Melon_Pip
Young Bun
So... I now have two semi-bonded bunnies. Following on from: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?411268-In-the-process-of-bonding-advice-needed!
Big bunny occasionally tries to pull fur from little bunny's butt, but otherwise they just chill out. They've 'gazed' at each other and often snuggle together while I pet them. Big bun grooms little bun and has for several days, little bun finally groomed him back today!
However, big bun (who's my original bun and knows his territory is nearby) keeps trying to escape. He's not directly running away from little bun, but is just a bit of an escape artist. He totally freaked me out today as I'd put a baby gate on the 'neutral' bonding space, with tiny gaps between the bars (so I could be outside the door but still see/hear them). I figured even little bun's head wouldn't go through the bars, yet big bun somehow managed to get through completely!! Horrifying moment when he was halfway...
Anyway, it seems like he's just not that bothered about little bun, and wants to go 'home'. So should I only keep the daily session going until he's had enough? Or should I make him stay? (I tried to make the room nice with things to chew, veggies, hay etc. Big bun loves his veg so I've been feeding them together there, in an attempt to make it a nice place.) Previously he'd run outside into the hall and come back in a few moments, but today he wasn't having any of it, clawing at the other doors, trying to get home.
Also I was going to cover the baby gate with wire mesh so I can have them interact even when I'm not around. At present little bun can stay in his cage whilst big bun is outside it (they just sniff each other then sleep either side of the bars) but I want little bun to have more space if the bonding sessions are going to be shorter. I was going to use the gate to gradually increase their space when I leave them together permanently, however big bun's desperate attemps to escape are worrying me - will he just gnaw through the doorframe every time he finds the gate in his way?!
Big bunny occasionally tries to pull fur from little bunny's butt, but otherwise they just chill out. They've 'gazed' at each other and often snuggle together while I pet them. Big bun grooms little bun and has for several days, little bun finally groomed him back today!
However, big bun (who's my original bun and knows his territory is nearby) keeps trying to escape. He's not directly running away from little bun, but is just a bit of an escape artist. He totally freaked me out today as I'd put a baby gate on the 'neutral' bonding space, with tiny gaps between the bars (so I could be outside the door but still see/hear them). I figured even little bun's head wouldn't go through the bars, yet big bun somehow managed to get through completely!! Horrifying moment when he was halfway...
Anyway, it seems like he's just not that bothered about little bun, and wants to go 'home'. So should I only keep the daily session going until he's had enough? Or should I make him stay? (I tried to make the room nice with things to chew, veggies, hay etc. Big bun loves his veg so I've been feeding them together there, in an attempt to make it a nice place.) Previously he'd run outside into the hall and come back in a few moments, but today he wasn't having any of it, clawing at the other doors, trying to get home.
Also I was going to cover the baby gate with wire mesh so I can have them interact even when I'm not around. At present little bun can stay in his cage whilst big bun is outside it (they just sniff each other then sleep either side of the bars) but I want little bun to have more space if the bonding sessions are going to be shorter. I was going to use the gate to gradually increase their space when I leave them together permanently, however big bun's desperate attemps to escape are worrying me - will he just gnaw through the doorframe every time he finds the gate in his way?!
