a reader of books
Warren Veteran
I'm glad he's getting another chance, though I'm surprised that they'd want to give up after only two tries just because your bunny is humping a lot during bonding? Was that the only problem?
Attempting to find a companion..
- Thread starter ColPer
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bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
I am sorry he was sent home so quickly. You said she was upset, yet I would ask what that meant. How experienced was the rescue with bonding? I ask because they seem to expect an instant bond in a few hours and are only giving him one more chance.
I hope the next attempt is live at first sight!
I hope the next attempt is live at first sight!
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
Did they only try him with one Doe ?
Obviously it’s impossible to say for certain without witnessing the interaction myself, but completely abandoning the bonding at this stage seems a bit drastic if there hasn’t been a fight. An overnight break and try again the next day would be my approach.
But maybe the situation was more serious than it sounds, as I said, impossible to judge without witnessing the interaction first hand.
Another thing is that Spring time is the most challenging time of year to attempt bondings. ‘Spring Fever’ affects neutered Rabbits as well as those still entire. New introductions can get extra lively, especially at dawn and dusk.
I certainly wouldn’t abandon all hope that he can be bonded. Just maybe not to the Doe he met yesterday.
Obviously it’s impossible to say for certain without witnessing the interaction myself, but completely abandoning the bonding at this stage seems a bit drastic if there hasn’t been a fight. An overnight break and try again the next day would be my approach.
But maybe the situation was more serious than it sounds, as I said, impossible to judge without witnessing the interaction first hand.
Another thing is that Spring time is the most challenging time of year to attempt bondings. ‘Spring Fever’ affects neutered Rabbits as well as those still entire. New introductions can get extra lively, especially at dawn and dusk.
I certainly wouldn’t abandon all hope that he can be bonded. Just maybe not to the Doe he met yesterday.
To be honest, this is the first time I have done any of this and I have put all my trust in the rescue. They have a really good write up, so maybe I just don’t know the full extent as I wasn’t there?
He always because a bit more destructive in spring so maybe in a few weeks he will mellow a bit?
The things we do for our pets! I feel exhausted haha!
He always because a bit more destructive in spring so maybe in a few weeks he will mellow a bit?
The things we do for our pets! I feel exhausted haha!
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
I think it’s only possible to judge the situation if it’s witnessed first hand. If the Doe did become exceptionally stressed then stopping was obviously the right thing to do. Rabbits can become very poorly due to stress.
Maybe the Rescue have other single Does they could try ?
a reader of books
Warren Veteran
I hope things will go better once some time has passed and he's got the spring fever out of his system, and that he gets a lovely friend at the end of this. 
Just an update, we went for our second attempt of speed dating, and found a doe that he seems pretty chilled around.
We have brought her home and I have been introducing them regularly in a neutral pen and then separating them with wire fence at night.
Hes a hungry bunny but as he’s eating she keeps coming by him, which I assume is good!
We have brought her home and I have been introducing them regularly in a neutral pen and then separating them with wire fence at night.
Hes a hungry bunny but as he’s eating she keeps coming by him, which I assume is good!
This is great news
I hope it continues to go well.
bunny momma
Wise Old Thumper
Thank you for sharing this positive update. Sending vibes it continues to go well!
Thank you all for the positive vibes!!
We are on day 2, I have been letting them share each others company between wire, and then for a few hours (split up here and there) I have been putting them in a 1m squared pen.
They seem to be doing well, my boy does keep attempting to hump her, but she hops off and he gives up
They have been getting closer and begun laying together which I think is positive. However he is desperate for her to groom him and him with her but neither seem to be taking the lead??
Should I keep going with this routine?
Also, my boy is used to running around the living room, should I let him do this or not whilst bonding?
Sorry for all the questions, really want to do it right!
We are on day 2, I have been letting them share each others company between wire, and then for a few hours (split up here and there) I have been putting them in a 1m squared pen.
They seem to be doing well, my boy does keep attempting to hump her, but she hops off and he gives up
They have been getting closer and begun laying together which I think is positive. However he is desperate for her to groom him and him with her but neither seem to be taking the lead??
Should I keep going with this routine?
Also, my boy is used to running around the living room, should I let him do this or not whilst bonding?
Sorry for all the questions, really want to do it right!
The basics of bonding are necessary for success, which you are following. However, people have different views about the practicalities of bonding, possibly they favour a method which has worked for them in the past I'll give you my thoughts.
What you have described so far is very positive. The key element to successful bonding is, in my view, trust between the bunnies. Humping by the male is very much to be expected and how your female is reacting is the ideal way. I think he will give up completely in time with this reaction. It certainly is a positive that they are laying together. I wouldn't be concerned about a lack of grooming from either side just yet. That takes time and will happen once their bond has firmed up a bit more.
If you are splitting them up after being happily together, then I think they will go back to square one each time they are put together again, so that their bond is unlikely to progress much from here. If you are able to observe them the whole time, I would put them together, in the 1m sq pen and leave them together. Feed them together and if you can put a small litter tray in there. Obviously splitting them if there is a problem. You are going to have to leave them together at some point and I think that your observation so far indicates that they are unlikely to show aggression towards each other.
I personally would not let your boy run around the living room, while she is penned up.
No problem with questions
I'll give you my thoughts.What you have described so far is very positive. The key element to successful bonding is, in my view, trust between the bunnies. Humping by the male is very much to be expected and how your female is reacting is the ideal way. I think he will give up completely in time with this reaction. It certainly is a positive that they are laying together. I wouldn't be concerned about a lack of grooming from either side just yet. That takes time and will happen once their bond has firmed up a bit more.
If you are splitting them up after being happily together, then I think they will go back to square one each time they are put together again, so that their bond is unlikely to progress much from here. If you are able to observe them the whole time, I would put them together, in the 1m sq pen and leave them together. Feed them together and if you can put a small litter tray in there. Obviously splitting them if there is a problem. You are going to have to leave them together at some point and I think that your observation so far indicates that they are unlikely to show aggression towards each other.
I personally would not let your boy run around the living room, while she is penned up.
No problem with questions
So I put them together yesterday in the neutral pen and then wiped my boys cage over and put them in there for the evening and night.
I slept downstairs to keep an eye out and no dramas! (Yay)
Wondering what the next steps are? My boy is starting to get a bit fractious at being kept in…
I slept downstairs to keep an eye out and no dramas! (Yay)
Wondering what the next steps are? My boy is starting to get a bit fractious at being kept in…
I'm pleased to read that the bonding is still going well. It's a large positive that you have moved them from the neutral pen to spend the evening and night in your boy's cage, with no issues
You have already achieved the next steps, which is usually to move them from the small bonding pen to something a bit larger or just to increase the size of the bonding pen. The next steps after that would be to increase their area even more, but to do it slowly, monitoring all the time obviously in case there's an issue.
From what you have described, I personally would be surprised if you now have a problem with them. How quickly you increase their area now is really up to you, depending on how confident you are that they are OK together and how quickly you want to move things along. Could you perhaps combine the pen with the cage to make a larger area? Just remember that if there is an issue, then the advice would be to return them to the last space where they were OK.
Well done and good luck with them
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
I would keep them together 24/7 now. Can you add a small enclosure around the cage so they are have a bit more room. You can then slowly increase the size of the enclosure as long as things continue as they are. If you give a newly bonded pair too much space too quickly it can set off lots of chasing, which in itself isn’t a problem unless it’s non stop and there are signs of stress in the Rabbit being chased.
