Love or hate? Opinions needed!

[AngelTeddyBunnies]

Hello guys!

I have a bit of a strange situation with my bunnies, and I'm hoping someone here can have some enlightening opinions.

I have two bunnies. Angel is two years and been spayed for 1.5 year. Teddy is approximately 6 months and also spayed two weeks ago.

We rescued Teddy 3 months ago from an abusing family, and I have worked a lot with him to gain his trust and to built a solid relationship with him. Now he is the perfect, happy, cute bunny who loves laying in the sofa and get cuddles. He's either being cozy or crazy (Binky jumping in the sofa)

Before Teddy got spayed we started bonding him and Angel. Angel is a very relaxed bunny and was very happy to get a brother. He accepted Teddy the first day and they were licking and grooming each other through the cage and eventually when we put them together in our guest room. So we decided they could live together. Everything was perfect until Teddy's hormones started appearing. This is when they once got into a fight, Teddy was obsessed with Angel's ass and went chasing him and bit him.. at one point he bit too hard and Angel turned around and bit back. This is when it turned ugly pretty fast.. hair was flying and Angel got a wound that we had to treat.. so naturally we separated them until Teddy could be spayed also. They were still licking and grooming each other through the cage and it seemed they really wanted to be together, because they were also sleeping next to each other (the fur is actually touching because there is only one cage wall between them).

Now it's been two weeks since Teddy got spayed so we have started putting them together in a neutral area for approximately 10-15 minutes. They lick each other, groom each other, Angel is laying on the floor next to me with his feet out. Then they get up and starts smelling and nudging each others butts... At some point they get very obsessed with each others butts.. Angel has mounted Teddy and he is clearly the boss, also because Teddy always approach Angel keeping his head down to the floor, and Teddy is always grooming Angel more, while Angel sits there like a king. Yet they get very obsessed with sniffing and nudging/nipping each others asses. Often it ends with them going in a circle which ended with a fight earlier, so naturally I'm a bit concerned.

Why are they licking and grooming and then obsessing with each others butts?? It's like a love and hate relationship..

Do you think it will ever be possible for me to put then together again? I'm worried they will obsess so much that it turns to another fight...

 

[zuppa]

Hi! I am a bit lost you say both spayed but then say him his, are they boys or girls?
If they are both boys (I think) they might be neutered not spayed!

Your bonding sounds fine just if Teddy was neutered just two weeks ago it's a bit too early to start bonding I'd wait a few more weeks, normally at least 4-6 weeks after neutering so he had enough time to calm down.

Then for all licking/nipping and a bit of humping and some fur flying this is okay just they need to be supervised .

So I would suggest to wait 2-4 more weeks and then start bonding again, all as you said in a neutral territory.

 

[AngelTeddyBunnies]

Hi! I am a bit lost you say both spayed but then say him his, are they boys or girls?
If they are both boys (I think) they might be neutered not spayed!

Your bonding sounds fine just if Teddy was neutered just two weeks ago it's a bit too early to start bonding I'd wait a few more weeks, normally at least 4-6 weeks after neutering so he had enough time to calm down.

Then for all licking/nipping and a bit of humping and some fur flying this is okay just they need to be supervised .

So I would suggest to wait 2-4 more weeks and then start bonding again, all as you said in a neutral territory.

Sorry, my English is not the best they are both boys and yes, neutered!

Thank you for your reply! I'm hoping that this will be resolved as the weeks passes and Teddy's hormones will decrease

I just don't understand where this behaviour comes from.. they are both equally obsessed with nudging and nipping each others butts

 

[AngelTeddyBunnies]

Sorry, my English is not the best they are both boys and yes, neutered!

Thank you for your reply! I'm hoping that this will be resolved as the weeks passes and Teddy's hormones will decrease

I just don't understand where this behaviour comes from.. they are both equally obsessed with nudging and nipping each others butts

Is it aggression, terretorial behaviour, or harmless behaviour?

Just don't want to see my sweet bunnies get hurt again

 

[Blue eyes]

Keep them apart until Teddy's hormones have had a chance to dissipate. Two weeks is too soon. If they fight now, it greatly decreases their chances of actually bonding. (Baby bonds never count as true bonds because of hormones.)

It isn't worth the risk of having them fight. Hormones can take as as little as 4-6 weeks or as long as 6-8 weeks-- after surgery-- to fully dissipate.

 

[AngelTeddyBunnies]

Keep them apart until Teddy's hormones have had a chance to dissipate. Two weeks is too soon. If they fight now, it greatly decreases their chances of actually bonding. (Baby bonds never count as true bonds because of hormones.)

It isn't worth the risk of having them fight. Hormones can take as as little as 4-6 weeks or as long as 6-8 weeks-- after surgery-- to fully dissipate.

Thank you! Then I will wait 2-4 more weeks before I try again