Cant get my rabbits bonded

Question
Hi there,

I am desperatly trying to get my rabbits bonded but i just cant seem to get them talking. I have one male and one female (both fixed) that are a 1 1/2 yrs and 1 year old. they are both roughly the same size. they live in separate cages that are side by side.

i have tried bonding them in every possible neutral location (including the car and inside my tumbledryer which was obviously off at the time!) but everytime i try they start fighting. it always starts off well but ellie (my girl) cant control herself and starts mounting daves head. he accepts this to a certain extent but when she tries to mount him in the traditional style he looses his cool and goes for her.

Its getting quite distressing now as i have run out of places i can get them talking and one or other ends up loosing a chunk of hair in the fight. i thought it might just be him proving to himself that he wants to be top bun but last time he was on his back legs boxing and growling at her. it always looks as though this is what ellie wants as when he starts growling she lunges straight in and starts pulling out his fur.

i live in the uk and as far as i know there are no places i can contact to help me bond them as im aware there is in ut US. Any help you could give me on this matter would be greatly appreciated!!

thank you
Gem

Answer
Hi Gem,

I would give them a break for awhile.  Just stop trying to bond them a couple months.  Stress is too high right now.  

If any of the rabbits are not fixed, you need to get them fixed.  It cuts aggression and the hormonal response.  Both need to have hormone levels low, not just one.  It would be the reason why one starts getting frustrated with the other (hopped up on high levels of hormones).  Usually the high hormone rabbit pesters the fixed rabbit to the point where they get angry and gives a nip to stop the behavior.

But give them a break for awhile.  Keep them side by side so they cna 'be around' the other, just make sure the cages aren't close enough to get at each other.

When you start again, start very slowly.  Try for ten minutes.  Lots of times people keep them together for too long and that's when problems start, they aren't ready for that long.  If they are fighting you are pushing them to bond too fast.  

If one isn't fixed, you need to go to a good rabbit vet and get that rabbit fixed, and then take 4-6 weeks of a break, at least, before attempting to bond them.  It takes that long for new hormone levels to stabilize at their new lower levels.  Check out the House Rabbit Society web page (www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html) and look for the international vet listings for the UK.

Also, if they are both fixed now and have been for at least a month, you need to consider the possibility that one doesn't like the other.  It happens.  But that doesn't mean they cant get along across an exercise gate.  It isn't the end of the world.

Lee