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When to give up on bonding?

sillyrabbit

Wise Old Thumper
I dont know if I should just stop with Buu and Beau :? I dont want to force it, and I have been trying since April now I think. The only reason I kept trying was because there was cuddling and grooming in between the chasing and fighting.

They have been kept on neutral territory for a week before and still been chasing and mounting each other. It didnt get to the point where I could leave them unsupervised.

Then they were fine from Thursday until last night and I have had to seperate them again now because I have to go back to work and there is nobody to watch them.

I have run out of neutral territory now and I havent got a clue what I am going to do :(

Sorry I dont mean to sound like I am moaning about them or anything, I just really dont know if its time to give up :(
 
well as you know, Maa and Benny live side by side as I'm a bonding wuss. I think bonding is overrated personally - it looks cute, but there are downsides to it as well, and the stress of a bad bonding all takes its toll on a rabbit's liver/system. Maa and Benny are happy enough, and for me that's good enough - I'm not a perfectionist - they both look bright, interested in life, bouncy and I'm sure like having a bunny neighbour. They might possibly be happIER together - I don't have a crystal ball so I have no idea and it's a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' for me - I definitely can't afford more vet bills and don't want their lives shortened through stress when they are quite contented as they are.
 
I will only persevere with a bonding that involves the usual fur pulling and chasing.
If a full 'lock-on' fight occurs I seperate the Buns and I do not attempt that bonding again

I do not think that forcing a bonding is in the Rabbits best interests and it can result in stressed and injured Bunnies

Here I have 4 Buns who live in their own seperate pens. They can see other Buns and interact with them through the wire mesh of a pen.
IMO it is better to have 2 uninjured and content single Rabbits than to persevere in bonding Rabbits that just dont like each other.

Janex
 
I will only persevere with a bonding that involves the usual fur pulling and chasing.
If a full 'lock-on' fight occurs I seperate the Buns and I do not attempt that bonding again

I do not think that forcing a bonding is in the Rabbits best interests and it can result in stressed and injured Bunnies

Here I have 4 Buns who live in their own seperate pens. They can see other Buns and interact with them through the wire mesh of a pen.
IMO it is better to have 2 uninjured and content single Rabbits than to persevere in bonding Rabbits that just dont like each other.

Janex


I have to agree with everything Jane has said here. Have your buns actually injured each other though as in blood being drawn ? If it is just mounting and fur pulling then it might be worth perservering for a little longer. I have often found that even bonded buns who live together for years will still mount each other now and again. It may well be that your buns are just not that compatible with each other. HAve you considered maybe swapping partners with the other 2 buns to see how they get along ...... didn't I read somewere that they were scrapping too ? Sorry, I know this is a difficult one.

Taz.
 
Oh no dont get me wrong, neither of the buns have been hurt or I wouldnt have tried again :D Buu had a tiny scratch on her ear once in the summer but that had more to do with them climbing all over each other rather than going round the other bun :roll: :lol: Thats whats making it so difficult, if it was crazy fighting and one got hurt I would just know I wouldnt try them again. But its all normal bonding behaviour :?

Its only chasing and fur pulling, when I say they are fighting thats what I mean :oops: Probably should have worded that better :lol:

It doesnt even seem to me that they dont get one because there is more cuddling than chasing, it seems they just arent going to agree on who will be the boss anytime soon :roll: :lol: Just thought it was a bit unusual for buns to take this long to sort out the dominance thing :? And I know you have to keep them together but I keep running out of time and have used up all my annual leave now :lol:

Yes Trip and Scarlett were fur pulling and chasing the other day, im certain that is because they could see Buu and Beau together though because it has stopped now. These two do clearly love each other and I couldnt ever seperate them :D Plus if I did it would be my luck I would end up with 4 single buns :lol:

well as you know, Maa and Benny live side by side as I'm a bonding wuss. I think bonding is overrated personally - it looks cute, but there are downsides to it as well, and the stress of a bad bonding all takes its toll on a rabbit's liver/system. Maa and Benny are happy enough, and for me that's good enough - I'm not a perfectionist - they both look bright, interested in life, bouncy and I'm sure like having a bunny neighbour. They might possibly be happIER together - I don't have a crystal ball so I have no idea and it's a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' for me - I definitely can't afford more vet bills and don't want their lives shortened through stress when they are quite contented as they are.

Thanks hun, they can both live side by side for now if I decide not to try again. Im looking for somewhere to live so it really depends on that as to if they get a new friend each soon :( They are very happy at the moment and get a lot of attention x
 
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