Bonding......

[allisur]

Hi, I recently rescued what looks like to be a Flemish mix (I only think that because of her ears and her face shape- but her coloring suggests mix).
She was likely a pet store bunny who someone got and either didn't know how to or was under educated on bunny care. A friend of a friend found her on their back porch for a few days and took her in (they held her in a medium sized, comfortable, dog carrier), fed her carrots and some alfalfa treats- which isn't the best but probably kept her alive.
I took her to the vet yesterday and she is seemingly healthy, besides being hungry and dehydrated. She ate a good amount of pellets and cilantro last night and today (wish she would eat more timothy hay)- she has pooped and peed (even in litter box!!!) a lot. She is definitely way more active today than she was yesterday. Playing with toys and exploring her area more.

We currently have a 1 year old, fixed, female, lionhead mix and free roam bunny- she also has her own room, where she usually just sleeps at night and mid day- if we are home she will be out and about!

I first put 'new girl' in our bedroom seeing as I knew NOTHING about her (not even sex at the time). The vet checked out just fine; pretty skinny and dehydrated. Skin, ears looked good, gut and heart sounded fine. Pooping, eating and peeing (though I haven't seen her drink out of her bowl I have seen plenty of pee and the water level going down)- seemingly healthy little girl, not fixed, unsure on age - I think relatively young just based off size and not being fixed- her thumpers are HUGE- like a clumsy pup needing to grow into its front paws (hahahah!!).


Okay, enough background to my entire life now, I have moved new bun to Sur (current bun)'s room- new girl has a pen and i have draped blankets over it and on top and plan to also secure with cardboard because I swear Sur is a magician and will ALWAYS find a way to get what she wants. I had new girl out earlier in common area while Sur was in her room (gate up)- so when Sur came out she immediately peed in the kitchen and poop a VERY sticky poooo on the couch ( you should know Sur is obsessed with her litter box- she never NOT uses it)- assuming that is just her marking her territory?

I am just so scared that Sur will eat new girl. She is aggressive.. more so territorial- My BF and I have had her since she was like 10 weeks old- she is a year now.... so we have been through it all with her and she has only ever met 2 other bunnies- one went horribly and the other... just kind of neutral.

I want to get them both used to each others smells because I want to bond them after new girl is fixed. Before putting new girl in her space in Sur's room I let Sur hang out in new girl's new area... just to show her that it is still her room and it was an area she never uses.... So, her pin is in Sur's room and Sur was chewing and lunging at the gate! She couldn't even see new girl, it was all based off scent and new stuff in HER room.

Should I move new girl to another room out of Sur's sight until she is fixed and recovered and ready for bonding? Or should I give it more than 2 hours... lol... and hope Sur calms down (new girl seems absolutely oblivous to another bunny being around)?

I am sorry this is so long. There is just a lot of back story and not your typical bonding scenario of letting Sur 'date' first... even if i have to separate them when I leave I want them to be able to be free roamers while we are home together!

Any help is more than I know about bonding! Thank you all!!!

 

[JBun]

You know, bonding is kind of a go by feel thing. All bonds are different, so sometimes different techniques need to be tried depending on the individual situation. Where it might be a good thing to have the two rabbits next to each other in separate pens so they can get used to the other rabbit and their smell, in some cases it's not a good idea and it just increases the territorialness and problems with bonding later. I'll sometimes try one thing and if it seems to be producing a negative reaction or I don't like the way things seem to be headed, I'll change course and try a different route. It's really all about being able to read the rabbits and their reactions to each other. Usually it's recommended to go with different rooms, no contact until bonding time, but I know of some instances where it was needed and better for the rabbits to be next to each other so they could get used to the other rabbit being around.

I might give it a few more hours to see if she calms down and decides she likes your new bun, but based on your one girl's aggressive reaction, I would probably go with separate areas with no contact until bonding time if she doesn't settle with your new bun being near today. Just be careful with them next to each other if they can reach their noses through the bars, as one bite to a nose can cause a significant injury.

 

[allisur]

Sur has seemed to definitely notice that something is different. But new girl was laying in her pen and Sur was laying on her air vent in the same room, several times. So I’ll take that as a not negative sign. She still gets very curious but really only when we pay attention to new girl. There’s A LOT of territory poops.. and two pees so far- it’s like reverting back to her being a baby. I’m terrified to sleep tonight. No sound and on the couch lol... I’m going to be so nervous. But I think it’ll be fine. Sur has free roam of the whole house and a fort made of boxes and blankets in her room- she’s got plenty of places to lay if she doesn’t want to be around!

I just need them to co exist for a while peacefully lol. And I need my BF to bond with new girl. She seems to scurry at the sound of his voice or sight of his giant hand. Poor guy- we will work extra hard this weekend to do some partner bonding.. me, him and new girl in common area. I don’t know how used to people she is, other than the occasional feeding and water maybe? I don’t know anything about her past.