Bonding my bunnies -help~I know nothing!

[Bunnylova4eva]

I'm hoping to bond my two bunnies-Taffy (7 yr old Mini Rex Doe) and Ripley (2 1/2 yr old Holland Lop Buck). Both bunnies are fixed and have been for a while (since Februaryish for Ripley and June for Taffy)

I've had bunnies for 10+ years but have never bonded any of them. I've read up on it a bit but am no pro and don't know what the right way to go about it is.

I've also read up on how you need to introduce them in "neutral" spaces (defined as places neither bunny has ever been) however there are almost no places in our home where Ripley hasn't been due to the fact he's allowed to run all over.


I'd really appreciate any advice on bonding and steps to doing so. I've briefly introduced the two several times. So far they've been ok, Taffy mostly ignores Ripley which is good. Ripley is a bit more keep, constantly sniffing, chin rubbing, and humps her over and over. What do I do about that??


thanks

 

[Imbrium]

If you have an x-pen, you could look into taking them to a friend or neighbor's house (assuming one of them likes bunnies) or take them outside if/when the weather is nice. If you're not using neutral territory, that could definitely be contributing to the humping. If you are and he's still humping, let it go for 10 seconds or so each time (as long as she doesn't seem to be upset) and then nudge him off - I imagine he'll knock it off on his own sooner or later if she's submitting to it, since it's a dominance thing.

 

[PaGal]

Do you have a bathroom that neither bun has been in? Or a hallway? The area does not have to be a large one. From everything I have read you will just want to start putting your buns together in a neutral territory for a short period of time while you are there to supervise. If there is no fighting then you can slowly increase the time that they are together.

If there is any fighting you want to break it up as that can cause injury or even death if left to go on.

You may want to keep a water bottle handy to spray them if they seem to be getting ready for a tiff.

Since your buns are spayed/neutered and long enough ago that hormones should not be playing a role in the humping. Buns will mount each other to assert that they are the boss bun. I am no expert but if Taffy mostly ignores Ripley and doesn't seem to mind that Ripley is mounting her then it sounds to me like they have a good chance at bonding.

You do want to stop any mounting if one bun mounts the other buns head since the bun having it's head mounted could get angry and bite. Mounting otherwise should be allowed to occur unless the bun being mounted seems ready to fight.

Hope this helps some and I'm sure someone with experience and more advice will come along before to long. Good Luck!

 

[pani]

How about stress bonding? I'm not too familiar with it myself, but the concept is that you put the bunnies in a stressful situation together that allows them to bond. I don't think it's normally used as a first resort, but if Ripley already has roam of the entire house, that could be an option for you. I've read that car trips can be a good time for stress bonding.

Good luck! :hearts:

 

[zombiesue]

First of all, put it out of your mind that there is any right way to do it. There just isn't.

But the accepted theory that's worked over and over again is neutral space -> semi neutral space - > permanent housing.

Bathrooms are the most common, I recently did a bonding in the tub, heehee. Even if he's been in your bathroom before, I doubt he will recognize the tub. It's hard for bunnies to jump out. If they're not fighting bad, put down a towel (I always did) if they are attacking eachother viciously, leave the towel out and use the slippery bottom to your advantage.

Humping is fine. If it's not causing fights, let it go for a few minutes and then nudge him off. He's just letting her know.

 

[Blue eyes]

I would be cautious about stress-bonding. I have heard that it may not be the best. If the bunnies are meant to get along, they will. The stress bond is like a forced marriage. It may work or it may backfire in time.
Some people like to use it. Personally, I don't care for the idea and question its long term success.

Bathrooms and tubs can make great neutral space if your bun doesn't normally go there. Or maybe a walk-in closet?

I agree with zombiesue too that bonding is more an art than science. What works for one pair of buns (and their human slave) might not work so great for different buns and different human. Knowing what warning signs to look for and following your gut feelings on how the buns are reacting is usually the best bet. Trust yourself.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Well, I've been trying with neutral space for a little bit daily. Problem is, Taffy is in an xpen in one room up stairs and Ripley's in is another room. People keep leaving the door to the room with Taffy open so when Ripley is hopping around, he'll find his way into that room...even when he is all the way downstairs, he'll in the blink of an eye run up the stairs and I'll find him in the room with Taffy.

I know that's my fault for not keep a closer eye on him. When I've had them in neutral space, Taffy sits like a little blob and doesn't do a whole ton. However when Ripley comes up to her xpen, she gets vicious-thumping her feet, ripped fur off his nose, and growling at him. Ripley on the other hand, doesn't seem to learn and keeps running in there, happier than happy can be. I'm not quite sure how to ever get them out of neutral space without Taffy ripping Ripley apart. Also, it doesn't need to be a new neutral place every bonding session, right?

 

[pani]

I would be cautious about stress-bonding. I have heard that it may not be the best. If the bunnies are meant to get along, they will. The stress bond is like a forced marriage. It may work or it may backfire in time.
Some people like to use it. Personally, I don't care for the idea and question its long term success.

Oh, that makes sense. I never knew. Thanks for the information.

 

[Blue eyes]

However when Ripley comes up to her xpen, she gets vicious-thumping her feet, ripped fur off his nose, and growling at him. Ripley on the other hand, doesn't seem to learn and keeps running in there, happier than happy can be. I'm not quite sure how to ever get them out of neutral space without Taffy ripping Ripley apart. Also, it doesn't need to be a new neutral place every bonding session, right?

It can be the same neutral space each time. Girls tend to be extremely territorial when it comes to their own space (as you've been seeing with Taffy). I'd be more concerned that she will start associating him with 'that bunny that dares enter my domain' even when she is in neutral space. Try to keep him away from her space.

For one of my bond attempts, I had to get a wrap to go around the x-pen to keep them from getting at each other through the pen. I had a similar situation where the boy was anxious to be friends and my girl was becoming vicious through the x-pen. Long story, but suffice it to say, that eventually he got sick of it and started retaliating. I think this was a big factor in them not bonding. So do try to keep him out of her space.

 

[zombiesue]

I would be cautious about stress-bonding. I have heard that it may not be the best. If the bunnies are meant to get along, they will. The stress bond is like a forced marriage. It may work or it may backfire in time.

I haven't had any negative experience with stress-bonding, but on another forum there was a girl who had rabbits that she stress-bonded, and then put them immediately back together-and they took out the stress on one another instead of cuddling, so to stress bond them she would separate them immediately after to calm down.

It's definitely an art LOL. You have to pay attention to what's going on and be gentle with yourself. There is absolutely no perfect way to do it and sometimes experienced bonders make it look easy--it's not.