Bit of a bonding problem..squealing bunny

We have been trying to bond Holly and Sheldon for about 2 weeks. So far they come out for free range time together and then we put them back to their separate hutches. This is because Sheldon is still humping her ALOT....not all the time but enough to make us think we shouldn't put them together 24/7. When he is not humping her they are great together - no aggression, chasing or anything like that. She keeps trying to get him to groom her which he ignores but they eat together, rest together etc very nicely.

Tonight we thought we would try them together in her hutch - (she has no problem with him being in there) - and thought they need to sort themselves out regarding the humping. We had the other 2 big fluffies out but were keeping an eye on the 2 little ones. Sheldon humped Holly quite a bit but there is loads of room in their hutch for her to get away but he obviously bit her as she screeched:shock:...

We separated them immediately - Holly is fine, she is sitting with us very relaxed eating hay.

Not sure what to do now - Sheldon is now 6 weeks post neuter so am surprised his hormones are still so rampant.

Thinking of either:

1) Leaving them apart now for a couple more weeks giving the boy a chance for his hormones to go or

2) Continue to let them have free range time together but separated into their hutches until his hormones are completely gone.

Any recommendations?

mmm Pebbles is 3 years post neuter and he is humping Poppy like crazy at the moment..they have been together 3 years and never humped before...so it isn't hormonal but territorial/spring fever/dominance or a combination of all three.

You really need to bond them on completely neutral territory and let them get their dominance issues sorted properly as by seperating them, you are lengthening the bonding process and unsettling them each time.

How big is Holly's cage? Before letting Sheldon into Holly's space, the hutch realy needs to be nutralised ...Holly will know it is her territory and is likely to try to defend it...and Sheldon is obviously trying to assert authority hence the fight.