Need tips on how to bond

[Hermelin]

I’ve recently bought a neutered buck ( 8 months old), he’s kind of jumpy and not used with being picked up or being petted. I brought him home Monday and he have been sharing the outdoor cage with my doe since Tuesday.

He have been living in a normal sized indoor cage so they have been separated.

They don’t growl at each other or try to attack, so it’s quite good.

But tomorrow I will try to put them together in a neutral place, at least for them so I need tips.

What should I do when they start to fight, I know it will become a fight? Should I separate them and take them away or let them fight?

How long do I need to keep watching them and when do I know they have bonded?

 

[Blue eyes]

No. Do not let them fight. Rabbit fights can be vicious - even deadly!

I suggest reading lots and lots on bonding before beginning the process. A wrong response can sabotage their chances of a bond. You can start here for a general overview, but do be sure to click on the accompanying links to read more.

Length of time can vary hugely depending on the individual rabbits. I have had the rare bonding that took right away (within a day), others that took weeks and others that did not work out at all.

Read all you can at those links first. There's much to learn.

 

[Alek]

I separate fighting rabbits with a broom, or some means like that- maybe a tennis racket. Don't reach your hands in there, they will bite you.

 

[Hermelin]

The problem it’s that I’m quite sure a fight will start, when I put them together even thought they act calm with a mesh between each other.

Can they still bond because they aren’t attacking each other and they sniff trough the fence.

When my other buck did it with the doe she would growl directly and biting but with this buck there have been no growling or trying to bite. But I know with food she will calm down and won’t attack or growl.

Only seen the doe become more energetic after my neutered buck started to share the cage with her. And she’s more talkative and forward than before.

 

[Blue eyes]

There is no way to predict what they may or may not do until it is tried. The trick is to be prepared and know what signs to watch out for. There are signs to watch for (like the raising of the tail) before things get out of hand. You can see some of this demonstrated at the site I linked earlier. The cottontails rescue site (immersion method) even has videos showing bondings in various stages (including one that did not work). I found those videos to be most helpful.

A board can also be used to separate them if they start acting like they are getting ready to fight. If an actual fight can be avoided or diverted, that is best. Once they get into a tumble fight, it seems to be that much more difficult (if not impossible) to end up with an actual bond. So knowing what warning signs to watch for can make all the difference.

 

[Hermelin]

The doe and the new buck didn’t work at all. So I let him meet my other buck instead.

Toste in the beginning was scared of Odin while Odin ignored him and just jumped up to my knee. Right now both rabbits are sleeping, one in the corner and the other sleeping next to me (Odin).

Both have greeted each other but it feel more like a bonding time between me and my rabbits instead of them. Odin never leaving my side and Toste running to me and smell on Odin or wants to be petted.

Should I just put my two bucks together instead of a doe and one buck.

 

[Hermelin]

No fight have broken out between the bucks yet, they’ve been together because Toste always run away if Odin take the first step towards him but Odin don’t chase and stay at my side.

While Toste run around, sniff on Odin and run away again before coming back to sniff on him. Also Odin listen on me when I calls him so he never start to chase after or get close when Toste runs and lift his tail up.

 

[Hermelin]

No fighting broken out but Toste is still a little jumpy when Odin get too close to his hind legs but everything seem to works with the bucks. Saw Odin lick Toste on the ear.

They have been together for 5 hours now and its only getting better between the bucks.

 

[Hermelin]

Have a problem both will sometime start to chase each other and near to break out into a fight but then they stop. Both will go separate way until they calm down.

Then it will be peace for some hours before they will start again, it never break out to a real fight more like chasing. Often its Toste that starts when Odin does something he dosen’t like but it end up with Toste running away from Odin.

Will they truly bond or just keep their distance from each other.

I just saw Toste do some weird jumps (reminding me of binkys) in the air when Odin was running after him but their tails was not raised and Odin always kept his distance.

There have been no biting or fur pulling, a few sniffing and chasing sometimes.

 

[Blue eyes]

It sounds promising so far. Ignoring each other is actually a good sign in the beginning. Keep monitoring them. Are they both neutered? What are their ages?

 

[Hermelin]

Both are neutered one it’s 7 months older and the other it’s a little over 1 year old.

The chasing often starts because Odin get too close to Toste back, even if a hand get close to his back he will jump up and attack the hand which triggers Odin to chase him for awhile then stopping. Don’t know why Toste hate being touched on the back, is okay as long you let from head down to back but only being touched on the back he get scared.

(Toste comes from a family who had young kids, so he’s quite jumpy and get easily scared)

 

[Hermelin]

It’s also easy to distract them from starting a fight, because I only need to sit on the floor or call one of their names. They stop chasing each other and come running towards me instead.