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Dolly and Nibbler - Second Bonding Attempt...

maymie

maymie

Young Bun
Hi Everyone

I have been bonding my bunnies now for about 4 weeks and today they have been together in their play pen all day with no major concerns. Just a few questions re thier bonding so far, are these good signs:
Dolly my doe will be trying to nap and Nibbler my buck will try to play with her by nudging and running back and forward in front of her.
Nibbler sometimes gets a bit too carried away with his grooming of Dolly and nips her - he doesnt hurt her just annoys her i think.

Anyway, they are currently sleeping side by side in Nibblers cardboard box and have had something to eat together and all seems to be going well.

Here is my question:
Should I separate them now?

I have read so much about not separating them once they are bonded but how do you know that they are bonded? They are getting along well but this is the longest time they have spent together. They live side by side with a mesh wall separating them so they are used to one another.

Please help - any advice would be much appreciated!:D
 
Last edited:
Daisylop said:
Why do you want to separate them?:?
Click to expand...

Some people say to bond during the day and seperate at night :shock: A lady told me she had been advised this the other ay when i went to do her homecheck :?

Anyway, as long as theres no chasing badly... i would leave together overnight :) Can you hear them from where you sleep? Would they wake you if they did fight? It sounds like theyre getting along well :) xXx
 
They are near where i sleep and I am quite often kept away by Dolly digging in her cardboard box at night! :lol:

They are still slepping together in the box ad seem to be quite happy, I was just worried that Nibbler might get a bit too carried away playing or grooming and annoy her. He is quite hyperactive and she is laid back and likes to snooze a lot, but she can run around and play at times. They were binkying anf running in and out of the cardboard boxes for ages earlier!

are these all good signs? I have been looking for weeks now and all information seems to contradict!

One website says that the rabbit that bows its head to be groomed is the dominent one, demanding attnetion and to be grooms and another said that this is the submissive rabbit and the rabbit doing to grooming is the boss!

I am just unsure what are good signs and what are bad beacuse of confilting info.

Thanks for everyones responses and help! :D
 
Id say it sounds very good!! I wouldnt part them now because you'll be back to square one and it will be ashame to loose all your hard work :( Bonding bunnies is hard work and if my buns were doing as well as yours theres no way id part them especially if you can hear them if they were to fight :)

When i bonded my first pair of buns, i slept on the sofa for a few nights to make sure there was no fighting :)

As for the rabbit that lowers its head, i have too been told this means the bunny is the dominant one :? I had a lady come round to help me bond, and she said thats whats causing all the trouble between my buns - Lolly is going round with her head down all the time wanting to be groomed!! :lol:

If theyre lying together id defo say they had bonded :love:
 
thanks so much! There are about 3 meters away from my bed so I will let them stay together and keep my fingers crossed for through the night!

Thanks again!
 
Hi there,

Definitely don't separate them, keep them together in a smaller space. Try not to handle them either until they're bonded.

Chasing, humping, etc. is totally normal. Only intervene in a fight - there'll be no mistaking this if it happens. If you have to ask yourself are they fighting, they're not, lol.

It all sounds good to me too. You're doing well - good luck!
 
Update on last night.....IT WAS NOT GOOD!

I had to get up about 1.30 and separate them because they were fighting.

I think one of them not sure which but my guess is nibbler, has been relentless in his attemps in mounting Dolly who has not taken to this very kindly and attacked him. My bedroom is covred in fur and nibbler was squeeling. They dont seem to be hurt just have a bit less fur. I have a few cuts on my hands from trying to slpit them up tho :cry:

It couldnt have gone worse. We put nibbler in his smaller cage and kept him away from dolly for the night. They seem to be looking for each other though.

What should I do? It was going so well.....:(
 
Have you checked Nibbler over very carefully underneath? Female rabbits often bite the genital regions of males in this situation. Make sure he's pooing and weeing ok and if you're not sure get a vet to check:)
 
Thanks for the advice. He is eating drinking and going to the loo ok so far - will ave another wee check though just to make sure.

Anyone know how long I should wait before I start to try and bond them again? And any further advice on the dominence issue - beacuse clearly they both think that they are the boss.

Im cannot believe that they day ended like this when they have been getting along so well!
 
Oh dear, you poor thing! What a night! :?

Do you work or are you home with them? If you're home I'd check them both for injuries, if all ok keep them separated for a day or so to settle and then try again.

If you work, I'd leave it until next weekend to try again, they'll need a lot of supervision and it will be too stressful to try to bond while you have to go to work.

Sorry this happened, but I'm sure it's just a setback and it will be ok in the long run. Hopefully the second time around it won't take so long for them to bond.

Good luck!
 
me and my boyfriend work so we will put them together again next Saturday. They live right next to each other and can see and sniff one another through the pen wires. (we have the big pen from zooplus, each rabbit has its own own but we will join the pens together once they are bonded...properly).

They both still seem really interested in each other and dolly is putting her head down to be groomed and nibbler is quite happy grooming her - this is all happening through the pen wires and they both seem quite happy.

Thanks to everyone for their help and advice! I will let you all know how we get on next weekend :)
 
Oh no :( Not what i was expecting to read :(

Im in the same situation myself :? Bunnies are so complicated arent they? :lol:

I hope next weekend goes well for you... tell them to be good bunnies :) Just a tip, but to split them up you could put a broom between them, and just gently hold one back. I was told to hold them back for 10 seconds, then to let them go, if they fight again, hold them back for 10 seconds again etc. Ive yet to try this :lol: I was meant to be starting the bonding tonight, but im shattered, so going to start tomorrow :?

Good luck hun xXx
 
Hi All

OK im trying to bond my rabbits again today - after the disater that was last saturday night...

Any advice or should i just start the process again with the whole 'dates' thing?

Thanks

ps they are together just now but and I had them in the same area for 10 mins - ive just split them up and was going to put them together again in 10 then apart for 10 then together, etc. Is this a good idea or shall i just put them together.

Once again he seems to be far more interested in her than she is in him and they are doing this funny thing where dolly lowers her head and nibbler rests his in hers and they are like frozen in that position....any ideas???
 
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