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What is your method of Bonding Rabbits

littleboots

Mama Doe
There have been many bonding threads latley and many disasters :(
Sometimes I read and cringe :(
I have bonded so many bunnies I have lost count and have never resorted to terrifying any rabbit or forcing them into a bond..
My method has always been... give them space .... and yet so many on here advocate teeny tiny spaces.... why??
Is this because it has to be a forced bond and owners havent got time to do a stress free bond??

Im just curious and interested in others views
 
I dont have fixed rules it totally depends on the characters of the particular Rabbits

I never use fear as a bonding method though.
 
I dont have fixed rules it totally depends on the characters of the particular Rabbits

I never use fear as a bonding method though.

Agree Jane.... depends of the particular bunnies.... Ive had some that have gone together straight away and yet some I know are just going to take time xx
 
As a general rule I use a 40 inch bonding pen with an open top. I wouldn't bond in anything smaller or more enclosed as I like easy access at all times. However I always step in before anything has a chance to kick off.
I sometimes do free range bonding in an entire room so I can sit it with them. It really does depend on what the bunnies are most comfortable with.
 
As a general rule I use a 40 inch bonding pen with an open top. I wouldn't bond in anything smaller or more enclosed as I like easy access at all times. However I always step in before anything has a chance to kick off.
I sometimes do free range bonding in an entire room so I can sit it with them. It really does depend on what the bunnies are most comfortable with.

:thumb:
 
I have done quite a few bonds :) First I let the buns see each other through mesh. Then I give them both a blanket or towel for a few days. After a few days, I then swap the towels. (give bunny 1's blanket to bunny 2 and vice versa). And then I neutralize a run and let them at it! If there is any aggression, I would separate them and try again after a few days. Seems to have worked well for me! And have had all successful bonds! :D :wave:
 
I have done quite a few bonds :) First I let the buns see each other through mesh. Then I give them both a blanket or towel for a few days. After a few days, I then swap the towels. (give bunny 1's blanket to bunny 2 and vice versa). And then I neutralize a run and let them at it! If there is any aggression, I would separate them and try again after a few days. Seems to have worked well for me! And have had all successful bonds! :D :wave:

I usually have them side by side at first too.... never done the towel / blanket thing..... thats interesting :wave:
 
I've only bonded once but tried to keep it low stress because Barney has snuffles.

I started with swapping items for scent and litter trays for a few days. Then I showed Barney this new rabbit, in a fairly neuteral (not completely but not his territory and sprayed with vinegar beforehand) area - with Annabella in her temporary cage and Barney in the hallway. I didn't let Barney go right up to the cage, I just wanted to check they weren't going to go into full-attack mode at the sight of each other before starting bonding. In hindsight I probably wouldn't do it again but neither showed signs of aggression.

Then I did 'dating' for a few hours each session in a medium neutral bedroom with them free-range so they could interact or not, however they liked. I provided a litter tray, a tunnel, a water bowl and after the first one I scattered some food about too, so there were distractions. They were getting along fine but mainly ignoring each other so after just about 3 I then had them in the same situation but 24 hours a day, for 2-3 days I think, can't remember.

That was fine so I introduced Barney's cage but neutralised with vinegar and halved it so they had only roughly 8-10sqft. Probably kept them like that for 36-48 hours. Then put them in a carrier whilst I moved the cage into Barney's territory (having neutralised the area the cage went in). Then after a couple of days I enlarged the cage to its full size and started to leave them unattended. Less than a day after I did this, they escaped the cage whilst I was at work! I hadn't even neutralised the whole room yet, but they were fine so I figured bonding was done! Although I did leave them in the cage for about 16 hours a day for the first week or so, as they still seemed a bit disinterested in each other.

It was the easiest thing in the world to bond them, not one speck of aggression, but they've always been more friends than best friends and as she has gotten older Annabella has decided she wants to be more dominant, especially when Barney is ill. Once they nearly split and I had to keep them apart but able to see/smell through mesh. I had to rebond in a way, although the bond wasn't completely broken. I neutralised everything and 'dated' them for lengthening periods of time and took them on a few vet trips together (I usually take Barney alone as Anna gets stressed but he doesn't), then kept them in the (large) pen for a week. Seemed to do the trick, but I do have to watch Annabella still when Barney is ill and make sure she doesn't 'claim' areas as her own.
 
I've only bonded once but tried to keep it low stress because Barney has snuffles.

I started with swapping items for scent and litter trays for a few days. Then I showed Barney this new rabbit, in a fairly neuteral (not completely but not his territory and sprayed with vinegar beforehand) area - with Annabella in her temporary cage and Barney in the hallway. I didn't let Barney go right up to the cage, I just wanted to check they weren't going to go into full-attack mode at the sight of each other before starting bonding. In hindsight I probably wouldn't do it again but neither showed signs of aggression.

Then I did 'dating' for a few hours each session in a medium neutral bedroom with them free-range so they could interact or not, however they liked. I provided a litter tray, a tunnel, a water bowl and after the first one I scattered some food about too, so there were distractions. They were getting along fine but mainly ignoring each other so after just about 3 I then had them in the same situation but 24 hours a day, for 2-3 days I think, can't remember.

