Tub Trio Bonding

[zombiesue]

I really wanted more rabbits (I'd like to have even more than this someday) so I went to a shelter to get 1 more, came home with two more. A brother and sister who are already bonded.

I did try to bond Tank before, and I was making real progress and then the new rabbit suddenly died. ): At that time, I just went to the shelter and picked the prettiest rabbit. It certainly wasn't an impossible pairing, but we did have to witness pretty much nonstop humping which was a little disturbing, lol.

This time, we did the rabbit meet and greet, and this bonding is already going a lot easier, so I'd like to stress a point that many others have made before me...

If you want to have the easiest rabbit bonding experience, go to the shelter and let your rabbit pick! (of course, if your friend leaves you with a rabbit or some such situation where it's out of your hands, don't fret, it's still possible.)

The Rabbits
Tank: My rabbit, just shy of 8 pounds, approximately 7 years old of relatively unknown history.
Mulder: New rabbit, Scully's brother, 1 and a half years old. Was born in the shelter. Just shy of 6 pounds.
Scully: Mulder's sister, came into my house with Mulder, 1 and a half years old. 6 and a half pounds.
All rabbits are, of course, fixed.

Shelter Introduction
Scully and Tank were put together first, and mostly ignored eachother. After sniffing at eachother and no arguments for about 10 minutes, they brought in Mulder. There were 2 or 3 scuffles that required intervention between Mulder and Tank. Both Tank and one of the other rabbits peed on the shelter's floor, which ultimately results in less pee that I have to clean up when I get home. No humping what so ever, a little bit of chasing and circling that precluded the fighting. Both Tank and Mulder thumped once, but no one was ever injured.

Scully and Tank groomed eachother briefly and it didn't seem like the siblings were trying to gang up on Tank at any point. There didn't seem to be any jealousy either. It went well so I took them home and let them settle in (also, took them to the vet before I proceeded with bonding... never hurts to be sure and the siblings' nails were a little long.)

About halfway through, the shelter lady put down some timothy hay. Tank never took one bite, but the other two were perfectly comfortable eating it in his presence and returned to it often.

1st Session (now in my house of course)
Placed bunnies in the tub and sat back with my husband. Time elapsed--about an hour.

We hadn't fed them yet today (yikes, sorry buns) and so we put out a big plate of salad for them. Scully immediately began chowing down on the greens with huge eyes while Tank went around trying to hump everyone and causing trouble. I suspect he is a lot more comfortable in my house, even in the bathtub he's never been in. Kind of makes sense. Anyway, I'm convinced he's the one starting all of these little squabbles.

Tank tried to hump both Mulder and Scully and that wasn't popular with either of them. When attempting to mount Scully, she seemed ready to tolerate it until Mulder attacked and then she would join in (or she would about 20 minutes in, when she was finished eating frantically--before that she just let them hash it out)

To get the boys to cut it out, I put them in a laundry basket and shook them up a little and returned them to the tub with Scully. (Thanks to the Quintet bonding guide by BunnyWabbit here http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f18/quintet-bonding-77602/ )

Then Mulder decided it was time to eat and Tank hunted for a way out of the tub on one side of the plate while Mulder ate and Scully loafed on the other side.

Tank didn't seem to want to eat around the other two, something I observed at the shelter as well. He ate maybe a few pieces of cilantro (Jesus all of the buns go psycho over cilantro) and that's it. Scully had long since devoured all of the carrots. You go girl. He did, however, lof at some point which I think is a good sign.

Tank also went about sticking his face against/underneath the other rabbits, I assume demanding a groom, while the other rabbits were completely uninterested in him (and usually just stepped/climbed over him). I sort of suspect that Tank does not really remember to "speak rabbit." For all I know, he's never been around other rabbits before. I hope his new friends are ready to teach him.

 

[zombiesue]

To recap a little:

Time: 1 hour
Scuffles (requiring intervention) : 3 - 4
Grooming: a little
Humping: a little

 

[Chrisdoc]

Sounds as though it´s going reasonably well. Heck, how do you tell them apart, they are so cute together, a little black scrum lol.

Look forward to hearing and seeing more of them. Love the names by the way, I used to love watched X-Files

 

[zombiesue]

Sometimes I don't, lol. Tank is bigger and his fur is different, so I can usually pick him out fairly quickly, but I do sometimes confuse Scully and Mulder.

I made a thread about having trouble telling them apart and they suggested a bit of marker in the ear or a tattoo, but I am pretty good at telling them apart now. If I can sit and watch them for a minute I can tell who is who. But if you needed to know in a split second it'd be hard lol.

 

[zombiesue]

Session 2
Time elapsed: 2 hours
Scuffles: 3. 5 (three little half-scuffles that were solved when I shouted NO! NO FIGHTING. and a couple where I had to really separate them: 1/2 +1/2 + 1/2 + 2 = 3.5 lol, always between the boys)
Humping: 2 (Tank humping Mulder, last one caused a fight)
Grooming: a little, on the part of all rabbits
Intentional stressing: 1 (about 1 min - 30 seconds, two boys in the laundry basket)

I put the salad down and then brought in the bunnies again. This time it was Mulder who went food-crazy while Tank sort of explored and Scully just loafed in the corner for maybe 95% of the bonding session. The boys were far more interested in one another than her the whole time.

To my surprise, my timid little Tank is making a real go at being top rabbit. I thought Mulder would be on top with Tank in the middle, but if things keep going like this, I think Tank will win Bonding lesson learned--your rabbit's behavior can and probably will surprise you!

For a while they acted sort of normal. About 45 minutes in the boys started to tussle a little and I shouted at them. That sent the two boys dashing into the side with Scully, where they all huddled for a while, likely conspiring against their real enemy----me.

The way it happened was a bit funny. Tank dived over next to Scully and then Mulder wormed his way in between them.

Tank tried to hump Mulder and a fight quickly broke out, which I broke up. A little later, Tank mounted him and Mulder seemed resigned to his fate, accepting this, erm, rabbit social tactic, so I let him hump for about 10 seconds, then he kind of fell off and mounted again, backwards. I don't really like them to mount eachother backwards so I separated them and they ignored eachother for a little while.

Scully, around this time, approached the boys and thumped at Mulder for no reason, then went back to the other side of the tub. I don't know why, lol. I was laughing, and then I swear Tank farted in Mulder's face. It was supposed to be a grunt I think, but it really sounded like a bunny fart, and thumped, and then Mulder lunged at him, so into the laundry basket they went where I shook them up.

Very briefly they all ate together, and that turned into Tank and Mulder badgering Scully for more pets grooming.

After that, it got really boring again, and Scully again hopped over to the boys, who were trying to get some grooming out of one another, she thumped at them for no reason, and hopped away. I don't know what her problem was today. Since she ignored them 95% of the time (except to thump at them) I decided to take Mulder out for the last 15 minutes, so it was just Scully and Tank.

They ignored eachother up until the last 5 minutes, where they groomed a little. Tank and Scully are pretty comfortable with one another, I think--I will be focusing mostly on Mulder and Tank as they sort out who's who.

I'd say this was another good session that ended on a positive note. Probably won't get to another one until Tuesday--what the heck was I thinking, getting two more rabbits this close to December!?

 

[zombiesue]

Session 3
Time elapsed: about 2 and a half hours
Fights: 2, and a few more scattered scuffles that were solved by shouting
Humping: 2 attempts
Grooming: Scully groomed Tank, Tank groomed Mulder, and I *think* Mulder groomed Tank a little, meaning it all was full circle again

This one started off kind of tense. Same set up-three rabbits on a towel with a plate full of greens. Mulder ate like crazy (he was a PIG!!!!) and Scully barely at all. Tank ate more than last time I think. The first scuffle, Mulder started, and I shouted at him and he dived behind Scully and huddled there because I'm so cruel. He came back out to chow some more. Good ole Mulder, never thumps, never grunts, never holds a grudge. He even hopped over to groom Tank at some point.

Scully, I'm noticing, is uncomfortable with attention--from rabbits and humans. She doesn't like to be handled by me a whole lot and she even hops away from Mulder sometimes, especially in a tense situation, but this time she let him hide and then Tank came over, and that's when some of the grooming started. And then they all loafed together for a little while which was nice. I pet them there for a long while to keep it copacetic. A minor scuffle eventually sent Tank back to the other end of the tub, but then it was calm again and Scully even flopped more than once while she was present.

Tank came back to bother Scully for some grooming, got it, went back to his side (without returning it--brat) and then Scully got curious and followed him. He tried to mount her, she dashed into Mulder and nipped him, I assume in confusion, which got the siblings fighting, while Tank was already chasing Scully to try again and got involved before I separated them all. Damn bunnies are fast.

