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Bonding Marnie and Declan

Ross

Warren Scout
hey :D

after months of them in play pens next to each other, where they quite often lay next to each other with the bars in-between them and, swapping them between there hutch's, finally time to start bonding my to rabbits!
done a few short sessions now, seems as if Marnie will end up being the dominant rabbit!

just watched a video on youtube giving me some tips I didn't know about

humping is fine? as long as it not a head hump
biting is normal as long as its not like a hunch fight
use scare tactics on them at the start to make them seek comfort in each other
start in a small environment, washing basket
and so just let them do what they want and not intervene, unless it gets dangerous,
and to just scatter a lot of food around the bonding area,

feel bad as I've stopped a fair amount of humping, and turns out I shouldn't :/
but now I've seen this video I'm quite looking forward to tomorrows session!
I'm feeling a bit more prepared :D
any other tips you guys have for me please? would be very grateful!

I cant wait for them to be able to hang out and cuddle together :D



P.S don't know if this will help anybody else but this is the most helpful video I found - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmaH-d1LOxc
 
hey guys! is running after each other and nipping each others bums normal / okay??
and they try to plop the heads under each other, mainly Marnie under Declan

got a few pics ill upload tomorrow, (hopeing that you guys will say it looks okay aha)
 




















ive increased the size of the pen, then as I'm righting this Declan licked Marnies head!
all seems to be going even better today! :D
 
Day 4, We set up the pen in the living room (where they both run around separately when they come out for there run)
and Declan was a bit of a pain in the bum, quickly read the internet saying I shouldn't put them there for a while, so we quickly moved them back to the kitchen, where the previous bonding was happening, and there back to how it was yesterday, quite boring both doing there own thing but interacting nicely with good signs when they do.

any ideas on my next steps and when to do it please?

also what does bum nipping mean lol? Declan did it a lot with chasing whilst in the living room
 
they seems fine in the full sized pen, he just cleaned her again :)

but yesterday weren't brilliant in the full sized in the living room, which we independently let them run around normally,

any idea on my next steps please? and when to do it?? :D...

also ive noticed that since we started bonding the seem abit down when in the hutchs alone... is this anything to do with there bonding?
 
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They may be "down" because they want to be together, all the time! So, instead of small dates leave them permanently together, and I would give them lots of hay in a litter tray so they can munch together. The males quite often groom the females but I don't think it means the females are the dominant ones. If it does it means I have a load of wimps in my garden :lol:
 
aww bless them! how many do you have? :D

marnie is constantly humping tho haha!!
okay ill try them together in one of there hutchs today? :D
I guess months of prebonding has really simplified bonding them :D
 
Nearly 50! They keep me very busy :thumb: It's best imo if the girl can get away during this phase then the male gets fed up.
 
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