Bonding Question

[kirst3buns]

Basil and Penny have been spending a lot of time together in a large cage (2x5 NIC Panels) in my bedroom with a large run attached to that for about a week. This morning they have been together for 3 hours so far. There have been no fights but earlier on there were a couple of nips and move away quickly moments. Basil has groomed Penny several times. They even seem to be doing some things together, such as destroy the box, chow down on salad, eat hay in the litter box, etc.

A few months ago they lived together for a whole week but then I moved them out of my bedroom into the living room and found that Basil starting chasing Penny a lot so I separated them. I'm wondering if it was the move that stressed him out and I should have left them together. Penny seems to want to be with Basil and has done several binkies this morning in the cage with him.

I'm thinking of trying to leave them together all weekend as I'm off work and home and can keep checking on them frequently. If they were going to fight, would they have done it already and is this too much time together too quickly?

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

I'm sorry no one has helped with your question, so I thought I'd give you a little to go on. I am not very savvy as far as bonding, I've attempted it a couple times, never succeeded. I had a very agressive girly:biggrin2:.

Here's what I would say. If they can be in the same space for a week with no trouble? You're doing very well. (Yes, I think moving them would change things, making you to start over in a sense.) Nips as far as it goes no further shouldn't be a problem as far as I have read from others. Is there a dominant bun? One that grooms the other? Bosses the other around? That's the one you should watch, although, I can say from personal experience, that my Snuff was the submissive one and got mad at the dominator when she wouldn't groom and he refused to groom her and then she would nip him because of it, which would result in an all out!:shock:

You could also try doing the car ride together or the laundry basket and carry them around together, which will stress them and make them huddle together, hence possible bonding. I think with the lengths you've had with them getting along is a great indicator they will bond.

 

[tonyshuman]

That sounds like a good idea. I decided to let Tony and Muffin move in together by giving them more and more time together without supervision. Being within hearing distance is a good idea, and just let them be together for longer and longer periods of time until you're sure they're ok.

 

[Spring]

I would definitely try them for a week or so in your bedroom in the large cage. When I was near the end of bonding Poppy and Bruno, I left them in my room all day for a couple days, then for a full dayand stayed nearby so I could hear anything. There were no problems, so I moved them down together in a pen. I sat with them for quite awhile and even attempted to sleep in their pen the first night they were together in familiar territory, but settled for the couch near the stairs so I could hear any little peep. There's been no problems since .

When you moved them to the living room, was that Basil's territory at all? He might have gotten a bit territorial if Penny was moving back into his territory. You could try them for a week in the cage in your room, then just have them for a few hours in the living room (or wherever you want their home to be). Then gradually as they are spending more time in the space where they can stay, you might work towards moving them there permanently?

Hope it works out!

 

[kirst3buns]

Thanks everyone. I left them together for 6 hours yesterday and only put them back because I had to leave the house. I will try again today. My bedroom is neutral territory and this time I've come up with a cage in there they can stay in until I'm sure they are bonded.

 

[Pipp]

They sound bonded to me. Don't be too concerned about the small tiffs, just make sure they have some space. As long as you've got hidey boxes and shelves so one bun can avoid the other in the event of cranky moods, it shouldn'tbe a problem.

Dill and Sherryappear to be cuddle buns, they sleep together and runaround in tandem, but in reality they'd still never be able to share a small cage, Dill will chase and nip Sherry relentlessly. He doesn't do any damage, just pulled hair, but it can't be any fun for her.

And Darry (a girl) will chase and nip Radar (a boy), I'm not sure he's be able to spend time with her in really close quarters, either, although Radar doesn't seem to mind, love is blind.

Also when Ihad Sugar and Sekura here, they had come from living together in a small cage, Sugar had bald patches fromtiffs with Sekura (her mother) and I often saw Sekuara nip Sugar, so it wasn't one-sided, butas soon as I added a secondshelf to their pen, it all disappeared.

Remember that neutral territory can also include the human. I tried to bondDill and Pipp when Dill first arrived, but I made the mistake of introducing them with my friend holding Pipp while I held Dill. Pipp was LIVID when she saw meholding another bun, she's hatedDill ever since. (And a side note --if I pet a cat in front of either Dill or Pipp, they will bite the cat -- especially if the cat purrs. They are very jealous little creatures).

sas :bunnieskiss