I figured I've gotten as far as I can with all three of them in the tub and decided I should start working on them two at a time, so after a few minutes of calm (wanna end on a good note) I took Scully out and dealt with just Tank and Mulder. They were quiet for a long while, and I thought, awesome, maybe now I can get some Spanish homework done. I was actually kind of hoping that they would all just magically get along okay-ish because I have a lot of Spanish homework to catch up on, but now that I look back, that wasn't ambitious enough. So next time I'm going to hope that they all three magically fall in love instantly and I take them back to their brand new cage--which built itself--where they will of course finish my homework for me. Yeaah dream big.

Anyway, I reached for my Spanish book and knocked a shampoo bottle on Mulder's head which scared him senseless, and he dashed into Tank's side. Tank tried to mount him backwards, got bitten on the... tummy, or worse, I'm not sure, I just know some Tank's fur was in Mulder's mouth as Tank hopped away grunting and thumping 3 or 4 times. I pet them to keep them from going at it again.

This might sound crazy to some of you, but I was starting to think Tank was trying to sort of claim that end of the tub, and so I thought I would show him it's actually MY tub by getting into it over the towel lol. He kept rearranging the towel which is annoying because he's molting and I'd like to have his fur as contained as possible, so I moved it back, he pulled it away again, I moved it back, he pulled it away AGAIN and thumped and grunted at me!! So I put it back where I want it, held him down for a while and thumped my foot on the floor. He left the towel alone, and after that the boys entered a maybe 20 minute truce where they fell asleep on opposite ends of the tub, eyes open in loaf position, but asleep none the less. (at least I'm pretty sure--both noses stopped moving so.) I don't know if my towel battle actually helped or not.

I must say, I'm really kind of proud of Tank for coming out of his shell--he had a history of being the least outgoing rabbit ever, and now here he is, being fussy and mounting other rabbits. I know he's stressed, that I'm not happy about, but it's all for the best baby I promise!

I am going to monitor his diet really closely, though. His appetite has dropped a little. Nothing that I'm going to lose sleep over or halt bonding for, not yet--but I am going to be watching in case I think it does become necessary. Also, I will be focusing on Tank with just one of the siblings at a time for a while, and then we'll try all three again. Are there car rides in our future? Perhaps.

Finally, I've started switching their litter boxes. This wasn't a great session but it wasn't bad either. =)

 

[Chrisdoc]

I am so enjoying reading about these three and seeing all the pics and the name tags do help, I´d never be able to figure out which one is which. I think it´s going OK and there are always issues with grooming and who´s the top bun. With my three, some groom more than others but it is funny watching them trying to get the other to groom, that does make me laugh.

Look forward to posts now about these three

 

[zombiesue]

Session 4
Time elapsed: about 45 minutes
Fights: very minor
Humping: not this time
Grooming: Mulder groomed Tank

Just Tank and Mulder this time.

Ohhh my God am I SICK. I have some awful ear-ache/sore throat combo that's just killing me right now. So this was a short session with the two boys. I'd like to do longer ones, but I just couldn't do it. In fact, for a lot of this session, I laid on the couch while my husband babysat.

Mostly ignoring. A little bit of grooming, chasing, and eating hay for the last 5 minutes together. And Tank didn't thump at me this time when I returned him to his cage... yay!

Tank rabbit really gets upset when the rabbits sniff around his butt. I don't know if maybe they are also giving him a little nip? But I don't think so. He just doesn't like a whole lot of butt attention.

These two did a lot of headbutting too. They always do. Mulder gave in a couple times and licked Tank rabbit.

I don't remember a lot else.. or I wasn't there. I don't even know. Whew. =(

 

[Imbrium]

I don't remember a lot else.. or I wasn't there. I don't even know.

LOL. I hope you start to feel better soon! I prescribe extra bunny snuggles, administered at least once a day

 

[zombiesue]

Thanks, I think that would help... x( Yesterday I was sitting on the couch and I was like "huuusbaaand get the rabbit for me." 3:

 

[Imbrium]

Hehehe... I hope he appreciated that you only asked him for one and not all three

 

[zombiesue]

LOL i was so not in the mood for a bonding session in my lap... lol!

 

[zombiesue]

Session 4.5

Put Tank and Mulder in the tub together briefly while my husband was cleaning their cages.

Tank rabbit is a mess, and was leaving poo smears on the towel below him. I believe there is poo stuck to his butt. He's also in a molt, ugh. Mulder kept sticking his face under Tank's butt--at first I just thought sniffing, but now I think he's trying to get him clean. Anyway, Tank doesn't like it when anyone (human or rabbit) messes around his butt/tail area, so this sparked a lot of chasing and thumping but not really fighting, I never really intervened or shouted.

I decided to cut it short until I can get Tank cleaned up. He's really gotten messy while I've been sick, bad timing for such a heavy shed. I put Tank back in his clean cage and I'll clean him up after a break. Poor rabbit.

