Bonding Snowy and some bunny. UD pg 5- bonding over

Snowy is my current foster girlie (see 'Whoops') and also, 'You know when you're lying on the floor'). She has been reserved and will go with a husbunny to her new home. Currently, she has no husbunny so I'm having to bond her with somebunny before she goes.

This is Snowy


















Her first prospective manfriend is my other foster Butterfly. (he isn't as dead as he looks)




They met today just to try and give me an idea of whether there was potential, what might be needed foundation work wise and just to give a general feel for what any issues might be.

Well, Butterfly is clearly terrified of big Miss Snowy.

He doesn't have a great history with other rabbits. He was bullied by three bigger siblings from about 8 weeks to about 7 months old. Then he was split with two other siblings into a trio that did fine until they got healthy, and then he and Hay Monster fought and Hay Monster tore a horrendous down-to-muscle- hole in his hip, and then when he bonded with Little, after about 6 weeks Little turned around and started fighting him.

Not so good! So I think it's understandable that he is pretty scared.

I had them in our bathroom because there is very little neutral territory and first of all let them both poddle about together.

Snowy was as Snowy is but Butterfly was very anxious. He was breathing fast, his eyes were wide and he kept going up to her, sniffing her, raising his tail and either running away or ricocheting off her. He would also run up to her, stamp, and then run away. He was pretty stressed. His behaviour was not great and I could feel that Snowy might have let him know that.

So I tried a different tack (not something I have done before). I encouraged her to come and lie down for fuss and snuggles with me and left Butterfly to it. This seemed to work well. While she was lying down he calmed down and then started wandering around. When he was moving past her he would suddenly do a binky and a bunny 500. He then started to approach her too but because she was so chilled and relaxed, even though his tail was almost up between his ears, it didn't progress. He relaxed more and more and was happily sniffing her and even groomed both her eyes, which she loved, and his tail went back to normal. As soon as she got up a bit he would start getting anxious again.

So we're going for a slow method. My plan is to have them in dog crates next to each other and do the swapping thing and hopefully help him realise that her moving around is ok. She has a dental on Tuesday so I can't do much more until after that.

So here they are, just before he made her jump which brought on some circling, but they look pretty good here.















And to give an idea of size difference (he's 1.7kg and she was 4.7kg on her last weigh in on Friday)

Snowy feetsies!!!!!! That pic of butterfly grooming her eyes is adorable, hopefully he'll realise she isnt a scary bun and they can fall in love.

They'd make a really cute couple - hope it works out

They make a beautiful couple

Its looking good to me, atleast they dont full on hate eachother from the off set. Hopefully Butterfly will soon calm down and realise shes not a huge threat xxx

I hope that it works then both can have their forever home. They do look cute together.

Flutterby with a friend and a new home, omg omg omg, i may have just exploded with possible joy if it happens!

That made me smile lots! Gorgeous! I'm sure they'll be fine together.

Phase one started yesterday. I moved Snowy's dog crate into the spare room, and Butterfly into a dog crate next to hers. As expected he was quite stressed by her (still eating and pooing and stuff, just remaining on alert) but this morning has settled down and is acting normal- although he is probbaly a bit confused as to why he is not in the living room anymore. Snowy, on the other hand has totally trashed her dog crate.

Today we did another bunny date after they have lived next to each other since Wednesday and were swapped about yesterday.

It was better than before. No tails up, and he wasn't panicking and crashing into her or runing and stamping and then running away. they just sort of pottered around. when she did her laying down thing he came and groomed all over her face. Then she got up and dessimated the barrier on the door so we had to end abruptly there. New barrier for next time methinks.

I'm not sure if this is going to be an easy bond because I'm seeing signs that indicate it might be a challenge or unsuccessful but so far we have made small steps forwards. For now I'm going to lots of little dates and see how we go.

Fingers crossed it does work out!!

I really hope it works out for them both.

As I type (shoddily on my phone) I'm doing their first proper date. Still in the bathroom. All the corners blocked off, water bowl and a dog bed litter tray big enough for them both.

Right now he is nomming and she is following him around for grooms.

But before that he groomed her for ages with no assistance from me. Then she gave him three cursory licks on his ear. This is huge progress.

Sky-O said:

As I type (shoddily on my phone) I'm doing their first proper date. Still in the bathroom. All the corners blocked off, water bowl and a dog bed litter tray big enough for them both.

Right now he is nomming and she is following him around for grooms.

But before that he groomed her for ages with no assistance from me. Then she gave him three cursory licks on his ear. This is huge progress.

Click to expand...

I follow this with such excitement.

