Bonding help needed!

[Lyngdorf]

Hi,we have a 4 months old mini lop/lion head (Roger) that was neutered 5 weeks ago. He is not the cuddliest bunny butvery independent and very funny and energetic. We have him loose in the apartment and he only uses the cageas atoilet and food station Three days ago we brought home a little Rex girl (Waffles) who is 9 weeks old. Waffles is very timid and loves being held. We have kept her in the bathroom in a cage during daytime and we have let them meet for 20 min sessions a couple a times a day. He tried to hump her a bit the first time but not since. She is very submissive, lowers her head and lets him groom her and she follows him everywhere. At night we keep them in separate cages next to each other and we change cages every night to get them used to each others smell. Roger is not happy with sleeping in the cage so he shakes the bars like a little wrestler at night:not listening We have gone slowly with the bonding sessions, slowly making them longer and longer and now they can eat and play with toilet rolls together. First they met in the bathroom, then in the hallway etc. and we slowly expanded the space.The problem is that he feels thatour bedroom is his territory (his cage is in our bedroom and he likes sleeping under our bed). Whenever she gets close to "his territory", he freaks out. He freezes, runsaway and starts stomping his feet...What can we do to make him feel les sterritorial about "his space"?

Thank you, we really need your expertise!

Sandra and Vardi (Iceland)





[align=left]This is Roger when he was 12 weeks[/align]

 

[naturestee]

Welcome to the forum!

First, I recommend keeping them separate until Waffles is old enough to be spayed. I know your boy is already neutered, but this will help prevent as much aggression from developing. Plus, baby rabbits like her are often very friendly and loving with other rabbits... until they hit puberty. I've seen enough fights between rabbits that just hit puberty on this forum, and they can really do some damage. So please keep them separate until after she becomes a "teenager."

Aside from that, you'll probably just need to spend more time bonding them in neutral space- space that neither of them thinks is their territory. Go slow. Eventually he'll be comfortable with her going into his territory, but right now she is still a stranger in the house and a threat to his territory. After all, it's only been three days.

 

[Haley]

Hi and welcome!

If you do want to start bonding now (before shes spayed) you can do a few things. You could try putting her cage in your room to see how he does. If hes attacking through the bars, you could try housing both cages in another room until they become buddies. Or, you could just wait until they are fully bonded (grooming and playing together) and then move both cages into one room.

If I were you, I think I would just wait until she is spayed and healed and then bond them. Your chances of success are higher. I bonded a neutered male to an un-spayed female though and they were fine until she was able to be spayed. But you have to be careful because they can really hurt one another..

 

[naturestee]

Although just a note on that, Haley's un-spayed female was an adult who was well past puberty. So she didn't have to worry about a sudden influx of hormones changing the girl's opinion of the other rabbit.

 

[Haley]

Yup, good point :thanks:

 

[Lyngdorf]

Thank you for your advice! We have now moved Waffles back into the bathroom and Roger sleeps in the bedroom.We will let them meet for bonding dates but nothing else before she is sprayed and feel well again.

I mentioned before that Roger isn't that cuddly, but the last two days I have had some real rubbing moments with him and he seems to warm to the thought of human touch which makes me really happy!

Thanks!

Sandra

 

[HoneyPot]

The other thing you can do to help the process along while she is not yet spayed is swap their spaces and the litter boxes.

Put Waffles' used litter box in Roger's territory (ie. your bedroom/his cage) and take his out - so that will help him get used to having her scent in his area.

Also, sometimes but Roger in the bathroom at night and keep Waffles in your bedroom.

Basically, you are just trying to get him used to her scent in his space so that he becomes less protective and less alarmed when she is in there.

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Nadia