There are a few factors that effect your success with bunny bonding. We will dive into all the details in the post, but before we began lets remember: Personality. Bunny personality can make a big difference. Just because you were able to bond 2 males before, doesn't mean you will be able to bond any two males. As well, just because you couldn't bond a bunny couple, doesn't mean that will happen again. Rabbit personalities are very unique. Some are more aggressive, dominant, assertive; while some are more laid back, chill, etc. Spayed or Neutered. Rabbits that are spayed or neutered have a much higher chance of being successful with bonding. One rabbit spayed/neutered is better than none, but both rabbits spayed/neutered is the best of all. Space. The space your buns have to run around will affect bonding. Although it is awesome to have a huge space for buns to excercise. Having a small space for them to bond first, has shown to be helpful. Spaying/NeuteringWe will write another blog post about Spaying and Neutering, but this section will be in regards to bonding. Wait atleast 2-4 weeks after altering your rabbit to start on the bonding process. Waiting gives time for hormones to balance and incisions to heal. Also, a male can still be fertile for weeks after their spay, so be sure to keep this in mind, if you are bonding to an unaltered female. Bonding SpaceWhen choosing the space that you will bond the bunnies, choose a neutral spot. Whether that is a pen in your room, a brand new cage, or something else, make sure there are no small spots for a rabbit to get stuck. Actually MeetingWe would recommend working with the buns for atleast 15 mins a day. If things are going well, time can be lengthened, but should always be supervised in the first days. Sometimes, once rabbits are introduced, they do not need to be separated again. However, if a rabbit has health issues, or there was an initial negative reaction, 15 mins a day is a better approach to avoid stressing out the rabbits, and fighting. Begin with housing the buns close together, but separate. Maybe you are waiting for one to recover from a surgery, or maybe you are waiting till one is the right age. Either way, keeping them close enough to be used to each other can be helpful. When you finally introduce them, do so in a Neutral Space. Rabbits are very territorial, so putting them in a new space helps both of them be more reluctant towards a friend. Bunny BehavioursThere are bunny behaviours that are okay, and ones that are not okay when it comes to bunny bonding.
"Okay" bunny behaviours include - Mounting Mounting is often a sign of dominance. In this way, it is okay for the bunnies to mount each other (so long as they are altered and can't reproduce.) because it will help them decide who has the dominance in the relationship. -Chinning Chinning is a sign of dominance, or marking of ones possession or territory. -Chasing Chasing is okay, although a smaller space will help reduce this and not frighten the rabbit being chased. -Spraying/Urinating Although this may be frustrating for you, this is also a natural "dominance/territorial" behaviour from rabbits. "Not Okay" Bunny behaviours include: -Biting Obviously a biting rabbit is showing aggression that is dangerous to your other rabbit. At this point, it is better to separate your buns, and try again the next day. Avoiding an outbreak or a fight is important for the health and future bonding for your buns. -Fighting Fighting is obviously dangerous for both bunnies. Separate the buns immediately and work slower with your interactions. -Lunging Lunging can lead to biting and fighting. If it is lunging, and nothing else, it may just be the bunny testing the waters. Keep a very close eye on your bun when they are lunging and separate if anything else happens. Lunging is an aggressive act but can fizzle out if they work out dominance. We hope this information is helpful. If you need help troubleshooting or have questions. Shoot us an email at [email protected]
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2024
Categories |