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Bonding Billie-Joe & Noodles *update post 42*

L

luvabun

Warren Veteran
has commenced. I am using the dating method which will be longer than normal but hopefully achieve the same end.

They were introduced yesterday and spent a fair bit of time ignoring each other. Then Noodles decided to lick his head and went on a 20 minute lickathon :love:

He repaid her by humping her head :roll: which she didn't like and kept flattening herself with a look of fear in her eyes. Billie-Joe (the fat lump) is twice her size.

Anyway, here's a vid showing some of the licking ...... (the full 20 minutes would be a bit tedious even for such bunny lovers as you lot ;))



So I'm back home from work and they're on their second date. Again much ignoring then they have nibbled hay and briefly shared the litter tray.

Keep all fingers and paws crossed please x
 
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Fingers crossed here for you, I bonded my two using the dating method and they've been happily living together for a couple of months now :) Be careful that he doesn't get a nasty bite if he's humping her head!
 
Thank you. I separated them last night when I couldn't cope with the chasing, humping and clumps of her fur in the pen :oops:. I really don't understand Billie-Joe. Noodles licked him like crazy, he then gave her head a token lick.... then jumped on her head and started humping :(. It looked like he was nipping her as well.

Regarding the litter tray, most of the time when he hops in, she hops out but they did share it briefly.... very briefly.

BJNoodlesday2004.jpg
 
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Well they are spending a fair bit of time together in the litter tray and today, Billie-Joe showed his tender side :love:

p.s. it's a video

 
Chasing and nipping is perfectly normal, if you stop it (unless its a fight obviously) you may just set them back a stage. It's their way of determining the hierarchy in their bond.

Bond dynamics are complicated and its important they sort it out themselves, or you may be in a never ending stage of bonding.

They are looking good together, just keep on it :)

Is the litter tray neutral (eg, new, rather than one of theirs?)
 
GrahamL said:
Chasing and nipping is perfectly normal, if you stop it (unless its a fight obviously) you may just set them back a stage. It's their way of determining the hierarchy in their bond.

Bond dynamics are complicated and its important they sort it out themselves, or you may be in a never ending stage of bonding.

They are looking good together, just keep on it :)

Is the litter tray neutral (eg, new, rather than one of theirs?)
Click to expand...

Hi Graham, the litter tray is new so unclaimed by either of them to date. Billie-Joes history has made me very, very nervous about bonding. After the split from his bro who he lived happily with for 2 1/2 years, I've tried him with two females. The first one (unbeknownst to me) was an ex breeding doe now in Rescue. She humped the living daylights out of him and I can only assume she was asserting herself before getting ravished herself again.

It was very upsetting to see my precious boy traumatised yet again. So we tried bun number 2 who was a girlie split up from her sister who was bullying her. It was OK but clearly not comfortable and she also bullied him :cry:

So this time I've gone for a young bunny with no previous issues. Currently he is chasing, humping and nipping her and it's my nerves that are in shreds :oops::cry:

Billie-Joe is an ex-ARC bunny so I thought of asking them if they could bond for me but it's the wrong time of year for me to be imposing my problems on them (everyone is so busy this time of year).

I hate bunny bonding :cry:
 
luvabun said:
Hi Graham, the litter tray is new so unclaimed by either of them to date. Billie-Joes history has made me very, very nervous about bonding. After the split from his bro who he lived happily with for 2 1/2 years, I've tried him with two females. The first one (unbeknownst to me) was an ex breeding doe now in Rescue. She humped the living daylights out of him and I can only assume she was asserting herself before getting ravished herself again.

It was very upsetting to see my precious boy traumatised yet again. So we tried bun number 2 who was a girlie split up from her sister who was bullying her. It was OK but clearly not comfortable and she also bullied him :cry:

So this time I've gone for a young bunny with no previous issues. Currently he is chasing, humping and nipping her and it's my nerves that are in shreds :oops::cry:

Billie-Joe is an ex-ARC bunny so I thought of asking them if they could bond for me but it's the wrong time of year for me to be imposing my problems on them (everyone is so busy this time of year).

I hate bunny bonding :cry:
Click to expand...

I understand its difficult - i had prepared myself for it all when i did B&G's bond - but nothing prepared me for watching it, but i had a good teacher. It's important to let them get on with it as much as you can, it sounds like you're doing well :)
 
Well I did my best to ignore the chasing etc. and after a short while, was rewarded with this.

BJNoodles006.jpg


I think it's quite cute how he seems to have a protective paw across her :love:
BJNoodles007.jpg


However, it hasn't lasted and she's out of the tray again.

I really must attempt to let them sort it out but not sure if I can and may split them up again when I go to bed and continue when I get back from work tomorrow (around 1ish so have the afternoon again)
 
Well I hope I'm not jinxing it by feeling much happier today aboutthem. Since putting them back together, there was only a tiny bit of chasing and they've spent most of the time snuggled together and licking away in the litter tray :love: . A brief spell of humping from BJ but nothing that stressed me out :oops:

BJNoodles004.jpg


BJNoodles005.jpg


BJNoodles006-1.jpg


BJNoodles007-1.jpg
 
luvabun said:
:wave: Thanks Graham - I'm definitely more chilled about them now. Much snuggling and grooming :love:
Click to expand...

It's easy to stress out when you have the fate of two little bunnies in your hands, but they WILL pick up on that stress, so keeping as calm as possible is so important :)

You're doing great, be confident and enjoy what should be a brilliant outcome :love:
 
I did leave them together overnight and whilst I went to work, in the small pen. All fine. They fluctuated between being separate, together, grooming and him chasing.

Click - poor quality vid of chasing




But shortly after the chasing, they settled down to this :love:

BJNoodles006-2.jpg


BJNoodles009.jpg


BJNoodles010.jpg


My plan is to keep them in the small pen until I'm totally convinced they're 100% comfortable together, then move them into half of the final home.

:love:
 
Barn Yard Bunnies said:
Its so good to see Billie-Joe so happy with another bunny. He is gorgeous. Love the video of him licking Noodles.
Click to expand...

Thank you Amanda. There's still a bit of chasing and they have spent most of the day sitting apart but I'm convinced this is the right pairing for him.
 
Oooh looking good - sorry I haven't checked in sooner! My two still chase each other, as soon as I open the patio door Tango chases Finx away, to make sure he gets to whatever I may be about to give them first :lol:

Once I've made sure they both get their share of herbs/dandelions etc, she goes and puts her nose down and he licks her face and ears, as if to apologise!

You're doing really well - bonding is scary!
 
sierra*323 said:
Oooh looking good - sorry I haven't checked in sooner! My two still chase each other, as soon as I open the patio door Tango chases Finx away, to make sure he gets to whatever I may be about to give them first :lol:

Once I've made sure they both get their share of herbs/dandelions etc, she goes and puts her nose down and he licks her face and ears, as if to apologise!

You're doing really well - bonding is scary!
Click to expand...

:wave: Thank you and yes, I'm seeing the same behaviour from these two. I sneaked a peek before I turned the light on and they were happily munching hay together in the litter tray. Then they came to the bars begging for the fenugreek crunchies and had a bit of a scrap. They are now sitting separate :roll: . The cage is also very whiffy with strong eau-de-bun :shock: . I hope that settles down as they're indoor buns and I can't cope with this pong ;) . I didn't think neutered buns were able to smell so bad :lol:

And yes, bonding is not for the faint hearted ;)
 
:wave: Hi Jill
Good on you for 'keeping a steady hand'.
Bonding is stressful when its your own buns & you have so much more emotion attached to the situation.
Your series of bonding pics are lovely & will be a huge help to people bonding for the first time.
They really capture the developing bond so well.
Hope things continue to progress in the right direction :)
 
They do sit separate most of the time now and Noodles has been humping him. What is it with buns, the early signs were so positive :? .

BJNoodles002-1.jpg
 
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