Moonstone
Warren Scout
It's over a decade since I bonded rabbits. I'm not ambitious, only bonding two of them, but I thought it might reassure me about progress if I documented it. I'm starting with half-an-hour a day in a bonding pen in the kitchen. They are already familiar with each other having lived side by side for two months. I've bonded Millie twice before but Toffee, who is six, has never been bonded. The rescue said his previous human attempted to bond him with his brother but gave up when they fought and kept them living side-by-side (Toffee's brother is now happily bonded elsewhere).
Day 1 -30 mins
For 15 mins they milled about nibbling food and sniffing each other's faces. Then Toffee mounted Millie and she wasn't having it and they started scrapping. No blood was drawn but they were leaping about, snarling, pouncing scratching and fur pulling. When that turned into rapid circling I intervened by lifting Toffee up and placing him on my lap. All was quiet for a while, relief from both of them I think, they had very rapid heartbeats and breathing. Then Toffee wanted to get down so I eased him onto the floor and he ran and hid the other side of me away from her. She was upright, ears forward, motionless, waiting to attack again. When I touched her, her back was absolutely rigid, I tried to stroke her but she growled and snapped at me so I stopped. After that they largely stayed away from each other. Toffee made two further attempts to mount her but she growled and pounced at him, followed by leaping over him to avoid him.
Day 2 - 30 mins
Both of them thumped a lot on arrival in the pen (neither like being picked up so it could have partly been that). Millie took up a position in a corner that she maintained throughout the session, fully alert. Toffee moved around, groomed himself a bit and nibbled on things. He kept approaching her face but each time ran away again because she's scary. She was honestly commanding him just with her facial expression a lot of the time even though she's never been a mother! Her ears forward, at other time she snapped and growled. Once she pounced but by the time her feet hit the ground he was long gone. It felt like stalemate and I would have carried on the session longer but I had a deadline to meet.
Day 3 - 45 mins
This time it seemed to be Toffee in a defensive position, he hid basically, while she was more out in the open working her way through some hay. He kept approaching her quite quickly, making that tail-up buzzing sound and she repelled him, twice though pouncing, mainly with growling. He seemed frustrated, was taking it out on some cardboard. They were both clearly very nervous. A couple of times she approached him though for a bit of sniffing before hopping away from each other (they got treats then!). Towards the end he was hedging nearer to her rather than running directly towards her. They both nibbled on hay about 15cm apart briefly then he got too close and she pounced again.
I took them in by carrier this time in case it was less scary. After 30 mins, I put it in the pen thinking someone would go into it if they wanted to go home. Toffee went into it 15 mins later so I took him away but when I came back for Millie she refused to hop in of her own accord and became really entrenched and frightened. I picked her up and carried her instead, I need to be mindful that carriers have been extra scary since she caught her foot in one.
Day 1 -30 mins
For 15 mins they milled about nibbling food and sniffing each other's faces. Then Toffee mounted Millie and she wasn't having it and they started scrapping. No blood was drawn but they were leaping about, snarling, pouncing scratching and fur pulling. When that turned into rapid circling I intervened by lifting Toffee up and placing him on my lap. All was quiet for a while, relief from both of them I think, they had very rapid heartbeats and breathing. Then Toffee wanted to get down so I eased him onto the floor and he ran and hid the other side of me away from her. She was upright, ears forward, motionless, waiting to attack again. When I touched her, her back was absolutely rigid, I tried to stroke her but she growled and snapped at me so I stopped. After that they largely stayed away from each other. Toffee made two further attempts to mount her but she growled and pounced at him, followed by leaping over him to avoid him.
Day 2 - 30 mins
Both of them thumped a lot on arrival in the pen (neither like being picked up so it could have partly been that). Millie took up a position in a corner that she maintained throughout the session, fully alert. Toffee moved around, groomed himself a bit and nibbled on things. He kept approaching her face but each time ran away again because she's scary. She was honestly commanding him just with her facial expression a lot of the time even though she's never been a mother! Her ears forward, at other time she snapped and growled. Once she pounced but by the time her feet hit the ground he was long gone. It felt like stalemate and I would have carried on the session longer but I had a deadline to meet.
Day 3 - 45 mins
This time it seemed to be Toffee in a defensive position, he hid basically, while she was more out in the open working her way through some hay. He kept approaching her quite quickly, making that tail-up buzzing sound and she repelled him, twice though pouncing, mainly with growling. He seemed frustrated, was taking it out on some cardboard. They were both clearly very nervous. A couple of times she approached him though for a bit of sniffing before hopping away from each other (they got treats then!). Towards the end he was hedging nearer to her rather than running directly towards her. They both nibbled on hay about 15cm apart briefly then he got too close and she pounced again.
I took them in by carrier this time in case it was less scary. After 30 mins, I put it in the pen thinking someone would go into it if they wanted to go home. Toffee went into it 15 mins later so I took him away but when I came back for Millie she refused to hop in of her own accord and became really entrenched and frightened. I picked her up and carried her instead, I need to be mindful that carriers have been extra scary since she caught her foot in one.
She's been playing it cool since. This evening I noticed her coats is silky soft, it goes like that when she's very happy, goes rougher when she's stressed. I know she likes him.
