Bonding Rabbits

[3muske-bunnies]

Hi,

I have 2 male ND bunnies, and previously they were fine living together, though they still do fight a little.
Recently just brought them for neutering about 3 weeks ago & they have been living in separated cages since then but i'd placed the cages side by side but now i would like to put them together again. the problem is i have difficulties bringing them together as one of them always nip the other & fur will start to fly.

and today, i just tried to place them in the toilet, which is a neutral place. they were doing fine until i placed them back to the cage and they started to fight even aggressively.

Anyway, how long does it takes for the hormones to go away, i was told by the vet that it will go away after 2 weeks. Its already been more than 2 weeks and there are still signs of marking of territory, leaving a little puddle of pee on places and biting whenever another bunny approach.

Thanks ! :bunnydance:

 

[agnesthelion]

Although extreme, I've heard it can take 6-8 weeks for hormones to completely dissipate. Also, it your twos case, they could still remember each other and remember previous fighting which could be hindering a bond.

There are a couple ways to go about this.....depending on how strong their desire to fight is. If you feel they just get aggressive every time they see each other, you might try separating them completely for a couple weeks. Like, put the cages in two seperate rooms so they forget about each other. Then, start with brief dates again in neutral territory. When you mentioned you put them back in the cage and they started fighting, do not put them in the same cage for a while. It could take weeks or even months to get to that point. You will want to continue with daily bunny dates extending them as you go and eventually move into non neutral territory where they will continue to date. Then down the road, when they are together for 4-5 hours without one little scuffle, then you can attempt moving them into the same cage.

There also is the option to stress them to encourage a bond. So go for a car ride with them in the same enclosure, put them on a washing machine or run a vacuum nearby. The idea is that they will seek comfort from each other.

Same sex bonds can be a bit more challenging and can be prone to spontaneous fighting. Here is my favorite article on bonding that i refer everyone too. It covers most aspects of bonding.

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

 

[3muske-bunnies]

Hi,

Thanks for replying.
Now i've placed them in separate rooms. One in a cage, the other 2 in separate carriers.
How long must i separate them ? 3 weeks or a month ?
Anyway, im waiting for my playpen which i bought online to arrive.
But my bunnies had been to every corner of my house. I do not have a neutral place to bond
them now. Haha..

 

[layla20]

It can take years or days to re-bond bunnies. I've had a similar issue with my two. We rebonded them every day in the bath for a few weeks & this actually worked. We slowly increased the space to the bathroom, then the bathroom and hall & now they're fine together in the living room. Your 2 will definitely be fine eventually, but regular meetings in the bath is key.