Bonding questions (sorry)

Ok, on the assumption that after their neuterings, I'll be attempting to bond Tank and Saxon, I was wondering if I could get some advice?

One thing that confuses me is whether it should be done in short sessions or continuously? For example, I was under the impression that any break in the bonding would mean you have to start from scratch yet the excellent RR article on bonding states the bunnies are only kept together for short periods of time before being separated again?

We've already decided where it'll be done (bunny-proofed kitchen as neither have been in there)

Thanks

There are two different approaches....one rescues tend to use and one that owners tend to use.

The SLOW approach is where rabbit are housed side by side and allowed to spend frequent but short periods of time together over a few weeks, seperating when any nipping/scrapping gets out of hand but so that they are always around each other.

The FAST approach is where rabbits are introduced in neutral territory and kept together continually using a spray or loud noise to break up any scraps but never seperating them unless someone gets hurt or they 'lock on', at which point most bondings would be declared a poor match.

The second approach usually takes 3- days but sometimes longer and I usually aim to have rabbits sharing a hutch within 36 hours of starting then letting them go home after a couple of days without problems.

Hope that clears things up!

Sooz22 said:

There are two different approaches....one rescues tend to use and one that owners tend to use.

The SLOW approach is where rabbit are housed side by side and allowed to spend frequent but short periods of time together over a few weeks, seperating when any nipping/scrapping gets out of hand but so that they are always around each other.

The FAST approach is where rabbits are introduced in neutral territory and kept together continually using a spray or loud noise to break up any scraps but never seperating them unless someone gets hurt or they 'lock on', at which point most bondings would be declared a poor match.

The second approach usually takes 3- days but sometimes longer and I usually aim to have rabbits sharing a hutch within 36 hours of starting then letting them go home after a couple of days without problems.

Hope that clears things up!

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Thanks for that! It does help. I guess this is another stoopid question but....which one's more successful?

:wave: You might find this info helpful too. http://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/matchups.asp

racheld69 said:

:wave: You might find this info helpful too. http://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/matchups.asp

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Wow, thanks for that Have read with much enthusiasm, but I must admit I'm more confused than ever now and have even more questions

* The ages they can be neutered at.....I'm not sure I could get my vet to agree with any of those ages. I've talked them into doing Tank as soon as he's off his ringworm meds (he'll be about 4 months old then) and they simply won't spay Saxon until she's 6 months old. No debating them on that point.

* The location - I understand they need a little room to get away, but I got the impression on here that some spaces were too large? We were going to section off the kitchen for bonding, but after reading the article I'm not sure now.

Really good article though, and thanks again. Just v confused now :lol:

I use my whole kitchen to start with then after about 36 hours move them into the run and then into the hutch that night (if its going well) (fast bond).

There is no "right" way to bond, most depends on the temperment of the rabbits concerned but there are 'golden rules' which need to be followed in every situation.

Sooz22 said:

I use my whole kitchen to start with then after about 36 hours move them into the run and then into the hutch that night (if its going well) (fast bond).

There is no "right" way to bond, most depends on the temperment of the rabbits concerned but there are 'golden rules' which need to be followed in every situation.

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Oh no, I realise that, and I'll play a lot of it by ear. But obviously you guys have a ton more experience with bonding rabbits than I do (now, if it's dogs, I'm happy to be an on-forum expert ) and the last thing I want to do is cause my babies problems. If leaving it until 6 months to spay Saxon will cause her and Tank probs in bonding, this is something I need to be aware of, but my vets simply won't spay earlier than that. And, going on how many recent convos I've had with the vet, I think they'd laugh at me if I suggesting having had Tank castrated at 10 weeks Not sure I'd've even considered that being a possibility. Obviously I'm trying to be responsible by getting all the facts well before they're needed

My vet wont spey ANY rabbit under 6 months but I can totally understand them not wanting to spey a large breed like a Frenchie any earlier....again due to later maturity.

As long as they are neutered it will not cause problems...its more problematic bonding an un-neutered young doe with a neutered male as when she gets hormonal she will give him a hard time and scraps normally break out.

:wave: RE: If it helps re: boys neutering my vet said they normally try to do it around 5/6 months but as long as their balls have appeared they can do it. I wasn't sure how old Wobbles (prob about 4/5 months) was but as his nuts had grown they could do it (he was starting to bite me and most importantly the cats so wanted to get it sorted as soon as). I guess with girls it is loads more complicated so have to wait til 6 months.

Thanks, both of you. Tank's plums are well and truly there and his amorous attentions to me are getting quite ridiculous. Mind you, the vet did say yesterday that if he wasn't being treated for ringworm she'd be happy to book him in there and then. He's not yet got the all-clear and quite rightly she's worried about a wound when there's possibility of a flare-up of a fungal infection. Interestingly, Tank's completely stopped kissing me (something I never thought I'd say!) and just resorts to constant nipping. With my OH, though, he hardly ever nips at all and just kisses him like crazy.

Just for peace of mind.....both rabbits are currently kept in the same room and allowed out alternately. Both are happy to hop up to the other's cage and sniff the other through the bars and we even took them to the vets together yesterday though they've not bonded or anything yet. Tank was here first (for about a month) but Saxon's been living here now for a fortnight (today) and so I'm hoping it's as much her territory now as his (he's stopped marking everything like crazy when he's allowed out). Should this help, or am I hindering things?

thanks!

Theres no problems with that at all.

Is there not a risk of Tanks giving Saxon ringworm though, seen as its highly contagious?

Sooz22 said:

Theres no problems with that at all.

Is there not a risk of Tanks giving Saxon ringworm though, seen as its highly contagious?

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There'd be a chance if we weren't treating it with the most ridiculously vicious meds you can imagine. My vets had to order this specifically for us as apparently ringworm is really quite uncommon in rabbits (esp those who've caught it from other rabbits rather than dogs or cats) and the meds they used to use (for cats) is now considered a no-no. So there's me a couple of weeks ago, happily wandering into the vets to pick up what I thought would be a small phial of powder to find not only did they have to sell me 500g of this stuff but that, as it's designed for horses, the amount we need is miniscule. Add to that the health warnings (particularly that it can make you, the female human, sterile and can act as an abortive), I'm not allowed near the stuff and the dosing's carried out by my OH. The vet basically said that the majority of ringworm self-rectifies anyway and, other than some discomfort for the animal, most pets are treated for ringworm because of the implications to human health. We've also got laminate flooring, which gets bleached between 'outtings' and we've stripped the furnishings in the livingroom so it can't take hold anywhere. But, if she does get it, we've certainly got enough meds in the house

For anyone who's interested, the med is called Grisol V powder, and you have to wear a respirator when mixing the stuff up :shock: