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Will you use a muzzle on 2 bun for bonding to prevent injury?

Would you use dog muzzles on 2 buns for bonding to prevent injury?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 9.5%

  • No

    Votes: 67 90.5%
  • Total voters
    74
Happy Hopping

Happy Hopping

Wise Old Thumper
I am trying to bond Minnie and the new bun Bobby. The 1st bonding on the other day, there is some fighting.

With my bridge bun Bernie, when I try to re-bond him w/ Minnie back then, Bernie initiate some fights, and both buns has some injuries. In particular, Minnie bite thru Bernie's ear.

So for now, I'm using the dog muzzle on Minnie and Bobby to prevent any injury. This works with Bernie and Minnie, they were somewhat close to re-bonding back last month before Bernie passed away.

But yesterday, when I put the muzzle on Minnie, she spent her time try to get it out, and didn't focus on Bobby.

It's not a good solution, but I don't know what else to do. Both buns are very tame, so I should be able to bond them eventually.
 
Its not something I would ever consider doing either, to be honest.

I would probably look at and try to work out why they were fighting and then look at ways around that issue.
 
I wouldnt use a muzzle on ANY animal.....
They are fighting for a reason....Getting to the bottom of that will sort the issue I reckon!!:wave:
 
It's a nylon muzzle that I bought from the pet store. They are fighting for territory only. Both bun are very tame when separate, and yesterday is only the second day they ever meet.

But if you people don't use a muzzle, how do you bond? Are you not take a chance of injuries w/ blood?

I'm not saying it's a great idea, but anything is better than blood w/ injuries. The muzzle is on for 30 min. only
 
Nope sorry but I wouldn't Jason

Thats normal with bonding, just stay close and seperate them if there are any injuries
 
Happy Hopping said:
It's a nylon muzzle that I bought from the pet store. They are fighting for territory only. Both bun are very tame when separate, and yesterday is only the second day they ever meet.

But if you people don't use a muzzle, how do you bond? Are you not take a chance of injuries w/ blood?

I'm not saying it's a great idea, but anything is better than blood w/ injuries. The muzzle is on for 30 min. only
Click to expand...

I still wouldn't use them.

When bonding it is best to learn their body language and try to intervene before fights develop
 
I think people are wrong to be shocked. The OP's intention is to stop her bunnies from harming each other which is a very good motivation.

While that doesn't mean I am "pro-muzzle," I just don't find it shocking at all.
 
Candiflare said:
I think people are wrong to be shocked. The OP's intention is to stop her bunnies from harming each other which is a very good motivation.

While that doesn't mean I am "pro-muzzle," I'd just like to step in and reduce the shock response by saying I don't find it shocking at all.
Click to expand...

But there are much better ways to prevent bunnies from hurting each other. And if they hate each other that much then maybe the bonding shouldn;t continue anyway :?

ETA I found it shocking as it had never entered my head to try muzzling a bunny, so it took me completely by surprise
 
Candiflare said:
I think people are wrong to be shocked. The OP's intention is to stop her bunnies from harming each other which is a very good motivation.

While that doesn't mean I am "pro-muzzle," I'd just like to step in and reduce the shock response by saying I don't find it shocking at all.
Click to expand...

But by muzzling them you're not allowing them to naturally bond... nipping and fur pulling is perfectly normal.

Jason how are you bonding them?
In completely neutral territory?

~I really fail to see why a muzzle is necessary. If bunnies fight so bad they need to be muzzled, they shouldn't be bonded.
 
Hugo's There said:
But there are much better ways to prevent bunnies from hurting each other. And if they hate each other that much then maybe the bonding shouldn;t continue anyway :?
Click to expand...

Absolutely, you're right. I just think it's obvious that the intention is good, and it's sometimes a bit isolating to feel that people are responding to you like you're a nutter for broaching the topic!
 
I wouldn't use a muzzle on the basis that the rabbit would feel unable to defend itself and therefore this would cause them a lot of stress. I think the stress would override anything else that would be going on. I admit to being terrified of bonding injuries but I wouldn't consider muzzling them.
 
Personally I wouldnt muzzle buns because, as has already been mentioned, the nipping and fur pulling is a part of the bonding process in establising a hierarchy.
I totally understand where you're coming from though, it can be very worrying bonding figting buns! Try and observe their body language and you'll soon become familiar with what they do before they start fighting. Its usually preceeded by ears back and tail up, aswell as grunting sometimes. Have a water spray handy so that you can spray them if a fight breaks. Allow nipping though, particularly on the back end. If they start going for eachothers faces they're showing TRUE aggression and need to be seperated straight away, checked for injuries and tried again. Although if they really hate eachother it just might not be meant to be :(
GOOD LUCK though, dont give up yet :wave:
 
Hugo's There said:
I still wouldn't use them.

When bonding it is best to learn their body language and try to intervene before fights develop
Click to expand...

This is what I was going to say.

I'm super, super cautious with my bunnies and bonding. More cautious than a lot of people on here would recommend.

I also do bunny dates at the RSPCA and am just as cautious with them.

I've never had a proper fight while bonding. The worst thing that happened ever was that my girl with head tilt flew at my fatty Candyfloss (not doing any damage), and Floss retaliated by pulling fur on the bacl of her neck and pulled off skin too (but it wasn't a bite, just the fur came with skin attached). Separated them and that was that.

They shouldn't be fighting for territory if you are on neutral territory. They may be fighting for dominance. Equally, some bunnies fight if they are terrified. My unbondable was a huge fighter because she was petrified of other bunnies, and she dated a good few and always would have fought had I not intervened, until she met Roger who treats her like a Queen.

I think learning body language, bunny language and understanding them is key.
 
I think it depends on what your experience with buns has been in bonding so far. I'm not experienced at all (I've only bonded my two, Ralph and Ruby) and so I completely bow to Sky-O and Liz's experience with bonding. My bonding experience was quite scary and I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to separate them if they fought etc, and that's why the idea of muzzling doesn't seem like a strange one at all to me -- it's damage limitation! But I can see for those more experienced bonders, you get an idea of how the buns are going to react and therefore don't need it.

That's why I'm taking my threesome to Helen (The Duchess) to bond!
 
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