Tia and Charlie - holiday bonding U/D failed again

My mum and dad's buns, Tia and Charlie are on hols with us for three weeks. Charlie got his gf, Tia back in August from Honeybunny but bonding hasn't gone too well so they've been living separately since. When we tried them together for the first time it was terrible - big fight. The are quite happy to sit next to each other in separate runs. After a bit more persistance we managed to get them to stay together in the conservatory but as soon as they were left alone they fought. After this my dad panicked and would allow them to be together again.

So yesterday I restarted the bonding the process in our bathroom and it seems to be going ok. They ignored each other at first then there was the power struggle as to who was going to groom first. They sit nose to nose until one of them gives in. They stayed together supervised for about and hour yesterday and today but they went back to their own hutches. I'm going to continue this everyday then hopefully put them in the same hutch. I've not told my dad because he would be too worried!!

My worry is when do i know that it is ok to leave them alone together? If anything happened to them dad would kill me!! My previous bonding experince has been much less stress!!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

looks like it is going well with the grooming

I've tried my two together a little at a time but they had a big fight it scared the life out of me! I know how your dad feels I havent tried my two together since..

Sorry haven't got any advice re bonding but just wanted to say it looks like you're doing a good job,they are beautiful

Awww good news It looks like everything is going smoothly!

Leah xx

Awww!
Everything looks like it is going well. How long have they been together? When I bond I start early in the morning so they can have the whole day together while I supervise them. The next step would be trying them in a space that isn't neutral to make sure all goes well.
Good luck!

ooh they are sooo gorgeous!

The third bonding session is going well at the moment - I must be the only person that uses a laptop in the bathroom!!!

My concerns now are that both buns are very protective of their own hutches - every time I put my hand in to give them food or change the litter they grunt at me so I'm not too sure how to put them in the hutch together or whose hutch. I have a spare emergency hutch which neither have been in but it's only a 3ft and they are big buns. I could put them in a run with a box in it in the garage.

Any advice?

Have you disinfected the hutches Suzanne? You need to make it neutral territory.

I would try an animal friendly disinfectant and vinegar to get rid of any lingering smells, and put them in Charlies hutch as males are usually less territorial. Move some things around also so Charlie doesnt recognize it.

I'd put them in the newly disinfected hutch, say tomorrow morning and if they still seem ok together by the evening you could leave them overnight.

Or...even better, could you leave them overnight in the bathroom?

Good luck, they are lovely.

Might it be worth swapping them into each others cage for a night? (ie still separate but in the 'other ones' hutch?)
That might get them less protective?

Do you have a large pet carrier or indoor hutch? maybe you could pop that into the bathroom and leave them to it overnight?

Egg and Tuesday had scuffles when they were first together - but as long as there is no blood, if should be fine to leave them to it (E&T are very much happy buns now - infact they are sitting together asleep in the other room)

Got the vinegar to do the hutches. In the bathroom again and today there's been a bit of humping and loads of peeing from both buns but lots of grooming. So if things go ok again tomorrow I'll try them in Charlie's hutch. He has a hutch with the run underneath it - should I allow them access to the run or just leave them in the hutch part?

Well done! Personally I'd let them have full run of the hutch run combo, gives them space to explore, get away from each other and more distractions!

Well diasterous day today I cleaned Charlie's hutch and disinfected it completely meanwhile they were in the bathroom getting on ok. As soon as we put them together in the hutch WW3 started. Tia was pacing up and down and trying to get out. Charlie wasn't happy at all. Tia wants to be the dominant one but Charlie won't allow it. They stayed in there for about half an hour fur pulling on and off but the fur pulling got worse. Poor Charlie's fur was everywhere. Then Charlie started lunging at her head so I decided to call it a day. I don't think they will ever live in the same hutch even though they got on ok in the bathroom. I couldn't risk one of them getting hurt.

The problem could be that Charlie has been a single bun for quite while and is incredibily spoilt by my parents and he seems to prefer human company. He's like a baby when he's in your arms whereas Tia is more independent and likes cuddles on her own terms. I don't know her past or if she lived with another bun before. Honeybunny do you know?

Anyway we are all very disappointed that the second and final (I think)bonding attempt failed but my parents are happy for them to live separately. They have plenty of space and get tonnes of attention so they never feel lonely. Their hutch and runs are next to each other anyway. Maybe some buns just prefer human company.

I wouldn't give up yet - not if you don't want to
I had a simialr situation with my first bonded paair. They got on fine but every time I put them back into one of their "territories" all h@ll broke loose!
I think you need to give it lonher. Can you leave them in the bathrrom for a few days? It might be a bit of a pain but it may just do the trick. I had to leave Humpty and Pepper in the nuetral area for 4 or 5 days to get a really good "bond" before they would tolerate each other in their original room. Even then there was a bit of disagreement when they went back but now they are my most loved up pair . .

It took us weeks to bond phoebe and dusty, be patient :wink: Keep them in the bathroom a bit longer, then try them in a smaller neutral territory, keep making the space smaller and smaller each day, after about a week if not longer then put them in a hutch together