Bonding Zion with his new girly - Zara. U/D We have success :O)

I know, I know it's cheesey but her name was Sarah at the RSPCA and I thought it was an easy but effective tweak

Anyway today in Devon we are bonding:

Zion: (some of you may know him


and Zara:


Zara is my newly adopted RSPCA nethie dutch and she is adorable.

So far so good. Was a bit tense at first but then Zion starting grooming her within the first 5 mins Zion seems to have got into a cycle of grooming her and then going for the hump. She loves the grooming but not so keen on the humping and tolerates it for about 30secs then scuttles off.

She hasn't groomed him yet but she has done a happy flop and Zion promptly ran over and groomed her

So I think so far so good

Here's some pics




This is Zi grooming Zara

awh wow! It looks good xxx
They are both very cute! x

Great hope it continues to go well.

I hope all goes well for them

hope all's going well
They make a lovely couple!
xx

Yup all going good. I have been able to leave them alone in the bathroom checking them every so often. Have found some of Zara's fur on the floor so I think Zion has probably got frustrated as I don't think she is grooming him as yet and he doesn't understand why.

Going to clean out the playhouse tomorrow with vinegar and see how they are tomorrow evening and see if they're good enough to put outside. Fingers crossed

All going well-ish.

I had to move them into my bedroom into the PWS run because he kept trying to get her to groom him and she kept hiding the other side of the toilet :roll: She's a little stubborn madam I give her that. Is that the temperament of nethies?

Anyway I saw her give him a few licks here and there but nothing substantial and Zion was getting very frustrated doing LOTS of thumping at 7am this morning! So I have just done the mashed banana trick and she groomed him for a good minute or so licking it off. Yay! Hopefully things will start to settle down and we will get some mutual grooming going on.

Will get some piccies later

Boooo bonding has gone a bit Pete Tong. I thought it was going so well. They were both quiet in the night and I even saw Zara grooming Zion, albeit briefly, this morning.

I got home and thought I would try and put them outside in the run but Zion was having none of it. I sprayed the run with white vinegar but Zion knows it's his run and just started chasing Zara and pulling fur out of her rear.

After a while he did stop and groom her eyes but then went to hump her, she ran away and so that enticed him to chase her. I can't risk leaving them out there tonight so have brought them in and set them up in the kitchen by the back door (much to my cats disgust as he is being shut out of the kitchen). Now they're absolutely fine and just sitting together and eating hay so it's definately a housing/home issue.

I'm not sure what else I can do though :? I have left the playhouse soaked in white vinegar along with all the litter trays. I guess when I try and put them out again perhaps I try in the actual playhouse as it wreaks of vinegar and hopefully Zion won't be as territorial.

I'm a bit gutted by the setback I have to say but the fact they are fine now they're back on neutral territory makes me think it could work out ok. She obviously likes him as she likes to sit with him but I don't think she likes to groom him :?

Argh so annoying but I guess these things cannot be rushed.

I'd keep them in the same place for a week. It's too early to go moving them, if you move them before the bond has fully established they'll just start fighting over the 'new territory'. It sounds as if it's just a little setback but nothing outrageously bad...you just need to be patient and leave them in one small place and not move them yet

I'd leave them in the neutral territory for a few more days. Can you make a confined area within the playhouse so as when you try them out there again they only have a small area for the first 48 hours or so. You could then gradually increase the space they have access to. This may stop the chasing.

Good luck

Thanks guys. It's just been a bit difficult keeping them somewhere for a week - bathroom and bedroom just became too impratical.

I guess I could keep them in the kitchen until the weekend and hope things will settle down. My cat doesn't have to go into the kitchen and he is fine with the buns but I wouldn't let him in there unsupervised.

I spose I will just have to sweet talk my OH. I think he wants them out as soon as poss but I guess he will just have to lump it.

Thanks Jane - it's a bit difficult to shut off part of the playhouse as there is a shelf in there and the ladder takes up a lot of space and putting a partition in which they wouldn't be able to knock down would be a challenge. I spose I can have a go on the weekend if everything is going ok.

Thanks guys. I will try and be more patient and leave them where they are for now. Fingers crossed!

Jack's-Jane said:

I'd leave them in the neutral territory for a few more days. Can you make a confined area within the playhouse so as when you try them out there again they only have a small area for the first 48 hours or so. You could then gradually increase the space they have access to. This may stop the chasing.

Good luck

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Good advice Jane (as usual

I did this with the boys. I put a run in the shed for over a week first and then let them out when they were familiar with the surroundings.

Good luck Shivy Rex - looks good to me

ShivyRex said:

I spose I will just have to sweet talk my OH. I think he wants them out as soon as poss but I guess he will just have to lump it.

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Tell him you're not making excuses. Diana Ross herself even warned him - "you can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait" :lol:

Santa said:

Tell him you're not making excuses. Diana Ross herself even warned him - "you can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait" :lol:

Click to expand...

:lol:

Well he is fine they're staying where they are and see how they are on the weekend

When i bonded Miffy and Vinnie they were left in a 4ft x2ft cage for a week i felt terrible as they looked a bit squashed :lol: but when i moved them into there room they were fine no falling out

Awww bless them. Well they're in a 3ftx3ft run in the kitchen and have been there since last night and everything is fine. Well I say fine - they are sitting together sometimes and there is no chasing or fighting. But they don't seem like they're connecting. I haven't seen any grooming since I got home so I may have to do the mashed banana trick again and see where that gets us.

They will def be there until at least the weekend so hopefully the relationship will flourish

We have success!!!

After a week in the kitchen I put them out in the playhouse on Sunday. Shut them in the downstairs part for a few days - Zi was a bit grumpy and chased her a but but now he has got over himself and they're good friends. I gave them access to the upstairs this evening and all good Will keep them in the playhouse until the weekend and then they can have access to the run when I am there all day.

Some pics





Grooming


Naughty Zion


And just one of Alice and Winter from the weekend

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay I am so pleased that things are working out !!
The course of true love never did run smoothly

Whoop wooo that's great news - lovely piccies