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Bonding Advice Please

Janey

Warren Veteran
I am trying bonding for the first time-eek.

I already had Poppy and have recently rescued Peter.

I need some advice. After reading about bonding I have started by putting them in a neutral territory (the bath) for 10-15 min stints (I have done this for the last two days). Yesterday everytime Peter went up to Poppy she thumped and then ran up the other end of the bath, he would then approach her the again a little while later and she would do the same. Today the same happened until after about 10mins Poppy actually put her head down and let Peter sniff all around her face, he then seemed to take this as an invitation to start humping her. I know this is perfectly normal but do I allow it or try and discourage it? This upset Poppy and she was running around all over the place trying to get away from him (she seemed distressed).

I don't want to keep seperating them if this happens because I know it's part of the process, however I hate seing Poppy upset, what is the best things to do?
 
I used to try doing 15 min stints, but apparently you should keep them together for 48-72 hours in neutral territory and watch them constantly. It is awful to watch :( mine kept fighting I haven't managed successfully yet, Im waiting for hormones to die down before I try again. Good luck though, you're bonding boy/girl which is much easier than what im trying (2 boys)! :wave:
 
i am no expert but i am just going off experiance of mine and what i have read. :)
try not to keep seperating them.....is there no where other than the bath you can do it as its a bit slippy in a bath?
it all sounds ok and bonding rabbits is quite stressfull for them, but the chasing will die down. one of mine was so stressed for the first few days. if you keep seperating them then the chasing will go on longer...
leave the humping for a while but if it goes on for more than a couple of mins i would gently move him away.....:)
 
I used to try doing 15 min stints, but apparently you should keep them together for 48-72 hours in neutral territory and watch them constantly. It is awful to watch :( mine kept fighting I haven't managed successfully yet, Im waiting for hormones to die down before I try again. Good luck though, you're bonding boy/girl which is much easier than what im trying (2 boys)! :wave:

how much longer do you have to wait now nicola?
 
Oh ok, I didn't realise that. I will try the method of putting them together and watching them constantly then. Yes I can put them in a neutral territory which isn't so slippery, I will set up a small run area and see if that works.

So far it has gone better than I though (I though Poppy would fight with Peter but there hasn't been any of that), it's just so horrible to see Poppy distressed even when it's for a good cause. She's in a mood with me now, won't come out from under the sofa!!
 
Oh ok, I didn't realise that. I will try the method of putting them together and watching them constantly then. Yes I can put them in a neutral territory which isn't so slippery, I will set up a small run area and see if that works.

So far it has gone better than I though (I though Poppy would fight with Peter but there hasn't been any of that), it's just so horrible to see Poppy distressed even when it's for a good cause. She's in a mood with me now, won't come out from under the sofa!!

I know I must have read the same thing as you about 15 mins a day, must take forever! I know its awful :( but she'll be happy in the long run
 
Oh ok, I didn't realise that. I will try the method of putting them together and watching them constantly then. Yes I can put them in a neutral territory which isn't so slippery, I will set up a small run area and see if that works.

So far it has gone better than I though (I though Poppy would fight with Peter but there hasn't been any of that), it's just so horrible to see Poppy distressed even when it's for a good cause. She's in a mood with me now, won't come out from under the sofa!!

i bonded 2 girls and was so surprised it went so well.......miffy was so upset and stressed where as bunny was just chasing her. good luck and let us know how it works out. :) if you start in the morning, then by night time hopefully they will of calmed down a bit! :lol:
 
Yup I think tommorrow will be the day, I think it will be a long weekend. I'll let you know how it goes, hopefully I will have two happy bunnys soon. Thanks for the advice-should be a lot quicker this way if all goes well, fingers crossed!!
 
Right....... I didn't do the bonding last weekend as I planned to ( I needed more preparation time). I now plan to do it this wknd but have a couple of questions I wondered if anybody could offer some advice with?

1. I plan to do the bonding in a run in a neutral part of the house. Do I provide a litter tray?( they are both fully trained). I heard they can be territorial with a tray so best not to, however, I don't want to do away with the tray completely and risk they un-train themselves.

2. How do I go about feeding? They both love their food and I can imagine them squabbling over it. At feeding time do I give two bowls/ piles of food or do I encourage them to eat together?

Any advice would be appreciated, I keep thinking of little things that I'm not sure what to do about-this bonding malarky is very stressful!!
 
I don't think they'll un-train themselves in a couple of days, I never gave mine a litter tray while bonding and Harvey is using his again now.

I think food can be quite a good way to make them go close to each other but distract them simultaneously! I just put it in a big heap, I didn't use a bowl in case they got territorial over it but it should probably be fine to use a bowl I'm just paranoid. I just bonded a trio, and they are all very greedy, and they were fine with a pile. The girls were a pair beforehand and they sometimes fought over food, but while bonding nobody fought over the food :). other buns might be different.
 
Ok thanks, I will leave the litter tray out of the run and feed them together, I'm hoping their both so greedy that when it comes to food time they will love each other and bond over their mutual love for food-ha ha.
 
I wouldn't put anything in with them, no toys, litter tray, or food bowl. You don't want anything they can be territorial about. Just scatter food in so they don't have to share a bowl and foragaing will be a bit of a distraction.

I think the nic cubes are a good way of bonding - you can split them with a panel (or a double panel if you think they will try to bite through the wire) if you need to go out or if you don't trust them overnight. You can make it really small to start with and increase the space very gradually.
 
Bonding Update

After putting off the bonding of Poppy and Peter I have finally found the guts to put them together (about an hour and a half ago)!! How do I know when it will be safe to leave them alone together for short periods without keeping an eye on them (I realise not after an hour and a half but how do I know when)?
 
I slept next to mine for the first 24 hours!

How are they being with each other? any fur pulling/nipping/fighting?
 
Well Poppy just generally lies in a corner and Peter comes up, gives her a good sniff and she let's him!! She has hopped away from him a few times and thumped at him when he comes near but she soon settles down again. I think Peter has nipped her a couple of times when sniffing her which has made her hop away but it dosn't seem vicious as such ( he sometimes nips me for attention), it's hard to gage how their feeling tho. At the moment she's lying down and he's having a wash.
 
Well that sounds familiar!! but if it is the same as my two then I would stick with them for a good few hours yet as it still sounds fragile, someone with more experience will hopefully come on and let you know some options.

Where have you got them at the moment? I had my two in the kitchen and left the door open into the living room and slept on the couch x
 
Yes- I wouldnt dare leave them alone together at the moment. For the last 15mins Peter has constantly been chasing Poppy and nipping her side, this seems to upset her and she tries to get away but she obv has nowhere to go. I have seperated them for the moment cos I don't know what to do in this instance, any advice? (they are in cages next to each other at the mo). I know nipping is part of the process but it is happening more and more, it isn't like he wants to fight, almost like he is teasing her. I just don't want her to get hurt or stressed.

I am doing it in my sisters bedroom (the only place I can think that is neutral as Poppy free ranges in my flat), lookis like I'm in for a long night.

Do I put them back togethr for the nipping to continue or try a different approach?
 
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