Bunny bonding

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

hthrparis

Member
Joined
May 29, 2021
Messages
8
Reaction score
1
Location
maryland
We have siblings that were bonded. We brought them home and for the last 7 months all was good. Then when they hit about 9 months she started humping him aggressively on occasion and every once in a while pulling fur out. But then later they are snuggling and grooming one another. Being new to the bunny world is this normal? Or do I need to separate them? He is fixed she is not.
 
Her not being fixed is likely what's causing the tension. If there is aggression, as you seem to be noticing, yes, they should be separated for their safety. The presence of a hormonal female, regardless if they are siblings, is going to make a relationship difficult. I suggest spaying the sister if you want them to be bonded.
 
Her not being fixed is likely what's causing the tension. If there is aggression, as you seem to be noticing, yes, they should be separated for their safety. The presence of a hormonal female, regardless if they are siblings, is going to make a relationship difficult. I suggest spaying the sister if you want them to be bonded.
Thank you. I ended up separating them today just in case.
 
the boy seems depressed now that I have done this. Not eating and hiding in his bunny home.
 
Can they still see each other? Is he in a different environment than typical? Also, is there a chance there may be a different reason why he is not eating, such as GI distress due to eating something odd or different recently?
 
We moved him to a different room but one they were in previously prior to moving them downstairs. He is in with my daughter. Not sure what to make of it.
 
It's possible he's stressed/distressed by the change in environment. Is he eating and pooping yet?
 
If he's not reacting to her humping him in any negative way, you may be able to keep them together until you get her spayed. It really just depends on his reaction to her humping and if he can also have a chance to run away to get some space to relax if he needs to. Generally it's best to separate to prevent any chance of escalation to a fight, but if he's acting depressed and there's a risk of him going into GI stasis, and he's not showing any signs of reacting aggressively towards her, you might get away with keeping them together until the spay.

If you feel they need to remain separated, it might be less distressing for him to keep him in an adjoining pen to your female until you can rebond. But just keep a very close eye on his eating to make sure he starts eating normally again by tomorrow. Otherwise you may need to get him into the vet for GI stasis meds and syringe feeding mix.
 
Tried putting them back together and it was not good...
Keep them separated, but perhaps allow them to see each other-- at this point, it seems clear that they cannot be together at all until they are both fixed and go through bonding. If more negative experiences are accumulated, it may make future bonding difficult.

In keeping them separate, this means making sure there is a gap in between their pens as well, so they cannot bite/interact with each other through the walls.

If the other rabbit has still not eaten, I would recommend taking him to the vet. Rabbits who have not eaten for 12 hours are not in a good state.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top