• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Bonding help...please!

tanya_306

Alpha Buck
Hello

I took Emily to meet her potential husbun on Friday and she didn't really like him. She took a few chunks of fur from him as she kept trying to bite him. He did not try to fight back. The lady at the rescue said it would need to be a slow bonding.....

Now, they have both been in a neutral area at my house since then. We have split a playhouse in half so that they can see each other through chicken wire attached to a wooden gate.

Earlier I put Emily in our large outdoor run and I let Finley run around. When I opened the run to put Emily back to the playhouse she escaped and led down! Finley ran past her and she ignored him. It was very hot but I can't see that she was so hot she couldn't move to chase him.

They are now back in the divided play house but I was wondering how long I need to leave them like this before letting them see more of each other. :? .... and when I say see more of each other, how should I go about doing this?


Thanks


Tanya
 
Does the rescue you chose not do bonding? Such a shame as it just makes it all more complicated if it doesn't work out.

I am afraid I can't help with bonding advice for slow bonding as I don't care for it personally and have no successful experience, but I'm sure someone who does it this way may have some suggestions for you.

Personally I'd do the fast method and if they don't like each other, then they probably shouldn't be bonded :(
 
Does the rescue you chose not do bonding? Such a shame as it just makes it all more complicated if it doesn't work out.

I am afraid I can't help with bonding advice for slow bonding as I don't care for it personally and have no successful experience, but I'm sure someone who does it this way may have some suggestions for you.

Personally I'd do the fast method and if they don't like each other, then they probably shouldn't be bonded :(

The rescue I took him from will try fast bonding for you and I think I made it clear I wasn't leaving Emily anywhere - so it was up to me to try slow bonding. Emily cost us £1000 in the space of a week so she is our gold-plated bunny and I can't have her away from home. She is our baby and very special. :oops:

If it doesn't work she will continue to be our spoilt house rabbit and we will also have a french lop (as well as my trio!) ;)
 
Last edited:
I'm not really sure what you mean by a slow bond.....but I THINK what I've done with my two was a combination of techniques.
Isaac came to me over two months ago. I foolishly pobbed him into a pen with Buttons and hoped for the best on day 1. Didn't use a neautral area and wasn't in the least bit prepared......
What the failed attempt did show me was that he was a very passive bun and she would be the problem!!!!!
Unfortunaetly he then started with a wet ear infection 10 days later and that took 6 weeks to clear up.
SO, last Sunday, having let them share an 8x5ft shed (ie half each and not time directly with one another) I did the scrub the kitchen down, introduce them and spend 48hrs with them and help them bond.
Phase 1 was successful and phase 2 is ongoing with them living in half the shed (don't want to give them too much space too soon) and having some time out together on the grass but in their pen.

I'ld highly recommend the method I took but as Duchess said.....it was nearly 3 months before I knew they'ld bond and I'm not out of the woods. BUT, I'ld decided Issac had such a sad life I'ld keep they as singletons but with companionship if they didn't bond. That said, both are CLEARLY delighted to cuddle up and groom and kiss!!!!! :love:

Good luck xxxxx
 
I thought ignoring was a good sign? No advice really. I'm trying to bond myself and have come here looking for advice. The one thing I've realised is that each bun is different and each pairing is different.
 
I have only used the slow method once and didn't like it so gave up after about a week and used the "fast" method and that is all I have ever used. Sometimes it can be "slow" in that it takes them time to trust each other and "bond" as such so some bonds can take a while even using the "fast method" It is supposed to be less stressful for the buns doing it the "fast" way as each time they have a meeting it causes them stress where as this way the stress is in one hit and they can deal with it better.

Sorry I can't really advise on the slower method, but fingers crossed it works for you! :D

Good luck
 
I put Emily in the big run today and let Finley hop around the garden. Emiy did a little binky and Finley led against the run while Emily was in it.... Emily was also interested in him and kept hopping over to see him. ;)
 
As Emily and Finley seemed to like each other through bars I sectioned off a small area of the patio and put the two bunnies together. It started off well - Emily put her head down and waited, she didn't lunge like last time. BUT Finley dived on her and looked like he wanted to hump her. :( She then reacted by biting him back.

We have separated them again but I am thinking maybe Finley is acting like this because he is still hormonal? He was castrated on 20th July - so 4 weeks ago. Is it possible that he is hormonal still?

Thanks

Tanya
 
Possibly.

It sounds a bit like you're doing what I tried to do.

But I spent ages doing little bits of faffing around and trying to get them to bond. Basically trying to do it the easy way with minimal upheaval to everyone. And what happened was they'd scrap. The territory wouldn't be neutral, or they'd be getting on fine, but then I'd separate them and they'd wonder where their pal had gone. Or they'd end on a down note like yours have today.

I took some time off work, and decided to follow the guidance. Neutral territory (my dining room - it has a tiled floor). Penned off a section and separated it in half with chicken wire, and in they moved. Together, but separated by chickenwire day and night for nearly 3 days. I then removed the chickenwire from the middle, and spent the next couple of hours sat in there with them, encouraging them to play nicely. When I was confident all was going okay. I moved out of the pen, and onto the kitchen table (it's a kitchen/diner really). I sat there working and keeping half an eye on them for the next 6 hours. Then I set up beanbags in the corner and settled in for the night... It's now been over 24 hours and there's been no aggression at all. If there had been agression yesterday I might have put the wire back in overnight, but you have to play it by ear...

I realised in the early hours of this morning that perhaps my little bits of trying had just confused the poor little buns.

All buns are different. I know that. But do you have the time/facilities to try the neutral territory 24/7 thing. I know it's early days, but it seems to be working for me.
 
Possibly.

It sounds a bit like you're doing what I tried to do.

But I spent ages doing little bits of faffing around and trying to get them to bond. Basically trying to do it the easy way with minimal upheaval to everyone. And what happened was they'd scrap. The territory wouldn't be neutral, or they'd be getting on fine, but then I'd separate them and they'd wonder where their pal had gone. Or they'd end on a down note like yours have today.

I took some time off work, and decided to follow the guidance. Neutral territory (my dining room - it has a tiled floor). Penned off a section and separated it in half with chicken wire, and in they moved. Together, but separated by chickenwire day and night for nearly 3 days. I then removed the chickenwire from the middle, and spent the next couple of hours sat in there with them, encouraging them to play nicely. When I was confident all was going okay. I moved out of the pen, and onto the kitchen table (it's a kitchen/diner really). I sat there working and keeping half an eye on them for the next 6 hours. Then I set up beanbags in the corner and settled in for the night... It's now been over 24 hours and there's been no aggression at all. If there had been agression yesterday I might have put the wire back in overnight, but you have to play it by ear...

I realised in the early hours of this morning that perhaps my little bits of trying had just confused the poor little buns.

All buns are different. I know that. But do you have the time/facilities to try the neutral territory 24/7 thing. I know it's early days, but it seems to be working for me.

I am off work for the next 2 1/2 weeks ... so do have time to bond but ....

The playhouse that they have been living in for the last 5 days is neutral territory .... split down the middle with chicken wire. ;)

The patio I put them on today is also neutral territory but there is no way I could have left them to fight it out. They have been split and are back in their playhouse now (separately!)

Now thinking madly about what the next step can be ... Emily has been a hosue rabbit so has been around the whole house, that it why we are bonding outside. ;)

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Tanya
 
D'Oh, that makes it trickier.

Sit in with them?

Not let them fight it out. But if it's nips etc, can you separate them by a couple of feet, give them a few seconds time out and then let them try to be pals again? Or would they just start scrapping again? - It used to work sometimes when mine were on dates...

I know some people advocate a small bonding pen, and others advocate big... If the whole playpen is too big, can you move the chickenwire so it goes in the opposite direction and allow them half of each's space and sit in there with them (and a book, some treats for rewarding good behaviour, a pasta strainer or broom for separating them and a squirty water bottle (if you choose to use this - I prefer not to) for deterring naughty behaviour)

These are only ideas though. I'm no bun-expert. And I've never bonded buns before I'm only a day or so into my first bond, so I don't even know if it's going to be successful!
 
Thank you.

Tomorrow we are going to take the divide down in the play house and I am going to sit with them. Lets see of that works!
 
Back
Top