Hi!
I have read a fair bit of info on bonding male bunnies and read a few posts on other peoples experience with it, but my situation is little different to most.
I have 2 male bunnies that were desexed 4-5 years ago, 1 sable dwaf called Vash and 1 albino lop named Ruby (yes I know it's a girls name but he was named before I got him and he already knows his name). They are both about 7-8 years old and were adopted/rescued separately 5 and 6 years ago. They are very well behaved, very spoilt with lots of tunnels and toys, and have a 2 bedroom bunny proofed apartment as their home. Ruby has his own room and Vash shares the bedroom with me and my partner. We have a moveable wood and wire gate that allows them to take it in turns having access to the rest of the house, and they can still see each other.
When we first introduced Ruby to Vash in 2009 it didn't even occur to us that they wouldn't get along. But even when we followed all the tips such introducing them in a neutral area and giving them time to live next to each other between wire, they still fought every time we put them together. Once Ruby got into Vash's room while we were at work and they had quite a fight that left a large gash above Ruby's eye and nick out of his ear. So we gave up on bonding them years ago and they have been living separately. But, my partner and I would really like it if they were cuddle buddies. It would make our lives a lot easier not having to maintain two separate areas for them, trying to get in and out of the gate and swapping them all the time is annoying, and last but certainly not least I know they would both love to have a friend to snuggle with.
Ruby has always been very affectionate, he often follows me around like a little lamb (in which has led to us often singing Micah had a little lamb song to him
) he licks like crazy, and he always jumps on the couch and buries his head in our arms for pats and cuddles and he will sit/sleep there for hours! Vash has always been more independent than Ruby and when we first got him he didn't like pats or cuddles, but over the years he gotten increasingly affectionate and now exhibits the same affectionate behaviours as Ruby.
They like to sit next to each other at the wire, when they have been put together Ruby always puts his head down into Vash exhibiting passive behaviours. We think Ruby would love to be friends with Vash but Vash doesn't like him. He always bites Ruby and often tries to bite his whiskers through the wire gate. They are both territorial and always spend a long time chinning all the furniture in the room after they have been swapped over.
We have considered getting them both girlfriend bunnies but the time and logistics of finding them friends they'll like, plus they are both getting old now, paying for vet and food bills for 4 bunnies and having 4 bunnies in our small apartment seems like chaos, my partner is especially resistant to the idea. While they are both very happy and often bink, run around and pan out in the sunny windowsills, I worry that they are both lonely especially because they both like lots of constant affection. My question is do you think there is a chance these boys will ever get along and can be bonded? If so, how would you suggest we go about it?
Sorry for the long story. Any advice or anyone with a similar situation would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Micah.
(Melbourne, Australia)
I have read a fair bit of info on bonding male bunnies and read a few posts on other peoples experience with it, but my situation is little different to most.
I have 2 male bunnies that were desexed 4-5 years ago, 1 sable dwaf called Vash and 1 albino lop named Ruby (yes I know it's a girls name but he was named before I got him and he already knows his name). They are both about 7-8 years old and were adopted/rescued separately 5 and 6 years ago. They are very well behaved, very spoilt with lots of tunnels and toys, and have a 2 bedroom bunny proofed apartment as their home. Ruby has his own room and Vash shares the bedroom with me and my partner. We have a moveable wood and wire gate that allows them to take it in turns having access to the rest of the house, and they can still see each other.
When we first introduced Ruby to Vash in 2009 it didn't even occur to us that they wouldn't get along. But even when we followed all the tips such introducing them in a neutral area and giving them time to live next to each other between wire, they still fought every time we put them together. Once Ruby got into Vash's room while we were at work and they had quite a fight that left a large gash above Ruby's eye and nick out of his ear. So we gave up on bonding them years ago and they have been living separately. But, my partner and I would really like it if they were cuddle buddies. It would make our lives a lot easier not having to maintain two separate areas for them, trying to get in and out of the gate and swapping them all the time is annoying, and last but certainly not least I know they would both love to have a friend to snuggle with.
Ruby has always been very affectionate, he often follows me around like a little lamb (in which has led to us often singing Micah had a little lamb song to him
) he licks like crazy, and he always jumps on the couch and buries his head in our arms for pats and cuddles and he will sit/sleep there for hours! Vash has always been more independent than Ruby and when we first got him he didn't like pats or cuddles, but over the years he gotten increasingly affectionate and now exhibits the same affectionate behaviours as Ruby. They like to sit next to each other at the wire, when they have been put together Ruby always puts his head down into Vash exhibiting passive behaviours. We think Ruby would love to be friends with Vash but Vash doesn't like him. He always bites Ruby and often tries to bite his whiskers through the wire gate. They are both territorial and always spend a long time chinning all the furniture in the room after they have been swapped over.
We have considered getting them both girlfriend bunnies but the time and logistics of finding them friends they'll like, plus they are both getting old now, paying for vet and food bills for 4 bunnies and having 4 bunnies in our small apartment seems like chaos, my partner is especially resistant to the idea. While they are both very happy and often bink, run around and pan out in the sunny windowsills, I worry that they are both lonely especially because they both like lots of constant affection. My question is do you think there is a chance these boys will ever get along and can be bonded? If so, how would you suggest we go about it?
Sorry for the long story. Any advice or anyone with a similar situation would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Micah.
(Melbourne, Australia)
