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Bonding advise again please!!!!!

Kim_w

Mama Doe
Sorry to be a pain to you all but I have just been reading "Dobbins" post and replys about bonding. I put a post asking about bonding earlier in the week and everyone said the things they were doing sounded fine but I have just read a reply that said fur pulling isnt good and every time I put them together a little fur is pulled out (no blood!) but this seems to happen when they are humping each other, do you think this is ok? When I put them together last night they seemed ok and kept sitting with there noses together.

They are both house bunnys. I have had Rupert for 3 years and he lives in an indoor cage in my bedroom and I got Bailey on wed from a rescue home she lives in a puppy crate also in my bedroom. My plan is that they will eventually live together in the puppy crate. How do you think the best way will be to get them living together in her crate? She seems to be the boss and he panics a bit when she is chasing him

Thankyou x :shock:
 
Fur pulling is fine! It's jst if it gets past that, if blood is being drawn and 1 is being hurt. It sounds like things r going ok, I fwould persevere :)
 
The first official bonding session I did since I brought her home, at first it seemed like they were fighting but I think they were just trying to hump each other (they were going in circles!!) but after that they hopped around there seperate ways then she went up to him and they put there noses together!!! I am doing whet the rescue home said and doing it gradually and when they have they noses together I stoke there faces so they think it is each other grooming the other one.
I think I am panicing so much because I have never bonded rabbits before and its quite scary when the are trying to hump each other but give me a horse to introduce into a new herd and id be fine!!!! Mad eh!!!
:shock:
 
Fur pulling is normal even in bonded rabbits like my 4 girls - just a bit of 'putting each other in their place' - The serious fighting, which you'd need a long handled broom to break up (and a washing basket to pop over one rabbit) is when they lock on with their teeth and lay flat on their sides, gouging at each others stomach with their back feet, like a fur catherine-wheel - don't let that happen!
 
It sounds like it's going fine. When bunnies hump the one on top often grabs a tuft of fur from the back of the others neck.

You need to watch when the chase in a very tight circle (nose to tail) as that can turn into fighting.

The bumping nose is great, that's them saying hello.

Try to leave them together as long as possible. If you can get them to spend the whole day together than humping should settle down. The you can clean & disinfect her cage and move them both in. Move the contents about abit as girls are more protective of their homes so that way she won't know it's hers ;)

Tam
 
Thankyou!! The second time I put them together in the spare room it seemed like they were fighting at first but then it quickly stopped when it was established that she is the boss, I put them together again the day after and they kept putting there noses together. I put them together again in the spare room and again they were fine so I blocked off under my room and let them go from the spare room to my room (where they both live) together. She was nipping him a bit but no humping or fighting, then she jumped in her house and he followed then it seemed like they were fighting but I seperated them straight away.

Should I keep putting them in the spare room until they have been in there all day together and seem fine? When they are in the spare room they go up to each other a lot and put there noses together but havent grromed each other yet.

Thankyou for your advise x x x
 
The spare room sounds good until they are a really close couple - If he invades her territory at all, it could be the end of what sounds like a potentially good pairing, so keep him well away from her area.

When they are good together all the time, and have spent a night or 2 in the spare room without scuffles, you may decide to let them live together - In which case it's important to thoroughly disinfect and preferably buy new, their accomodation, so that it doesn't smell like anyone's territory. If you also move your bedroom furniture around and give the room a good clean with something like Zoflora disinfectant, which is animal safe and smells lovely - it will probably fool her into thinking she's somewhere new on her honeymoon - hope so anyway! :)
 
Thanks for your advise!! I will make sure he doesnt jump into her house again!! They are both in cages in my room and can see and smell each other and when I let them out in my room on there own (They take it in turns to play out) they do go and sit next to each others cages so I think they do like each other!!
Cant wait until they are snuggling up to each other!! :love:
 
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