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Bella and Tarquin have moved in together :) - moving in pics pg 4
- Thread starter Becca6
- Start date
Because there are so few photos of them together it's easy to think they're about the same size, and sometimes he can look bigger because of it being a closer shot.
I've been to M&S and bought some honey and some apple sauce to try and get Bell to groom him. If that doesn't work I'll go and buy some jam tomorrow. Only the best for my buns :lol: :lol: And of course I can eat it too
:lol::lol: I used banana once but he still wouldn't groom her she just ended up with a greasy head for ages I couldn't get it all off.
It's early days and it may be that she's just not going to groom him, just do things at your pace less stressful for you then
I went 2 months before I'd leave them in the one pen, I'm a wuss. :lol:
Wispa & Zola
Mama Doe
i put honey on wispa and her hair fell out :shock:
:lol::lol: I used banana once but he still wouldn't groom her she just ended up with a greasy head for ages I couldn't get it all off.
It's early days and it may be that she's just not going to groom him, just do things at your pace less stressful for you then
I went 2 months before I'd leave them in the one pen, I'm a wuss. :lol:
Phew - this is exhausting. They're both back in their own cages and I'm having an early night.
I think it'll be months before I'll be brave enough to leave them on their own for more than a few minutes. I've got visions of me sitting on the landing floor for ages - not the most comfortable place :lol:
More progress made this evening. T has now humped Bell five times - from all angles - with no reaction from her. I thought I saw her groom him but it was over so fast I was doubting what I saw. But just before they went to bed she definitely did - not for long, and I'm sure it was the apple sauce she was licking off but it's a start.
I've tried to wash off the rest of it, but T wasn't happy so I stopped - didn't want to stress him.Progress
This morning when I let them have half an hour together they went straight to each other like long lost friends and T started grooming Bell. They've now started liking to sit near to each other, though not touching. There's a cat scratching post on the landing that has a blanket over the top as Ollie used to like to go and hide in it (now that there are bunnies thundering around he tends to sit on the platform instead out of the way :lol, and one of them will go and sit under there and the other will follow and they just sit there together. It panicked me the first few times because it meant I couldn't see what they were doing, but I'm worrying less now. It does appear as though they may be "liking" each other, though I'm not sure yet whether they'll fall in love. But I can live with "like".
Last night they were taking it in turns to sit in the hay box while the other sat or lay in front or to the side. After the one in the box finished munching there would be some grooming, before they went their separate ways for a while.
I'm actually starting to believe that this may work, though I think I'm a long way from being able to feel happy about leaving them together on their own.
It's pretty exhausting spending the evening sitting on the landing though :roll: I think I may need to get a cushion if I'm going to be spending the next few weeks there :shock: It'll be all worth it in the end though if I have two loved up bunnies
This morning when I let them have half an hour together they went straight to each other like long lost friends and T started grooming Bell. They've now started liking to sit near to each other, though not touching. There's a cat scratching post on the landing that has a blanket over the top as Ollie used to like to go and hide in it (now that there are bunnies thundering around he tends to sit on the platform instead out of the way :lol
, and one of them will go and sit under there and the other will follow and they just sit there together. It panicked me the first few times because it meant I couldn't see what they were doing, but I'm worrying less now. It does appear as though they may be "liking" each other, though I'm not sure yet whether they'll fall in love. But I can live with "like".Last night they were taking it in turns to sit in the hay box while the other sat or lay in front or to the side. After the one in the box finished munching there would be some grooming, before they went their separate ways for a while.
I'm actually starting to believe that this may work, though I think I'm a long way from being able to feel happy about leaving them together on their own.
It's pretty exhausting spending the evening sitting on the landing though :roll: I think I may need to get a cushion if I'm going to be spending the next few weeks there :shock: It'll be all worth it in the end though if I have two loved up bunnies
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Ah glad it's going well.
Did they actually injure each other before? I was wondering if you're being a bit over cautious?
If they were mine I'd start bonding them on a saturday morning, if they hadn't hurt each other by the evening I'd leave them over night, and then together permenantly.
Did they actually injure each other before? I was wondering if you're being a bit over cautious?
If they were mine I'd start bonding them on a saturday morning, if they hadn't hurt each other by the evening I'd leave them over night, and then together permenantly.
Yes, they did injure each other. They locked onto each other and were rolling round like a cartoon character. It's made me very very nervous and I'm not happy about leaving them together on their own until I've spent a lot of hours with them without trouble. They've now been living side by side for five months having access to the same areas and Bella has calmed down since her spay, which was done I think two or three weeks before the original attempt at bonding. I don't feel at the moment that separating them and then putting them together is going backwards as within a few minutes of being back in each other's company they've settled down into a routine. I'm very wary as I think the trouble started last time when the humping began, which T started doing last night for the first time since I started this last weekend.
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babybunnies3
Alpha Buck
Sounds like its going well, even though I'm a bonding wimp!!!
Treacle is the one that grooms Dumpling, I think Dumpling believes grooming somebun else is beneath her! :roll: So even if Bell doesn't groom Mr T I believe it could still work.
