whole lotta groomin' going on........

bluebunny said:

it took me about 2 months to bond claude and miffy and belive me i never thought they were going to get on i think it sounds as though your bonding is going, well claude and miffy used to fight,stamp there feet and chase grunting at each other
claude even pinned miffy down to the floor one day and made her scream

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Hi Marie, can you tell me how often and for how long you put claude and miffy together when you were bonding them.

Oh Marlene, I have to admit that I started to see the funny side of things too :lol: , and I then felt really dreadful as I know exactly what poor Jill is going through. :?
It is easy for me to take these things for granted as I do rabbit bonding all the time, but it is a very different kettle of fish when you have not done it much (if at all) before...I think we all need to work on giving Jill CONFIDENCE to have a go, the actual bonding bit the bunnies will sort out themselves!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Caz is right, rabbits pick up on your caution and that creates problems in itself, you jsut have to be brave and go for it....only intervene if really necessary.
Most people seem to give their rabbits ages to slowly bond(which is fine, there are no right ways or wrong ways, just what you feel comfortable with), but I just go straight for it, and it has only failed once in about 60 plus attempts with different bunnies.

Jill, you know Tamsin rabbit that we collected on Monday, well, she is already in a group with three other Does, I bonded them within a day...this is not down to my possessing magical skills :lol: but just being confident enough to go for it, and knowing when to intervene and when to leave alone.

I felt that Brody and Totti could be good buddies when they stayed here, just give them time and lots of space, and regular interaction.
PM if I can help further.
Love Adele XX

beck said:

bluebunny said:

it took me about 2 months to bond claude and miffy and belive me i never thought they were going to get on i think it sounds as though your bonding is going, well claude and miffy used to fight,stamp there feet and chase grunting at each other
claude even pinned miffy down to the floor one day and made her scream

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Hi Marie, can you tell me how often and for how long you put claude and miffy together when you were bonding them.

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I started off with 5 mins as soon as they started scuffling i spilt them up i did it everyday,i used the bathroom,even though after a month they were fine in the bathroom as soon as i put them in to room they shared (seperate cages) they would start fighting untill one day miffy groomed claude and they snuggled up so that night i put them in a cage together
and they have been together ever since!

Now they are bonded, although she is pint sized, she is the boss and he doesn't get away with much - she is devoted to him though and even gets jealous when I stroke him and tries to chase me off! When one goes in another room the other has to follow and they love snuggling up together. They still have disagreements though, usually over Zeus sucking up to me for a nose rub!

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ah. how fantastic.

good luck Jill and Beck with your bonding. must be really stressful living with the early days. i wish you all the best. sounds like it's really rewarding for you not just the buns at the end of it all though.

Adele said:

Tamsin rabbit that we collected on Monday, well, she is already in a group with three other Does, I bonded them within a day...this is not down to my possessing magical skills :lol: but just being confident enough to go for it, and knowing when to intervene and when to leave alone.

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Great news Adele!

When we bonded basil and rosemary it didnt take very long. We introduced them before basil was neutered, BIG mistake! He was mad and high for about two days!
After we got him neutered we introduced them by bringing rosemary into the lounge, where basil plays with us in the evenings. After basil tried humping her in any direction be it side, front or the correct way he soon calmed down. It took no more than two days for them to start grooming each other and about two weeks for him to stop humping her.
But now she is humping him, so will have to see how they are once she has been spayed :roll:
They didnt growl or fight during this time and they did get on straight away. they also live in seperate hutches.

Hi Chris

That is such a lovely photo......I have a big smile on my face because they look so delicious!! And I love their cute little paws...so neat!

Hi Marlene,

Thanks, thats about the only nice pic i have of both of them together and resting. All the others are where one of them is sniffing the other one, in all the wrong places :roll: :lol:

Caz said:

I took a risk trying to bond Zeus (a year old giant who had hadn't seen another bunny sice we had him and was totally besotted with humans) to Athena (an approx. two year old dwarf lop, just spayed, human hater who had been isolated beacause she was "vicious") but it was so worth it in the end just seeing them together now - they do say opposites attract !

Caz

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I was wondering if the stress of bonding is worth it, this seems to confirm it is.

