• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

When to give up on a bonding?

Azraelm

Wise Old Thumper
What behaviour would you experienced bonders say suggests it is time to give up on a bonding, apart from the obvious injuries/drawing blood?

I know some rescues try several pairings before finding the 'perfect' match. What suggests the others wouldn't have worked given time?

Thanks.
 
i don't believe in pushing 2 bunnies together...
if the first signs are not good..such as immediate fighting...I give up and offer a different partner
Must stress by fighting I do not mean a bit of chasing, humping and fur pulling..I mean real rolling round fighting:shock:

I also think some people give up too easily..such as if there is a bit of fur pulling stop straight away...

Rabbits do have their own taste in partners and i know some people say you can bond any two rabbits with time..but I think there is a big difference between 2 animals who tolerate sharing the same space with each other to 2 who are truly bonded and groom each other etc.

Are you thinking Audrey??:D
 
i don't believe in pushing 2 bunnies together...
if the first signs are not good..such as immediate fighting...I give up and offer a different partner
Must stress by fighting I do not mean a bit of chasing, humping and fur pulling..I mean real rolling round fighting:shock:

I also think some people give up too easily..such as if there is a bit of fur pulling stop straight away...

Rabbits do have their own taste in partners and i know some people say you can bond any two rabbits with time..but I think there is a big difference between 2 animals who tolerate sharing the same space with each other to 2 who are truly bonded and groom each other etc.

Are you thinking Audrey??:D

I agree with Jill!!

I am also the worlds biggest wuss when it comes to bonding :oops:

I dont think Buns should be forced to accept a particular 'friend' if they really dont want to.

Janex :)
 
well im lucky today becuse my 2 have decided to like each other

but i gave up before when they flew at each other and just seamed to hate the other one im still not sure if i should leave this 2 together or not as they are still having moments of flying at each other but then they will settle down and cuddle up and ive senn bailey groming snow
 
I'm a much bigger wuss than Jane! Haven't bonded any bunnies in 2 years :oops:

I think it's a different situation for a rescue than it is for a normal bunny owner - we can't keep adopting new bunnies until our singletons are all happily paired with their ideal mate - and returning a rabbit to rescue because it doesn't get on with your other rabbit seems somehow very sad to me :( My 2 singles are happy from all appearances, living as neighbours, so that's the way they will stay.
 
I am pretty close to giving up on my two :( Its just taking forever and I really dont think they hate each other they just both want to be in charge :roll: :lol: They will lay down together and groom a bit then chase for a while, I know thats normal but its just going on and on :lol: And they are not ready to be put outside into Buu's territory yet while they are still arguing over which one will be dominant. I cant really keep them in neutral territory any longer than I already have because its hard getting time off work and I have pretty much run out of neutral territory now and have no one to help me :cry:
 
I have only bonded two pairs so I'm no expert. However at night I put both bunnies in a box in my bedroom, left the light on and snoozed away. Come morning, they hadn't attempted to get out of the box and appeared to be more snuggly, I continued with this method for approx 3-4 nights and both pairs are well loved up.
 
I'm a much bigger wuss than Jane! Haven't bonded any bunnies in 2 years :oops:

I think it's a different situation for a rescue than it is for a normal bunny owner - we can't keep adopting new bunnies until our singletons are all happily paired with their ideal mate - and returning a rabbit to rescue because it doesn't get on with your other rabbit seems somehow very sad to me :( My 2 singles are happy from all appearances, living as neighbours, so that's the way they will stay.

thats exactly how we ended up with Gus and Lola living the way they do. Initial pairing at the rescue seemed good and they got on great all the way home. As soon as we got back, Lola wanted to be boss and Gus wouldnt back down. Lola is twice the size of Gus and frankly terrifies him when she's that way out. She has injured him but we didnt ever consider taking her back. They get on great living as neighbours and we do put them together and she will groom him, but usually after an hour or so she gets stroppy. As for Gus, all previous attempts at bonding (including bridge bun Betty) were disastrous and even the vet reckons he likes being an almost single bunny.

