Bella and Tarquin have been living separately but close to each other since their bonding didn’t work out. They both seem very happy and there’s no aggression towards each other through their cages - they quite often sniff noses through the bars. They were having shifts out of their cages where the one that was out had access to the whole of upstairs while the other was in their cage, and I’d keep swapping them. This has worked OK, though I was worried that it meant they only got half the time out that I’d really have liked, so if there were six hours between me getting home and going to bed then they’d get three hours each (plus half an hour each in the morning). On a Saturday they're usually out for 12 hours and Sunday slightly less. I’ve now split the upstairs using some of the Zooplus pen sections I’ve got, so there are now two areas – my bedroom and a small part of the landing, and their room, bathroom and most of the landing. It now means that when I’m in they can both be out the whole time, and taking it in turns in each area. They’ve obviously not got the same amount of space they had, but I think the fact they’re both out of their cages a lot longer is better, and the two areas give plenty of room for running around and getting up to mischief :roll:
Since their bonding didn’t work out they accidentally met once when I left Bella’s cage open when T was out and they locked onto each other and had to be separated :shock: – this was around last October I think. Since then I haven’t attempted them together (I’m too scared), and I'm not brave enough to do a proper bonding, but wonder what would happen if they were to meet away from the room that has their cages in (which is where they got hold of each other).
I’m very happy with them the way they are now – particularly now they can both be out at the same time – and if they have to stay like this the rest of their lives then I’m fine with that. But I just wonder whether I should give it one last shot, and whether the fact that the upstairs is a shared area and they are both aware of each other and seem happy enough to be close to each other, would make it easier or worse as I don’t know if they both class it is their territory, even though they can smell the other. I think it would be impossible to completely remove all trace of both of them if I needed to do that before starting as they have been into every nook and cranny of upstairs, Bella has climbed wherever she can get to, and T is so tiny he can get into the smallest areas.
When only one was out at a time the end or front of their cage was kept open so that they could always go back to their cage if they wanted. Now because they’re both out I’ve been opening both cages and have found that when Bella is out and in that side she’s loving spending time in T’s cage, and when T is in that side he settles himself into Bella’s cage and rearranges it like he does in his own cage. Should I be letting them do this, regardless of any attempt at bonding? Or should I keep Bella’s cage closed when she’s in the other area and vice versa? I think both of them think the other must have something nice that they don’t have as whenever I’ve gone in they’ve been in each other’s cages tucking into each other’s hay :roll: Neither of them seem upset when they go back in their own cage and must be aware that the other has been in it. This morning when I was trying to get T back into his cage he slipped past me and jumped straight into Bella's cage :shock: (my own fault - I should have shut her cage before letting him back into that side) - where she was sat. I got him out very fast, but not before she'd hopped over to find out what was going on - obviously there wasn't time for anything to start but though she seemed surprised to see him there wasn't any sign of trouble, though of course I wasn't going to leave him in there to find out, particularly as she can be territorial in her cage.
Any ideas or suggestions? Or should I keep things as they are, which works well.
Just to add (sorry I've gone on :roll that though I'm not an expert, I personally think that their bonding failed because it was too soon after Bella's spay and T's neuter. They were done within a week of each other I think and then it was about four weeks before Sooz did her best to get them to like each other. Bella had been a very territorial, aggressive rabbit before her spay, and is still territorial in her cage and a very feisty girlie. I don't know if this may be why it didn't work. She has calmed down a lot (she's a year old around the beginning of March) but both of them are quite strong-willed and determined.
Since their bonding didn’t work out they accidentally met once when I left Bella’s cage open when T was out and they locked onto each other and had to be separated :shock: – this was around last October I think. Since then I haven’t attempted them together (I’m too scared), and I'm not brave enough to do a proper bonding, but wonder what would happen if they were to meet away from the room that has their cages in (which is where they got hold of each other).
I’m very happy with them the way they are now – particularly now they can both be out at the same time – and if they have to stay like this the rest of their lives then I’m fine with that. But I just wonder whether I should give it one last shot, and whether the fact that the upstairs is a shared area and they are both aware of each other and seem happy enough to be close to each other, would make it easier or worse as I don’t know if they both class it is their territory, even though they can smell the other. I think it would be impossible to completely remove all trace of both of them if I needed to do that before starting as they have been into every nook and cranny of upstairs, Bella has climbed wherever she can get to, and T is so tiny he can get into the smallest areas.
When only one was out at a time the end or front of their cage was kept open so that they could always go back to their cage if they wanted. Now because they’re both out I’ve been opening both cages and have found that when Bella is out and in that side she’s loving spending time in T’s cage, and when T is in that side he settles himself into Bella’s cage and rearranges it like he does in his own cage. Should I be letting them do this, regardless of any attempt at bonding? Or should I keep Bella’s cage closed when she’s in the other area and vice versa? I think both of them think the other must have something nice that they don’t have as whenever I’ve gone in they’ve been in each other’s cages tucking into each other’s hay :roll: Neither of them seem upset when they go back in their own cage and must be aware that the other has been in it. This morning when I was trying to get T back into his cage he slipped past me and jumped straight into Bella's cage :shock: (my own fault - I should have shut her cage before letting him back into that side) - where she was sat. I got him out very fast, but not before she'd hopped over to find out what was going on - obviously there wasn't time for anything to start but though she seemed surprised to see him there wasn't any sign of trouble, though of course I wasn't going to leave him in there to find out, particularly as she can be territorial in her cage.
Any ideas or suggestions? Or should I keep things as they are, which works well.
Just to add (sorry I've gone on :roll
that though I'm not an expert, I personally think that their bonding failed because it was too soon after Bella's spay and T's neuter. They were done within a week of each other I think and then it was about four weeks before Sooz did her best to get them to like each other. Bella had been a very territorial, aggressive rabbit before her spay, and is still territorial in her cage and a very feisty girlie. I don't know if this may be why it didn't work. She has calmed down a lot (she's a year old around the beginning of March) but both of them are quite strong-willed and determined.