Introducing a new bun

[cassnessxox]

Just over 6 months ago I got my first bunny Cleo. We rescued her so we don't know too much about her, she has grown quite a bit since we got her so she must have been youngish, she has white and grey dutch rabbit markings and she is a girl.

My boyfriend and I used to have very opposite schedules so she got a lot of attention. However my boyfriend has started study so she is alone most of the day so we wanted to get her a companion. Today we got Bambi, a light brown dwarf lop, only a few months old.

Their initial introduction was fine, they sniffed and I think Cleo was licking her, it looked like love at first sight. Then Cleo mounted her :confused2: Bambi doesn't seem to mind too much and I am quite sure they are both girls. My concern is that Cleo seems to grab hold of her very tightly and bury her face in Bambis fur and could be biting her. They can share the same space quite happily and were sharing some grass earlier but I don't want to leave them alone together just in case.

Is this behaviour normal? Should I intervene or let her get it out of her system? Will she stop eventually or will this pairing not work? I was considering getting Cleo fixed anyways, that should stop it right? So many questions!!

 

[agnesthelion]

I would say that you need to get them both spayed. Obviously the baby isn't old enough but when she hits teenage hormones she could get grumpy too. I would never try to bond a pair of any sex without them being fixed. Your chances of a successful bond with no future problems are higher with fixed bunnies.

Good luck!

 

[cassnessxox]

I know apparently everyone is meant to do it, I just feel wrong putting her through an operation just to change her behaviour :dunno I've read that it's all beneficial and stuff but it doesn't feel right. Don't worry, I'll do it anyway, but what should I do in the mean time?

 

[cassnessxox]

Also, Cleo is litter trained. I didn't really train her though, she just ended up that way. Will the younger bun follow her lead or will I have to train her to?

 

[ldoerr]

They should be in seporate cages until they are BOTH spayed and fully bonded. The humping thing is normal. It seems as though you have a good chance at success.

 

[agnesthelion]

cassnessxox wrote:

I know apparently everyone is meant to do it, I just feel wrong putting her through an operation just to change her behaviour :dunno I've read that it's all beneficial and stuff but it doesn't feel right. Don't worry, I'll do it anyway, but what should I do in the mean time?

I was super nervous for Agnes to get spayed but I am SO glad I did! For one, the chance of cancer in unspayed females can be as high as 85% resulting most likely in an untimely death. So the spay is not to just change their behavior. It is for health reasons and a longer life. On top of that her litterbox habits are now perfect and her pee has little to no smell. Spaying just overall makes them better pets and is better for their health. Don't feel bad about that.

But in the meantime, they should be kept in separate cages and probably still separate for a few weeks after the spays for their hormones to dissipate. It's just usually not a good idea, nor successful, to bond unfixed buns.

 

[Blue eyes]

:yeahthat:

 

[Imbrium]

the cancer risk is so bad that the average lifespan for unspayed females is more like 5 years instead of the 10 a spayed female will live. that alone is all the reason I need to spay mine.

you can't safely keep bunnies together unless they're *both* either fixed or immature, so I'd keep them separated for now

 

[cassnessxox]

Cleo has her own room so at the moment I have Bambi in a small cage inside that room. Is that ok? They spent the night like that last night and seems like it went ok. This morning they were both on the bed with us and Cleo has calmed down and doesn't appear to be biting but still runs at Bambi and rubs all over her. I'm sure I have read it somewhere but how long until Bambi can be spayed?

Bambi is picking up Cleos habbits, digging on the bed and she wouldn't eat grass until Cleo did. That's good right?

So I'm right to be pushing Cleo off straight away when she mounts?

 

[ldoerr]

If the mounting goes on for more than 30 seconds to a minute I would stop it at that point. A little bit of mounting is fine as long as it does not last a long time. It is their way of showing dominence.

 

[Imbrium]

depends on the vet and the size of the bunny, but somewhere around 4-6 months old for spaying

 

[cassnessxox]

Ok kool, I feel a lot better about all this now, just wish I had the money to go get Cleo spayed right away. I'll start ringing around at some vets though.

Cleo has just been crazy competing for our attention though. She is usually very cuddly but she just won't leave us alone! :shock: How should we handle this? Keep giving Cleo loads of attention so she doesn't get jealous or tone it down so she doesn't get spoilt?

 

[cassnessxox]

Bambi is licking Cleo That's good right?

 

[agnesthelion]

^^^^you can't spoil a bunny by giving them too much attention. Continue to love on Cleo

Bambi could be licking because she is grooming, nervous or because she is a baby. She hasn't come into sexual maturity yet so the fact that she is licking now doesn't mean that she won't get grumpy later on with Cleo. It really is best to keep them separated. Bunny fights can happen quick and can be nasty!

I also just noticed that you said you are "pretty sure" they are both females. I wonder how many litters have happened to people who were "pretty sure" do you know how to sex a bun? It can be difficult. I would get them to a vet to make sure about that too. JUST in case. A pregnancy can occur with one quick mounting!! You might want to be safe rather than sorry....

 

[cassnessxox]

Cleo is definately a girl, they just couldn't guarentee the sex of Bambi because she isn't even 2 months old yet. So the humper is definately a girl.

 

[agnesthelion]

A rabbit can be sexed, and it can be guaranteed, at two months old by someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[cassnessxox]

I can't help but feel like I'm being a little condemned like I've done something wrong.

For one thing it is hard enough to find a vet that will treat rabbits here, let alone one who knows enough about them to sex them at 2 months.

Honestly I feel like this has gone really well. No aggression or fighting is a good sign in my opinion. :dunno I have done my research and this seems like a successful introduction to me...

 

[agnesthelion]

No don't feel like that Cassie and I'm sorry if you do. I just don't want anything bad to happen to your buns!

There was just a member on here whose rabbits ear got bitten off by another bun.

If you feel like they are bonded and are comfortable with how they are acting and that a pregnancy won't happen then continue as you wish.

Again sorry if you were made to feel condemned.

 

[cassnessxox]

No no, don't apologise. I understand the concern, and thank everyone for their help. It's just been so hard working out the right thing to do when one piece of information contradicts the next on the internet. I seem to be second guessing every move I make because there is always going to be someone telling me it's not the right thing to do!

 

[agnesthelion]

Oh I know there is so much info out there and it can be hard sometimes. I've learned alot on here and was just relaying what I have read over the passed few months about bonding. Maybe there is another perspective or someone on here can give you some different tips.....
It sounds like you care very much for your buns and are just trying to do what is best.