Big step in bunny bonding

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Jmoore135

Jmoore135

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Joined
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Location
Pennsylvania USA
This happened today after about a week of bonding sessions in all different types of environments and enclosure sizes. We ultimately decided that just letting both bunnies free roam (with the exception of the original bunny room for our first bunny) was the best way to hold bonding sessions. The sessions have been primarily me breaking up fights and our original bunny chasing our new bunny out of every area. Too small of an area was too stressful for both of them. Today they both found their way upstairs and cuddled up for some pets. This is the closest they’ve gotten to each other without biting one another. They still haven’t figured out who will be the dominant one but they did exchange a few licks and I feel like there is light at the end of the 4 month tunnel we have been trying to get through with bonding!
 

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Hopefully they will continue on their path to being bonded! Bonding can really be unique to each rabbit and each pair of rabbits. Sometimes it's a matter of discovering what works for a particular pair since not every bond follows the general recommendations. (I assume they are both spayed?)
Continued good luck!
 
Exactly! I’ve read dozens of bonding techniques, watched many videos and spoke to many people with bonding experience and ultimately what seems to be working best for us is nothing I’ve heard mentioned before! They are both altered. Our original bunny was neutered two years ago and our new girl was spayed in September. We waited a few months to begin the bonding process to be sure she’s healed and not hormonal. They have lived side by side since September and I think that’s helping things along too. Thank you for the luck wishes!
 
Jmoore135 said:
This happened today after about a week of bonding sessions in all different types of environments and enclosure sizes. We ultimately decided that just letting both bunnies free roam (with the exception of the original bunny room for our first bunny) was the best way to hold bonding sessions. The sessions have been primarily me breaking up fights and our original bunny chasing our new bunny out of every area. Too small of an area was too stressful for both of them. Today they both found their way upstairs and cuddled up for some pets. This is the closest they’ve gotten to each other without biting one another. They still haven’t figured out who will be the dominant one but they did exchange a few licks and I feel like there is light at the end of the 4 month tunnel we have been trying to get through with bonding!
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Awwww. So sweet
 
Jmoore135 said:
This happened today after about a week of bonding sessions in all different types of environments and enclosure sizes. We ultimately decided that just letting both bunnies free roam (with the exception of the original bunny room for our first bunny) was the best way to hold bonding sessions. The sessions have been primarily me breaking up fights and our original bunny chasing our new bunny out of every area. Too small of an area was too stressful for both of them. Today they both found their way upstairs and cuddled up for some pets. This is the closest they’ve gotten to each other without biting one another. They still haven’t figured out who will be the dominant one but they did exchange a few licks and I feel like there is light at the end of the 4 month tunnel we have been trying to get through with bonding!
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So it took 4 months for the bonding to take hold?

We are on our second boy trying with our girl (from the HRS). Almost 3 weeks now, no advancement of any kind, they seem totally uninterested in each other except to fight. I don't know if we could do 4 months, it seems to be going nowhere so far.
 
critters said:
So it took 4 months for the bonding to take hold?

We are on our second boy trying with our girl (from the HRS). Almost 3 weeks now, no advancement of any kind, they seem totally uninterested in each other except to fight. I don't know if we could do 4 months, it seems to be going nowhere so far.
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They have lived side by side in separate enclosures for 4 months. We have only had them in each others company without the separation of a gate or cage for a little less than a week. A few minutes every day for about 5/6 days. Those are the “bonding sessions” I was telling about. The first couple of sessions were all fighting. It was terribly for stressful for all of us. I’ve read to start small, then expand the bonding session space when you see improvement in their behavior towards each other but that was NOT workong for us. We tried a bathtub, a play yard type thing for children and sectioning off neutral spaces in the house and all of the small spaces caused so many problems. So I just decided to let them run free in the house after many horrible bonding sessions and see what happens. I gated off the one room our first bunny has lived in for the past two years just to be sure they didn’t get in there and a territorial fight would take place. This is really working for us, especially since they have both been free roam the whole time we have had each of them. But now instead of having to share free time with one being put in a cage while the other one runs free, they’re both running free the majority of the day! We took them in the yard today and they did wonderfully. They were out there for about 3 hours together. They still have the nip and run thing going on but I can see a lot of improvement in them figuring out who will be the dominant one. We just need more grooming to happen.
 
critters said:
So it took 4 months for the bonding to take hold?

We are on our second boy trying with our girl (from the HRS). Almost 3 weeks now, no advancement of any kind, they seem totally uninterested in each other except to fight. I don't know if we could do 4 months, it seems to be going nowhere so far.
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Also, we scatter lots of greens and their favorite snacks all over the house and yard while they’re together just for some distractions and to make them extra happy. And about every 15 minutes or so I gather them both up either in a very small basket or on the floor and pet them both at the same time until they both melt into a happy flattened bunny loaf and eventually one of them will start to groom whatever is close to their mouth. I try to squish them close enough so at least one of them is being groomed unintentionally but I think it’s helping 🤣
 
Jmoore135 said:
This happened today after about a week of bonding sessions in all different types of environments and enclosure sizes. We ultimately decided that just letting both bunnies free roam (with the exception of the original bunny room for our first bunny) was the best way to hold bonding sessions. The sessions have been primarily me breaking up fights and our original bunny chasing our new bunny out of every area. Too small of an area was too stressful for both of them. Today they both found their way upstairs and cuddled up for some pets. This is the closest they’ve gotten to each other without biting one another. They still haven’t figured out who will be the dominant one but they did exchange a few licks and I feel like there is light at the end of the 4 month tunnel we have been trying to get through with bonding!
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Omg I have two females sisters exactly the same colors
 

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To officiate the successful bond of my daughters bunnies, my 6 year old daughter had a “wedding” today.

(Nobunny was harmed in the process, costumes were worn for less than 5 minutes 😂)
 

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Jmoore135 said:
This happened today after about a week of bonding sessions in all different types of environments and enclosure sizes. We ultimately decided that just letting both bunnies free roam (with the exception of the original bunny room for our first bunny) was the best way to hold bonding sessions. The sessions have been primarily me breaking up fights and our original bunny chasing our new bunny out of every area. Too small of an area was too stressful for both of them. Today they both found their way upstairs and cuddled up for some pets. This is the closest they’ve gotten to each other without biting one another. They still haven’t figured out who will be the dominant one but they did exchange a few licks and I feel like there is light at the end of the 4 month tunnel we have been trying to get through with bonding!
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Awe that looks sweet and promising! So happy for you. Xx 😚🤎🤎
 
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