new conpanion

Question
Hi.
I have had my Male house rabbit for 1yr, he has been neutered and it was really easy getting to him to use his cage to do all this business in, he has never been any problem and i can honestly say he's the best pet i have ever had.
About one week ago i bought home a 10 week old doe as a companion for my male, but I have noticed he has started pooping all around my apartment this is really unlike him.  Will this stop after a while? Is there anything i can do?
Thanks.

Answer
Hi Stephanie,

it's a normal thing.  He's been a solo bun for a long time, and now with a new bunny he is just re-marking or marking over her markings and chinnings.  He is telling her what his territory and boundaries are.  He will wind up sharing, most likely, but rabbits do this.  Now as time goes on and they get used to each other (right now they aren't bonded, I imagine) it will go down,  But right now she is a strange rabbit that is encroaching into his territory and he is asserting that it is his and he is marking it as such.

It will go down after they are successfully bonded because he will want her to be in his territory and will share with her.  I wouldn't say it won't ever happen again but it should go down a lot.

You probably should not bond them until after she is spayed.  Her behavior will go from lovable now to aggressive at 'puberty'.  Then you'll have to separate them for a period for the spay and recovery, and really you should for a month after that (till all her existing hormones are used up) before attempting to bond them.  The time she'll need to be apart fro surgery will be enough to break any existing bond and you'll be starting from scratch again.  Just keep everyone's stress level down and bond them once, a month or so after her spay.

Now that doesn't mean now you can't let them see the other or be out (in separate areas, with two pet gates between them so they can't nip each other).  But they should not be able to physically touch.  Just getting them used to another bunny around is good and will get them more in the mood for bonding down the road.

Lee