Bonding two Female Bunnies

[dysfictional]

Today we got a companion for our approx 3 month old (female) dwarf lop Charlotte, a 6 week old baby (female) dwarf lop/netherlands cross Nibbler. Neither are neutered. Charlotte will go out of her way to attack the baby bunny and have found tufts of fur in what we were hoping would be their shared hutch. Since then we've been keeping them in seperate enclosures and trying to give both plenty of attention to socialize them. The baby bunny is better socialised as she was from a private seller, whereas Charlotte was from a pet store.

What strategies can we use to stop the older bunny attacking the baby bunny and get them to get along?

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I would not try bonding until both are spayed, this can usually be done once they are about 5-6 months old. Considering she is only 3 months and wanting to attack the younger one, it is not safe to have them together. Even when they are spayed, you need to be careful. Usually younger rabbits are easier to bond and become an issue once hormones kick it, but 3 months is young for that to be happening.

 

[dysfictional]

But why would they need to be spayed if they are both female?

 

[meeka85]

Read this article: http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml provided to me by Lisa (Agnesthelion). It helped me bond my two females.

As for why you need to spay even though they are both females? They are incredibly territorial and hormonal. I tried bonding mine when one was spayed while the other wasn't. It was bad. The intact female considered everything her territory and would attack the other. Once she was spayed, they were able to bond (after lots of work).

Also helps against uterine cancer (so I am told).

Erin

 

[Tauntz]

As Erin said females are territorial. As the hormones start to kick in each bunny will be looking to set up her territory for breeding. No female wants another female in her territory. I haven't read the article she listed but will do so myself when I have the time. I have two sister bunnies from the same litter that bonded as young kits. I don't think two female buns would stay bonded without being fixed unless maybe a sister/sister from the same litter might. I will be following this thread myself as I am still a first time bunny mom of my two sister buns.

 

[BunnyWabbit]

They both need to be spayed + 1 month for healing/hormone dissipation.

Hormones make rabbits unpredictable and females are notoriously territorial when they're not altered. It would be difficult to impossible to bond unaltered females. Beyond that spaying is beneficial to female rabbits health as they have a high rate of developing uterine cancer.

 

[missyscove]

If you want to bond them before they're spayed, at least try and do it in neutral territory. Your existing rabbit was in what she thought was HER house and you tossed an intruder in there. It is possible to bond unspayed rabbits, and if they are bonded pre-spay you can do both of their spays at the same time and may be able to keep them together, but once they hit their hormonal teenage years they may break their bond even before they're old enough for a spay.

Spaying cuts down on hormonal issues, helps with litter training and reduces the chance of reproductive tumors. Yes the uterus and ovaries are gone so there is no chance of tumors there but an early spay also greatly reduces the chance of mammary cancers.

 

[Blue eyes]

I agree with many of the others that it's best to wait until both are spayed and healed. Even 2 that seem to get along before a spay can suddenly turn on each other.
The biggest risk now is if they do get into any kind of fight that it can decrease their chances for a successful bond later.
Spaying is as much about calming down those crazy hormones as it is about preventing pregnancy.