Time to face the music!

We've had Harley now for nearly 3 months - and she has been spayed for over 6 weeks. We did get her as a companion for Boris but so far we have been a wee bit scared to start the bonding process - probably because we don't really know what to do next.

Their hutches are next to each other - he has free range of the dining room/lounge when we are at home and she has a big playpen attached to her hutch and when Boris is resting/flopping in his hutch - she comes out for free range time - so neither of them out in the lounge at the same time. They do sniff at each other through the bars of the playpen - she is really eager to be friends I think, but Boris is sometimes fine and other times he does grunt and seems to go for her - silly girl runs away and then comes bouncing straight back. She has escaped her pen once or twice - and did try to go into his hutch which he understandably took exception to and probably attacked her - we weren't in the lounge - just heard loud scrabbling and came running in to see two bemused looking rabbits and a bunch of grey fur hanging from Boris's mouth (luckily she is very hairy and wasn't hurt - and in fact wanted to back for another try:roll.

We've got to move this along now - the aim is to have them both in Boris's hutch. She needs a friend quite definitly and I hate having her kept in her playpen whilst he gets to run around and she desperatly wants to join in. Is now the time to start swapping over their litter boxes? Sorry if this sounds really dumb - but do I swap over slightly used litter boxes?

And has anyone tried the car method? Putting them into a carrier together and doing a bumpy car journey? Did this work? What do you do when you get back - neutral area?

Also - (sorry - lots of questions) - when (if) they are finally bonded - am I right in thinking we will have to totally clean out Boris's hutch and make it like a new place?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

To be honest you might not need to swap boxes or go for car rides, all I would do is find a nice quiet place where neither of them has been before, somewhere, maybe a cage, or a small room and put them both in. There may be a little squabble but just shout at them and they will possibly calm down and get on with eating some hay or grass etc. Then you keep them like that for a couple of days and if all is well make the space larger or if it's a room they can just stay put for as long as poss. If one doesn't want to be friends then you will have to rethink the situation but in more cases than not this works. If you like to sleep the first night, as I do, and you are not within ear's distance then put them back in their usual cage and recommence the following morning. Hope it works just feel confident

Thanks Tonibun - yes, confidence is the issue here (or lack thereof!) Will try as you suggest:thumb: