My first time bonding buns! (Update 06/02 I think it's love)

I know there have been quite a few threads on bonding recently, but all buns are different!

I currently have Carmel, a single female (spayed) bun who can be a bit of a madam!



I have today collected Weetabix (male, neutered)





I took Carmel with me to collect Weetabix and let them travel for a while whilst their carriers were facing each other. I then did about 10 mins of the journey with them both in a box together, had no problems.

I took them to my Mam's so it was neutral territory and let them both out in the bathroom. Weets took a while to come out his carrier but once he did, there was a bit of sniffing and Carmel seemed to be putting her head under Weetabix's, they were more interested in their new surroundings though! Then Weetabix tried humping Carmel, on her head though! After that whenever she went near him, he would stamp, make a noise and run away! She's not tried nipping him, just goes for a sniff. He's not hiding from her, just runs off when she goes close! Anyway, my Mam wanted her bathroom back, so I brought them home and put them in the kitchen (Carmel hasn't been in there before) Weetabix kept stamping his feet and running off. Again, Carmel was only sniffing at him, not showing any aggression. It ended up that he sat under the kitchen table and she flopped out on the kitchen floor, just ignoring each other!

They're both out in the garden at the minute, not together, in separate runs away from each other, shall I put them together again today? I don't know if the day has been quite stressful for them already (it has for me!)

Is it likely that progress will be made with perseverance?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Gem x

Good luck!

They are both gorgeous bunnies BTW!

Why have you put them in seperate runs? I'm no expert, having only watched the rescue bond MJ and Pippa but if they're not fighting I'd keep them together and watch them. It sounds promising, good luck

I had visitors so I couldn't watch them, then I wanted to come on here and ask some advice!

Well it sounds like its going quite well so far If there is no actual 'fighting' I'd leave them together, most newly bonded buns spend the first few days/weeks sitting as far away from each other as possible but tolerating each other until true love strikes! Seperating can set it back a bit. I'm so glad Weetie has a great new home!

I agree - sounds like things are going fine - I would advise not seperating them cos you end up back at square one each time. If you cant watch them in the garden bring them in with you, I ended up having to go out the night I bonded four of mine, so I piled them in a box and took with - my friend was a little surprised when I turned up but they sat in a big box in her hall and were fine.
Ignoring each other, stamping and sniffing is all ok - like has been said keep an eye on them but they sound like they'll be fine! And yes, definately - progress will be made with perseverance! Good luck! - Ps you have two beautiful buns there.x

If you are going to start bonding rabbits, I would strongly suggest you start when you have plenty of time to continue this. If you wish to succeed you are best to keep them together rather than keep separating them. Separating them for periods of time just delays the process and means that each time you are like starting again from scratch. This is very confusing for the buns. If there is just the normal chasing, thumping and humping or they are ignoring each other just leave them, you will get some fur flying that is all very normal.

With time they will accept each other.

Good luck

Janice

Thank you all for your replies. I am devoting as much time as I can to them, am off work til Thurs. I put them together again until it was bedtime and the same happened again so I suppose it's a good sign. I am trying not to separate them unless absolutely necessary, but what about at night? I am far too scared to leave them unsupervised for fear of what I may wake up to!

Hi Gem, I'm going to be in the same boat as you in 10 days or so.. I'm a bit confused what to do with the buns at bedtime.. I'm going to do the bonding in the conservatory I'll be able to watch them all day but dont know what to do at bed time. Would using a run work do you think ?but there again you'd be seperating them again

Day 2 - Well they were separated for the night and I have been in the kitchen with them for that last 2 hours. Same thing as yesterday really, Weets running away when Carmel goes near! But there are no signs of aggression at all. As I type they have both just flopped out about half a metre from each other

I've had to move out into the garden with the buns. They've both been binkying around and Weets actually stayed still long enough for Carmel to put her head right under his, then he ran off! He then allowed her to lick his head, then she started humping his head and he ran off again! Is this the wrong thing to do? (putting them in the garden) It's quite a large space but they are approaching each other.

Thanks

Sorry for posting again, no update really, just the same as before.

I've heard some people say that swapping the buns' accomodation can help the process, does anyone think this is worthwhile?

Sorry for all the questions, but thanks in advance!

Am just bumping this, sorry if it's irritating just hoping for some advice!

