Bunny copying behavior. Grooming me?

[Cayzi]

I have 2 bunnys! A boy and a girl, Mimzy and Molly. But they're kept separate till they're both spayed and neutered. Mimzy has been neutered and Molly is 3.5 months old and we're waiting till she's old enough to be spayed.

Both of their cages are in the same room and they both have their exercise time in that room. They get about 4 hours sometimes more each. And I spend about an hour with each of them and check up on them. Their personalities are very different. Molly is loving, affectionate, constantly licking and grooming me since I got her. Mimzy is loving, but more adventurous. He climbs anything he can. He likes to be around me and runs around my legs when I enter the room but hates being picked up but will sit for pets. When I'm with Molly Mimzy always tries to stay the closest to us while being in his cage and always watches her lick/groom me. I just feel like he's been sad/bored/lonely since his neuter? They both sniff at each other during their play time through the bars and Molly has even tried to lick.

Anyway. Today Mimzy started doing what Molly does. Grooming me and licking. It's very unlike him. He'd nibble on my clothes and lick my clothes. but also lick the skin on my arms and legs a few times before going back to the clothes. He's a little more aggressive on the clothes.

I'm wondering why this is? Is he copying Mollys behavior because he wants more attention? Maybe jealousy? Or is his personality just changing a bit because of his neuter which was a few weeks ago?

I was also wondering if it would be alright to bond them before Molly's spay? Mimzy just seems so sad and lonely. I think she'd get spayed before any of her hormones would really kick in. I think they'll just be much more happier once they're bonded but it's hard to wait till then

 

[Cayzi]

So I did a meet and greet with Molly and Mimzy. They've been caged besides each other for months and during playtime always would go up to each others cage and sniff.

We put a bowl of lettuce and they ate it together perfectly fine. Then sniffed each other a lot. Mimzy would always be sniffing Mollys bum. But never tried to bite or hump. He'd basically just rub his head all over her. She'd do the same but not as much. Then they'd like separate. Molly would run around awhile. Then come back to him. They'd both come to me for pets as well randomly. They seemed perfectly fine together.

They eventually just sat like this for 5-10 minutes.

Molly would occasionally just re-adjust her head and nuzzle under his chin.
She also licked his ear after a bit.
Mimzy seems more interested in her than she does in him. He tried to follow her off the carpet onto the tiles but didn't. Its like an invisible wall for him. Mimzy pee'd a lot during this time like 4 times. I'm not sure if that means anything. They were out together for about an hour and a half?

How do you know when they are bonded? Is it okay for them to play together now? When will I know it's okay? Do i need to keep them together in the same cage? Should Mimzy go to the vet with Molly when she is ready to be spayed?

 

[Azerane]

I'm not completely sure on all the details, but just briefly, I wouldn't be caging them together at this stage, you need to a few more successful outings together for longer periods of time before I would consider them bonded. Molly may have temper shifts due to her hormones, and hormones and territorial marking are likely why she has peed numerous times. There shouldn't be any harm in doing a few more introductions, but I wouldn't be housing them together just yet.

 

[Cayzi]

Thanks for the response! I didn't think I should be caging them together yet anyway. I thought being apart might hurt the bond more if they were bonded.

The one peeing a lot is actually the neutered male, Mimzy.

I had them together for another 45 minutes or so.

Basically all they do together is rub their faces on eachother.
Molly (the unspayed female) keeps forcing her head underneath Mimzy's chin. Sometimes Mimzy will give her head a few licks or run away. She's done it A LOT though. She'll just keep trying to put her head under his chin, sometimes aggressively. They also groom me together. They both love nibbling on my clothes when im sitting.

They don't seem bonded yet but they're getting a long pretty well. No fighting or humping yet.

 

[Azerane]

Yes, once they are properly bonded, being separated (for vet visits etc) is stressful to them, but until then it's ok.

Molly pushing her head under Mimzy's is a sign of dominance, she's saying "groom me now, or else". A rabbit that refuses to groom may end up being "told off" or attacked by the one demanding to be groomed.

Sorry I got confused about who had been peeing, how long has Mimzy been neutered? If it's not a month, it's a good thing he's not humping because males can sometimes still get does pregnant up to a month after being neutered, so if it's still recent, it's possible those hormones are still working their way out of his system and he's peeing to mark territory etc, especially with an intact female in his area.

 

[Cayzi]

Oh interesting! I thought Mimzy would be the dominant one. He's been neutered for 2-3 weeks. I'm not sure Mollys even able to get pregnant at 3 months of age. But I'll keep that in mind! He hasn't seemed to try humping at all. But he never humped anything before his neuter anyway.

So does that mean they haven't established who's dominant? How will I know when that is established? Mimzy seems fine with grooming her when she asks. He usually licks her head a few time and her ears.