First bonding session gone wrong

[luna21]

First off I recently moved and had my baby Hendrix that I adopted back in febuary neutered a few weeks ago. While moving both my boys were pretty stressed out. I decided to put their cages next to each other at the new place which has gone well. We only been at the new place a week. At our old house the amount of interaction the boys had was somewhat limited as their cages were in seperate rooms and they each had their own rooms. They were able to see each other only through a double baby gate placed between both rooms. They would sometimes lay at the gate together. So anyway today we decided to give our first bonding session a try in a neutral area and in a small fenced off area. I first put some hay down and then my older 7 yr old lop Gizmo down then Hendrix my 8mnth old was next. At first glance Gizmo put his head down as if to tell Hendy to groom him then immediately Gizz lunged and a huge fight broke out. They were growling, circling, bitting and latched on to each other with fur flying. My husband grabbed Hendrix right away and Gizz was still hanging on but finally let go. I have read that it is a bad sign :-( im wondering if i should even give it another go or give up completely. Its just odd because they seem to enjoy each others company side by side whilst in their cages and by the gate at the old house. Should I give it a few days and try again? both boys are neutered

 

[Azerane]

That's not good at all I would try it again but perhaps give them a week to cool their tempers. When you try it again, I would leave out the hay and put Hendrix in first, Gizmo second, or at least at the same time. Wear some thick gloves to protect against bites.

You could also try stressing them before hand if you are ok with that method, such as taking them on a car ride or just walking them around in a carrier that bumps them around a little.

 

[Azerane]

I forgot to ask, is Gizmo also neutered? The fact that Hendrix has only been neutered a few weeks may also have caused some problems. Another couple of weeks should see the hormones completely settled down after his op.

 

[luna21]

Yes Gizzy is also neutered. I kinda figured it their reactions were not good :-( I think I will wait till September to try again. Might they just be unbondable?

 

[Azerane]

It's possible that they might never bond, certain rabbits together can be like that. But I wouldn't be giving up after a single session. I would try a few different techniques and if you're still getting the same response, I would be likely to call it quits, especially with such an aggressive response.

 

[Blue eyes]

I was thinking the same as Azarene -- that it can sometime take awhile after surgery for those hormones to dissipate. I would also suggest waiting a few weeks both for hormones to settle and so they can hopefully 'forget' their fight.

An out-and-out fight is not a good sign, I'm afraid. But hopefully it has more to do with the recent-ness of the neuter.
Oven mitts can work to protect yourself during the next time you attempt bonding.

You also asked if they might refuse to bond. I have had rabbits that absolutely refused to bond. With those rabbits, their aggression seemed to escalate each time they were put together. I understand how nerve-wracking that can be. It is so upsetting to see rabbits fight like that. As hard as it may be, try to be sure that you yourself are calm the next time you attempt a bonding. I've heard that the rabbits may sense our tension.

 

[luna21]

Im thinking I will give them a few weeks and try a car ride then I will try putting them in the bathtub and see how it goes. I was pretty nervous and i know the boys felt it. I feel terrible for what happened :-( I hope they will forgive me and each other. Its ok if they never bond. I love them both very much and want them to be happy.

 

[sungura]

I wouldn't give up. My bunnies seemed to enjoy hanging offside each other's cage when one would be out, they would just lay there side by side, then the fur would fly when both doors were open. I started offering a big bowl of veggies and they would be peaceful when the veggies were plentiful, fighting again when they got low. Now they are best buns, lol. They hop around and there is never any fighting! Just keep at it!

 

[luna21]

I wont give up just yet ;-) Thats awesome that your buns get along so well. How many bonding sessions did it take for them to stop fighting? Did they have really bad fights like mine?

 

[luna21]

So this is the boys today since the fight last night. Hendrix is laying at Gizzys cage and Gizz is also lying the closest to the door.

 

[luna21]

ive got nic cubes at gizzys door and i move them to hendrix door when gizz is out but they seem to want to lay by the door or try to move them to get closer to one another

 

[Lexi01]

I also have a bun named Gizmo who is also the one that causes the trouble! :0 I had a similar experience with our first bonding session. They also do very well next to each other with a gate in-between, they'll sleep on the same sides next to each other and everything. But once they're out of the cages Gizmo still thinks we are hers and the house is hers. Lately me and Scott would both hold a bun and let them run around a little in a neutral space. Staying close by seems to help and if one gets too excited I'll scratch her nose to calm her down a bit (and also get in the way from a possible lunch attack!) I also keep treats and greens handy to reward good behavior. It seems to be working but there is no way I trust them alone together yet lol. Just stay within reaching distance of them so if they fight it can't get very far. I've heard bonding can take weeks sometimes. I read online that you can squirt them with a squirt bottle (like a cat) to punish bad behavior, but I haven't tried it and am too scared I would squirt her in the eyes or ears but possibly something to google? Also I'm certainly not a rabbit pro but since the spay was fairly recent he might still have some hormones going on affecting the bond as well, just a thought. Cute bun by the way!! Good luck

 

[luna21]

Thanks! thats encouraging news ;-) thank you for sharing your story with me. I will be waiting a few weeks before i try again to let those hormones dissipate. Im just confused by the way they behave lol they dont seem to hate each other at all. Theyre also both boys and from what ive read boy and boy bonds are usually difficult and can be impossible. Gizzy has always been a little on the moody side. He is neurotic like his mother....lol

 

[Lexi01]

let us know how it goes

 

[luna21]

I will for sure ;-)

 

[Blue eyes]

Not to be Johnny Raincloud here, but they could also be lying as close to the other's cage in order to maintain their territory. In other words, "this is my space, not yours, so don't even think about coming here." Rather than, "aww, look another bunny to befriend."

I'm still hoping, though, that they will warm up to each other once those hormones settle down.

 

[luna21]

Hmm never thought of that. It actually makes more sense

 

[sungura]

I wont give up just yet ;-) Thats awesome that your buns get along so well. How many bonding sessions did it take for them to stop fighting? Did they have really bad fights like mine?

It was about 4 they are in the same room and I let them out opposite of each other every day for about an hour a piece and every weekend I would try them out at the same time. after about 4 weeks they stopped fighting. My female would grab on to the baby bunny and fur would fly all over the place. I don't think they ever drew blood but it was pretty vicious. I made sure it didn't escalate, so when they started, I would stop it immediately.