jcottonl02
Well-Known Member
As you probably know I've just started bonding Benji and Pippin, my two dwarf lop males. It is going sooo well- they are snuggling up to one another and Benji is always licking Pippin.
It is clear who the dominant one is- Benji. Pippin is obviously desperate to be friends, as he tentatively edges up to Benji, his head lowered in a kind of surrender way, and just kind of sits in front of Benji with his head lowered to the floor. THen Benji will sit there licking him.
Now I know Benji very well- we have a kind of routine while he's inside or we are just together; I will stroke him for a while, and then I'll place my hand next to him and he'll lick me for a while (or if he feels his turn is up he'll just start licking me) and then when he feels it's his turn again, he will stop licking me and lower his head to the floor, waiting for me to stroke him again. This goes on for a while. Lol if I don't start his turn again after a few seconds he nudges me, and then if I still don't stroke him he sort of, picks up my finger with his teeth (not hurting) and sort of, fling it ontop of his head lol! So adorable.
Anyway, I notice this little routine kind of going on with Benji and Pippin- Pippin lowers his head and Benji grooms him for aggess. Then Benji will lower his head, waiting for his turn. So i'm sitting there silently begging Pippin to lick Benji back, but he doesn't. And either Benji will wait and then hop off, or with continue to groom Pippin.
I'm worried that if Pippin doesn't start grooming Benji back, Benji might stop grooming him altogether, and that is a great part of bonding. It's certainly been the main feature of this bonding, cos I can see with every 'grooming session' they get closer and more relaxed around each other.
So I tried smearing Banana on Benji's head (a tip that was suggested to me a while ago) and Pippin ignored it. Benji, however smelt it and went crazy trying to find where the banana was. I then sort of, picked Pippin up and placed his head ontop of Benji's, and then he started licking the banana off. But then he started trying to eat Benji's fur.
Do you think that Benji will get tired of the one-sided grooming or do rabbits not really do that? If so does anyone have any suggestions or tips? Or should I just leave it and it will sort itself out? Thanks ever so much.
They have only had two bonding sessions (they've been in the same run for quite a while now, with a partition in the middle, through which Benji always licks Pippin. Am I being too hasty or expecting too much on the 'second date' as it were?
And can I also add Pippin has only ever licked me twice- I am not sure whether he is just not a very licky bunny or he isn't that comfortable around me yet to groom me.
It is clear who the dominant one is- Benji. Pippin is obviously desperate to be friends, as he tentatively edges up to Benji, his head lowered in a kind of surrender way, and just kind of sits in front of Benji with his head lowered to the floor. THen Benji will sit there licking him.
Now I know Benji very well- we have a kind of routine while he's inside or we are just together; I will stroke him for a while, and then I'll place my hand next to him and he'll lick me for a while (or if he feels his turn is up he'll just start licking me) and then when he feels it's his turn again, he will stop licking me and lower his head to the floor, waiting for me to stroke him again. This goes on for a while. Lol if I don't start his turn again after a few seconds he nudges me, and then if I still don't stroke him he sort of, picks up my finger with his teeth (not hurting) and sort of, fling it ontop of his head lol! So adorable.
Anyway, I notice this little routine kind of going on with Benji and Pippin- Pippin lowers his head and Benji grooms him for aggess. Then Benji will lower his head, waiting for his turn. So i'm sitting there silently begging Pippin to lick Benji back, but he doesn't. And either Benji will wait and then hop off, or with continue to groom Pippin.

I'm worried that if Pippin doesn't start grooming Benji back, Benji might stop grooming him altogether, and that is a great part of bonding. It's certainly been the main feature of this bonding, cos I can see with every 'grooming session' they get closer and more relaxed around each other.
So I tried smearing Banana on Benji's head (a tip that was suggested to me a while ago) and Pippin ignored it. Benji, however smelt it and went crazy trying to find where the banana was. I then sort of, picked Pippin up and placed his head ontop of Benji's, and then he started licking the banana off. But then he started trying to eat Benji's fur.

Do you think that Benji will get tired of the one-sided grooming or do rabbits not really do that? If so does anyone have any suggestions or tips? Or should I just leave it and it will sort itself out? Thanks ever so much.
They have only had two bonding sessions (they've been in the same run for quite a while now, with a partition in the middle, through which Benji always licks Pippin. Am I being too hasty or expecting too much on the 'second date' as it were?
And can I also add Pippin has only ever licked me twice- I am not sure whether he is just not a very licky bunny or he isn't that comfortable around me yet to groom me.