Bunnies Chasing/Scrapping

[bunnymadhouse]

its realy got me baffled this one ... ..I out of suggestions ..

hope you had a quiet night ...texted you this morning but think you must be at work .

[becca6]

All calm still, but got two bunnies who don't want to sit together, whereas a week ago, they'd be sitting/lying next to each other. As the chasing always seems to happen between 9.30 and 10.00 morning and evening, this evening they're going into the pet carrier at 9.00 pm for an hour. Last night they were fine being in the carrier, and for just a few minutes there was a snuggle and Miss H groomed T for a few seconds. First grooming I've seen since before the weekend.

They're in a confined space - one sits in a litter tray in one corner and the other sits in another little tray in the opposite corner - about as far apart as they could be. T seems to have got very jumpy around Miss H. If she tries to move towards him he jumps right up in the air and then scrabbles to get away, even though she might just be going to the water bowl or the food bowl and not be intending to go to him.

I'm trying to stay calm - there is hope - but I'm worried about their stress levels. For the first time ever today I've seen squidgy poos that are very small - they're very T like in size, just squidgy. They both seem to be eating OK and yesterday Miss H did loads of poos - difficult to tell today as I've left them where they are in the hope it might help.

So, I'll keep them like this for a few days. If by the end of the weekend they are still trying to avoid each other I may have to think about splitting them. If that happens, at least to start with, Miss H will get the two cages in an L shape for herself and T will get the penned area, but will be free range when I'm in. Miss H isn't ready for free range yet - as has been proved with all this so I think she'll be quite happy on her own in the two cages, and I'll go and sit in there every evening so she can get used to me. It might also help them. During the day they will be able to touch noses and so may give each other the companionship they need without having to be together.

Not how I expected things to turn out, but could be worse. They clearly don't hate each other, so maybe in time - as happened with Bell and T - they will decide they want to be together and it will just naturally happen.

[Bunnyaddict]

Oh Rebecca, I'm so sorry you feel so down about things with T & Miss H If it would help I'm happy to pop over one night next week to see if I can help in anyway - just let me know.

I do think sometimes though some bunny couples are not necessarily as close as what others are - their's is still a very new bond & they're probably still getting used to each other's personality's etc. We have one or two of our bunny couples that are loved up one minute & then sat opposite ends of the room the next - I guess sometimes they're like us, they sometimes just need their own space etc.

I'll email you at work tomorrow to see how they're doing & see if you want me to come over.

(((Hugs))) to you to stay calm & positive & gentle nose rubs to T & Miss H xxx

[becca6]

Oh Rebecca, I'm so sorry you feel so down about things with T & Miss H If it would help I'm happy to pop over one night next week to see if I can help in anyway - just let me know.

I do think sometimes though some bunny couples are not necessarily as close as what others are - their's is still a very new bond & they're probably still getting used to each other's personality's etc. We have one or two of our bunny couples that are loved up one minute & then sat opposite ends of the room the next - I guess sometimes they're like us, they sometimes just need their own space etc.

I'll email you at work tomorrow to see how they're doing & see if you want me to come over.

(((Hugs))) to you to stay calm & positive & gentle nose rubs to T & Miss H xxx

Thanks I'm trying to stay positive. Told myself off on the way home - it could be a whole lot worse - they could hate each other - I just think maybe I tried too much too soon. That's me - don't think things through sometimes

I just worry about their stress levels. Don't want to try and make them do something they don't want to do.

They're now in their carrier on the end of the bed - we've just walked up and down the passage for ten minutes, and I've put a bit of veg in with them. I've angled it so neither of them can see me, and Angie said they'd be OK in there up to an hour if they were OK with it - they seem to be - and it's the closest they get.

Though a slight glimmer of hope. When I went into their room at nine, they were sitting opposite each other in adjoining litter trays which is definitely the closest they've been. T had his head down wanting to be groomed but Miss H wouldn't - but I do know they can be little b*****s any time you want to watch them doing something, so I'm not terribly surprised she wouldn't while I was there. I do wonder if she's been trying to hump him - when he hopped out of the litter tray she sniffed his bum and although he didn't jump like he has been, it made me wonder if that's what's made him so jumpy. Bell used to hump him - can you imagine, a great big bunny three times his sizeb but he used to take it as he so adored her. So, whereas up to now they've been at opposite ends of the cage, it's a move in the right direction, and both seemed a bit more relaxed - I hope that's not just me being overly hopeful.

