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Bonding - mutual grooming - can they be let out to play together?

I

iiisecondcreep

Alpha Buck
We adopted a new bun (Philip) at the weekend for our existing bun (MJ) who lost his wifebun last month.

New bun came home on Sunday and they've been getting sessions in the bonding pen (2'x2'). We initially set the bonding pen up in the bathroom. Initially we had both of them requesting grooming, MJ obliged quite quickly but Philip didn't. Enthusiastic circling, lots of buzzing and some half hearted mounting from MJ.
They both have been pretty relaxed, grooming themselves whilst in the bonding pen, munching hay and laying down - inc numerous DBFs from MJ.
After that calmed down we moved the bonding pen to the living room and increased it to 2'x3'. Last night Philip gave MJ a few token licks but also started mounting and humping MJ. They were in together for a couple of hours last night (previously they'd had 30mins/1hr sessions). This evening they've been in together for about 1.5hrs so far, atm they're sitting together munching hay and we've had lots of grooming from both MJ and Philip, and a small amount of circling from MJ.

When they're not in the bonding pen we've let one out to free range while the other spends some time in the free rangers pen. At night and when we're at work they've been housed right next door to each other with a couple of inches between pens in case of any nipping.

My question is - is it safe to let them out to play together now?
 
Ideally no, not if they're not living together

Bonding rabbits are best started and carried on which is why people take time of work or do over a long weekend
They will get to the point where they are becoming confused as just as they settle and get on with being a couple you take one away and then to add insult to injury you let one out to free range while the other sits there.
Stop until the weekend
Clear everything from your calendar from Friday night until Sunday night and then start again without spliting them up,it all sounds really good at the moment.
Then next week they can spend the whole week together in the bonding pen until the Friday night when you can start to increase the area of it slowly until you can then let them out to free range fully.
Bonding isn't a quick process and can go wrong, very wrong if rushed.
 
Is Philip neutered? I agree with the previous post and as you have brought a boy home instead of a girl, it may be more difficult to get they bonded!
 
Thanks for your replies,

yes Philip is neutered, it was not our intention to get a another boy however he is here now, and having recently read a post on here from someone who found bonding boys easier I am not going to worry too much about it. The rescue was also confident based on the initial introduction done at the rescue that the bond would ultimately be successful.

We'll restart things on friday and keep our fingers crossed. Glad to hear it sounds like its going well, when we adopted MJ it was love at first sight with his wife bun so we've really no experience of bonding. I have been reading up as much as possible but most guides are general so its good to get feedback on our situation specifically.
They won't be free ranging permanently, they'll be living in a pen with free range time when we're in.
 
so update, the boys have been together in the bonding pen since Friday at about 6pm. Apart from one short chase on friday shortly after they were put together everything has been pretty quiet. Lost of mutual grooming and I've even caught them lying next to each other (though if you get close one or both always gets up).

How much as advisable to extend the bonding pen by on friday?

Thanks
 
I don't bond this way so can't advise you, I give mine a lot of space. Just use your imagination, and hope it is a success.
 
It sounds like they are doing really well. It will be a week tomorrow. Really only your instincts can tell you what to do re; increasing the space.

I found that my quad were happy to move out of my bedroom (large pen about six foot by four foot) into their shed (same sized pen for a night) after two weeks (I was extra cautious as the boys had fought very badly in the past). I increased to full shed and run the next day with no issues.

One thing I would say is when you do move them into their (neutralised) home, keep the dirty litter trays so that they wont have to reclaim them.

Best of luck.
 
Ok so I increased their space on Thursday, they're now in the pen that will be their base when we're not in. They seem much happier and more relaxed, every time i peer in they're lying together. They also had their first vet trip together this morning as MJ is EC positive so they're both getting 28 days of panacur as advised by d1ck vet, so we had to take Philip in to get the prescription as he obviously is a new patient to my vet.
 
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