growling/grunting/oinking with ears up - is that a good sign

[Tweetiepy]

Popcorn was gotten to be a friend to my male Peaches - they've met briefly when my doesn't-know-a-thing-about-bunnies hubby said "put them together - someone got lunged at.

Since then I thought it was my older male Peaches (fixed) who was pretty aggressive - but Peaches seems indifferent to him - he'll sniff the separator between them out of curiosity but nothing more. I found out it was Popcorn (unfixed male) who was making growling/oinking sounds when he tried to get his nose through the grids. Peaches would growl/oink too but only if Popcorn starts it. Normally I try to get them far enough apart to stop the behavious - poor Peaches seems a little scared or distraught so I comfort him, but last night I checked the ears of Popcorn when he did this. They were straight up - not down like I heard they can be when the bunny is attacking, but up. Could he just be curious? The behaviour looks aggressive to me (but what do I know) but if the ears are up, could it mean he's not trying to kill Peaches but is trying to play with Peaches? He's gonna be fixed as soon as his parts make an appearance and then I'm gonna try to bond them. Do ears down mean attacking and ears up mean happy?

 

[fuzz16]

sounds like he is just being aggressive...just wait until the new bun is nuetered and in the mean time put a peice of cardboard between so no one gets hurt

 

[Amy27]

I really only have experience with one grunting aggressive bunny that is at the shelter I volunteer at. His ears are up when he grunts, but not in a relaxed way like they usually are. When he is aggresive, he grunts, throws his head toward you and his ears go together and back a little bit. They are still very far from being down. But even when he does that, he doesn't attack or bite. He never has and does this often, every time we get him out of his cage. I know it is aggression, but it doesn't mean he will attack.

 

[Flash Gordon]

it doesnt sound like Popcorn is inviting him in for tea and cookies......the ears down thing is norm when they are getting ready to lunge....

 

[Nancy McClelland]

I get those sames sounds from Lilli every morning when I open her hutch to give treats--then she comes over and starts rubbing my hand with her nose so that I can commence petting. Rabbits are so darn funny.

 

[Acacia-Berry]

It's waaaayyyy easier to bond male-female. Same sex bonding I hear is harder even when they're both fixed. It can certainly be done but it is harder!

 

[elrohwen]

Sounds aggressive to me - bunnies don't really invite play by growling like dogs can. The ears up thing is normal too for an aggressive bunny - up or down, they're still lunging to prove a point.

If it's stressing Peaches out, you might want to put a divider, like cardboard, in between their pens so they can't see each other for now.