Hi, I've been trying to bond 2 of my rabbits on and off for a few months now with no luck so i'm hoping you can give me some advice!
Pippin is a neutered male, almost 4 years old who lost his sister a year and a half ago. He used to be outgoing and friendly but withdrew into himself when she died. He still comes over for food but won't relax being held anymore despite lots of extra attention.
Sophie is 7 months old, and is being spayed next week.
I've tried holding them side by side on my lap for ages, and letting them loose in various rooms, the garden, the rabbit enclosure etc and Pippin still wants none of it. He becomes very nervous when he sees another rabbit and backs into a corner. Sophie then comes up being friendly and he lunges. They had 1 fight where I had to separate them because she responded in fright and they were rolling around, but no blood was drawn. She seems to have forgotten about it since and shows no fear or aggression towards him. Neither has tried to mount the other.
They are outdoors for the summer in a big sheltered enclosure with a mesh division, and Pippin lies alongside her with themesh between them but if I put them together he lunges. This morning I found Sophie had squeezed into his side of the enclosure and she was very relaxed, stretched out asleep. But Pippin was backed into the corner looking very tense. I watched them for a while to see how it would pan out but as soon as Sophie went over to the corner he chased her away and around the enclosure. I separated them again but i'm at a loss as to how to make this work.
I know he has it in him to be social again, he is just scared on his own and lunges out of nervousness. The reason I am so determined to make it work is when myother old rabbit lost his best friend of 5 years he withdrewcompletely and became like a zombie, unresponsive to anything. But when he eventually accepted the company of a young male, he became his old playful self again and they are now devoted to one another.
It's heartbreaking that when I let all the rabbits out for a run around the whole garden, Pippin doesn't move from the spot I placed him, while the other 3 have so much fun running and jumping around.
I think the only way this may work is if I leave them in the same side of the enclosure and keep a close eye that they don't fight seriously but I'm not sure when the line is drawn between chasing and fighting. Is it ok to let him chase her around a bit as long as it doesn't escalate into a fight? He hasn't actually bitten her, just pulled a tuft offur out. Sophie doesn't seem too stressed by him chasing her either, she just effortlessly hops out of his way. I was thinking if I removed the divider then they'd both have their own kennels to retreat to.
Could anyone give an example of what proper rabbit aggression looks like in terms of body language compared to defensive aggression where a rabbit doesn't particularly want to attack another, but does so when scared??
Any thoughts? Advice will be very much appreciated.
I could try take a short video of the behaviour if it would help.
Pippin is a neutered male, almost 4 years old who lost his sister a year and a half ago. He used to be outgoing and friendly but withdrew into himself when she died. He still comes over for food but won't relax being held anymore despite lots of extra attention.
Sophie is 7 months old, and is being spayed next week.
I've tried holding them side by side on my lap for ages, and letting them loose in various rooms, the garden, the rabbit enclosure etc and Pippin still wants none of it. He becomes very nervous when he sees another rabbit and backs into a corner. Sophie then comes up being friendly and he lunges. They had 1 fight where I had to separate them because she responded in fright and they were rolling around, but no blood was drawn. She seems to have forgotten about it since and shows no fear or aggression towards him. Neither has tried to mount the other.
They are outdoors for the summer in a big sheltered enclosure with a mesh division, and Pippin lies alongside her with themesh between them but if I put them together he lunges. This morning I found Sophie had squeezed into his side of the enclosure and she was very relaxed, stretched out asleep. But Pippin was backed into the corner looking very tense. I watched them for a while to see how it would pan out but as soon as Sophie went over to the corner he chased her away and around the enclosure. I separated them again but i'm at a loss as to how to make this work.
I know he has it in him to be social again, he is just scared on his own and lunges out of nervousness. The reason I am so determined to make it work is when myother old rabbit lost his best friend of 5 years he withdrewcompletely and became like a zombie, unresponsive to anything. But when he eventually accepted the company of a young male, he became his old playful self again and they are now devoted to one another.
It's heartbreaking that when I let all the rabbits out for a run around the whole garden, Pippin doesn't move from the spot I placed him, while the other 3 have so much fun running and jumping around.
I think the only way this may work is if I leave them in the same side of the enclosure and keep a close eye that they don't fight seriously but I'm not sure when the line is drawn between chasing and fighting. Is it ok to let him chase her around a bit as long as it doesn't escalate into a fight? He hasn't actually bitten her, just pulled a tuft offur out. Sophie doesn't seem too stressed by him chasing her either, she just effortlessly hops out of his way. I was thinking if I removed the divider then they'd both have their own kennels to retreat to.
Could anyone give an example of what proper rabbit aggression looks like in terms of body language compared to defensive aggression where a rabbit doesn't particularly want to attack another, but does so when scared??
Any thoughts? Advice will be very much appreciated.
I could try take a short video of the behaviour if it would help.
