Bonding Process - Please help

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RebeccaUK

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Hi Everyone

Well here is an update. We got Roxy the new bun on Monday and have divided Benjamin's new hut and run in half so each bun can have a side each on a night we put both buns locked inside the hut but one has free run of the hut and the other is in a smaller hutch on the base of the hut so they can still see each other.

I'm not sure whether the bond will work - I really hope so but I don't know if there are any positive signs just yet. On Monday when Roxy arrived she was very disinterested in Benjamin and he sat on his side of the run basically attacking the dividing wire and trying to get at her. The next days he seemed to lose interest and they were both sat at opposite ends of the run ignoring each other. Last night as things seemed to have cooled hubby and I decided to try the first introduction so we took them both up to the bathroom, covered the bath with towels and each bun took an end of the bath - they both seemed frightened and shell-shocked but I'm not sure if it was by each other or because they were in the weird bath. They were not interested in treats or lettuce and were both breathing pretty fast as they approached each other and immediately Roxy laid flat and stuck her head down - obviously accepting Benjamin as the dominant one - which we knew he would be! Benjamin sort of sat for a few seconds and let her shove her head under his belly and then he started nipping her and mounting her she took this at first but then retaliated and nipped him back so we then separated - the whole thing took 3 minutes! After we separated them and Roxy stayed in the bath and Benjamin on the bathroom floor for a while they both happily ate some treats and lettuce.

This morning Benjamin starting doing the attacking thing again through the bars of the run but settled down after about 20 minutes.

I'm not sure whether this was a good sign or whether things are looking bleak...I know it's too soon to tell but I'd like to know that things are moving the right way or whether I'm doing more harm than good by starting the introductions in this way. When I bonded Benjamin to Twinkle there was no humping at all as they started to sit next to each other (with the bars in between) after 2 days and when we introduced them they started grooming immediately. I just don't understand why Benjamin needs to hump Roxy when she appears to have already accepted his dominance. I don't know whether to try again with another introduction today or give it a rest - what do you think and does this sound promising???
 
I'm not a bonding expert, but from what you said, there was no fighting, it just seemed like they were joshing for dominance, which is pretty standard because they need to find their place with each other.

Each bunny is different, so Benjamin probably senses something different in Roxy, than he did in Twinkle, maybe he feels she is feistier or something.

Being disinterested isa positive sign in that it's not a negative sign (if that makes sense).

I know we don't have our resourses here at the mo, but if you google topics related to this, lots will come up that might help you.

I was reseraching recently and it said that if the rabbits are circling to stop them, but nipping and humping is ok, so long as the bunnies are not super distressed. But you know your bunnies better than anyone, so only you can make the call as to what they can tolerate.

It might take a while, but keep persevering.
 
It sounds like things are actually going really well. A little nipping and mounting is normal. If they are ignoring each other, and Roxy is being submissive, you're on your way.

Benjamin just needs to establish him dominance. Keep giving them sessions together in neutral territory like you did in the bath - that was a really good thing to do. Just seperate them if they look like they are getting aggressive with each other, but try to end the bonding session on a good note instead of waiting till it gets to the point where they start fighting.

Just keep doing what you're doing. Maybe have some treats on hand so they are distracted by the treats as well.

They're going to bond in no time! :D

____________
Nadia
 
I agree that it sounds promising. Ignoring each other is actually quite good (I wish Pernod would ignore Shadow).

As long as you stop them when they do start getting nippy with each other - like you did - then I think things will go very nicely. I really hope so, both for you and your bunnies :)

Jan
 
Hi Everyone

Here is the latest development.

Yesterday we put the buns together in a neutral room and a little mutual grooming took place. Benjamin seems to groom Roxy more enthusiastically and sometimes seems to go as far as almost biting/ nipping her face area and then this usually leads to humping. He did this and humped and she nipped back and ran away, then she approached him and humped him - he looked shell-shocked for a few seconds and then spun around and nipped her and then a full scale fight was about to break out as the circling started so we separated them.

