Rabbits Help!!!!! D:

[Barcklay_Coco]

I recently got my male rabbit, Barcklay, fixed. (Probably a month ago)
My female rabbit, Coco, has yet to be spayed.


I wanted to see how Barcklay and Coco would get along. So, i put them together today to see what they woukd both do. Coco got really low to the ground and made this almost, "O my gosh!!!! Get him off of me." noise. I dont know what to think. I want to put them together forever. Could she be one of those rabbits that doesnt want another rabbit in her life? Please help me.



Thank You

 

[Catayn]

That can happen. Rabbits are very territorial, but most of them enjoy having a friend to play and cuddle with.

How did you introduce them? It has to be done in a neutral area, which has to be relatively large, with toys and hay and even some treats.
Don't force them to meet. They will find each other and sniff each other occasionally.

Introductions are a little different of the piggies' intro. Keep on trying a little every day. This has happened to me and they ended up loving their mates. Maybe if you could place them together, but separated by a grid ot would help.

If there is mounting and no fighting, it usually means they will be alright.

 

[pandaloki]

After getting fixed aren't you suppose to wait for a while before you put him together with a female? Or is that only applicable to pigs?

 

[HannibalLecter]

I think the future spay will help greatly with Coco's territorial reactions as well as prevent the great risk of cysts/cancer, but I really don't think this introduction went bad at all from what you described. It might take time, but as long as they don't fight they will work it out.

Make sure to do intros correctly as Catayn wrote above, in a large territorial/scent neutral area with many distractions such as toys & food. Don't separate them unnecessarily & let them take their time. And if you keep them in a cage & not free roaming, you need to make sure it meets & goes beyond their needs for the best results.

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

That can happen. Rabbits are very territorial, but most of them enjoy having a friend to play and cuddle with.

How did you introduce them? It has to be done in a neutral area, which has to be relatively large, with toys and hay and even some treats.
Don't force them to meet. They will find each other and sniff each other occasionally.

Introductions are a little different of the piggies' intro. Keep on trying a little every day. This has happened to me and they ended up loving their mates. Maybe if you could place them together, but separated by a grid ot would help.

If there is mounting and no fighting, it usually means they will be alright.

I Put them together in a 4x4 area like i have always done and she freeked out this time. She has never done that... :/ And is a 7' x 28" cage big enough for the both of them?

Thank You

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

I plan on getting her fixed asap

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

After getting fixed aren't you suppose to wait for a while before you put him together with a female? Or is that only applicable to pigs?

My vet said wait atleast a month. Its been a month.

 

[Catayn]

Spaying her won't do anything for her territorial issues. It will be great for her health but, unlike males, female rabbits don't have their behavior altered by spaying.

A month is more than ok to put them with a female.


As space doesn't seem to be the problem, maybe she just has to get used to it, or she doesn't like the new bunny. It may happen, we as people don't like everyone, why should they?
But only time will tell.
Keep on trying!

 

[HannibalLecter]

Yes they do, which is the main reason many unspayed females don't get along before both are spayed, same with aggressiveness. This is caused by hormones which are greatly decreased & leveled out when you spay a female bun. Never a guarantee of course.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Female rabbits are actually more territorial than male rabbits. Spaying her will most likely help but rabbits are more fickle than guinea pigs can be when it comes to picking their buddies so who knows. I have had rabbits that refused to share a cage but didn't have any problem being out in the house together.

To help with bonding try putting them in the bath tub (no water) to meet. Taking them for a drive together (best done with two people one in back with the rabbits and one driving). Try putting a small drop of a light perfume on their noses so they small the same to each other.

That's all I can think of the kids are going bonkers all the sudden. Always when I'm trying to do something! lol

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

She makes almost a dog whimper when i put them in my kitchen. :/ Im not going to like it if i have to have 2 2X4 C&C cages in my 10'X10' room.... but, i dont want to get rid of either of them... this stinks.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Here is a link to the House Rabbit Society. Scroll down a bit and under "Socialization" there are a few good links to introducing rabbits. That might give you some idea of what to expect and what your bunnies are telling you and each other. It doesn't sound like it is going bad though. Rabbits may need time to "warm up" to each other.

 

[pandaloki]

I never knew rabbits were so complicated. I'd usually see them as guinea pigs with long ears and not need added vitamin C.

 

[Catayn]

Rabbits and piggies have a quite different behavior. They can be a little pickier when it comes to that.
That's one of the reasons why I don't want to get any females anymore. I've had issues with almost all th eones I've had. Thankfully Cookie is an angel and she is adorable. But nothing could help my other females, neither spaying or anything else. I also feel that males are a bit more affectionate, but that's how I feel.
But if you have patience and persist it's very likely that they will get along.

When Beta was neutered my female Gama literally tried to kill him. But it took us about 40 days for them to be friends again and everything was fine.

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Sorry I forgot my link: Rabbit Behavior Resources Index

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

Thank you all so much!! Sorry, i got really buisy with school and i had NO time to get on :// SO, UPDATE!!! Good and bad. Yesterday they were playing having a good time and challenging for dominance. I thought, " Must be a good sign! " So, I called the vet and asked how do you know when two rabbits have been bonded. She told me their behavior was PERFECT and i could put them together. When I was almost done combining their cages, I realized a missing patch of fur on Coco's back. She was BLEEDING!! D: I dont know if Barckaly accidentally bit her, bit her on purpose, or if she cut herself on her cage ( Her cage is on a plywood base ) . I really dont know what happened. Today when I tried to let them play she was SNORTING! Like a wild hog!! D: Will she hold a grudge if he did actually accidentally bite her? Im so nervous :/

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

Sometimes when rabbits are being dominate (humping) each other they will grab the nap of the other rabbit's neck. Sometimes fur comes out as well. Have you had your female spayed? If she isn't spayed it could be that she is going through her cycle and is grumpy and doesn't want to be nice. Is she also clawing and attacking with the grunting?

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

She isnt spayed yet, ( hoping to do it soon ) will she b like this everytime she gets her cycle?

 

[Barcklay_Coco]

She is grunting

 

[Inle_Rabbit]

She could act like this when she gets her cycle. I have known females that will barely let you feed them when they are in heat. She should be in heat for 3-5 days I believe. Rabbits aren't like guinea pigs. It can take many meetings and dates to get them to start to like one another. Try introducing them in like the kitchen or bathroom where the tiles make them nervous and they might start to bond, a bathtub also works well, no water. Another trick is to take them for a drive but you need two people. If they don't attack the bars of their cages you can place the cages next to each other so they can share a wall and start to get to know one another. A drop of perfume or a light body spray on their nose will make them smell alike and might help with the bonding process. The best thing you can do however is get her fixed.

Have you read through this on the House Rabbit Society's page? It might help. FAQ: Bonding Multiple Rabbits

It sounds to me that the female either is in heat and isn't happy with the male or maybe she is in heat and isn't happy that he doesn't care. Does she lay flat on her belly with her tail in the air?