I just seem cursed with antisocial bunnies, Zeb is turning out just like Gus. He hates other bunnies with a passion and will leap out of his pen to attack them if one passes through the living room. I'm hoping he might calm with age as Gus seems to have done so. If i ever do risk bonding him (perhaps trying him with Frida) i'm going to beg someone else to do it as I cant bear the stress :(
 
I would say when they actually 'lock on' to each other with kicks aimed at the head and lots of vocal growling BUT I have never had this happen to me yet, nor have I yet had to give up on a bond (touch wood). The longest was Muffin and Dillon as they took ages to settle into each others company but after day 1 there was no aggression on either side.

The hardest was Pippa and Bobby who took nearly 3 weeks to stop nipping each other (well Bobby tried but he has no teeth :roll: so kicked her instead) but they never locked on or drew blood and are happy together now.
 
If there's a proper serious fight, I give up. I've also separated before after a bun was losing fur daily, & was getting quiet & I suspected bullying.

That said - the only serious fight I have seen was on introduction of Smirnoff & Chocolate. Although they locked onto each other & rolled about, they got away with just stratches, but I didn't try them again for more than a year. It was my first attempt to bond either of them, & it was a year later after they were already bonded to others, that they accepted each other without problems (if they had fought again, I wouldn't have tried again).

I think it was more a other-bun problem with them, than an actual hatred of each other.

Pairings have always been harder to me that group bondings. :lol:
 
I would say when they actually 'lock on' to each other with kicks aimed at the head and lots of vocal growling BUT I have never had this happen to me yet, .

I must have been unlucky then as this is what my first attempt at bonding turned out like, after just 10 minutes :shock:
 
I must have been unlucky then as this is what my first attempt at bonding turned out like, after just 10 minutes :shock:

Blimey :shock: I have lost count of how many bondings I have done and Ive never seen it once. Maybe im just lucky :oops:
 
i bonded Pippa in with roger and dave almost immediatley I kept waiting for something to kick off but touch wood, nothing ever did.

Different story when rebonding Blue and Billy, but I find the smaller the space the better, a pet carrier is ideal as they snuggle up together. I always find the more space they have to run, the more chance of chasing and the more chance of a fight.
 
I think it depends on your situation.
In rescues they don't necessarily havthe time to spend hours and hours or days even bonding, so its much eaiser (if you can do it) to try a few rabbits and find ones that get on quite quickly and easily - if it looks like there's going to be a big fight for dominance then better to find another rabbit that is more laid back ot whatever.
I think when you are bonding rabbits that you already own then its a different case and if they aren't immendiately getting on then you are likely to put more time and effort into trying to make it work, since you may end up with singletons otherwise or so on.
Serious injury - I would obviously draw the line there.
Other than that I'm not really sure :?
I've bonded quite a few - pairs, threes and fours and I haven't had one fail (yet!). But there was a lot of variation in preogress. Most of them were straight forward and took between minutes (love at first sight!) to a few hours to setlle down together. The most difficult ones I had took a good couple of weeks and started with some quite serious fur flying, tumbling ructions. But they were the first ones I bonded, so could be down to my inexperience.
 
I would say when they actually 'lock on' to each other with kicks aimed at the head and lots of vocal growling BUT I have never had this happen to me yet, nor have I yet had to give up on a bond (touch wood).

That was Gus & Lola - really frightening for me & for both of them - they kind of roll sideways on the floor trying to rip each other to shreds (or so it seems). I knew it was time to give up when she tried to make him transexual-Gus and thankfully missed his bits by about 1cm. He still needed 7 stitches though. Despite that he does seem to love her but they are definitely better off being seperated when we are out especially if food is involved.
 
The hardest was Pippa and Bobby who took nearly 3 weeks to stop nipping each other (well Bobby tried but he has no teeth :roll: so kicked her instead) but they never locked on or drew blood and are happy together now.

Thats made me feel so much better :D Maybe I wont give up on my two yet as they are only nipping, I think they could go on nipping each other for weeks and weeks before settling down :roll: :lol: Its just finding the time to supervise them, I cant leave them alone while they are nipping incase a real fight breaks out and the only neutral territory I have left is my mums room and I dont think she will be two happy having them in there for 3 weeks or so :lol: So I just need to find some time and a neutral place they can stay in longer than a week :lol:
 
Back
Top