You've brought Snowy in, made her well, now you're giving her a friend, a friend who needed a friend himself, someone who you didnt know if he'd ever find a home.

This is immense, for both them, and for you!

I'm so excited.

More piccies now Sky

Here goes





Little video
















and lastly, my very favourite from my very big spirited boy



Snowy has a maladptive behaviour which is likely due to her not being around bunnies before. Hay Monster was the same and recently I came across a other similar bunny too. The wanting to groom, but giving small chewy nips instead. Not a favourite for a bunny on the receiving end. She makes Butterfly jump a lot, but because her mouth is sooooooooooooo massive, it hurts a lot (experience tells me that). She's not being aggressive though so hopefully she wil learn what is and isn't acceptable.

I'm sorry the photos are so big. They are off my iphone and photobucket doesn't like to shrink them, apparently.

Sky-O said:

I'm sorry the photos are so big. They are off my iphone and photobucket doesn't like to shrink them, apparently.

Click to expand...

You said on your other thread, however, they look perfect to me?

I love the video, thats a long old groom!

Bless her not knowing how to groom properly, wasn't Autumn a bit like that before?

She's a big lump of lovin'!

Awww that is amazing, you're just awesome! Im so pleased theyre getting on well and I really hope snowy learns to be gentle. Im impressed with butterflys enthusiasm too! That vid is just so adorable, I hope it carries on like that.

Me too! I'm hoping to really push it on now. I've been swapping them over for the past couple of days so it's worked in that he isn't anxious.

I now have 6 weeks to get them bonded because I have some holiday visitors coming on the 12th April and they (Snowy and hopefully Butterfly, but if not, Snowy and friend) have to be bonded and gone by then (no pressure :lol

Sky-O said:

Snowy is my current foster girlie (see 'Whoops') and also, 'You know when you're lying on the floor'). She has been reserved and will go with a husbunny to her new home. Currently, she has no husbunny so I'm having to bond her with somebunny before she goes.

This is Snowy



They met today just to try and give me an idea of whether there was potential, what might be needed foundation work wise and just to give a general feel for what any issues might be.

Well, Butterfly is clearly terrified of big Miss Snowy.

He doesn't have a great history with other rabbits. He was bullied by three bigger siblings from about 8 weeks to about 7 months old. Then he was split with two other siblings into a trio that did fine until they got healthy, and then he and Hay Monster fought and Hay Monster tore a horrendous down-to-muscle- hole in his hip, and then when he bonded with Little, after about 6 weeks Little turned around and started fighting him.

Not so good! So I think it's understandable that he is pretty scared.

I had them in our bathroom because there is very little neutral territory and first of all let them both poddle about together.

Snowy was as Snowy is but Butterfly was very anxious. He was breathing fast, his eyes were wide and he kept going up to her, sniffing her, raising his tail and either running away or ricocheting off her. He would also run up to her, stamp, and then run away. He was pretty stressed. His behaviour was not great and I could feel that Snowy might have let him know that.

So I tried a different tack (not something I have done before). I encouraged her to come and lie down for fuss and snuggles with me and left Butterfly to it. This seemed to work well. While she was lying down he calmed down and then started wandering around. When he was moving past her he would suddenly do a binky and a bunny 500. He then started to approach her too but because she was so chilled and relaxed, even though his tail was almost up between his ears, it didn't progress. He relaxed more and more and was happily sniffing her and even groomed both her eyes, which she loved, and his tail went back to normal. As soon as she got up a bit he would start getting anxious again.

So we're going for a slow method. My plan is to have them in dog crates next to each other and do the swapping thing and hopefully help him realise that her moving around is ok. She has a dental on Tuesday so I can't do much more until after that.

So here they are, just before he made her jump which brought on some circling, but they look pretty good here.

Click to expand...

This in bold - EXACTLY to a T how Vince reacted to Meg. He had also been bullied by his siblings. I also thought he may be too scared to bond with another rabbit, ever but once he realised Meg was the sweetest most gentle female ever ( she was pretty much nonchalant to his company) his behaviour totally changed. I did what you did and within a day or two he quickly started to like being around her. It was so sweet to watch . I'm hopeful for these two :thumb:

Lea-Anne said:

This in bold - EXACTLY to a T how Vince reacted to Meg. He had also been bullied by his siblings. I also thought he may be too scared to bond with another rabbit, ever but once he realised Meg was the sweetest most gentle female ever ( she was pretty much nonchalant to his company) his behaviour totally changed. I did what you did and within a day or two he quickly started to like being around her. It was so sweet to watch . I'm hopeful for these two :thumb:

Click to expand...

Aw I'm glad it worked for them, and thank goodness for Meg being so lovely for him