That was fine so I introduced Barney's cage but neutralised with vinegar and halved it so they had only roughly 8-10sqft. Probably kept them like that for 36-48 hours. Then put them in a carrier whilst I moved the cage into Barney's territory (having neutralised the area the cage went in). Then after a couple of days I enlarged the cage to its full size and started to leave them unattended. Less than a day after I did this, they escaped the cage whilst I was at work! I hadn't even neutralised the whole room yet, but they were fine so I figured bonding was done! Although I did leave them in the cage for about 16 hours a day for the first week or so, as they still seemed a bit disinterested in each other.

It was the easiest thing in the world to bond them, not one speck of aggression, but they've always been more friends than best friends and as she has gotten older Annabella has decided she wants to be more dominant, especially when Barney is ill. Once they nearly split and I had to keep them apart but able to see/smell through mesh. I had to rebond in a way, although the bond wasn't completely broken. I neutralised everything and 'dated' them for lengthening periods of time and took them on a few vet trips together (I usually take Barney alone as Anna gets stressed but he doesn't), then kept them in the (large) pen for a week. Seemed to do the trick, but I do have to watch Annabella still when Barney is ill and make sure she doesn't 'claim' areas as her own.

Aww how lovely they had a stress free bond....
I always find the girlies the bossy ones too :roll: :lol:
 
I use the "quick, let's do it, don't panic" method.
Call me crazy but it has always worked. I just put them together straight away, no fuss, no sweat. I'm standby for 15 mins, then check regularly et voilà...
 
I use the "quick, let's do it, don't panic" method.
Call me crazy but it has always worked. I just put them together straight away, no fuss, no sweat. I'm standby for 15 mins, then check regularly et voilà...

Nothing wrong with that if youre on standby.... Ive done it myself.... just not in a tiny space..... infact my o/h is better at it than me if im honest.... :oops:
 
Just to add I always put the radio on and sing when i'm bonding! It keeps me calmer and then hopefully the bunnies too.
 
Just to add I always put the radio on and sing when i'm bonding! It keeps me calmer and then hopefully the bunnies too.

That's probably a really good idea. The random noises/singing/talking probably distract them from any grumpy behaviour!
 
I had music on with my trio bond too. :thumb:

I think you need a smallish space or they sit one in one corner, another in another corner, etc and not interacting. It's not about stress it's about getting them to interact with one another. When I started the trio bond initially, not long after Mischa died, I think I started too big and it ended up with the lionheads avoiding Mini.

I've done various things, ultimately I think you have to adapt to the bunnies. With Mini and Mischa I did it in side by side cages, then stuck them together and they were fine. Then I got Nutmeg and did a trio bond, that was a lot more work and I did that on the sofa for about an hour each time until she stopped being scared of them. Then I tried a quad on the sofa which didn't work (still have the scars!). Then I bonded Nutmeg and Smudge in the bathroom (NOT in the bath!). Then tried a quad bond again in pens which initially was good but then had a blip and never recovered. Then this trio bond I had them in side by side pens for two weeks, then three long dates in a cage, then into a pen which I gradually increased.

So some were successful, some weren't. Personally I don't find car rides or stressful situations help at all. They just associate the other rabbit or rabbits with negative things. However, having said that I think they can help strengthen a bond once it is established. The hard work needs to be done first though. My trio ended up going to the vet together about a month or two after the bond and I noticed they seemed slightly more comfortable with each other after, they were tolerant of each other already but it seemed to go from aquaintance to friend if that makes sense.
 
This is interesting ive always opted for the small space but purely because thats what i have been taught by RU.
I have poppet and briennes bond coming up and dont know where to start with them as the throwing them in a small space and increasing wont work for these two they would both be out the playpen in seconds..
 
Aww how lovely they had a stress free bond....
I always find the girlies the bossy ones too :roll: :lol:

Problem is they both want to be dominant! :roll: they never groom because they both want to be dominant and whenever Barney goes downhill (he has long term issues) she gets a bit big for her boots and starts grunting, fur pulling, chasing and claiming areas as her own. It settles down again when he is feeling better but I dread the day when he is seriously ill, I'd probably have to split them as he will never accept her dominance... He isn't aggressive back, he just ignores her or tolerates it, but he has a strong personality and won't accept anyone as boss.
 
I adapt it to the buns needs
I've had more success in a smaller area than a large open area as last time they attacked each other and I had to abandon that bond.
Also found that side by side doesn't always work, as one bunny can get very agitated that they can't get to the other bun.
For example if I were to attempt to bond bailey and angel into a trio with another bun id need to introduce them in a smallish pen.
Bailey attacks angel when he can see/smell another bun as he gets annoyed that he can't go to see them through the bars.
Also car rides were essential fir angel and baileys bond.
not long ones, but short 5min to 10 min ones certainly helped.
As after he would always flop down next to angel, and be less of an **** to her.
My poor baby lost so much butt fluff whilst getting her bonded!

Different buns different methods.
 
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