 

[zombiesue]

Session 5
Duration: About four and a half hours


Got Tank cleaned up for the most part, still has some yucky stuff down there. I'll give him a day off and try again. (maybe I've loosened it enough that he can sort it out himself now? wishful thinking.)

Very, very, very pleased with how today's session went! I put the two boys together and they seemed to be getting along very well. They ate together. Added Scully in once more and there was no upset... so I decided to take it to the next level...

Introducing... the playpen. A small baby play pen, about 2' by 3' with a litterbox and some hay. Lol the litterbox took up over 75% of it.

I would call this a little less neutral. Tank has been in this playpen before, but it's been a while, and he could see his current cage from the playpen. To my surprise, however, it was Mulder who was more aggressive and nippy. Go figure. For a while, the siblings even spun around one another. Confused bunnies. I sprayed anyone I caught nipping with the squirt bottle.

Then things calmed down, and Mulder really groomed the heck out of Tank. Scully groomed them both. I think that Tank is the top rabbit still because he receives most of the grooming. He did try to hump someone at some point too, that caused a little tussle.

They all laid together for a while too, which is phenomenal. I couldn't be more excited.

Good session

I do notice that Tank is still not accustomed to other rabbits. Sometimes I think they are really trying to be friendly toward him and he misinterprets and causes disagreements. But they will learn the things that he is extra sensitive about and he will get more used to them and I think they will meet in the middle.

 

[zombiesue]

Session 6
Duration: About 4 - 5 hours.

No fights. And, as you can see, they are snuggled up so hard it got tough to label them lol...

I think I'll do one more session before I put them all together in a cage, partially for my own reassurance and partially because I'm sort of illprepared for this haaaah I was kind of hoping it would take longer than this........ LOL, I must sound crazy. My intention is to expand Tank's cage a little. They only get out about once or twice a week right now to a pen downstairs where they can exercise, because I haven't been able to rabbit proof my living room yet, and I don't feel like his current set up is quite large enough for all three of them yet. I'm going to add a level and make another level longer, which I think will give them enough space.

Tonight, I put Tank in the siblings cage and I put Scully and Mulder in Tank's current cage, get them used to smelling one another in their living spaces. I'll switch them back later. I think that soon I might be ready to call it.

 

[BunnyWabbit]

I'm commenting/watching this on the other forum. Lol! Nothing more to add here just wanted to pop by this one too! I'm excited for your little trio

 

[zombiesue]

Session 7 + moving in

A few days ago, I had a several hour session. It started with a lot of chasing and I was worried that I would possibly need to step back, but the next several hours passed by normally.

Today, I put them all in the playpen and barely felt like I had to watch them, so I began to reconstruct Tank's cage.

First, I took away the floor and vinegered it. Underneath the floor they have outdoor carpeting, that I washed in the shower (this would be way easier with a hose QQ) and then dried. I hung it over the railing outside and it snowed on it ugh. So then I took it inside and put it near the space heater.

I washed all the foodbowls and water bottle, added a level and changed up the platforms. Anything I couldn't really wash (the parts of the cage I was reusing, for example) I put outside for a couple of hours to air out. I used the litterbox that I had in the playpen while bonding, cleaning it out really good and wiping down with vinegar. If it still smells like any of them, I imagine it smells equally like all of them... that is the idea, anyway.

I changed my plugin scent, and strategically hid dryer sheets in their cage, my theory being that all of these new scents will really confuse Tank into believing this place is new, even if he recognizes some parts of it.

This took me like, a hundred years. It would have been a lot easier with my husband's help, but unfortunately he caught the godawful sickness that I had last week. Sorry, husband. Aaand I just had to wake him up by yelling at them... sorry.

So far it's been ten minutes + however long it took me two write this, and there was one escalating chase but nothing serious. I've placed Mulder on the second level, previously undiscovered by the buns, to sort of distract him for a while. He's a nippy rabbit (with other rabbits--so far not with me ) and caused a few problems.

So, now I'm moving the airbed out to the living room. Good night. I hope I've got a solid foundation here!

 

[zombiesue]

They are happily living in their condo now (x thank you so much for all of your kind messages and support.

 

[Imbrium]

Huzzah!!

 

[Chrisdoc]

Yippee, glad to see they´re all sorted now. These three are so cute together, still can´t figure out how you tell them apart. Cage looks great, I hope they all get used to their new set up. I do love it when bunnies are bonded and live happily together. Brought a big smile to my face this boxing day.