I have two.
1) We currently have three rabbits--two males under 4 months old (both will be neutered when they reach full maturity) who will eventually live together completely (they share a cage during the day but are separated at night since Padfoot is new) and a female bunny, over a year, spayed, who lives on her own but plays in the communal area with the others when we're home (all are out for 4-8 hours a day).
One male, Tiger, has been with us for about two months. He and the female, Puff, get along very well--they cuddle and kiss and groom each other and play. It's very cute, and it is clear that Puff loves Tiger very much. However, Tiger acts exactly the same way with Padfoot, the new 14 week old male, as he does with Puff--he cuddles, kisses, and grooms, and Padfoot returns all of the affection and then some. Padfoot and Puff, however, have not been allowed to meet because through the cage there has been a lot of grunting and thumping and since Padfoot was rescued from a cage where he was routinely beat-up, we are going to save that introduction until we know Padfoot is well and settled in and Puff has calmed down. We may wait until after Padfoot's neuter. We are confused, though, because we were under the impression that bunnies really just pair up. However, Tiger seems to love both Puff and Padfoot equally. Is that normal? Can we expect Puff and Padfoot to eventually get along, or should we treat Tiger as an anomoly?
2) Human-rabbit bonding. Both Tiger and Puff are very affectionate--they run up to us for attention when they're out, they climb into our laps for brief periods, they nudge us and put their heads down to ask for pets, etc--and I assumed this is what rabbit-human bonding looked like. Padfoot is completely different, though. I am not sure exactly what's going on with him, but he runs to me when there are loud noises and he basically doesn't leave my lap when he's out. I'm worried that this is a fear response, though it seems odd that he'd see me as a safe place if he's afraid of me? Does anyone have experience with this type of behavior? When he's in my lap he does chew and closes his eyes and seems relaxed, so I'm not sure if this is just a different level of bonding or if it's behavior I should be worried about. I've attached a photo of one particular cuddle he seems fond of (he stayed there for almost two hours last night).
1) We currently have three rabbits--two males under 4 months old (both will be neutered when they reach full maturity) who will eventually live together completely (they share a cage during the day but are separated at night since Padfoot is new) and a female bunny, over a year, spayed, who lives on her own but plays in the communal area with the others when we're home (all are out for 4-8 hours a day).
One male, Tiger, has been with us for about two months. He and the female, Puff, get along very well--they cuddle and kiss and groom each other and play. It's very cute, and it is clear that Puff loves Tiger very much. However, Tiger acts exactly the same way with Padfoot, the new 14 week old male, as he does with Puff--he cuddles, kisses, and grooms, and Padfoot returns all of the affection and then some. Padfoot and Puff, however, have not been allowed to meet because through the cage there has been a lot of grunting and thumping and since Padfoot was rescued from a cage where he was routinely beat-up, we are going to save that introduction until we know Padfoot is well and settled in and Puff has calmed down. We may wait until after Padfoot's neuter. We are confused, though, because we were under the impression that bunnies really just pair up. However, Tiger seems to love both Puff and Padfoot equally. Is that normal? Can we expect Puff and Padfoot to eventually get along, or should we treat Tiger as an anomoly?
2) Human-rabbit bonding. Both Tiger and Puff are very affectionate--they run up to us for attention when they're out, they climb into our laps for brief periods, they nudge us and put their heads down to ask for pets, etc--and I assumed this is what rabbit-human bonding looked like. Padfoot is completely different, though. I am not sure exactly what's going on with him, but he runs to me when there are loud noises and he basically doesn't leave my lap when he's out. I'm worried that this is a fear response, though it seems odd that he'd see me as a safe place if he's afraid of me? Does anyone have experience with this type of behavior? When he's in my lap he does chew and closes his eyes and seems relaxed, so I'm not sure if this is just a different level of bonding or if it's behavior I should be worried about. I've attached a photo of one particular cuddle he seems fond of (he stayed there for almost two hours last night).
