Over the next few weeks I decided to slowly introduce Buttons and Chester together. I knew it was going to be an interesting experience because I had never bonded rabbits together. I had read that it was super easy and some rabbits fall in love with each other, and other reports say that it just doesn’t work.
I really wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I would have liked the boys to be friends.
I put them about a metre apart. They ignored each other. A few days later I halved the distance. They still ignored each other.
Again, a few days later I halved the distance. They still ignored each other. I halved the gap again a couple of days later. They sniffed each other and left each other alone.
Chester and Buttons started leaving caecotrophs. Chester left 3 (bottom pen), and Buttons left 1 (top pen)… and creepily, they are all in a line. There’s an article on caecotrophs and what they are and what to watch out for.
After a while, we removed the middle fence between Chester and Buttons’ pens. We left a single fence between them. Buttons noticed straight away, Chester took a little while to notice. I stood in Buttons’ pen. They sniffed each other through the fence. Then it was on for young and old. Buttons and Chester snapped at each other through the fence. We rattled the fence to change the subject, it stopped them for a second or two, then they started slapping each other with their paws. Chester once again jumped at Buttons through the fence and bit him. Buttons immediately ran to me and cowered at my feet. I picked him up and comforted him.
Bonding is a nasty process, but you have to let them work it out. Fur will fly. Usually fights last a few seconds, if they last longer, there is a problem and they must be separated.
I noticed Buttons’ nose was bleeding a little bit. Buttons was in shock and after a while I took him inside and changed the subject. He didn’t want to eat his food because his nose was sore. I chose to give him treats instead. He liked that. After about a half hour he started to clean his face. The wounds were superficial, it was more hair loss than anything.
Since their fight, Buttons’ attitude changed – he is friendlier and comes up, from a distance, to get pats. He also smiles – it may sound strange but it’s true.
When rabbits meet each other, there will be fights. It happens. 95% of meetings end up with fur flying and a bit of blood. That is normal. Neither bunny did the wrong thing in this meeting. The fights are to figure out whether the new bunny is strong and healthy enough to join the colony, sick bunnies will be cast out. It is not due to territory or dominance.
Bonding takes a long time and you need patience. It will not happen over night. A strong bond is formed after 2 months (funny how it’s the same length of time as their memory…. hmmmm). Bonds that happen faster, can break and may not be repaired. Everything always take a long time with rabbits.
Rabbit behaviour doesn’t compare to human behaviour. You cannot expect them to do what we want. We always anthropomorphise rabbit behaviour and we shouldn’t. Here’s a whole article on anthropomorphisation in the Health Library.