help there's another bunny!

Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Love your rabbit
Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

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

Grape

Active Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Location
Utah County , Utah, USA
So my husbands friend bought a rabbit I don't know how long ago 1month?, and I have been to there house twice and she was just in the smallest little cage sitting on newspaper with an empty water and food dish. Both times I filled the bowls up. The third time I went over there they told me they hated the rabbit and were never getting pets ever again and that they were going to sell it but couldn't find someone. I saw the rabbit with no food and water AGAIN and i just told them I would take it temporarily till we found another home. so now I have another rabbit, mini rex. its "temporary"/maybe for real if she didn't hate JP (the holland lop I already have)

They are both female. JP was spayed ten days ago (I know shes not fully recovered and shouldn't be goin nuts with this bunny but I am trying) and this new bunny that her old owners didn't even name is young, not full grown, here are their pictures. We named the new girl Trudi.

JP, almost 6 month old holland lop
2epkr6a.jpg


Trudi, 3ish month old mini rex
2z5nhfp.jpg


SO my question is, can I bond these two bunnies, or am I stupid for trying because Trudi isn't spayed and too young to be spayed, and probably a hormonal teenager.

They are in a divided cage and they sniff each other through the bars and when I brought Trudi home she just stayed in her cage sniffing JP through bars for two days. Today I put them together and JP runs up to Trudi and won't leave her alone, jumping on top of her, sniffing her butt, and trudi got mad and starting biting, and they had a run in circles fight until i broke it up. SO I was like forget that, and I put a gate up and trudi had the kitchen and JP had the living room. JP has been using this gate for 5 months and shes never jumped it but when I did this, JP started thumping her foot which shes never done, and after ten minutes she jumped over it and trudi was so scared, I have never seen a rabbit so scared she ran to her poop box so fast and I got her back in her cage. It seems like JP wants to be friends, but also dominant. and Trudi is just so scared and skitish of her. JP lays by Trudis cage this is how they have been a lot today.

jb4mlw.jpg


any advice would be great, or if I just can't bond them since trudis not spayed just tell me im dumb!
 
It is best to give Trudi a little time to settle in, it is a big change to go to a new (thank goodness finally loving) home. It is going to be hard to bond them until they are both spayed and the hormones have time to settle. JP is still hormonal because it takes up to a month for the hormones to all leave the system.

For now you can let them sniff through bars. It's great if their houses were in the same room so they could see and smell each other but not fight. That will let the bonding process move more quickly once Trudi is spayed.

They are both super cute! Congratulations on saving your new addition.
 
I cant thank you enough for saving this bunny - your story made me cry - how can anyone hate a bunny - you just made the world more beautiful for taking her into your home - thank so much for that. Oh dear I personally cant give you advice because I am in the same situation as you are - I have two girls - unspayed - a year old - Sullen the New Zealand white is dominant and will chase Landy the Checkered Giant and bite and pull bits of fur out - So I keep them seperate - like yours they like to see each other and visit but cant be together because Sullen has to show her dominance - Landy is so sweet and gentle and it would be so nice if they could bond - I just want to say to Sully - " we know you are the boss so cant you just be friends ? " If I sit with them both and pet them they will groom each other but if I go then its back to Sully chasing Landy and Landy hiding. So I just keep them separate. They are both precious sweethearts and I dont have a rabbit savvy vet and I just cant bring myself to spay them. Yours are in their teenage time - Boy was Sully ever a handful then - well thats another story - So I see you have JP already spayed - I think that the above post of MiniHopLop is excellent and she sounds like she is very experienced in these matters as I could learn a few things about spayed and unspayed females. I wonder myself about it at times if it would make a difference. Last year when they were younger I had Landy in an x-pen and her and Sully would lie side by side and groom each other through the bars but if I would let Landy out Sully would chase her and sweet little Landy would run up the stairs to her room as fast as she could with Sullen close behind - Well they have their own personal rooms and are out at separate times and seem to be happy that way. Oh well - sometimes I think it would be nice if they were bonded.
 
thanks guys! they are super cute. I just don't know if I can deal with three months of keeping these guys separated. does it ever work out that a spayed female can bond with an unspayed? how do you do it christine not being able to have them together that just seems so hard! I feel too bad for JP leaving her in her cage while trudi is out, so I just keep trudi in her cage and let JP out. I thought I might try putting them in a pen outside together, because JP is so scared of going outside, but maybe I should just accept its not gonna happen. :surrender
 
