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Im not sure if Im doing the bonding right

sillyrabbit

Wise Old Thumper
Hi

I tried bonding my bunnys yesterday but I think I did it really wrong.

I put them both in the bathroom where neither of them have been before. At first they paid no attention to each other and were just looking around the room. Then they sniffed each other for a bit.

Trip started humping her and was pulling her fur even though he has been neutered. And malibu kept going up to him and putting her head under his tummy?

So for about 5 hours they were just doing a bit of chasing and then lying down. They were both eating from the same bowl at the same time even though I put both their bowls in with them.

Every so often Trip would kind of grunt then stamp his feet and go try humping her again.

I was in the hallway watching the whole time and then they started fighting! neither of them were hurt but I went and moved trip away because I was scared.

I didnt want them to fight again so I took trip into the front room and put him on his mat. Malibu followed us in and went and lay down on his mat (she has never been in there before), I thought Trip might be annoyed but he just went and lay down right next to her.

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They stayed like that for about an hour. Then Malibu just got up went to the kitchen and out the cat flap. She was sitting at her hutch waiting for her pinapple vitamin thing so I gave her one and she got in and lay down.

I put Trip back in his hutch too. I put the hutches facing each other quite close so they could see each other.

I know I probably shouldnt have seperated them but I was so frightened that they would fight overnight.

I have no idea if they even like each other as I have never done this before. Has anyone had fighting when trying to bond their bunnys?
 
Sounds like it went well!! :D :D
But the only time you should seperate them during the bonding process is if you see blood. Were they really fighting or just chasing each other and fur pulling? This is totally nomal when bonding.
 
What you have described all sounds perfectly normal. If they have spent time ignoring/sniffing and lying down near each other, that is an excellent sign that things will work out. It's quite normal for there to be some humping (it's used as a sign of dominance rather than sexual activity) as well as some chasing etc. It's only if the fighting gets nasty that you obviously need to worry, but more often than not it looks worse than it is because they move so fast! If the bun being humped doesn't fight back, that usually means that they accept the other one as the dominant bun, and it is unlikely that a fight will follow. A bun putting its head on the floor can be a sign of submission, but if a bun pushes its head under the other one, it's usually a sign of dominance - it's top bun demanding to be groomed!

The only thing with separating them again is that it sounds as if they were well on the way to establishing who was 'in charge' and how their relationship is going to work, by separating them, they almost go back to square one again when you try again. I know what you mean about being frightened that they'd fight overnight though, that would have been awful. In the past when I've bonded, if they've been ok but I've not been happy that they are fine together by bedtime, I have tended to sleep on the lounge floor with them, so I wake up if there are any major scuffles.

When you have plenty of time, try pretty much the same thing again and it sounds like you should have a pair of loved up buns very soon!
 
Thanks

I brought them back into the living room yesterday morning and as soon as they saw each other trip was licking her head. And they spent ages cuddling up together!

I was going to leave them over night but my auntie turned up with her 4 kids and asked if they could stay for a week, so I thought it would be best leaving it until they go.
 
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