How is Complete Bonding Proven?

[Jenk]

On average, how many daytime hours (and for how many days and/or weeks) that two bunnies are together without incident indicatethat they can safely be put together permanently? And besides grooming and lying side-by-side, what other behaviors indicate that it's likely safe to let to bunners live together?

Our girls, Emma and Zoe, spend 1 - 2.5 hours together each night, during which time my husband and/or Isit with them. (We've done this since March;the girlshave lived with anx-pen wall between them since late Dec., when they had to be separated prior to their spay surgeries.)

Emma mounts Zoe, but Zoe manages to get groomed more (by shoving her snout under Emma's). Still, both girls flop together, and Zoe accepts the mounting behavior fairly well, all things considered: She doesn't display outright aggression, although she will do a 180-deg. turn at times to stop Emma'ssilliness.

Jenk

 

[Becca]

I would like to know the answer to this GREAT question - I hope someone who knows it comes along soon :waiting:

 

[Becknutt]

I would say it sounds like they are ok to be together, my female hated being mounted and would 180 and run everytime but was never agressive. She still runs if he trys to mount her and they have been completely bonded for 5 months. I have never seen two happier rabbits.

I would recommend extending their play time together, and without your presence. Maybe leave the room, but be somewhere nearby so you can watch their behavior. Before housing them together don't forget to let them each check out the others cage/home so no one will be territorial.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

What i did, but i am at home all day, is i started with their pens next to each other so they could smell and see each other. Then i would come down in the morning and put them in a pen across the room together, for the first week it was one or two sessions a day for a few hou rs, then the next week they spent most the morning and some early afternoon together. Then i moved it to all day but back in thier pens at night. i eventually got to putting them in one cage during the day to see how they reacted to being locked in together , and then i would run to the store and leave them locked together. After all day stints and then unsupervised short sessions i started to leave them together at night, and so far so good. I think you need to be comfortable with what you are doing , and when you do it.



also i would defintely start with longer bonding sessions together before housing them together permanently

 

[missyscove]

For the record, my two were completely bonded, living together for 3 months, then they had a massive fight that woke us up. Fiona was cut up not too bad, but lots of tiny cuts, so we separated them and they've been a part ever since, though caged next to each other, until very recently when they've been okay having "out time" together. (Pictures in my blog)
I'm really excited that they're not attacking each other, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be comfortable caging them together again.

 

[Spring]

I'm going through the 'finilaziation' of my trio starting today actually! . I usually take them up to a territory they've been in before but not where their cages are, then keep them together for a few days, and if they are still doing well, I clean out everything thoroughly, wash everything ect. and move everyone in. Always worked that way!

Usually if they can stay together in familiar territory for a few days I'd say they are bonded. Bunnies can be strange sometimes and in rare cases bonds may break, but usually once they've lived together for a few days they are good to go.

 

[Jenk]

missyscove wrote:

I'm really excited that they're not attacking each other, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be comfortable caging them together again.

Zoe and Emma were completely bonded before their hormones kicked in. (The vet waited to spay them until they were six months old, especially since Zoe long had medical issues. He wanted her strengthened a bit more before performing surgery.)

The girls had three scuffles prior to their spay surgeries. The first two occurred when we were out of the room; I didn't even realize that they had scuffled, though I'd found a bit of Emma's fur on the ground. (The girls were panting, and tufts of Emma's fur were on the ground after the second fight;they were physically separated that same day.)

The third fight occurred when Zoe leapt over Emma's cage (which acted as a divider). I don't know if she intended to fight; but once on the other side of the wall, I'm sure that Emma's territorialism was incited. I heard them racing like crazy and saw them running in a super-tight circle. It all happened so dang fast! We then placed a higher divider atop Emma's cage.

That last fight may sound bad, but the girls have really gotten along quite well since. We initially started bonding them on our bed. Then we progressed to having them out together in the kitchen. On three occasions, they've "hung out" in the extra bedroom in which I intend to house them. (I watched them for four hours in that room today. Now we're heading back to hang out in the kitchen for another hour, or so.)

 

[Spring]

I think they have a good chance of bonding .

My bonded pair has had a few scuffles during bonding, and they're quite close. Even Bruno and Jasmine have had a large fight when Bruno snuck into her cage while I was getting veggies ready, and they're almost a trio now!