It is possible to bond rabbits that aren't spayed, it just can make it more complicated, and it really just depends on what each individual rabbit is like. In your picture with the two of them, they actually look pretty comfortable around each other. Maybe once JP's hormones subside they will have an easier time getting along. Trudi should be fine being in her cage until you're able to put them together. It's probably alot bigger than she's used to. Your idea to take them outside in a pen might work out because it will be neutral territory for both of them. Like MiniLopHop said about it sometimes taking a month for hormones to settle, that would be in a couple weeks, so maybe that would be a good time to give it a try. 3 months old is still pretty much a baby so JP acting all hormonal did probably scare Trudi a little, but that doesn't mean they can't get along. Trudi just needs time to feel comfortable in her new home and JP needs time for the hormones to fade. Just go with what you think is best, whether that is trying again in a few weeks or waiting until Trudi is spayed too. It makes me so sad to hear her previous owners hated her. I'm so glad you rescued her, even if your home might just be temporary. At least right now she is with someone who cares about her.
 
JBun wrote:
It is possible to bond rabbits that aren't spayed, it just can make it more complicated, and it really just depends on what each individual rabbit is like.
Click to expand...

:hugsquish: That is just what I wanted to hear haha

and thats the way I feel about trudi spending a lot of time in her cage, when I took her home I knew she would I just had to get her out of there. She ate for like the whole first day straight, we introduced her to hay and I think that alone made her a happy bunny.

thanks for the advice though, I actually didn't realize that JPs hormones stuck around for a month! that makes sense though.
 
MiniLopHop wrote:
It is best to give Trudi a little time to settle in, it is a big change to go to a new (thank goodness finally loving) home. It is going to be hard to bond them until they are both spayed and the hormones have time to settle. JP is still hormonal because it takes up to a month for the hormones to all leave the system.

For now you can let them sniff through bars. It's great if their houses were in the same room so they could see and smell each other but not fight. That will let the bonding process move more quickly once Trudi is spayed.

They are both super cute! Congratulations on saving your new addition.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:

hormones kick in around 4 mos old, so by the time JP's hormones are totally gone, Trudi will probably be becoming hormonal. it's best to keep them separate until both are spayed and free of hormones, as every fight they have now lessens the odds of being able to successfully bond them later.
 
Hi there Grape, Well its not ideal that they are apart but they have gotten used to it - Sullen gets more outside time and dear Landy really apprecitates the times she gets and she actually prefers the comfort and safety of her room which she shares with my son for if I leave her out longer she just goes back in her room but she is so happy when I let her out and I sit with her and play with her - she does dances and binkies and brings me her stuffies and my socks. I let her out four times a day and Sullen spends mornings and evenings downstairs and in the middle of the day they nap after they had their lunch. I feel guilty though and am thinking of getting a baby gate so they can be out together. Sully comes down early before their breakfast well she is the alarm clock - Then she has breakfast in her room - Landy comes out - has a bit of playtime and then breakfast in her room - then Sully comes out after her breakfast and stays out till noon - she gets her lunch in her room and naps - Landy comes out and has playtime and then lunch in her room and they nap and then Landy comes out a bit and has supper served and then Sullen comes out and goes downstairs and spends all evening downstairs has supper downstairs and at midnight Sully goes up and gets her midnight meal in her room and sleeps there for the night until she lets me know its time to get up between 6-7. Landy comes out at midnight and has playtime and then has her midnight meal in her room and sleeps beside my sons pillow for the night. Sully prefers her own room - she loves her room and is quite territorial about it. Sully gets more out time and that makes me feel guilty but I enjoy my time with Landy. Oh well thats how ended up doing it - they get four big meals a day and lots of hay and seem quite happy.
 
yeah I guess I'll probably have to keep them separate. that's quite a schedule christine! It would be smart to find someone else to take her, but I am getting attached! i just love bunnies :weee:
 
Grape, keep in mind that you should not bond them if you might rehome Trudi. Once rabbits bond it is like they are married. If something happens to the other bun they really grieve, sometimes to the point of death. So, it really is safer for both of them not to bond if there is any possibility of getting seperated.

Sounds like you are hooked though. Trudi is one lucky girl! I just don't understand how anyone could hate a bun, they are the best animals in the world. Something is wrong with thoes people.
 
