Bonding ( soz I know this comes up all the time)

Hi, right Fudges new ladybun is coming to live with us tomorrow
We won't be bonding them yet though because Fudge has only had his operation Wednesday..
The new bun is going to live in a hutch & run next to Fudges home, is this a good or bad idea ?
I'm having Capel's Furby, Hilda has been fostering Fubry (Lady old name) for a few months now her son was going to have Furby as a housebun but things have changed so shes coming to live wih us

Myself or capel have never bonded before I'm a little nervous I must admit..
The vets have said they may know of someone that will do the bonding for us but thats going to cost but no idea how much :?

You will remember lady from a few months back she was in freeads for months bless her..I collected her from a very young breeder & Hilda has been a great foster mummy to her.. It will be lovely to have her as myself & children collected her so feel we already have a bond with her..

So has anyone got any advice for us at all? Is it best to put them together little & often or put them in & leave them for aslong as we can?
Thanks all
karen x

I don't see the problem with housing the buns next to each other until they are ready to meet, but I'm sure someone else with more bonding experience be able to confirm that

When you do finally bond them, the advice I've read on here seems to be keep them together rather than splitting them up after a short time, or you'll effectively be starting over from scratch each time. Some chasing and fur pulling is normal (Jen said hello to Harley by digging on his head :shock: ) - so only split them up if they really start to fight.

Do you have a rescue local to you who might be willing to help with bonding in return for a donation? x

Hi Morrigan, The nearest rescue that would maybe bond I think is Liverpool area, Hilda was going to ask them as she knows the lady that runs that rescue.. I have a good feeling about Fudge & Furby they are both chilled out buns .. Furby is happy to be picked up & cuddled but Fudge is very nervous of being picked up bless him he'd never been handled before coming here...
I'll pm Sooz & ask if she has any tips on bonding because she did well with Harley & Jen didn't she ?

Sooz did an absolutely fab job with Harley and Jen :thumb: I think she has some hints and tips sheets on bonding buns, but I'm not sure.

This is a great thread by spgrescue too:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=10221&highlight=bonding

You might find that having another rabbit about relaxes Fudge a bit, especially if Furby is chilled out. Harley is a very relaxed chap but Jen was always quite skittish until recently. Since they have been together she seems much happier about being carried for a distance and going into her carrier

I'm by no means an expert, having only bonded two buns, but the best advice I was given was to allow them to sort things out between themselves (although provide supervision). If they fight but it doesn't look too bad, leave them to get on with it as it should subside very quickly. Also, any humping is best left alone too because this will subside given time. The mistake I made was to introduce them, witness some mild fighting, and then separate them again only to have to do it all over again! I had two fighting buns this time last week, now I have two buns who sleep together in a big fluffy ball and are forever grooming one another

Hi I'm Furby's foster mum! I'm fairly confident that the time they have to spend next door to each other while getting over their neutering/spaying ops will be a great start for them both. I'm actually looking forward to watching them together although Karen and I will probably be huddled in a corner together(trying hard not to spill our fortifying drinks!!) too scared to look :lol: Furby is such a lovely, loveable bunny and I'm sorry to let her go, but her need for a companion comes first. It also means I will have room to take another temporary boarder!

I took Pippa to Bunnyhops to be bonded with MJ. Kay put them both in an outdoor run along with some veg and we watched very carefully ready to seperate if required. They chased a bit, humped a bit, MJ gave Pippa some veg to eat and they both started eating. After about half an hour we went towards the house but keeping them in sight. They then started chasing each other for a bit more but no aggression or anything and after about another hour Kay decided they were bonded and I brought them home in the same carrier......... it was as simple as that!

Kay did say though that it was a really easy bonding. But going from that I'd decide to bond them one Sat morning and just do it rather than mess around unless they really don't get on when a more cautious approach is probably needed but you won't know until you try.

Good luck!

we are picking domino up (altho he's enutured) the day befroe samd has her op, so tehy wont be living togetehr or bonding [properly fro a few weeks, butw e thought it would be a good idea to let them atleast nosey at each other, and get us etoe ach otehrs smells.

we ran it passed the rescue, and also our vet,a nd botha greed its a good idea. plus it emans domino can get us eto us in taht tiem too

good luck with yoru bonding, this will be my first bunny bonding too, so we will have to share tips withe ach othe r ;-)

Keep them together, Dont keep seperating as they'll just have to re-establish hierachy all over again. Its nothing to be worried about, It might take a while but they'll bond fine in the end. Good luck X

I have a sheet I can email you when i get home karen. A spray bottle of water is good for breaking up fights which get out of control and a clicking noise made with your tongue can proivide enough distraction to stop both buns in their tracks if a fight looks iminant. Offer them food when you put them together and also a place to hide.

Im a bit far away to do it for you arnt I?

i tried out a tip from here two weekends ago. i wanted to bond daisy into a group of three so took her and bailey on a car journey, it worked really well and has been the easiest bonding i've ever done which given baileys psychotic tendencies towards most other rabbits was very suprising :lol:

went in the car for an hour then spent the afternoon and night in the kitchen then back out to the shed - this is them two days later

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I have a sheet I can email you when i get home karen. A spray bottle of water is good for breaking up fights which get out of control and a clicking noise made with your tongue can proivide enough distraction to stop both buns in their tracks if a fight looks iminant. Offer them food when you put them together and also a place to hide.

Im a bit far away to do it for you arnt I?

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Yes you are quite away from me ... I'm sure we'll be okay...
If Fudge & Furby seem okay together say from 9.30 am until 4pm am I then to leave them in the poppy shed together ?
Or do you think I should do the bonding in the Conservatory ?
None of the buns would of ever been in their at all ?

karen354 said:

If Fudge & Furby seem okay together say from 9.30 am until 4pm am I then to leave them in the poppy shed together ?

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Thats not really long enough to leave them together before putting them in his terretory, I'd say at least two days and a night in completely neutral terretory :wink: X

Okay I think it'll be the conservatory then ... I'll leave the heating off & move the sofa out of there, it's not a large conservatory so it should be ideal Fudge won't move when he comes indoors so maybe that be for the best .

Good luck! Im bonding Trip and Scarett on Thursday and im getting really scared now :shock:

Please can I ask some questions on your thread Karen (I dont want to start another one on bonding) :lol:

If Fudge & Furby seem okay together say from 9.30 am until 4pm am I then to leave them in the poppy shed together ?

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I was thinking about when I could leave them alone! I will be starting the bonding very early. If they seem to be getting on ok by the evening is it ok to put them in the hutch for the night together, or should I keep them in a bit longer. Its a new hutch, will be filled with all new toys and litter trays, it will be on a part of the garden they have never lived or played on and will be on new paving slabs that no bunnies have been on before :lol:

Its just their new outdoor setup is a lot more neutral than my house :lol:

Also I will be taking them for a car ride. This might sound really silly but what are the chances of them fighting in the car. And do I put them in the same carrier? I know the idea is that they will comfort each other because they dont like car journeys, but I was just wondering if anyone on here has tried it and they have just had a fight in the car

Sorry Karen :lol: