Bunnie bonding - idea

[Linz_1987]

I have had an idea, can you tell me if you think it is a gud idea, or a bad idea?

I was thinking since the rabbits are ok with each other in the kitchen, but fight in the garden together, maybeI could try putting them on leads in the garden and making sure they can't touch each other. (One person holding one one end of the garden n me the other) and gradually getting closer together but still not touching? Will this help them get use to being with each other in the garden? Or could it be dangerous, since both of them have never been on a lead before andI don't want to stress them out. All this but still carrying on with sessions in the kitchen?

We tryed leaving the back door open and letting them both go out into the garden on their own accord. But that didnt work, as they started fighting and brought the fighting into the kitchen. But since then they have beennot as gud togetherin the kitchen, and have been giving each other little nips, and having little fights. SoI think that letting them into the garden like that was a bad idea.

Any more suggestions on letting them tobe friendly together in the garden? Thank you all!

 

[Stephanie]

Do they only fight in the garden? Or are you still in the process of bonding them in neutral territory? Obviously the garden is a trigger for them to go at it with each other, but I'm just trying to get the whole picture before giving advice.

Do they share a cage?Are they bothfixed?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

How are they fighting? Are they really hurting each other or just establishing dominance?

I can suggest that you put up escape routes or hidingshelters if one bunny wants to run from the other. I had two bunnies bond in a few days,when Igot to babysit a friend's rabbit for two weeks.

Here is my link on the two....

http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=9548&forum_id=1&page=5

Rainbows!

 

[Linz_1987]

They did get on great, but afterI left the backdoor open so they could go out on their own, they brought the fighting inside the kitchen, and they do fight a little sometimes now, but they do groom each other a lot. So they are not totally bonded in the kitchen yet. I think it's gone downhill to the start again since the fighting has started again.

They do not share a cage at the moment, their hutches are facing eachother so they can see each other all the time. And they were both neutered about a month ago now.

The fighting started off with little nips and Dotty was going round in circles around Pepper. But they had a few full on fights last night when they got out into the dining room where Dotties cage use to be. AfterI had managed to herd them back into the kitchen, they had one major fight and kept hiding from each other. (Luckily there was no blood)So I will try again tonight, but most of the time they have major fights and suddenly go back to being nice to each other again, andback and forth.

Do you thinkI should leave it until it has gone back tobeing nice all the time in the kitchen, and then try them with the leads in the garden? SoI don'thave to do the wholeprogress once again? I tryed holding them a distance apart from each other in the garden butI get scaredI will letone go and panic, so I'd let one go.

OrI could get someone else to holdone and me the other? So they are further apart.

 

[Linz_1987]

So does anybody think the leads in the garden is a good idea? please answer my questions. I am lost without you guys lol.

 

[Stephanie]

I don't have much experience with leads, socan't give any advice on it. I think it's odd that they're pretty muchok together inside, but out there they fight.

Do you have a fence or something that you could use to separate them?That way they can see/smell each other, but not get at each other.

 

[Linz_1987]

well i have a hutch for Pepper, and it has a runat the bottom, and Dottie just has a hutch for now. And when one getslet out in the garden they go up to the side of the bars of theirhutches or run and sniff each other there, and they are fine.

I dont really have anything else i could use like a fence.

 

[Linz_1987]

Ok, ive desided to try bonding again.

Its been about 2 months now, and every day when they get let out intothe garden, and one is in the run they sit next to each other throughthe bars and stay their all day, as if they dont want to part.

They are both neutered, but Dottie still leaves piles of poo everywhere as to marking her teritory in the garden.

I let them into the hall way together last night and they were fine.But Dottie keeps leaving poo every where in the hall way. It looks asthough Dottie is still terriotoral, And Pepper doesnt even care.

I am going to try them in the hall way together every day now.

Will Dottie ever stop marking every where even though she is neutered?Also she makes a really bad smell when she marks everywhere! :disgust:

 

[Kricket]

If you are going to try them on leads, practicewith them IN the house first. Some buns might panic on thelead and wiggle out of it. Some buns are totally fine onleads. Go slow with baby steps. Fit the leader onone bun for just a minute or two (inside) then the next. Talksweetly to them. Each day increase the time spent on thelead, still inside. When you think that they are fine on theleads, then venture outside. Keep them inside on the leadsuntil you know they are ok. There was a member on this forumthat had her bun on a lead, the bunny panicked and flipped out andinjured itself (outside). If your bunnies were to freak outand get out of the lead, at least they would be inside and easier tocalm down.

 

[ariel]

I'd try the bonding stuff in the houseand get that happening first, then you could try outside, seems asthough the garden was a problem, even though you say that now they laynear each other I wouldn't trust it just yet.

Keep the house bonding going and then try a few minutes at a timeoutside and see how you go. Just a thought, I am new to the bondingworld and all our bunnies are inside.

 

[Gilfly]

Sami was fine with the lead. BUT she was out inthe garden with it once...she was having so much....she runs SOOO fast.She stopped once when my boyfriend was holding the lead and thendarted of so fast and strong that she pulled the lead out of iainshand. She headed straight for the fence... we had to chase her she washeading for the gate when i screeched out her name she stopped anddarted the other way. She is so fast! we managed to pin her to theground eventually after a few manic mins...fur flying everywhere. ITWAS THE SCARIEST THING EVER for us and ican;t imagine how scared Sami must have been with us chasing her likethat....probably panicked her more but it wa our natural reaction. Soplease be so careful. i thought i was gonna lose her and she would beout in the wild and i dred to think what would have happened to her. istill have visions of her wee cotton tail zooming away from me. I wasterrified.

I don't want to put u off using the lead...Sami really enjoyed it. Ijust don't want u to have to go through what i did, iain ws even worse-he couldn't stop crying because he thought he had lost my rabbit. iainNEVER cries..but he did that dreadful night.

Once again though Sami loved her lead...she had so much freedom. if yougarden it closed of it would be better.Mine is quite open. PLUS Sami isthe fastest rabbit iv ever seen. she hasn't been back outside on thelead since.

-Gillian

 

[BeckyBun]

If I was you I would distract the rabbits when brought outside (with toys, veggies etc.). I am due to start bonding once more on this weekend, and I have been reading up on it for months! I have noticed that my rabbits are different in different rooms, including the garden.