Thanks for the offer - I may well take you up on that next week if things haven't settled! In the meantime, we'll have to meet up for a coffee soon xx

[donnamt]

I think a good idea would be to have an experienced bonder to come to your house and read the body language of your pair, I can't help but feel you are over sensitive and humanising your buns too much (totally understandable after what you have been through) I only have the experience of two pairs so could be talking out of my ass but neither started off with snuggling and total devotion to each other. Alvin and Pearl used to chase (well alvin did the chasing) I often found fur but it never turned aggressive, from downstairs it used to sound like a herd of elephants and would only last seconds... I never interfered but I did expect the bond to collapse which never happened.

Holly and Alvin were slightly different, she seems to like the hump attention so never runs when he is at it, saucy madam. but theres never any grooming from Holly and its only the last few months (in over a years bond) that they finally sit in the same part of the room together.

I personally would stop messing with them and leave the human contact to a minimum for a good few weeks and let them sort it out, of course if you spot real fighting or aggression then consider splitting but a little hump/chase does not mean they hate each other i'm sure of it

[becca6]

You could well be right Donna and I know I'm terrible as I just panic and worry so much.

I think things are moving in the right direction. They had half an hour in the carrier this evening, and then when I went to let them out, neither wanted to go back into their cage. As it has felt as though they have relaxed with each other - T has stopped jumping a mile every time she goes near him, and she seems more comfortable - I have let them have what has turned out I think to be almost an hour and a half on the landing. Their body language with each other has changed from what it was earlier this week - both of them have had great fun going in and out of the pet carrier, moving/pushing past each other, without any problems. They even went and sat in the corner under the cat scratching post at the same time (there's a blanket over it so it's like a little hidey place - Bell and T used to love sitting under there together).

Hopefully I've done the right thing. If all is calm tonight - and they both finally went back into their penned off bit at the same time and I've left them tucking into their veg - then I'll do the same tomorrow - Miss H is a lot braver than she was, and unlike last week when T was watching her every move, they were both just pottering about, picking up and eating hay, washing themselves, and Miss H had a lie down.

Not sure when I'll reopen the full cage up - I think that's where the main problem has been, and hopefully the fact they haven't been able to get into it for a few days means that when they do, they'll just settle.

Two days ago they looked miserable - today they're both looking a lot happier.

[Hanlou]

I don't have any real advice - just wanted to say I hope things go a bit smoother for you xx

When we first had Jack and Hollie back here after their bonding (the lovely Angie bonded them for us and they are BARC bunnies too! ) they seemed 'ok' but didn't spend a lot of time together and there wasn't much grooming.

Not long at all really after we had them both back we went on our hols and they went for bunny boarding at Lynnes (HH's). I think the week in a neutral hutch did their bond the world of good. They were much closer when they came back from hols - Hollie followed Jack everywhere, they snuggled up together all the time and groomed regularly.

I think being a more confined (and neutral) space really cemented their bond.

Hope they behave and fall in love good and proper! xx

[bunnymadhouse]

Im so glad they seem to be settling down .. Im sure it was just a blip and they are now on the road to true love .. ..well done

[becca6]

Im so glad they seem to be settling down .. Im sure it was just a blip and they are now on the road to true love .. ..well done

Thanks for your support! It's nerve-wracking but helps knowing that you are there!

They spent around 12 hours on the landing yesterday. Quite a bit of that was spent sitting in their den together comfortably. Haven't seen any snuggling or grooming, but that's fine - their body language and everything is so different to a week ago - they're relaxed and happy. They were both jumpy and nervy earlier this week and neither seemed happy.

Having said that, think there was a bit of chasing just now but I'm not going to panic. I understand more now that it's going to take a while before they're really and truly bonded and I mustn't compare.