Jeffalina
Young Bun
My bunnies never got round to being bonded because sadly, we lost Cyprus yesterday Im not sure why she died but theres a sperate post for that- anyway- my friend told me how she successfully bonded her bunnies so I thought I would share.
1)ALways wear the same jumper/sweatshirt when handling them, if they can smell each other when they smell you, they start to assosiate the other bunny smell with you, and you're the one bringing th food and the love so its positive affirmation that the other bunny is good news.
2) If possible get them to spend time in each others hutch, or temporarily make one hutch 'two rabbit friendly'
the one my friend had was a double sized hutch so at night one would have the bedroom, and one would have the other side HOWEVER it is VERY VERY important to create a bedroom inside the other side, my friend had a sturdy wooden box, filled with hay and straw that blockd out the cold wind from the mesh on the front, facing away from the outside window and also covered the hutch front in a thick fleecy blanket again to keep the cold out, bunnies need to be sheltered from all four sides at night so if you cant create a bedroom in the other side of the hutch DONT attempt this, just switch them between the two seperate hutches. Also make sure both buns have water and food.
The reason why this method worked for my friend was that she blocked the bedroom part off at night with wood, but the buns could still smell each other under the gap, so they were sleeping in each others bedding and smell, and could sniff curiously under the wooden partition. Then when they went back in their seperate hutches they would be given each others bedding.
Cou0pled with being able to smell each other on her and their own hutches, the next time my friends two bunnies were put together in the kitchen, they frolicked and played and begun grooming each other, and by the evening were snuggled up in the corner together and have been inseperable ever since.
Like mine, they were two similar age females, and fought when they first met, to the point of it being scary :S but after about a week of the above method, the bunnies were bonded and happy- she is still keeping an eye on them though because they are not neutered and you have to be really careful they dont turn on each other when hormones are raging.
Just hope that might help anyone whoes struggling, just a couple of extra tips
Wish Cyprus had lived long enough to bond with Pika xxx
1)ALways wear the same jumper/sweatshirt when handling them, if they can smell each other when they smell you, they start to assosiate the other bunny smell with you, and you're the one bringing th food and the love so its positive affirmation that the other bunny is good news.
2) If possible get them to spend time in each others hutch, or temporarily make one hutch 'two rabbit friendly'
the one my friend had was a double sized hutch so at night one would have the bedroom, and one would have the other side HOWEVER it is VERY VERY important to create a bedroom inside the other side, my friend had a sturdy wooden box, filled with hay and straw that blockd out the cold wind from the mesh on the front, facing away from the outside window and also covered the hutch front in a thick fleecy blanket again to keep the cold out, bunnies need to be sheltered from all four sides at night so if you cant create a bedroom in the other side of the hutch DONT attempt this, just switch them between the two seperate hutches. Also make sure both buns have water and food.
The reason why this method worked for my friend was that she blocked the bedroom part off at night with wood, but the buns could still smell each other under the gap, so they were sleeping in each others bedding and smell, and could sniff curiously under the wooden partition. Then when they went back in their seperate hutches they would be given each others bedding.
Cou0pled with being able to smell each other on her and their own hutches, the next time my friends two bunnies were put together in the kitchen, they frolicked and played and begun grooming each other, and by the evening were snuggled up in the corner together and have been inseperable ever since.
Like mine, they were two similar age females, and fought when they first met, to the point of it being scary :S but after about a week of the above method, the bunnies were bonded and happy- she is still keeping an eye on them though because they are not neutered and you have to be really careful they dont turn on each other when hormones are raging.
Just hope that might help anyone whoes struggling, just a couple of extra tips
Wish Cyprus had lived long enough to bond with Pika
xxx