New bunnies meet

[Fergi]

I had to give baby bunny away this week. She andFergi were not getting along at all. She went to a good home with a 4-Hfamily. I was sad but Royal Highness just didn't appreciate anothergirl in the home. Anyways, I decided to adopt a bunny from an area inour city called Park Point. Nine years ago a family decided to dumptheir Easter bunnies down there and now the Point has an awful lot ofdomestic bunnies running around. There are no natural predators downthere so they have been thriving for nine years. So of the wonderfulbunny people down there have been trapping the males and nuetering themto help control the population. It is going ok but there are stillhundreds of buns on the loose. I met with a women yesterday to adoptone of the bunnies born to a mom who was a "Park Point Bunny" he is aone-year-old neutered male and he is beautiful.

I am wondering if Fergi and his introduction went well. I have done theresearch on how to introduce them. I placed them both in the bathtubthis morning and a little fur was flying. After repeated attempts by mycurrently unspayed Fergi to mount the poor little guy he succumbed toher dominance. Fergi repeatedly mounted him and he let her. After aboutfive minutes of this, he was laying down and she layed down on hishead. They were both panting heavily. I let them lay that way for acouple of minutes and then removed Fergi and gave the little guy(currently named Junior) a lot of love. When I put him back in hishutch he thumped loudly as if to tell me he didn't appreciate theforwardness of "Her Royal Highness" considering he is a gentleman andall. Anyways if anyone would be so kind as to analyze this meeting ofthe buns and let me know if they think it went reasonably well I wouldcertainly appreciate it. Also I would like to know if I should justkeep putting them in the bathtub every day and increasing the amount oftime they spend together in there. I would really like them to becomefriends. I am sure once Fergi is spayed that will help a lot also.

Thanks for your time and input

Fergi and Junior's mom

 

[Carolyn]

Hi Fergi,

Looks like you got a match!

Sorry it didn't work out with Ms. Cuteness, baby bunny, but you did theright thing and I'm sure she'll be loved a lot in her new home sinceyou picked it for her.

They say no house is big enough for two woman. I guess that goes for some rabbit personalities as well.

Junior lucked out! It's a sight to see when two rabbits cuddle, isn't it? Keep us posted as how things are going.

-Carolyn

 

[Buck Jones]

You are moving a bit faster than we usuallymove. First we have all parties neutered before anintroduction. Secondly, we let the two live side by side toone another in separate cages, or with a divider in one of my largercages, until there is no more lunging, or nipping, or any noticeableaggressive posturing. Then, we would place them in the tubtogether, or on top our kitchen table with a blanket coveringit. The kitchen table is less back breaking, but the bathroomhas less distractions, so it is six or one, half a dozen of the other,regarding preferences.

Usually, my wife has an integral part here, because she speakssoothingly to them in high pitched baby talk, all the while we'rewatching their every move. We don't allow any fighting and/orcontactand will separate them immediately. We mayallow a preliminary mount, just to see how it is accepted bythe other rabbit, but generally discourage it at this point.The first times together in the tub/on the tablearerelatively short, and we'll increase the time together as they seem towarrant it.

Once we see one or the other start grooming, we becomeoptimistic. Once the partner reciprocates, we figure it is adone deal. We will then begin putt them in a cage together tosee what transpires. If no problems, we will still separatethem in the eveningfor we are not there tosupervise.

If the buns go a full day in the cage together and into the evening, wewill leave them overnight, but in an area close enough for us to hearif anything starts to go amiss. After one night together, wefigure they're bonded.

They're all different. We've had two bond instantly, andremained that way until one died. Some have taken a couple of days,others a couple of weeks. Some people claim all buns can bebonded if one makes the effort and utilizes propertechniques. I'm not so sure that is true, but suspect mostcan be bonded as rabbits are social animals by nature.

Buck