Bonding Time :) (warning pic heavy)

I have begun bonding Barney and bunny (no name yet) and have so far had two 4 hour meetings. I am doing it slowly and giving them lots of space to avoid stress and Barney's snuffles flaring up, for details see here http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=283092

Well at first they stayed on their own and explored...





Then we had a little interest, a little too much from Barney for her liking and I had to stop quite a few face-humps. Weirdly if he goes to hump her face as you can see she just crouches down and submits, but she runs off when he goes to hump her normally, something he hasnt managed yet as she is very agile and he clumsy. We've had a few stamps from Barney after repeated hump fails.





Then they decided to get into mischief together:




Then yesterday we had some communal eating of hay and apple sticks!



And we'd had flops before but we now got some together!





and finally last night we had some litter tray sharing


It has been easier than I imagined! Barney has done a binky (rare for him these days) and she has done millions of them, together with dashing around a lot. Barney has chinned the litter tray a lot, and she has just started chinning it back, he has also chinned her. I just witnessed him chin one of her wees and then look digusted and clean his chin :roll::lol:

I have them in here again now and plan to have in for a lot longer this time, but what do you guys do when you sleep? I can sleep in here? but obviously wont be keeping an eye on them, although there has been no aggression.

And I cant be here all of tomorrow (tuesday) as I will have to go into town for a couple of hours, will I have to split them or can I leave them in the big room? I'm thinking because she is faster and there is room to hide etc they would be okay?

and I have work Wednesday... Problem is I only have until Saturday till my housemate gets back and needs his room (the neutral territory I'm using). So my question is, instead of splitting for these hours can I use NIC panels (from Barney's cage but neutralised with vinegar) to put one in whilst the other free-ranges the rest of the room?

I want to keep them together for a period of time in a smaller area (like normal bonding) to strengthen their bond as I'd like to see them grooming, will Wednesday night till Friday night be enough time before I transfer them to Barney's newly-vinegared NIC cage back in his territory? Then I can expand the space over the next few days.


oh and for details of new bunny or if you can think of a name that suits her see here http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=283058&page=2

No help with the bonding as i failed and got someone else to do mine but they do look adorable

Right so yesterday night I vinegared barney's pen and put the pen in the neutral room. The pen is 4ft8x4ft8. But today they didnt seem any closer, so tonight I have changed it so they are only in half of the pen, so they have about 8sqft. This is what they are in now:



Poor Barney is starved of attention as I've been ignoring him whilst bonding, not wanting to distract him. But he was so happy when I came home from work (I had a friend come over and watch them for me) that I sat in the pen and we had a cuddle and he licked me for about 20mins straight bless him. He is obviously missing attention and she's not giving it to him :?

Is it strange that I've seen no grooming yet? They seem fine with each other just not that close :? its been a week since they first met, and 4 days since I put them together face-to-face. Barney has been rubbing his face on her though which I thought was odd behaviour. And I've only seen her present for grooming twice, and him not at all. He is such a licky bunny this is so odd, and he seems to prefer my company to hers.