after new rabbit introduced to house

[Reicherufuriizaa]

Hi everyone I would love some advice and comfort brought home another adopted rabbit today, he’s an elder bun and needed a loving home, he has a seperate enclosure to my two bonded buns. But the male bonded bun got a bit aggressive and has since began chasing my female bun around. He’s settled down a bit now but she’s a shy type bun and so any time he comes close to her now she’s running away. This has all happened within the last few hours.

We have shifted the new buns enclosure further away from Miso and Melody’s but wanted to ask if you had experience with this, will she be okay? The lady who runs the rabbit orphanage here said it was normal but I would love to get extra reassurance as it has been a bit anxiety inducing.

Should I try and get the two bonded ones in a smaller space together to make up? I think when she runs away it makes Miso sad so he follows and she runs away more.

If any one has any tips or advice for moving forward or anything I can do to help my buns be peaceful I would appreciate that. I love my buns so much I don’t want to see anything bad with them.

Fyi: all bun are desexed

 

[JBun]

You could try a smaller space and see if it helps. I would also suggest when you are going to be near your pair, to first change clothing if you have the other rabbits scent on you, and wash your hands as well.

If you can keep this new rabbit in a room away from your pair, so there's no visual contact and also so they can't hear the rabbit either, or as little as possible, that will help. Then keep a close eye on your pair to make sure things are settling down and there isn't increasing referred aggression. You just don't want to risk an injury occurring.

Then once things get back to normal, you can start to think about gradually getting your pair used to the new rabbit, possibly starting with scent swapping. But it will need to be done very carefully so this referred aggression doesn't happen again.

 

[Reicherufuriizaa]

You could try a smaller space and see if it helps. I would also suggest when you are going to be near your pair, to first change clothing if you have the other rabbits scent on you, and wash your hands as well.

If you can keep this new rabbit in a room away from your pair, so there's no visual contact and also so they can't hear the rabbit either, or as little as possible, that will help. Then keep a close eye on your pair to make sure things are settling down and there isn't increasing referred aggression. You just don't want to risk an injury occurring.

Then once things get back to normal, you can start to think about gradually getting your pair used to the new rabbit, possibly starting with scent swapping. But it will need to be done very carefully so this referred aggression doesn't happen again.

thanks for the advice. Right now we’ve put a cardboard barrier so the bonded pair can’t see the new bun. But the room they’re in together is really the only room for the buns to be (kitchen/living area) do you think stopping them from view is enough?

Miso & Melody are in their enclosure at the moment but it’s biggish 2.5 by 1.8 meters no aggressive behaviour is happening no biting etc but Melody is still sometimes quickly moving away from Miso and thumping after those interactions I sat there watching them and they did have some interactions that looked positive but she still thumped after them etc…

 

[JBun]

It might be. You'll just need to monitor them and see. Hopefully it will be.