BONDING Kiwi & Papaya

[Mariah]

Hello everyone!

I believe I am ready to start bonding Kiwi and Papaya! Kiwi is a 1.5 year old spayed Holland Lop and Papaya is a 6 month old neutered fuzzy Holland Lop. Papaya was neutered last week and is healed.

I have some questions on how to bond, what's right and what's not, as Kiwi and Citrus (my previous bun) was love at first site so I didn't have to do anything with them.

Kiwi grooms Papaya and he just sits there for it. Sometime he will make a jerking movement like kiwi is grooming too hard. Do I separate them at this point?

Papaya grooms Kiwi as well, as one my previous posts said, he chewed off all of her whiskers. I was told this was a dominant thing, but from me looking in, he seems that kiwi is more dominant as she grooms him longer and he let's her.

He has stopped humping her, but he he decides to hump her,
is that something I should stop?

Right now there are in Papayas x pen and kiwi is grooming Papaya. He dosent seem to bothered by it as he is just sitting in front of her just accepting the licks.

Ok and now Payaya is in kiwis cage and Kiwi dosent seem to mind. She is in there too just sitting there while Papaya is in Kiwis litter box eating. And she was also just grooming him in there.

Kiwi was in Papayas cage in his litter box, digging, digging, digging! Is this ok? Again, Papaya didn't care she was in his cage.

Advise and suggestions welcome!!!

 

[ldoerr]

Sounds like they are getting along GREAT to me. I wish that the bonding will go that easily between Shiny Things and Beauty.

 

[Mariah]

Well... They fought before Papaya was neutered, hair pulling and all... So
I am nervous to leave them alone. This is why I need some tips!

When is it safe to trust them? How long should my sessions be when I have them together?

How do I know of they are hurting each other when they are grooming each other?

 

[Imbrium]

I would probably wait 4-6 weeks to trust them alone, just 'cause the hormones can stick around for that long after a neuter and I'm a paranoid bunny-momma (well, 3-5 since it's been a week already)

 

[Mariah]

I won't leave them unattended for a long time! I myself is a very parnoid bunny mama too!

Can someone anwser my questions from my first post? I really need to know!

 

[agnesthelion]

Mariah it sounds like it is going good but please keep this updated, I'm currently interested in bonding stories as I'm considering trying to find Agnes a husbun.

 

[Mariah]

I will keep everyone update! I'm still waiting for the moment when they lay down together. I know Kiwi is not afraid of him, as she will do a bunny flop and lay down with her legs all stretched out!

They also do ignore each other and go and explore each others x pens by themselves... Is this a good thing?

 

[Mariah]

Ok so kiwi was just in Papaya litter box and Papaya started jumping her... I separated them. I'm so upset. Everything was going so well

 

[Mariah]

Ok so kiwi was just in Papaya litter box and Papaya started humping her... I separated them. I'm so upset. Everything was going so well

 

[ldoerr]

Humping is perfectly normal. You will just make things worse if you seporate them. If it goes on for more than 1 minute then you can seporate them. It is a domonence thing.

 

[Mariah]

Ohhhhhh, ok cause I've been separating them when Papaya starts humping kiwi... Ok, now I know not too unless it goes on for too long.

I'm still scared to let them play unattended. Just because they fought before. I guess it's a work in progress. They will eat hay together in Papaya cage. Kiwi seems a bit miffed when Papaya is in hers though. She dosent attack but just looks at him like she's saying what are you doing in here. This is my house!

 

[ldoerr]

Female rabbits tend to be a bit more teritorial than males. That is one of the reasons why you always bring the doe to the buck when you breed them. It does not suprise me at all to find out that your girl does not like the buck in her cage.

 

[Mariah]

Well Kiwi hasent attacked him. I hope she never does.

They seem to be getting along- there have been no bunny fights since Papaya's neuter. At the beginning (so last week) there was lot of grooming. Now, they more tend to just ignore each other most of the time... Is this a good or bad thing?

 

[Mariah]

Also, my other question is, does Papaya not understand how to groom properly? Kiwi will lick his ears, and the top of his head and he will sit there and enjoy it. He just chews on kiwis face! I posted another thread about Papaya chewed off Kiwis whiskers... She puts her head down, like she's saying please groom me but he just chews... Anyway to stop this? Or teach him how to groom?

 

[ldoerr]

Maybe you could try to put a little bit of banana on the face? I have herd of people doing that to incourage grooming.

 

[Mariah]

I have never given them bananna before... Maybe I'll buy a bananna tomorrow and give them each a little piece and see if they like it first.

Now... I spoke too soon... There was a bunny fight tonight. I'm not sure who started it. Papaya was in Kiwis cage munching on some hay. Kiwi was in her x pen which is attached to her cage. I left the room to do the dishes and I heard a noice which wasn't normal. I ran down the stairs (I live in a split level basement) and there they were circling each other and hair was flying... I immediately separated them and checked them both over. They both look to be fine. Papaya little "pee pee" was out, so I'm going to assume he tried humping her and she said no...

How far will this set me back? I know he still has hormones but everything was going so well...

 

[agnesthelion]

UHg, so sorry for the fight. I have no idea on things but I am watching this topic and I am so interested in EVERYthing that is being written here.

Best of luck and I'm following the progress closely!

 

[Mariah]

I'm upset too. I want Kiwi to have a hus-bun so bad! This will be her second marriage and I'm really not sure it's going to work....

Papaya seems like a happy little dude and I don't know if he cares one way or the other if he has a bunny wife.

I'm just so concerned for Kiwi because she is still not the same since Citrus passed on in April. Why do our bunnies have to die? I love my little Papaya but Kiwi does not feel the same way.

 

[Imbrium]

how long has it been since he was spayed, again? you might just delay the bonding process until it's been a full 8 weeks so that the hormones are gone for sure (that would give them time to forget about the fight, too). you might also keep them on purely neutral territory for longer if it's possible, since kiwi's a bit territorial about her cage.

don't let a fight or two while he's still working the hormones out of his system discourage you - there's still a good chance of the bond working out (especially since it seems the fight was only caused by him attempting to mate)

 

[Mariah]

It was two weeks yesterday since Papaya was neutered. This is just so fustrating! Kiwi and Citrus were lovers from day 1. I didn't worry about anything with them. Citrus was a good "big brother" to Kiwi and there was never once a fight. It was just so easy with them! I didn't know that bonding could be so difficult!

I did not put kiwi and Papaya together today. Their x pens and cages are side by side and they do sit together with the bunny barrier between them. I may bring them both into the living room (neutral territory) and let them play tomorrow.