Treacle is the one that grooms Dumpling, I think Dumpling believes grooming somebun else is beneath her! :roll: So even if Bell doesn't groom Mr T I believe it could still work.
Sounds like its going well, even though I'm a bonding wimp!!!
Treacle is the one that grooms Dumpling, I think Dumpling believes grooming somebun else is beneath her! :roll: So even if Bell doesn't groom Mr T I believe it could still work.
I wonder if it's a girlie thing :lol: :lol: :lol: Poor little boy. He grooms and grooms her and then sits back and waits for her to groom him and she doesn't, and then she nudges him under his head to make him groom her again.
Hi Becca
I sounds like it's going great
More experienced bonders probably would feel comfortable leaving them to get on with it now they are getting on well but it's still ok to take it at a slower pace, I've been on the bad end of a bonding session too so totally understand your worries.
You'll probably find you'll start leaving them for seconds while you nip somewhere like the loo, then you'll make a cup of tea etc..
My Millie is definately the boss bun but she grooms Jack a lot more than he grooms her, he just gives a few token licks
I think if darling T is lucky, a few licks is all he's going to get :lol: :lol: :lol: She's a right madam! :roll:
You're right about the straining ears. Yesterday I nipped into the bedroom to charge my phone and my ears were out on stalks listening for anything kicking off.
Bella and T have now been spending around 40 minutes together every morning, and about three hours every evening. I am absolutely terrified of leaving them overnight but I know that at some point I am going to have to as I can’t spend the rest of their lives sitting on the landing with them! :roll:
They both seem comfortable around each other, T grooms Bell a lot and Bell has groomed T about five times for very short periods. T doesn’t look too comfortable with her doing it, even though all week I’ve felt he was desperate for her to groom him. I’m not sure she likes grooming him much and don’t know if she did it yesterday (three times) because there was still some apple sauce on his head. It’s now all gone, and this may be why he didn’t look too comfortable if she was tugging to get it out! I’m not putting anything else on so I can see if she will groom him without, and whether he looks any happier while she’s doing it.
They follow each other round quite a bit, and there’s a little bit of one nuzzling the other’s bum and then both jumping and moving away, and then coming together for more grooming. They’re sitting close to each other quite contentedly. There hasn’t been any scuffling apart from one day in the bedroom where a bit of fur was flying but it was over in seconds. I have restricted access to the bedroom as I think as it is the room they have had most time in separately, other than their own cages, it may be the place where trouble might start. If and when I feel able to put them together full time I will thoroughly tidy and hoover the bedroom and give them new boxes to play in and destroy so that hopefully it will remove some of the “ownership” of the room. Likewise I have to sort the bunny room out and neutralise their cages before I would be happy to leave them in there alone. I can’t move the cages round, but they will be sharing the two cages so I will be rearranging the layout of them both.
I suppose what I want is reassurance that leaving them together overnight wouldn’t be a disaster, and no-one is going to be able to give me that. I suppose I could have them out together all day tomorrow and not sit with them – I could stay in the bedroom where I would hear if anything happened – and then if all went well after 12+ hours together just leave them to it and see what happens. I’m still very confused about it all as I never thought we would get to this – I was content just to have them OK to spend time with each other without all hell breaking loose.
Do you think my plan is sensible?
They both seem comfortable around each other, T grooms Bell a lot and Bell has groomed T about five times for very short periods. T doesn’t look too comfortable with her doing it, even though all week I’ve felt he was desperate for her to groom him. I’m not sure she likes grooming him much and don’t know if she did it yesterday (three times) because there was still some apple sauce on his head. It’s now all gone, and this may be why he didn’t look too comfortable if she was tugging to get it out! I’m not putting anything else on so I can see if she will groom him without, and whether he looks any happier while she’s doing it.
They follow each other round quite a bit, and there’s a little bit of one nuzzling the other’s bum and then both jumping and moving away, and then coming together for more grooming. They’re sitting close to each other quite contentedly. There hasn’t been any scuffling apart from one day in the bedroom where a bit of fur was flying but it was over in seconds. I have restricted access to the bedroom as I think as it is the room they have had most time in separately, other than their own cages, it may be the place where trouble might start. If and when I feel able to put them together full time I will thoroughly tidy and hoover the bedroom and give them new boxes to play in and destroy so that hopefully it will remove some of the “ownership” of the room. Likewise I have to sort the bunny room out and neutralise their cages before I would be happy to leave them in there alone. I can’t move the cages round, but they will be sharing the two cages so I will be rearranging the layout of them both.
I suppose what I want is reassurance that leaving them together overnight wouldn’t be a disaster, and no-one is going to be able to give me that. I suppose I could have them out together all day tomorrow and not sit with them – I could stay in the bedroom where I would hear if anything happened – and then if all went well after 12+ hours together just leave them to it and see what happens. I’m still very confused about it all as I never thought we would get to this – I was content just to have them OK to spend time with each other without all hell breaking loose.
Do you think my plan is sensible?
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Hi Becca
It's going really great isn't it
Do you think your buns are bonded really but it's you that's more worried about leaving them in case your reading it wrong?
