When do you know bonding is impossible between two rabbits?

[Tweetiepy]

Or when it's not ready to happen?

Peaches - fixed and healed male - is a real softee - when we first got Popcorn - unfixed male at that time - Peaches had just finished leaving poops and pee all over his territory. When Popcorn was caged near him, Peaches left his territorial poops near the divider but everywhere else he was a real softee - like to be petted, no aggression towards me, just a happy go-lucky bunny.At first,Peaches would sniff around the barrier, but didn't seem to mind the new addition. Now he's not leaving any poops anywhere except his litter. You could pet Popcorn and then Peaches with no grunting or attacking from him. Now Popcorn is another story, he came in at 8 weeks and he owned the place, he would charge at the barrier and grunt at Peaches and try to bite him through the barrier - Peaches would sometimes try to return grunts but very rarely did he initiate the battle. They can't reach each other through the grids. If Peaches jumped to go in his cage, Popcorn would follow on his side of the divider. If Peaches ran out, Popcorn would imitate him and stick his nose through the grids. He seemed to be stalking Peaches.

Popcorn was fixed on Feb 18 and is healing well, he still goes at the barrier once in a while and follows Peaches' movements. If I'm in Peaches' enclosure, Popcorn will try to jump over the barrier (it's a two foot X-Pen and he'd make it over if it wasn't for the other X-pen 8" away - stupid bunny). If I pet Peaches and then try to pet Popcorn, I can see his little nose sniffing me and I fell like he's going to bite me - I don't trust him. IF he stops stalking Peaches and doesn't look like he'd murder me for petting Peaches first, would that be a sign that I can try to bond them (after his 6 week healing period is over of course).

Is there any sign that would tell me I shouldn't even attempt to try to bond these two - Peaches, I could bond with any bunny I think, Popcorn is really fiesty and I don't trust him one bit. Should I even attempt bonding them later? Or am I setting myself up for a huge fight? AND if I do manage to bond them, could I trust them to stay friendly? I read that male fighting is very brutal - I don't want to leave for work and come back to injured or dead rabbits!!! Could I trust them?

 

[Myia09]

Well, it takes upwards of 8 weeks (if not more) for the horomons to disspate completley after a nueter.

So you still have quite some time to let Popcorn settle in and get all those horomones out. I would wait at least 12 before trying to bond two males.

I have the same problem..I have two males that hate each other. It has been 8 MONTHS since they were nuetered and they still leave territorial poops and will try to attack each other.

Although neither minds if I pet the other, ect.

If you try to bond, make it an entirley new space the rabbits never been able to dominate (i.e the bathroom, ect) if you dont' have the space, clean out a clear space. Don't use the cages or toys as they will feel possesive over them. See how they react. Offer goodies and pet both equally.

Just because there is humping and/or nipping isn't always bad either. Bonding can take time.

I know my boys will never bond because when they fight, the get into the position where they are kicking each other's stomachs with thie hind legs. That is a position with intention to kill.

 

[elrohwen]

I would let Popcorn settle more for now. You really won't be able to tell how their bond will go until you try them together in a neutral space. It could be that Popcorn is very defensive of his territory, but when he's in a neutral area he might be much more unsure - hard to say. Scuffles and hair pulling during bonding are completely normal, but an all out fight can be hard to come back from.