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Molly and Barney are home; U/D MOLLY GROOMING BARNEY!!!!

ripminnie

Wise Old Thumper
But I'm not overly happy :? They both have a few bites on them, and don't seem overly keen on each other, even after 9 days! There has been a bit of chasing, which I expected, but no sitting together or grooming or anything like that. They are both quite relaxed and eating ok, but Molly still looks sad. This has to work, it just has to. They are currently in a pen made of NIC cubes, it is 4x3. I don't know whether to make it smaller so they have to interact more :? But I really expected them to be better than this after 9 days.
 
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oh no. :( could they be unsettled after the journey maybe? i don't know anything about bonding rabbits really. it scares me. :shock: i hope they seem better soon though. x
 
Has she always looked sad? Maybe she just has a sad face?

I've only bonded Will and Nancy - they're not 'close' though like Will & Poppy. I don't know what Will thinks of his big new friend who pushes him around,nicks his treats when she's finished hers and seldom grooms him, although he's always grooming her.

Hopefully Molly and Barney are just stressed from the journey and getting used to a new environment.

Mega "getting on well' vibes heading your way:love:
 
You will have to give them time to readjust - 9 days is quite a long time for a rabbit in some ways. They will settle down although I would be a little worried about the bites? Good luck - just leave them to it.
 
Hi Jo,

I'm not sure that I understand why you aren't happy with the bond. A week is very little time for a pair of rabbits to be together, grooming at this stage is not the norm. Some pairs will never groom one another - this doesn't for a second mean that they are unhappy. We have done over 100 bondings in the last twelve months and this bond was very much a bog standard, ordinary bond. Not the easiest, and by no means the hardest :)

We do ask that when they return home, they are kept in a small space for a while to secure the bond but 4x3ft is plenty small enough and they are getting to know one another at their own pace, I wouldn't like to feel that we were forcing them any further.

If you have concerns, you have all our email addresses and telephone numbers and we are more than happy to offer further advice :wave:

(Also have to point out to anyone reading this, the bite is actually a nip where fur has been pulled (all entirely normal) - not great gashing wounds or anything horrific! We maintain a really high reputation where our rabbits and rabbit knowledge are concerned, and would hate for any of this to be misinterpreted and our lovely buns lose out on homes from it)
 
I have got a bunnycam set up, so I can watch them when I'm downstairs. Molly was just in the litter tray, and Barney jumped in with her. For the first time, she stayed where she was and didn't jump out, and they munched hay together for a bit. So I feel slightly better. Still no sitting together though, they are usually on opposite sides of the pen.
 
Don't forget, it's a brand new home for Barney and it will take him a few days to feel relaxed.
 
Hiya. I am not saying anyone has done anything wrong. But I have done several bonds myself before, and none have gone over a week where they are not even sitting together, which is why I'm a bit concerned. The bunnies over at Amandas have fab set ups and I'm not knocking it for a minute. But I would've liked to know that there was some biting going on. Amanda did say that she often doesn't tell people about such things as they will only worry, I think though if I had known, I wouldn't have expected loved up bunnies today, I would've been more prepared. But yes, it's early days, i am sure everything will work out fine. Just very tired and stressed ATM!

Hi Jo,

I'm not sure that I understand why you aren't happy with the bond. A week is very little time for a pair of rabbits to be together, grooming at this stage is not the norm. Some pairs will never groom one another - this doesn't for a second mean that they are unhappy. We have done over 100 bondings in the last twelve months and this bond was very much a bog standard, ordinary bond. Not the easiest, and by no means the hardest :)

We do ask that when they return home, they are kept in a small space for a while to secure the bond but 4x3ft is plenty small enough and they are getting to know one another at their own pace, I wouldn't like to feel that we were forcing them any further.

If you have concerns, you have all our email addresses and telephone numbers and we are more than happy to offer further advice :wave:

(Also have to point out to anyone reading this, the bite is actually a nip where fur has been pulled (all entirely normal) - not great gashing wounds or anything horrific! We maintain a really high reputation where our rabbits and rabbit knowledge are concerned, and would hate for any of this to be misinterpreted and our lovely buns lose out on homes from it)
 
my two sorted bonding themselves by marley finding a way into flo's room so they've never had a small space to work it out in cos they have the whole conservatory

so therefore I know nowt about bonding but I have observed the following in the last few weeks they've been together....

flo is in charge and marley hasn't always been v happy about that, she wont groom him when he asks and takes his food and sometimes they spend a lot of time apart, this week they had 2 fights for the first time in the same evening and since then they are both closer, both grooming each other when before it was always marley grooming and seem generally more content (have also removed bowls and stared scatter feeding which is working much better, marley is def less bullied for his food)

what im trying to get at is that although they liked each others company since the start, I think it took a bit of time for them to really settle into where they belong in the relationship and relax properly with each other so maybe they just need a bit of time
 
Mottle and Peaches are definately a solid, contented couple but will often sit apart for long periods of time.

Hope Molly and Barney settle well over the next few days. He sounds very laid back which must be a good thing for her.
 
Perhaps when they were at the rescue being bonded they got used to the territory there and reached a particular point in their bond, and then the move home to neutral territory has set the bond back, just temporarily, a touch. They may need to reestablish the hierarchy in this new territory. I've bonded recently, and found when I moved them outside into the permanent hutch and run the chasing and nipping started over again. It only lasted a day and then things settled down again.
It's early days, hang in there and try not to worry. I'm sure all will be fine in a day or two.
....wish I had bunny cam! That sounds fab:thumb:
 
OH was just sitting with them, and Barney came over and gave Molly a good wash! :D head, ears, eyes :love: I feel SO much better. Anyone on here who knows what I've been through with Molly this year will understand why I've been so worried. Thank you to everyone who's replied to me, it means so much :love:
 
OH was just sitting with them, and Barney came over and gave Molly a good wash! :D head, ears, eyes :love: I feel SO much better. Anyone on here who knows what I've been through with Molly this year will understand why I've been so worried. Thank you to everyone who's replied to me, it means so much :love:

:thumb::thumb::thumb: YAY!!
 
Aww, glad to hear they're settling down nicely.:love: Probably the change in territory took a bit of getting used to.
 
Well it isn't looking too bad. Overnight they were fine; i heard some thumping so i looked at my bunnycam on my phone, and it was Molly. But when barney realised she was scared, he went and sat with her and gave her a wash :love: they sat together for quite a while, which i was pleased about. Then this morning, just before i got up, i heard a bit of commotion, and barney was chasing her and trying to hump her. He's done that few times this morning, but we haven't had any aggression so that's good. I don't think she knows what to do, bless her. She doesn't know how to groom him. I hope she learns! And me, i didn't need a wash this morning, barney did the honours! :love: my eyelids, cheeks and nose got a thorough licking! :lol:
 
Well it isn't looking too bad. Overnight they were fine; i heard some thumping so i looked at my bunnycam on my phone, and it was Molly. But when barney realised she was scared, he went and sat with her and gave her a wash :love: they sat together for quite a while, which i was pleased about. Then this morning, just before i got up, i heard a bit of commotion, and barney was chasing her and trying to hump her. He's done that few times this morning, but we haven't had any aggression so that's good. I don't think she knows what to do, bless her. She doesn't know how to groom him. I hope she learns! And me, i didn't need a wash this morning, barney did the honours! :love: my eyelids, cheeks and nose got a thorough licking! :lol:

Great update! Barney seems to like looking after others :love:
 
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