I'd say don't rush it until you feel ok about it the more you see them together the more relaxed about it you'll feel and it will be a natural thing for them to share living arrangements.
When mine got to the stage where they were together all the time when I was home (unsupervised) I let them start spending the nights together, I'd have both bedroom doors open and be listening all night in case they kicked off but I still separated them in the day whilst I was at work just in case.
I realise it's not the best way to bond and I dragged it out (a lot :lol
but after my bad experience I just had to go at my slow pace :roll:Good Luck whatever you decide.
Hi Becca
It's going really great isn't it
Do you think your buns are bonded really but it's you that's more worried about leaving them in case your reading it wrong?
I'd say don't rush it until you feel ok about it the more you see them together the more relaxed about it you'll feel and it will be a natural thing for them to share living arrangements.
When mine got to the stage where they were together all the time when I was home (unsupervised) I let them start spending the nights together, I'd have both bedroom doors open and be listening all night in case they kicked off but I still separated them in the day whilst I was at work just in case.
I realise it's not the best way to bond and I dragged it out (a lot :lol
Good Luck whatever you decide.
that sounds like a good approach - but still I would thoroughly clean (yeah I know :roll: :lol
both bedroom and rabbit room, deodorise the carpets with some talc and vacuum it up - even a lick of paint on one wall will help destroy the familiarity that makes them territorial - maybe spend Saturday doing that, so you can leave them together Sat night and Sun, and see how it goes?Hi Becca
It's going really great isn't it
Do you think your buns are bonded really but it's you that's more worried about leaving them in case your reading it wrong?
I'd say don't rush it until you feel ok about it the more you see them together the more relaxed about it you'll feel and it will be a natural thing for them to share living arrangements.
When mine got to the stage where they were together all the time when I was home (unsupervised) I let them start spending the nights together, I'd have both bedroom doors open and be listening all night in case they kicked off but I still separated them in the day whilst I was at work just in case.
I realise it's not the best way to bond and I dragged it out (a lot :lol
Good Luck whatever you decide.
I think that's what I'm worried about. I don't have the confidence to really know if what I'm seeing is OK or not. Never having had a bonded pair of bunnies, or tried to bond them, I have absolutely no idea how to read what's going on. They seem happy and relaxed, but after having to separate them when they locked on I can't get that image out of my head. I wonder whether I'll ever feel truly confident about leaving them.
that sounds like a good approach - but still I would thoroughly clean (yeah I know :roll: :lol
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
They've Moved In!!!!
Bella and T are now living together I never ever thought it would happen and still can't quite believe it. I'm hoping that things stay calm - I've left them this morning feeling a bit apprehensive, but they've been together since 10.30 am on Saturday without any problems so I'm hoping everything will be OK.
They stayed on the landing from 10.30 am Saturday until about 1.15 pm yesterday, when they moved into their new joined up cages together. I left them for three hours yesterday while I went out and all was calm when I got back - they have quite a lot of space - more than they did as single bunnies - and they seem to be spending a lot of time together in the same bit, but also pottering about in different areas.
I thought feeding time would be a huge problem as Bella is very greedy, but things have been fine, though T hasn't had all his pellets this morning and I don't think he's getting much veg, but I think it's something they'll have to sort out between them. I've been able to hand-feed the rest to him so unless he starts eating them all in one go, he'll be getting most of his pellets in the evening. Both are eating tons of hay and pooing loads so I think they're feeling relaxed and happy.
I'm not sure that they love each other yet, but they certainly seem to like each other.
First feeding time together:
Finally - Bella has groomed T (though I've not seen her doing it again):
Not quite snuggling, but close (the landing is a right mess - they've scattered hay everywhere, :shock: but what the heck, it's only hay - it's easily cleaned up! :lol:
Nearly a snuggle:
Exploring our new home together:
Can she see us:
Bella and T are now living together
I never ever thought it would happen and still can't quite believe it. I'm hoping that things stay calm - I've left them this morning feeling a bit apprehensive, but they've been together since 10.30 am on Saturday without any problems so I'm hoping everything will be OK.They stayed on the landing from 10.30 am Saturday until about 1.15 pm yesterday, when they moved into their new joined up cages together. I left them for three hours yesterday while I went out and all was calm when I got back - they have quite a lot of space - more than they did as single bunnies - and they seem to be spending a lot of time together in the same bit, but also pottering about in different areas.
I thought feeding time would be a huge problem as Bella is very greedy, but things have been fine, though T hasn't had all his pellets this morning and I don't think he's getting much veg, but I think it's something they'll have to sort out between them. I've been able to hand-feed the rest to him so unless he starts eating them all in one go, he'll be getting most of his pellets in the evening. Both are eating tons of hay and pooing loads so I think they're feeling relaxed and happy.
I'm not sure that they love each other yet, but they certainly seem to like each other.
First feeding time together:
Finally - Bella has groomed T (though I've not seen her doing it again):
Not quite snuggling, but close (the landing is a right mess - they've scattered hay everywhere, :shock: but what the heck, it's only hay - it's easily cleaned up! :lol
:
Nearly a snuggle:
Exploring our new home together:
Can she see us:
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