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Varying bonding advice, what’s best please?

Bigbunnybella

Young Bun
so, the story so far is Bella and Jonny are side by side and have been for a few weeks now. I believe it’s 3 weeks since her jabs. They sit next to each other and interact through the bars. Never does anything look at all aggressive.
I thought originally I had to spay her first but have since been told I can start trying to bond them now as long as he goes to the vets with her on spay day.
I know I need a separate area. I could just fence off a third pen in the shed they live in? I have read about sitting it out with them for a full day. This isn’t really at all possible as I work 7 days a week and have plenty of other animals who need time and looking after.
One site I looked at said keep the bonding area clear, others say provide hiding places.
One says it’s ok to introduce daily for a supervised time, for me this is the easier preferable way. Is that ok?
My other worry is Jonny is very nervous of human contact and I think me sitting with them in a tiny space will be a bit much for him. Do I need to be actually in with them? (He may be ok, I do of course go in several times a day with him to clean/feed etc, but he hides away)

Any ideas or observations would be fab thanks!
 
Everyone utilises their own approach to bonding as to what is easier for them, you need to work with what is best for you and your rabbits. Putting the buns together and then taking apart can mean they have to relearn the trust every time you reintroduce them. However you can only do what you are able with the time constraints. You certainly will need to be around initially to stop any fights.
Have you watched any of the bonding videos linked in the previous few posts?
 
Thanks!
So that link implies that it is important to spay first before trying.
If I put them together then take them apart they will still be directly alongside, would that be ok?
I will start pen making. If I put anything in it and I’m there Jon will just hide so maybe I can just alter that part?
I’ll go look for videos, thanks for the replies
 
If you have 3 hours in which you can monitor them by the end of 3 hours you will have a reasonable idea how things are. The most important thing is if there is no fighting then they are going to bond eventually but if they fight straightaway then you will need to take things much slower. The problem with the slower bond is as the female gets older she will become more territorial and therefore more difficult to bond. At the moment. while she is still young, she won't be aggressive towards the male which makes it easier to bond them.
 
That’s what I was worried about, she’s also going to be bigger than him.

So, rightly or wrongly I had a bit of time this afternoon. Made pen 3 and put a few piles of grass in then popped them both in.
Literally may as well have been together forever. She ate, they sat side by side, he was nuzzling into her and she started washing his face. (You almost saw him melt in bliss 😂)
No chasing, humping, aggression of any sort. They were just fine.
I felt like I could have just left them together safely but didn’t as I had to go back to work.
I wondered about doing this again a few times to be sure then plan is to make the 3 pens into one. Mixing up all their stuff so there’s no my side, his side.
I’m really pleased with how it went but is it premature relief?
 
Sometimes when we are lucky two Rabbits just like one another from the start. This is obviously the case and I would keep them together the next time otherwise they can get confused.
 
Thankyou. So tomorrow I again have a bit of time, I’m here from 11-3 so I could do that then. My husband is here after 3 to keep bit of an eye on things. I think he’s been so lonely and she’s used to other rabbits so maybe it’s easier for me.
 
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