Not getting along????

[maherwoman]

Hey guys...

Ok, so here's what happened...let me know what ya'll think about this...what it means on either end, etc.

I let Maisie out a bit, and she went right on over to Flower's cage tosniff around and check out his scent. Well, Flower also cameright on over (from inside his closed cage), and immediately wanted tosniff noses. It took a couple seconds to realize he wasthere, but when she did, she stuffed her muzzle through the bars as faras she could (not sure why), and they met noses for just asecond. Then Flower kinda lunged at her, pushing his pawsthrough the cage, it looked like at her nose but I'm not totallysure. She backed away, and then went back (wanting to meethis nose again), and it looked like he was trying to BITE her nose!

So now on to my questions:

- What does all this translate to?

- He's supposedly about seven weeks old...isn't that too young for territorial actions to begin?

- Is that even what he was doing...being territorial?

- Or was he expressing that he didn't like her?

- Does this indicate anything about the bonding process in the future?

- Do I now need to put mesh there on their cages, too? (Forexplanation, right now we have it along the outter panels of the cage,but not on the middle panels on the front, as we have to purchaseanother roll of the mesh and cut it to fit.)

- Can you guys help me translate these actions?

- Does this give any further indicators as to Flower's gender?

- Was Maisie's pushing her nose into the cage what startedit? Was this a dominant action? Or was this hersimply trying to meet him?

When it happened, I immediately scooted/herded Maisie back into hercage, because I didn't want any kind of fight occurring (though itwould have been separated by the cage bars, I still worried that one oftheir noses might have met a scratch). Did I do the rightthing?

Argh...I'm not sure what all this means. If someone couldplease translate, I would SO appreciate it. My heart's goinga mile a second right now from this...

 

[Spring]

I'll try the best I can from my experiences and what I've read

What does all this translate to? Flowers probablyjust trying to tell Masie to back off and go away and leave histerritory

- He's supposedly about seven weeks old...isn't that too young forterritorial actions to begin?Not knowing his past, he couldhave some cage agrresion. Since he was probably seperated from hismother early and living single, he could be a bit agressive. Evenfriendly rabbits if another rabbit gets to close to their territory forcomfort can attack and lunge.

- Is that even what he was doing...being territorial? Fromwhat I was thinking, I'm guessing that it could be. Or jelousy thatMasie was out and not him, but I don't think he'd attack twice, but I'mnot sure.

- Or was he expressing that he didn't like her?Even rabbitswho like each other outside of ones territory, if the rabbit comes toclose the rabbitcan lunge to try to defend it's home

- Does this indicate anything about the bonding process in thefuture? I wouldn't think so, because it was Flowersterritory. If you had them in nuteral territory, he might not have thatinstinct to attack to defend it.

- Do I now need to put mesh there on their cages, too? (Forexplanation, right now we have it along the outter panels of the cage,but not on the middle panels on the front, as we have to purchaseanother roll of the mesh and cut it to fit.) Does Masie come out often?If she tends to be bugging Flower, you might/

- Can you guys help me translate these actions? Maybe territorial or Jelousy

- Does this give any further indicators as to Flower's gender? Notreally, as males and females can be territorial, just females tend tobe more.

- Was Maisie's pushing her nose into the cage what startedit? Was this a dominant action? Or was this hersimply trying to meet him? I think Masie was just curious, and Flowerdidn't like her invading his territory.

I answered from my common sense, so not sure if everything is correct, just my best guess/knowledge.

I know my friend used to have her rabbit and the rabbits sister playtogether. They were perfect bonded pair outside the cage and wouldcuddle and lick each other. But my friend wanted to see how her rabbitwould react if the other rabbit were in the same cage, and her rabbitlunged and was grunting at the other rabbit. Her rabbit is usually veryterritorial, espcially when my friends around, so I'm not sure.

 

[maherwoman]

Thank you so much, Spring. I wouldintroduce them in a neutral place, but right now they're both too youngto be altered, and since I don't know Flower's gender for sure, I don'twant to take the chance of having babies in the near future.:?

I was just for now trying to see how they would approach eachother. Do you think that if I built a large enclosure withNIC panels in the middle of the room with a divider in between, thatwould help things? Also, one suggestion I've gotten is tomake a fence around the cage that is housing whichever bun ISN'T out atthe time so they can be curious about one another, but not wind up INeach other's territory, so to speak.

What do you think?

 

[Spring]

Yes. I would wait until Flowers old enough to be neutered if he is a boy.

If you do make the enclosure, make sure you put a few inches betweenjust so they can't fight through the bars. I've also heard they canbreed through the bars?:?Dont' have a clue how that'spossible but I've read about it.

I think that would be a great idea to have that. Then Flower might not feel as threatened. It's worth a try!

 

[maherwoman]

Ok, cool beans! I'll do that, and let you know how it goes!

Spring wrote:

Yes. I would wait until Flowers old enough to be neutered if he is a boy.

If you do make the enclosure, make sure you put a few inches betweenjust so they can't fight through the bars. I've also heard they canbreed through the bars?:?Dont' have a clue how that'spossible but I've read about it.

I think that would be a great idea to have that. Then Flower might not feel as threatened. It's worth a try!

 

[Spring]

Cool beans.. hehe my friend always says that