I need some sense talked into me!

[Runestonez]

Since 'Bummy bit Dandelions ear I have kept the two away from each other. I was saying that we would bond them once the ear healed...then it became...I'll let them get used to the idea of another rabbit being in the house.(they could see each other but were seperated by a fence) Now it has become...I'll house them side by side for awhile and then we'll try bonding.:?

It has come to my attention I might be procrastinating...just a bit. Ok maybe more than that.

I am literally terrified of putting the boys together again. I think it would probably be a bit over the top to roll their ears up inside little helmets or something, but darn it all I am scared of them hurting each other! I haven't even tried to bond him to the girls yet! I know I need to get my...stuff... togther and get going but wow...

'Bummy is the aggressive one and I know Dandelion won't fight him or return any aggression. When 'Bummy bit his ear he just sat there, he didn't even kick to get away! I know how to bond bunns...I think I am afraid of screwing up again!

Dani

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I know how you feel. My boys went though a lot of issues and a lot of very aggressive fights. I was terrified and because of that experience, I put off bonding Zoey and Mocha until I had no more reasons to hold it off and it was surprisingly good.

I'd suggest bonding him with the girls first, or at least with one right now. If you can get 2 to get along great, it will greatly improve your confidence as it did with me. You may feel more sure once you get him bonded to one of the girls and then move from there.

And don't worry, I'm sure there are lots of people who have done the same thing as both of us!

 

[Runestonez]

Thanx MBB...here's another question...

The dominant doe seems to really like him, whereas the submissive one never bothers with him...would you bond the submissive doe first or the dominant one??:?

The poor guy has been here one month now and he looks so bored and lonely!

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I'm not sure, but you can try both and see which one gets along better or you can simply bond him with both at the same time. The easiest one first will help build confidence so you have to decided which will be easier.

 

[Runestonez]

Thanx again MBB! I know I need to get started! The new bunn has a fabulous temperment! He is totally submissive and laidback. The problem is just in my head. Ihate the thought of being the cause of pain when it comes to the 'kids'. I know they are going to box and squabble...but I think when he got his ear bitten that was a nasty eye opener for me!:? I'd heard of it happening but never expected it to be one of my babies on the receiving end!

Here is a pick of Skittles the dominant doe checking out Dandelion. 'Bummy is out for his run and he spends most of his time with the submisive doe, whereas Skittles likes to hang around 'Bummys cage and watch the new boy.

 

[Dittani]

It's a good idea to always bond the dominant bunny with the newcomer first.

One thing that has worked fantastically for me when introducing bunnies is to take the newcomer and the dominant to a neutral place that's new territory for both of them. That way, neither of them feels the need to defend it's territory. Your bathroom or the back seat of your car is a good place, so long as both are bunny-proofed.

Once those two are ok being together, introduce the next member of the hierarchy, even if it's another species of pet. After all bunnies have been face to face on neutral territory, they should be ok with one another with no bars in-between

 

[Runestonez]

Dittani-We finally did a small bonding session the evening I posted! MBB was very helpful! You know how it is when you read other people posts and can give advice...but when you are dealing with your own bunns it makes you want to pull your hair out! lol

We actually decided to start the bonding with our submissive doe. At least that way we knew there was likely to be no fighting(Peppy gets along with everyone...unless they are a cat!) and we got to see how Dandelion would react to being with a bunn. He is actually very intense during bonding...but if he trys to mount and you pick him up and set him down he will just hop back up to the other bunn and snuggle up to them! We tried with the dominant doe last night(thank you to whoever posted about wearing oven mitts! I and my fingers thank you!) my hubby and I got bitten once each...but it was only a half hearted attempt. The 2 bunns finally went to opposite sides of the bed and laid down. So we decided to end the session there on a good note. Honestly I am not too worried about my girls. I can read them fairly well. But the other male! Damn..he is super fast and has a hair trigger temper sometimes. I think on Friday night we will take him out for a drive in the car with Dandi and see what happens. Dandi likes car rides but 'Bum doesn't. So fingers crossed for a good outcome!

 

[naturestee]

I don't really trust those car rides. Scaring rabbits has never seemed like a good tactic to me, unless it's a last resort. You could try what I did to start rebonding Fey and Sprite. After their separation (because Fey got hurt badly by Mocha and I knew Sprite would be too mean to let her heal peacefully). The few times we tried, Sprite went immediately on the offensive. And Fey wasn't going to put up with her anymore so she would launch into the offensive too... actually got bitten pretty bad by her because she turned into a whirlwind of bunny teeth!:shock:

Since we couldn't just put them in neutral territory and expect them not to rip each other apart, we decided to start what I call "forced snuggling." My hubby and I each held one bun. Then while standing, we held the buns next to each other. We would pet them and mix their scents together and tell them what nice bunnies they were. Whenever there was aggression all we had to do was take a step back and voila, the rabbits were separated! Sprite was a bit nippy at first but then settled down, and eventually they both started pressing into each other. When we decided to start doing "normal" bonding again, we tested them first by sitting down next to each other on the couch and doing the forced cuddling in our laps. After a few minutes we'd stop holding them and let them move a little, but just on our laps. Even after we moved to the floor, we did this before each session to remind them that they can and do snuggle each other and to mix their scents together.

I really think this helped a lot. I don't know if I could have bonded them otherwise. The other bonus is that this may have taught Sprite to snuggle, because before this the only time she snuggled with Fey was right after I got them (pure fear) or right after their spays (pain). Now they spend most of their afternoons squished into one space. Of course this might also be because Sprite had to actually earn Fey's love instead of being stuck in a small cage with no choice in the matter.

 

[Runestonez]

naturestee-I like the sounds of that even better! The other problem with the car trip is that there are two bunns and only one me! And they are fast lil buggers! :? I think hubby and I will give your way a try tonight. We can test it with the one girl and if it works use it for the boys! Thanx!