Trudi looks so lovable and adorable and shes just a baby - I do hope and pray that you will keep her. She looks just like my Landy except that Landy has grey markingsinstead of tan. The fact that she loves her hay so much just shows that the poor sweet little dear never had hay and probably not much food either. Hay is a joy to bunnies and so essential to their well being. It sounds like you love her and care about her already. Like MiniHopLop said once they are bonded they become very attached to each other and it can be such a beautiful thing. Life becomes so much more exiting to them when there are two rather than one because they love to socialize - even when they are not together mine just make it a routine to visit all the places the other one has been to hop by the other bunnies door and say hi - it just makes life more exiting for them. Also since you already have JP spayed you seem to on your way already - JP is the dominant here so you could put Trudi in an x-pen and JP can have her life just like before only now she can socialize with Trudi through the bars and Trudi will be happy to have a new life and someone to love her - it looks to me like they are getting to know each other already and you know they are both still very young and once all the spaying is done then you could bond them in the meantime they could socialize that way and JP can have her life like before only now she has the extra bonus of having a friend to visit - and you`ll find them lounging together a lot. During Sullens teenage stage she was so much calmer becouse she could lounge by Landy`s xpen. Otherwise she was hoping up on the kitchen table and the computer shredding wires and papers well you name it she was into everything but dear Landy had such a calming effect on her. Now that they are older they love to be cuddled but not lifted and carried around and Landy prefers to be upstairs but they still love each only Sully has to show her dominance but I heard that with the spay that wont be an issue any more. I just dont have any personal experience with that myself. You however are already underway with that. Each rabbit is so so different and I have heard from others that bonding is such a beautiful thing. You will find in no time an amazing journey just discovering the personalities of your two young bunnies. JP is a teenager now and Trudi is a baby just entering her teens. Just hang in there and I can tell you wont be sorry. I wish the three of you all the very best.
 
MiniLopHop wrote:
Grape, keep in mind that you should not bond them if you might rehome Trudi. Once rabbits bond it is like they are married. If something happens to the other bun they really grieve, sometimes to the point of death. So, it really is safer for both of them not to bond if there is any possibility of getting seperated.

Sounds like you are hooked though. Trudi is one lucky girl! I just don't understand how anyone could hate a bun, they are the best animals in the world. Something is wrong with thoes people.
Click to expand...

oh oh I know! If they bonded I definitely would keep her! Going through all the trouble of keeping them separate and then spaying her and then finding out they wont bond is what I am afraid of. I wanted to get a neutered male from the shelter to bond with her but Trudi just kind of walked in the door. She just might be happier somewhere else, they fought again, my husband let them both out :pssd::cry1: he doesn't understand the bun buns are nuts.
 
There's several postings about bonding here. The most common thing is both neutered--that eliminates hormonal behavior. Also, it's a slow process and should be done in a neutral area. You can't take them out, set them on the floor and hope for the best--the best is not too big a vet bill.
 
I know I have learned. I put a sign on their cage that says only one bun out at a time. anybody that opens both doors... :duel
 
I don't know if you anyone will still read this, but I wanted to give a little update and say that they don't fight anymore! I mean sure they aren't best friends, they arent cuddling and kissing but I have put them together four times now with no fights and just a little chasing by JP but then they just sniff and run away. I haven't put them both in the living room (where the fights happened before) I am too scared to. But still it is nice that they aren't ripping each others heads off =) and Trudi is warming up to us and everything is going good =D
 
I'm so happy to hear that. I was hoping things would work out, and that's what I'm still hoping. That sounds like good progress to me. Not trying to kill each other is always good. As time goes on and they get more used to each other, I bet they grow to like one another. Please keep us all updated on their progress. I know that I'm very interested to see how it all turns out.
 
Aww that is so good grape! I'm currently in the middle of bonding. We are doing the very slow approach where we have bunny dates on neutral territory. Their cages are by each other and they smell and see each other and we are making good progress.

I did want to point out a couple things. Make sure each bun gets equal free run time and that they can see each other getting out. If only one bun, like your dominant JP gets out and can run around, she will declare herself winner and it can hinder a complete bond.

Also, trudi could get hormonal as she approaches sexual maturity. Also, if they are completely bonded when you take trudi to the vet to be spayed, make sure and keep them together so as not to break the bond.

I think it is great that you saved little trudi. What is wrong with people?? Were they just not gonna ever feed and water her?!? My male is a mini Rex and I love the breed. Super smart and total clowns :)

Congrats on your pair, I think they are beautiful!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top