Anyone experienced in bonding pairs? :) Pictures included!

I have two bunnies. One neutered male, just over 2 years old called Barney. He's my handsome Dutch boy. And I have a pretty lionhead spayed female, called Amber. They're allowed the run of the hallway for a while every day together. This time has gradually been getting longer. They always seem pleased to see one another, and for the first half hour they're bounding around together. They also binky to one another, which is very funny to watch. Especially the mid-air collision that occurred once.

There's no humping. Barney tried this at first, but Amber's very, very fast. And she can twist out of corners on her tail I'm sure. So I think Barney has pretty much given up trying that - Amber has never even shown any attempt at humping Barney. Usually they hop around either side by side, or one after the other.

As for grooming, I've seen them perhaps giving the occasional lick in passing. But the proper grooming only ever takes place if I'm sat with them. If I sit and cuddle Barney, Amber comes over and gets nosy. She often s tarts by licking my hand, and then moves onto licking Barney's ears. Barney enjoys this - I move my hand away and praise them - and leans into her. Then she stops, and presents her head for him to lick her. Usually, Barney just sits up and turns to lick me instead. So I've started moving away entirely - I'm worrying I'm getting in the way.

There's been only one incident of fur pulling. Barney usually looks as if he's trying to nip at Amber's belly, or the side of her face. Usually, she thumps as him and then binkies away - not just runs, actually binkies - and then comes back to him.

If one flops, the other goes over and sits beside them.

I'm just wondering... Is the fact Amber grooms Barney, but Barney won't groom Amber some way of establishing him as the boss?

Piccies!



More concerned with the food.



Team work over entering a 'forbidden' room...



Flop!



Ignore the chubby pale arm. I had to stroke them to keep them still for the photo.

It's looking good :-] I'm not sure but I thought if you seperate buns and then put them back together again then you start from the beginning? I've just bonded three of mine and I put them in a neutral room together and they bonded quite quickly. There was a lot of chasing for the first two days, but no serious fighting, and then they calmed down and were approaching each other, now they all like snuggling up

Do you have a neutral room/area you can put them in to bond them? They look like they quite like each other anyway I'm not exactly experienced though, only bonded once, but that's what I've heard. Someone with more experience should come along soon anyhow

i bonded domino and pebbles and most of the time she groomed him, and then put her head under his and waited and he just groomed himself! selfish bunny lol! i think it is a dominance thing, now they have been together almost two weeks they groom each other, but at first domino got all the attention! x

I've never quite agreed with the belief each meeting is like starting from scatch... In their hutches, they're facing one another, and in their outdoor runs they're side by side. I just can't imagine they're not intelligent enough not to recognise one another from all of that.

My mum and I keep joking that Barney is selfish and doesn't know how to behave around female bunnies.