Bunnies’ friendship flourishes with Woodgreen’s help

Having thought she brought a girl and a boy, it became apparent she actually had two boys. This isn’t ideal – it’s usually recommended you have one of each sex to ensure a successful pairing. But she’d fallen in love with them both and was determined to make things work. She then arranged for both to be neutered and reintroduced the pair. And that’s when the trouble started.

Mayo and Pickle weren’t bonding and seemed to be on edge around each other. On top of that Mayo had started showing aggressive behaviour and on one occasion had bitten Lyn, so she contacted Woodgreen for advice on how to tackle these issues. We recommended split mixing the boys, which involved using a divide in their accommodation for a few weeks so they could get used to each other’s scent, before trying to mix them again. At this time both were being housed indoors, so we also recommended that Lyn purchased a larger outdoor enclosure, with plenty of enrichment to keep them entertained.

We suggested that Lyn spent as much time as possible with the boys too, including hand feeding them – and even having a little chat. The aim of this was to boost each rabbit’s confidence around humans, especially Mayo, who was being quite territorial. Over the course of a few weeks, Lyn checked in with us on how everything was going – asking questions on any behaviours she was unsure about. We offered advice at every step, such as how to set up the mixing area when the time was right for them to meet again. And we’re very pleased to say that since being reintroduced there has been fantastic progress! The boys have developed a wonderful bond – and we couldn’t be happier for them.

Lyn tells us: “Their behaviour has definitely improved – they groom each other and lay together. Mayo can still get a bit scatty at mealtimes if I’m around, but he’s getting better. You have all been such amazing support for me and the fluffy boys. I can’t thank you enough.”

Follow Mayo and Pickle on Instagram: @2_fluffy_brothers