Declan and Young Stanley

Hey all!

So its finally time for Declan (age 4 and a half) to be bonded with Stanley (6 months ish).
Stanley has been done, roughly 5 weeks ago, and we have been swapping their living spaces and toys over to get them use to each others smells. We have had them in a small pen separated but next to each other a few times, and they seem okay near each other.

They met in their joint pen, for a few mins, nothing outrageous happened, slight stamp then I remembered it needed to be a neutral area so ended it. The other two dates have been upstairs in the spare room.

1st upstairs date, after a bit of what's going on and exploration, some humping and nipping happened. Stanley humped Declan, Declan let the humping happen rather unfazed, Declan is very laid back in life as well as quite anxious. Declan nipped Stan a bit but not really hard or authoratively.

2nd date, no humping, didn't seem too fazed by each other. Stanley ate the majority of watercress we put in there at the start (Next time we will wait till Declan is settled a bit more into the neutral territory) a slight half stamp by Stanley at some point, but I don't think it had anything to do with Declan. After a good while, we re-read maybe try a smaller area. So for the last 15 mins or so we put them in the pen and reduced their space. Seemed to go okay, both played with the toys a bit. After a couple of stamps from Declan and one from Stanley, we decided to end their date, after about 50 mins. To end it we gave them a treat at the same time near each other whilst still in the pen and head strokes until they finished to make sure it ended on a positive note, and then carried them both back down stairs separately at the same time to their separated hutch.


Any ideas on if this seems to be going well, or any advise? Been along time since we bonded Marnie and Declan, and I keep remembering things, so I thought I'd just ask now ready for their next date on any advise or thoughts.

Thanks!!


P.S I've read about stress bonding, but not to keen on this as there's already a bit of unavoidable stress getting them upstairs in the washing basket together, and I just feel bad stress bonding them.

No advice, yet sending lots of positive vibes for their bond.

IME it is usually better not to keep separating. Mostly once I put two Rabbits together they remain together unless a real fight kicks off. Some humping, chasing and fur pulling is a normal part of the bonding process. If you keep separating them then every time they meet up they are having to start the bonding process again.

The only ‘never’ I apply when bonding is any type of stress bonding. I am not saying that your method won’t work eventually, but it is likely to take much, much longer for the Rabbits to establish a secure bond.

Glad it's going well so far! This is purely anecdotal based on what I'd read, when I bonded Rupert and Lilac and needed to take the plunge, I did it when I had a few days off work and basically just watched them 24/7 in the pen indoors, including sleeping in the same room. It was the only way I felt comfortable with leaving them together longer.

thank you both InspectorMorse what do you do before you put them in together properly, like any prep-work leading up to the big day??

Orenoko said:

Glad it's going well so far! This is purely anecdotal based on what I'd read, when I bonded Rupert and Lilac and needed to take the plunge, I did it when I had a few days off work and basically just watched them 24/7 in the pen indoors, including sleeping in the same room. It was the only way I felt comfortable with leaving them together longer.

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yeah after reading InspectorMorse post and yours i might do it on Friday as i actually have a weekend off I really want it done asap as i have a baby due in a couple weeks and want them to have each other whilst we settle in to our new life.

I've read that bonding is done on a neural territory, how so you both go about that or do you just take the plunge straight away? at the moment they are meeting face to face, and we are not having them in the pens next to each other anymore, and when we did do that it was in the living room, but not connected to the hutch like it usually would be. would you suggest to go back that daily until the weekend, or keep them meeting properly upstairs daily until Friday?

thanks everyone

If you are on FB there is an excellent group called UK Rabbits where there are many who have bonded boys successfully. You will get a lot more encouragement and advice than on here. I have done lots of male/female bonds but no male/males. Good luck.

Thank you tonibun i will have a look now

Declan’s grooming Stanley!!

I’m so pleased ever since little Marnie left us, I could tell he’s been waiting for a new friend

Ross said:

Declan’s grooming Stanley!!

I’m so pleased ever since little Marnie left us, I could tell he’s been waiting for a new friend

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Aww that's good news

Aww, sounds like it's going well. That's so lovely that Declan will have a new friend.

Thank you.

So tonight is the night I think, I have them in the pen together in the living room ( not neutral, they both use it separately)
Whilst I neutralise the hutch and turn it back into one hutch not two separate levels.
The netural zone went so well, I thought I’d take your guys advise and just bit the bullet and let them go in together, as I’m off tomo. Does mean a uncomfortable sleep for me, but any thing for the little guys

I might move the pen and connect it up to the open hutch. ( normal way we let them play) then after a while close them in the hutch together

Wish us luck please

Good luck, it sounds like it's gone well so far. I also hope you can get a decent sleep!

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Mabey not, they had a bit of a bicker so I’ll wait longer

Ross said:

Mabey not, they had a bit of a bicker so I’ll wait longer

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Oh no, sorry it hasn't quite worked. Keep at it, it sounds like they have the start of a bond, maybe they just need more time.

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Yeah, it's kind of like Declan made a small play for dominance and Stanley didn't like it, still now there in pens side by side there okay.

I think I pushed my luck to early, feel a bit bad and disheartened now, but I'm sure there get there sooner or later!

You say that you had them in a pen together in the living room and that it's not neutral territory for them. That might be the problem. They only had a few dates on neutral territory, right? They might need more time somewhere neutral.

Yeah I think that's where I went wrong, I just need to be more patient