Mornin' all.....Marlene and Adele - glad to see I'm the source of amusement for you :lol: :lol: :wink: perhaps one day I'll look back and see that it was funny too but not in this century!!!!
Adele - thats amazing that Tamsin is bonded so quickly.

Caz - I'm going to go back to bed and use positive affirmations to send meself to sleep so that when I get up I'll be confident and they won't pick up on any negative vibes. Thats the theory.............. Also they're both really snugglebuns and affectionate with me, Brodys' even taken to kissing me after her hols with Auntie Adele has cleared up her poo problem. I don't want them to lose their affection for me. Oops, how selfish is that

Beck - keep me posted on how yours is going.

Everyone - I must admit I keep doubting whether its worth it and then I see pics like Claude and Miffy and read the stories like Zeus and Athena.


Watch this space.

luvabun said:

Beck - keep me posted on how yours is going.

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Hi Jill,
Your bonding sounds like it's going ok!!
My boy wont move, he freezes in one spot and stays there! Blueberry eats, grooms and last night lay next to him for 15 mins.
He is a lot smaller than Blueberry, I think at the weekend when I've got more time I'll put them together for as long as poss, I'm hoping if I can do it outside he might move!
In my case bonding is boring!!....... watching her lay by him for 15 m and still no reaction.

Good luck today Jill!!!

Its 6.40 am and I've been bunny bonding for the past 45 mins and am chilled!!! And I haven't been on the gin!!!!! Initially Totti did his humping every which way bit, Brody chin down, accepting. Think its going OK. *toddles downstairs to check* *returns* Totts is flat out by the litter tray and Brody is sat up cleaning herself. They was much chasing at one stage then they went face to face loads of times. When they did that, Totti moved his head side to side. <gulp> so sweet. He then started eating a long piece of hay and she put her face to his. It reminded me of when you see a loved up couple eating a spaghetti strand. :lol: *hears noise so belts downstairs* Totti is no longer laid out and Brody is chin down in the corner. Will sign off, check on 'em and ask for advice later.

beck said:

luvabun said:

Beck - keep me posted on how yours is going.

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In my case bonding is boring!!....... watching her lay by him for 15 m and still no reaction.

Good luck today Jill!!!

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Morning Beck - I could handle boring. They seem to be OK then there's a lot of chasing going on then Brody mounted Totti. now calm has been restored again.

Question for the experts: should I risk them in the garden today? Then I have to leave for work at 1 pm. and will not be back until after midnight - do I leave them together or seperate them before I go to work? They spend last night in the other ones hutch.

Update: Brody was sat in the poo tray munching on hay and Totti was flat out besdie it. then they got up and were running round the kitchen (difficult on tiles) and Totti did a binky!!!! Quite comical as the towel slipped on the tiles. Now going to attack the ironing mountian where I can keep an eye on 'em.

Hiya Jill all sounds a lot more hopeful than yesterday, you are being very brave
I would allow them into the garden, but supervise them at this stage.
I suggest definately separating them before you go to work, as you really need a week or so of them being relaxed in each others company before you can truly say they are bonded!.
Once they begin mutually grooming one another, this is the best sign..sharing hay strands is perhaps a prelude to this. :lol: :lol: ..its going in the right direction, well done for having another go Jill :thumb:

Thanks Adele,

There's attempts at grooming each other - Totti has a wet patch of fur on his head where he's been licked. As soon as its light (and I've finished the ironing) I'll let them out in the garden.

luvabun said:

Thanks Adele,

There's attempts at grooming each other -

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Absolutely marvellous news Jill, that is the best sign yet that they will soon be LOVE (Luv?!!) bunnies :lol: :lol:

That sounds like it's coming along nicely - I am so glad they seem to be getting along better now!

Cross fingers for you.

Caz

Thanks guys. They've had an explore round the garden and I would describe it as following each other around, not chasing. They briefly hopped into the hutches and spent moments in there together then hopped out. It seems almost cruel that I've now seperated them and put them in their respective hutches. How do I know when to take it to the next step? Tottis' attempts at humping are now half hearted.

Sounds like things are going well Jill :thumb:

luvabun said:

Totti moved his head side to side

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Just a thought, but is Totti's eyesight a bit poorer than Brody's. That could be Totti trying to focus, and could also be one of the reasons there's fur flying.