kirbyultra
Well-Known Member
I've been debating whether or not to start a thread about this. *sigh* I'm so stressed out from all the bonding the last couple months (with Toby and Kirby, which I gave up on) that I'm dwelling on every little thing for the new couple. It's driving me insane and I don't want to put all my nerves into my blog. I just have this fear that I'm doing all this work and it's not going to end well.
Ok, so I've done 16 sessions with Kirby and Penny since I got her. They are both fixed buns. Kirby is 3 and Penny is 2. I do two sessions a day in the hallway outside of my apartment. It's totally neutral territory as none of my buns hang out there.
The experts at our rescue recommend doing 2 minute sessions until the buns look like they are ready to go longer. Minimum, they say do 2 minute sessions for a week so that they have time to familiarize with each other. I stuck to 2 minutes for most of the week, but they seem to do just fine. Sometimes they'll ignore each other the whole 2 minutes. Sometimes they go nose to nose.
Kirby usually stands nose to nose with her for about 5 seconds before he pounces on her. I don't let him do that anymore. When they get into this nose lock or their cheeks touch, I pet them both over the head and they sit there for 2-3 minutes without issue.
They compete to be the one who puts their head down first. I used to think that that was a gesture of submission but I think it's actually a demand to be groomed, therefore a sign of wanting to be the dominant bun. They try to stuff their head under each other's heads and so they end up in this cheek lock (it's funny to watch, but nerve racking to actually experience). If I leave the two of them alone, I know Kirby'll pounce on her head. In the last 2 days I've kept the sessions to 3 minutes each time.
I know some people recommend doing 15 minutes but Kirby never lasts that long. He gets really frustrated and antsy and it makes me nervous about what he'll to Penny. Penny still sorta likes him despite the slight violence. I don't want her to start hating him
I can't do car rides to stress them. I live in Manhattan and a "car ride" around the block takes 20 minutes due to traffic (I'm not kidding). Driving at the speed of grandmotherly walking is hardly what I'd call stressful. Plus if a fight breaks out, I can't just stop the vehicle. I don't have a friend's home suitable for borrowing as grounds for bonding.
For now I just keep doing the 2-3 minute sessions... the buns just kinda hang out. My blood pressure skyrockets for 2-3 minutes twice a day.... it's ok... I just hope we are headed somewhere worthwhile with all this. :faint:
Ok, so I've done 16 sessions with Kirby and Penny since I got her. They are both fixed buns. Kirby is 3 and Penny is 2. I do two sessions a day in the hallway outside of my apartment. It's totally neutral territory as none of my buns hang out there.
The experts at our rescue recommend doing 2 minute sessions until the buns look like they are ready to go longer. Minimum, they say do 2 minute sessions for a week so that they have time to familiarize with each other. I stuck to 2 minutes for most of the week, but they seem to do just fine. Sometimes they'll ignore each other the whole 2 minutes. Sometimes they go nose to nose.
Kirby usually stands nose to nose with her for about 5 seconds before he pounces on her. I don't let him do that anymore. When they get into this nose lock or their cheeks touch, I pet them both over the head and they sit there for 2-3 minutes without issue.
They compete to be the one who puts their head down first. I used to think that that was a gesture of submission but I think it's actually a demand to be groomed, therefore a sign of wanting to be the dominant bun. They try to stuff their head under each other's heads and so they end up in this cheek lock (it's funny to watch, but nerve racking to actually experience). If I leave the two of them alone, I know Kirby'll pounce on her head. In the last 2 days I've kept the sessions to 3 minutes each time.
I know some people recommend doing 15 minutes but Kirby never lasts that long. He gets really frustrated and antsy and it makes me nervous about what he'll to Penny. Penny still sorta likes him despite the slight violence. I don't want her to start hating him
I can't do car rides to stress them. I live in Manhattan and a "car ride" around the block takes 20 minutes due to traffic (I'm not kidding). Driving at the speed of grandmotherly walking is hardly what I'd call stressful. Plus if a fight breaks out, I can't just stop the vehicle. I don't have a friend's home suitable for borrowing as grounds for bonding.
For now I just keep doing the 2-3 minute sessions... the buns just kinda hang out. My blood pressure skyrockets for 2-3 minutes twice a day.... it's ok... I just hope we are headed somewhere worthwhile with all this. :faint: