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Bonding advice from the experts please....Pics added. PLEASE HELP

ShivyRex

ShivyRex

Mama Doe
Well the bonding for Winter and Alice has begun. Well it started last night and I am very tired as I have had little sleep :)

Winter definately wants to be top bun but Alice either doesn't know how to let him or she won't let him.

There has been no aggression apart from Winter fur pulling when he chases her around the run to try and hump her. He's being doing this loads :roll: As soon as he goes near her she scarpers doing a lap of honor (or 2, or 3) around the run until she finally relents and lets him hump her. He then gets off and kinda goes near her head, obviously looking for grooming, and she scarpers again.

She has paid hardly any interest in him at all. No signs of grooming or lying together. I have mashed banana on to both of their heads and Alice won't go near him any way and she won't let Winter near her face to even try and lick it off.

They were in a PWS run 2panels x 1panel but have have made it smaller to 1x1.

How long should I let this go on for? Alice shows no sign of relenting and Winter just incessantly chases and humps her. It's been 12 hrs so far.

Both pooing, weeing, drinking and eating ok.

Any advice?
 
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I'm sure there would be no harm in letting them both have a break for a day or so - they must be stressed and exhausted too, and the last thing you want is stasis or heart failure (them not you :lol:) - it's good there's no fighting - sounds promising but sometimes it's a case of more haste, less speed - if one of them does get overwhelmed with it all, they may fall out seriously, whereas if you take it slowly, it could well have a happy ending for them :)
 
Not sure how I am going to do that really. Do I just separate them in the PWS run or put Winter back outside in his hutch and leave Alice in the house?

I am back to work on Tuesday and so will only have the evenings to supervise them after the BH weekend. I am going away weekend of 6th June and bunnies are booked into boarding so I don't really want to leave it til next weekend and then have to haul them to bunny boarding 5 days after maybe being bonded.

Urgh it's all very complicated.....
 
Well it seems to have settled down a bit and he only chases her about once every 10mins. In that time they sit apart. Winter humps her then tries to shov his head under hers and shes having none of it. Whats the likelihood of her backing down cos I really don't think he will and she hasn't attempted to hump him at all.

Some pics:
CIMG1184.jpg
:roll:

winterflop.jpg


flopboth.jpg


One of the rare occassions Alica has approached Winter
noses.jpg


How they tend to sit when he isn't chasing/humping/begging for grooming
hmmm.jpg


This is sooo not like Zion and Fia's bonding so I am a bit confused as to what to do.
 
You're doing just fine - it may take them a while to settle down but seeing as there is no aggression I really wouldn't advise splitting them as you'll be starting from scratch when you put them back together. Winter just needs to get the humping out of his system and then he'll settle down. To be honest it sounds like he's heading that way anyway, and then once he does I'm sure Alica will become more confident around him and they'll be fine. :)
 
They look fine to me too. The humping will die down quite quickly after the initial 24 hours and then they will start to make real progress towards getting to trust each other :)
 
I think they look/sound fine too... My two didn't really groom each other for a while when we first bonded them, and I was a bit worried, but they are fine now and they've bonded successfullly :D We also had the whole humping issue too, but they just seem to work it out themselves!
Also I see Winter doing a flop - I'm not sure he would do that if he didn't feel relaxed/comfy with Alica?:?
Keep going :D
 
Thank you everyone. You have put my mind at ease.

Yes Winter has done lots of flops. I think he is actually asleep at the moment because his eyes and ears are twitching hehe.

yes I think the humping has died down so hopefully Alice (sorry I typed her name as Alica by accident) will see that he isn't just a humping machine.

They both seem quite relaxed when apart at the mo but in the run together. Will keep an eye on it and will keep them together now things have settled down.

Will keep you posted.

Shiv
 
They look fine and the humping is nothing to be worried about it will settle down keep to it and dont split them,well done
 
As the others have said keep with it and don't change anything, they are adoing fine. If you need some way of seeing that things are going in the right direction. Write down on a piece of paper how they are at he moment, in another 12 hours add to it again and you will notice that some things you wont be putting on it and new things will be added.

One ignoring the other is quite commmon and this will settle over time.

Have to admit doing this on a bank holiday weekend is a good idea as you have longer to get them together. Just keep them together and they will get there ....
 
Thanks everyone. Well from 8pm last night things have improved a lot and I have just walked into the room to find this:

alicehug.jpg


:D She wasn't humping him, just sitting there. They obviously needed some privacy! She is getting a bit more active now and a bit more inquisitive - looking for a way out I bet!

Thanks everyone
 
Looks like things are going really well :) Just be patient and stick with it. Separating them would mean going back to square one ... and you really don't need to do that. Sounds like the boy is calming down now and with a bit of time they'll get closer and closer and then hopefully fall in love :love:

As you know, I'm bonding too at the moment - PM if you need a natter! x
 
Woodlouse said:
Looks like things are going really well :) Just be patient and stick with it. Separating them would mean going back to square one ... and you really don't need to do that. Sounds like the boy is calming down now and with a bit of time they'll get closer and closer and then hopefully fall in love :love:

As you know, I'm bonding too at the moment - PM if you need a natter! x
Click to expand...

Fingers crossed. They both seem to be very chilled out buns. I am so glad I have got all day tomorrow as well! If I need to keep them in for a while longer I will but things are progressing nicely now :D

Hope you're having a good bonding bank holiday :lol:
 
Brilliant keep going,getting closer and closer in the pics.
Your castor rex looks the spit of the one i adopted yesterday
bibi013.jpg
 
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Hi all,

Thanks for all your help. Everything seems pretty stable at the moment. Madam Alice has been doing a bit of humping herself now which I think is good. Winter just lets her do it then demands to be groomed :lol:

I have seen Alice groom him on the head once, I am not sure if he is doing it to her though.

They are still lying apart, I haven't seen them chill out right next to eachother yet. There is still a bit of chasing on Winter's part but she doesn't run around so much. They have eaten hay in the same litter tray but once he gets a bit interested in her she is out of there.

Couple of questions:
1. They're in a 1panel x 1panel PWS run at the moment. Do I make it a bit larger now or should I just leave them there seeing they're still trying to avoid eachother a bit?

2. When should I put them out into the hutch/run? It's brand new and neither of them have lived in there so it will still be neutral territory. Should I do it this evening or leave it another day in the spare room?

Thanks peeps :)
 
Perhaps increase run to a 2 x 1 panel size and then put them in their new accomodation tomorrow. Sometimes a new envioroment can result in a few 'domestic' issues when they first move in but should settle. They seem to be going nicely in the right direction.
 
Run expanded and will leave them where they are until tomorrow. I just walked into the room and caught Alice giving Winter a full on grooming sesh!! In the ears, around the ears and inbetween the ears - yay! :D

And he was loving it - this is him mesmerised afterwards! hehe

mesmerisedwinter.jpg


And this is Winter grooming Alice earlier but was slightly induced as I had rubbed some raspberry jam on her head hehe

wintergroom.jpg


I'm a very happy bunny mummy :D
 
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