I'm going to buy a playhouse tomorrow for Carmel and Weetabix to live in, should I prepare it all and let them both go in it (at the same time) and then keep them separate at night til I'm sure there'll be no fighting? When do you know it's time to leave them overnight without supervision? I'm so worried one of them gets hurt!

Thanks

Gem81 said:

Am just bumping this, sorry if it's irritating just hoping for some advice!

I'm going to buy a playhouse tomorrow for Carmel and Weetabix to live in, should I prepare it all and let them both go in it (at the same time) and then keep them separate at night til I'm sure there'll be no fighting? When do you know it's time to leave them overnight without supervision? I'm so worried one of them gets hurt!

Thanks

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Well it doesn't seem like they're fighting and you have been at this all day so I would NOT separate them at night. If they was going to be aggressive they would have done so by now so its highly unlikely it will happen in the night.

Can you not keep them in the kitchen overnight so you can pop down and check in the middle of the night?

If you're going to get them a playhouse set it up for both of them and once they're both in there leave them there. Do not separate them as they will get confused as to whose terriory it is.

I would say the humping and running will subside pretty soon as long as you don't separate them anymore from this point onwards.

JMO

Shiv

No don't seperate the buns if they are not fighting .... You sound like you are doing really well
I have a poppy shed that belongs to Fudge I'm worried if I put Furby in there he'll be cross as its his home...
I'm doing my bonding in the conservatory & I'll scrub Fudges shed out & move his toys around before I let them live in there together ..

If you let them go into the new playhouse together then seperate them at night you will just have to start back at the beginning each time you introduce them I think :?

I am bonding my two on Thursday and Im just going to keep them on neutral territory until I feel they are comfortable enough together then put them in their new hutch together which is also completely neutral. I know I will be scared when it comes to leaving them overnight together, but its going to have to happen at some point :lol:

Is the garden neutral? And how big is the garden? I might be wrong but I would have thought it easier to bond them in a smallish space, but with boxes or something so they can hide or get away from each other if they want to.

I think people on here have bonded by swapping accomodation, but I would have thought it would take longer that way.

If I am not certain at bed time that they wont fight I will be keeping them in the house and sleeping next to them. The only neutral territory in my house is the bathroom though so I can see myself sleeping in the bath :shock: :lol:

You really need to make sure you have enough time, I have 6 days but my work have said that if I need longer I can just call up to book some more holiday so I wont have to seperate them and start over again. And if you start pretty early in the morning it gives more time together and they might be ok by night time. I am starting at about 6 in the morning so that they do get the whole day together and hopefuly are alright with each other by the evening

Thank you, thank you! Have been waiting for some advice all day! They're both back in the kitchen at the min (OH is extremely unhappy though, as it's new and not bunny proof - as Carmel has demonstrated! :? ) I'll see if I can leave them there tonight. I think I'm just worried because in the kitchen and garden there is plenty room for Weetabix to run away, Carmel chases him for a while each time then just leaves him! There would be less room for him to get away in the playhouse (although an 8ft run will be attached).

When we've bonded rabbits, as long as they've been fine with no signs of aggression for a few hours, we've left them overnight with no trouble.

AMETHYST

Becky, thanks for your advice. My thoughts were the same with the garden being too big, they could just stay at either end and ignore each other! My OH isn't particularly interested in buns and does not understand the bonding process so is not being particularly supportive :roll: This means there is no way he will allow the buns in the bedroom! Plus with them both being outdoor buns I'd have to make the room cold, he's been complaining all day about how cold the kitchen is!! I am off work til Thursday and am devoting as much time as possible with them, you're very lucky with work giving you more time off if you need it, definitely couldn't do it with my job!!
One thing OH will do for me though is pick up the playhouse, so I'll be setting that up tomorrow and see how they go in their throughout the day.

Good luck

you're very lucky with work giving you more time off if you need it, definitely couldn't do it with my job!!

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It wasnt easy! I started going on about how you bond rabbits and my boss was just looking at me like im crazy. Im sure he only agreed to shut me up! And I mentioned about a million times how much overtime I work compared to everyone else and how I never get time off when I want it :lol:

If they haven been aggressive in the afternoon I would leave them in the playhouse overnight. I have set the new hutch and run up right under my bedroom window, so their first night alone together I will probably have my head out the window watching them all night :lol: :roll: