Are females always the aggressors?

[NZminilops]

A couple days ago I went down with my in-laws tothe SPCA to pick out a rabbit to hopefully bond with their around yearand a half year old neutured boy who lost his mate earlier this year(another boy). We all decided on a "flemish giant" who is actually verysmall and I suspect not a flem at all as she would only weigh about 5pounds. Her name is Sandy. She was spayed about a month ago and is ayoung adult. At the SPCA she was very quiet and accepting of beingpetted and held; didn't struggle or kick up a fuss. She was in a pen onthe floor and a few neutured bucks were wandering around getting someexercise. She was nice to them through the pen and didn't seemaggressive.

Today the MIL tried a first meeting with Sam, her buck, and all hellbroke loose! Even though Sandy was in a pen on neutral territory forboth buns she went mental at the sight of Sam, who just wanted to lickher nose and be friends. She was grunting and lunging and attacking himthrough the bars and the whites of her eyes started to show.

Because my in laws aren't really THAT great with bunnies (they arebetter than most owners but like things to be simple and easy) theywant to give up already! I can sort of understand their frustration asfemale rabbits do seem to be pretty aggressive compared to bucks whoare more cuddly and affectionate in my experience. Is there anything Ican do to help them out do you think? I want to see Sam have a mateagain as he seems miserable by himself but Sandy is very nasty towardshim.

Sam is a free range rabbit who has the entire bunny proofed yard tohimself. He has bever escaped or been harmed by other animals. He justseems so lonely.

I have attached a pic of Sandy but the SPCA people didn't allow me touse the flash so it came out a bit blurry. She is really gorgeous andis silky soft. My MIL is a tiny woman, 5 foot tall so the bunny doesseem sort of big but she fit into a typical cat carry cage with room tospare.

 

[bbgrl20]

Aww, she is adorable. Sorry to hear about thedifficulty with bonding. The same thing happened to me with Mocha whenI brought Goku to the house. It looked like she was going to kill him,but with a little time and patience they now play out together justfine. It's not always easy to make to rabbits live with eachother, but maybe if you offer your mil to be the one to help making thebonding work she won't be to fast to take sandy back to the shelter.

Good luck:clover:

 

[Haley]

Aww she is adorable!

Two things I would think about. First, if she was only spayed a monthago, it might take another month to really kick in. I know with my boysit took about 2 months. Second, I would probably wait and let her getadjusted before trying to bond her. Not only is it good to quarantine anew bunny to make sure it isnt sick, it gives her time to get settledand feel safe before introducing her to a new and unfamiliar bunny.

I know they probably want things to be easy and bond them right away,but I think I would wait at least a month. Maybe you could offer tohelp them bond the two after a month. Or, if things dont work out aftera few months, you could offer to help them rehome her. This might helpconvince them to keep her for now...

Just a few ideas. I really hope they can keep her. She sure is beautiful!

 

[ec]

It took my girl a few months to settle downafter her spay - she was also getting adjusted to living with me at thesame time, so that's a lot of changes in a relatively short period oftime.

As for being more passive at the shelter, my guess is that that's alsonormal. All those bunnies + other animals; it has to be a situationwhere the rabbits are on guard and act differently than they will inother environments. The shelter folks told me that there is really noway they tell what a bunny's personality will be like after they'readopted and start feeling safe and secure - I'm 100% sure that is true.My girl was very sweet with them; her bossier/sassier side was more orless submerged when she was in the shelter.

And it took her several months to settle in, even though I haven'taltered anything about her environment. Your new bun is probablyfeeling a bit overwhelmed right now and just needs time to get used toher new home.

 

[NZminilops]

Thanks for the great advice! She really isbeautiful, funny but I never imagined liking an agouti coloured bun whoisn't "cutesie" but I think she's very adorable. I couldn't get overhow soft she was, almost like a long haired rex. There were lots ofwhat looked like purebred lops there, REW's and sable points but sheseemed to need a home more than the others as everyone was ignoring her.

I TOLD and TOLD them just leave her for a week to get adjusted but theywouldn't listen, especially Richard who is an impatient sort of person.He wanted to just put her in the backyard with Sam right away and "letthem at it". Carol is going to pick me up some time this week to goover and take more pics and see how they are gettig along.


I'll update on Sandy later on in the week, hopefully the old fogeys listen to me and take it slow .

 

[Michaela]

minilops wrote:

I can sort of understand their frustration asfemale rabbits do seem to be pretty aggressive compared to bucks whoare more cuddly and affectionate in my experience.

In my experience it's the other way about: I have three veryaffectionate cuddly females (although it took Berri a while to settle).My neighbours have a buck who just hates being cuddled or petted thoughnot aggressive, and a female who is just crazy! This really depends onthe individual.

Anyway, I hope they listen to you! Surely she needs some time, she probably had a bad life before she was rescued.

:goodluck

Michaela:brownbunny

 

[Haley]

minilops, would it help to print something outthat says how to go about introductions or something to that affect? Ican try to find something if you think it would work..

let me know

 

[NZminilops]

I have never come across an agressive male andEVERY female I have come across is either grumpy or skittish! I musthave just had bad luck in that regard. Girls always seem to bite me.Perhaps I smell funny :?.

The shelter gave them a sheet with bonding instructions but I don'tthink they really understand the complex nature of rabbits. I used tolive with them for around a year and I had a 4 month old bunny, Ben,and they decided he was cute so they got Sam who was about 5 weeks old.They did really get along very well and bonded quickly and both wereneutered one after the other. So I think that they are under theimpression that it's very easy to bond rabbits. In some cases it is butI think it is very rare.

Here is Sam (on the right) and Ben, rest his little soul .

 

[Haley]

What a cute pair. God bless little Ben. He is just too adorable for words.

I think if Sam was nice enough to get along with another male, theresreal hope for him to be bonded again. Sounds like shes just being themeanie. I wouldprobably attribute a lot of that to being in anew environment.

If I were you, I would just really emphasize to them how stressed outthe little lady must be and that they need to make her feel very safeand at home before they go introducing her to Sam. Im sure Sam'sintentions are pure, but she doesnt know that!

I bet after she gets settled in bonding would be much easier.

 

[cheryl]

Aww what lovely little boys!

Ben looks like my little boy Cassidy,but Cassidy has loppy ears

I remember you telling me about Ben,poor sweet little guy



cheryl

 

[NZminilops]

Ben was the cutest wee thing! He was very tiny,I got him from a breeder who bought him when he was little and his earsdidn't lop so I got him for cheap. He was my first purebred animal andI was so proud of him, hehe! I didn't want to seperate Sam and Ben whenI moved out but I sort of wish I had now, and maybe Ben would still bealive :?. He ended up with mites and a urinary tract infection beforehe died. I'm surprised Sam didn't get mites too. That's the problemwith free range outdoor rabbits though, if you don't spen heaps of timewith them they get a bit wild and it's hard to check them over or seewhen they aren't well.

Sam is a great rabbit, extremely mild mannered and gets along very wellwith their cat. He's a real fatty and I've told them to change hisdiet. He gets an entire banana a day plus apple, grapes and raisens andhis pellets! He's so spoilt.

I had one question for anyone who ever takes spayed females outside, do they still tend to dig a lot?

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

minilops wrote:

I had one question for anyone who ever takes spayed females outside, do they still tend to dig a lot?

Yes, but my girls don't dig as much now they are abit older, however if they smell mud they'll be digging like there isno tomorrow!:shock:

 

[NZminilops]

I just got this email from the MIL :

"My nerves are shot ,I'm really upset,nothings going right with the bunny. She absolutely loves it outsidebut has to hide from Sam all day as he chases her furiously around andshe is terrified and not eating anything.

While in the cage she ate butSam was there day and night and she was trying to break the wirenetting with her teeth.

She had some time alone atfirst as I kept Sam inside and he quite enjoyed that but now he'sreally agitated and desperate to get out like a wild animal afterblood.

I have managed to catch herthis morning just by a a leg or tail I'm not quite sure and got herback into the little cage to take her back. I'm feeling bad about itbut have to accept that Sam has had it all to himself for a long timeand is not willing to share. She would have been fine if there were noother rabbits here.

Plus I haveRusty saying he would swear it awas a wild rabbit that someone triedunsuccessfully to tame."

I'm feeling a bit p***ed off with her, excuse mylanguage but she didn't take ANY of my advice and just putting Sandyout into Sams territory like that was a BAD idea. Poor rabbit :X, andnow it will be taken back to the shelter to probably have the samething happen to it again. I am so furious! I gave her the best bondingadvice I could find and she didn't listen to a word I said. Now Sandywill be fearful of other rabbits and may have an even harder time withbeing rehomed.

 

[Haley]

aww Im sorry to hear this. I know you feel awful, but you did everything you could.

I think maybe these people arent real bunny people, mabe they just gotlucky with Sam. As you know, having a bunny means caring for it evenwhen things get tough. Putting the bunny's well being and health overconvenience.

I just hope she is able to find a home. She is such a pretty girl. Are they going to get another one or just call it quits?

Youre a good person for trying to help them, even if they wouldnt listen..

 

[NZminilops]

No, they wont get another one. It's sort offunny as they are half good and half bad with the rabbit. He has a lotof freedom and comes and goes from the house to the yard as he pleases,he gets very expensive food and the spoil him with treats...but theywill let things like clumps of fur that have gathered on his back wherehe can't reach them just hang there till they fall off. I pulled ahandfull of molted fur from near his tail last time I was there (itlooked like he had two tails!) and growled Carol about it but she justsaid "well what do they do in the wild?". I had to explain that thesort of fur Sam has is prone to clumping togther and he is too fat toreach that part of himself anyway! They were happy to pay for hisneuter and other vet treatments he's had but just don't seem to graspthe finer points of rabbit ownership.

They are both about 60 and Sam is their first rabbit, before thatthey've only had a cat (its about 7 now), and a dog once manyyears ago.

Sam used to be a very nice social rabbit when he was younger but nowhe's very bossy and possisive over the yard. He is kind of friends withthe cat, they hang out together a lot and keep an eye on eachother andthat may be enough of a bond for him to be happy I guess.

I still feel frustrated but I sent her a nice email back as I know shewould be very upset. I do wish I could buy the rabbit from them but Idon't have any cages or hutches free :?. I hate thinking of her goingback to the shelter. She wasn't a very pretty bunny compared to theothers and I know there wasn't much interest in her.

 

[Haley]

Well, sounds like Sam is quite the littlepampered bunny. Im sure he will be fine without a mate. Some bunniesare just better off on their own. I hope that little girl is able tofind a home. You did everything you could to help them.

On another note, what ever happened to the bunny you were watching foryour neighbors? She didnt end up giving birth, right? Are you going togiver her back or try to keep her?