I know her humping him back means that there is a fight for dominance going on - has anyone else experienced humping from both parties and would you guess that eventually one rabbit will back down? I'm finding the whole bondinbg process very hard to watch because I hate seeing my bunnies making each other angry and nipping each other but I'd like to know that we're actually going to get somewhere and it's not in vain.
 
I'm not sure they are making each other angry, things like ears down,can besigns of anger, not necessarily nipping and running, etc (if you read 'the language of lagomorphs' there is a lot in there that might help you).

As for the humping, I have never bonded bunnies from scratch, but when we put Sandy and Sky together to mate they were both humping each other, and our bonded pairs (one pair of bucks and one pair of does) are always humping each other. That is something that will probably continue even when they are totally bonded, it's just the rabbit way.

The grooming is a really positive sign :) Hang in there, you and your buns are doing well.
 
I believe that Rebecca lost Benjamin's bonded buddy, and is now trying to bond him to someone else because he was lonely. (but someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong).
 
Hi, yes that's right. Twinkle got very ill so we had to make the hard decision to put her to sleep back in early May and we're now trying to bond him to a new friend.
 
Well.....(in hushed tones)....we're in the neutral territory room, and things seem to be going ok..... We went for our car ride at 6.30 which I'm not sure was successful or not - there was no fighting en-route but Benjamin did clamber on top of Roxy's head as he was frightened. As soon as I got them home and into the spare room they got over the car-shock pretty quickly and started chasing and humping. There has so far been an awful lot of chasing, a little nipping and humping mainly from Roxy! What seems to be happening a lot is that Benjamin lowers his head under her chin for grooming, she starts off gromming quite amiably and then turns it into a head-hump! At the minute they're both sat close-by but not touching each other, Roxy is grooming herslef and Benjamin is munching pellets - I'm hoping things are going ok??!! I still don't really understand which the dominant bun is yet - would you say because Benjamin is presenting himself for grooming and seems to have stopped humping Roxy it is him???? When Roxy starts to head-hump him he doesn't retaliate other than a few little nips, they circle for a few seconds getting faster and then one runs away from the situation.

Please please let it be going ok - I need this bond to work
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It sounds a lot like things are progressing along fairly well, so that sounds grand. Hopefully it will continue that way.

I'm not sure, but I think, from watching my bonded pairs, that they can both be dominant and submissive with different things, as well as having a definite dominant/submissize bun.

With my Dopeys, one always humps the other, and is the one that is groomed, however, the one that gets humped always gets the fresh foods first and won't let the other Dopey near them. So with them it seems a constant struggle. Yet they need top be together and hate to be apart.

With Sunshine and Sweep, my dwarf lops, Sunshine is very dominant, and Swepe is submissive, but more amiable than Sunshine.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it is going to depend on the buns personalities. Keep persevering. It's sounding good :)
 
I think things sound as if they are going well. Humping/chasing/nipping are all pretty natural in the early stages, and the fact that they are close to each other and 'doing their own thing' is a good sign that they feel pretty relaxed about each other. As long as they aren't being really aggressive and full out fighting, I would say things are looking positive for a successful binding :)

Jan
 
Fingers crossed here but I'm hoping the buns are now bonded! They have been together for over 24 hrs and are sitting together harmoniously and grooming each other - yeah - I am so pleased!!!There is still a tiny bit of humping going on but it's not often and it's usually diffused before it even starts because the 'humpee' runs away before the 'humper' starts. I hope this is the hard part over - I don't want to speak too soon but I am ecstatic!!
 
That's terrific :) I really hope this is for good. :D
 
Congratulations!! thats so cute, you have to take pics!!

Unfortunately, the humping never stops haha. Last night my tiny pepo tried to hump my mini lop, and she fell on her ass lol it was so funny, and now it became a challenge for her and she is determined to do it right so she has being chasing tito all day.
 

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