So I ended up with two boys....

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Kizza

Kizza

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
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Location
Wollongong, , Australia
I have had little Gidget for almost a year now, and he just got the snip. When I got him i wanted a girlfriend for Rocky, but he ended up with a boyfriend lol

Does anyone else have bonded males? Since Gidget got the snip 2 weeks ago they have been having play dates which have gone quite well until today. Rocky got annoyed with Gidget trying to hump him all the time and humped him back lol

They didnt fight, but it started to get a little feisty so I broke them up. I hope they can be friends one day :S
 
Same sex bonds do work and there are several members on here that have same sex bonds. My pair happens to be a m/f.

Same sex bonds are a bit more challenging though and are more prone to spontaneous fighting along the way. Doesn't mean it will happen for sure, just the chances are a bit higher.

I'm assuming they are both fixed right? If not, they both need to be neutered.

Secondly, it can take 6-8 weeks for hormones to completely dissipate after a neuter. So if Gidget just got snipped 2 weeks ago then hormones could still be an issue here. However, I will say that mounting is common when a pair is working out dominance issues.

I'm a proponet of the slow track bonding process. I'm not sure how many dates they've had or where you are with things but here is a great article I refer a lot of people to. I referenced it a lot while bonding my two. You may just have to start from square one again with your two. Cage them separately next to each other, no dates for another couple weeks to let hormones go away, then start with short dates in neutral territory and go from there.

Best of luck. Here is that article.
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml
 
Hi guys, thanks for the words of advice. I read the article, its really good! very informative.

The bunnies have been playing together a little every day and although I have to be close to them at all times to prevent any mounting, they have been going really well!

They have been getting more and more relaxed with each other and they have cuddled on the lounge a couple of times and they have preened each other a couple of times also.

Im so excited I hope they can eventually be best buddies :)
 
Kizza said:
Hi guys, thanks for the words of advice. I read the article, its really good! very informative.

The bunnies have been playing together a little every day and although I have to be close to them at all times to prevent any mounting, they have been going really :)
Click to expand...

Just another word of advice with the mounting. You will eventually want to let them mount. It sounds strange, I know, but they need to work it out between them. With constant human interference you could be delaying their bond as they still haven't figured out who is top bun.

Now, with that being said there is still a fine line here. You want to prevent fighting at all costs. So follow your gut as to how long they tolerate the humping. And don't let it go more than a few seconds. I think the article talks about this too.

Best of luck glad they are maki g some progress! :)
 
It sounds like they're doing pretty well so far, just keep at it. As others have said it could be a little shaky for a while because of the dissipating hormones, but I think you're certainly on the right track.
 
I have two bonded boys!! :D They are best buds now.

Slow and steady wins the race, but the more frequently you can put them together in neutral territory, the better. Even twice a day if you have the time. My boys still hump each other, so don't worry about that too much...although mine established who was boss pretty quickly, which is essential. TIME and PATIENCE! Good luck!
 
agnesthelion said:
Just another word of advice with the mounting. You will eventually want to let them mount. It sounds strange, I know, but they need to work it out between them. With constant human interference you could be delaying their bond as they still haven't figured out who is top bun.

Now, with that being said there is still a fine line here. You want to prevent fighting at all costs. So follow your gut as to how long they tolerate the humping. And don't let it go more than a few seconds. I think the article talks about this too.

Best of luck glad they are maki g some progress! :)
Click to expand...


I'm sorry to take over here, but Lisa could you please explain this?
I've been stopping my two from nipping at each other, and they cannot for the life of them figure out who top bun is? :/ are they just doomed?
 
holtzchick said:
I'm sorry to take over here, but Lisa could you please explain this?
I've been stopping my two from nipping at each other, and they cannot for the life of them figure out who top bun is? :/ are they just doomed?
Click to expand...

Nipping and mounting are two different things. Don't let them nip ever. Mounting can be allowed for a brief period to let them work out dominance. That's what can be allowed, not nipping :)

See article for more reference on that too.


http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml
 
Thanks again guys, the bonding is going great I have been having them both in the backyard to play and there hasnt been much mounting at all lately. There has been a couple of times where they have been mounting each other but they seem to be sorting it out. I will let them go for a couple of seconds and them gently separate them and that seems to be making a difference.

The only thing now is Gidget sprays Rocky a bit. Poor Rocky, he doesn't seem very impressed with it lol I think he will stop in time.

My next step is to set up their cages next to each other so they can see each other all the time, I think it will be good for them. Gidget gets a little too excited with Rocky when he hasn't seen him all day so I think that might help with the spraying and general bonding. Heres a couple of pictures of how they are together with constant supervision:

Gidget and Rocky.jpg

Gidget and Rocky2.jpg
 
They're so cute! Glad to hear that it's all going well so far, I agree that putting the cages next to each other will help, then they have to be a part of each other's lives.
 
Adorable buns!!!
Do you know the famous bunnies Rambo and Eddy?
They have an instagram and a Facebook page. They're also both male. :)
 
Aww sweet photo thry are adorable! Glad they are getting along!
 
Nipping is a tricky thing. Nipping is a form of communication, sometimes meaning hey I'm interested in you, I want something from you, get the hell out of the way or the prelude to a real bite then fight. I'm not saying allow nipping, but often a rabbit beginning its humping clamps down on the back of the target. Like anything having to do with rabbits you got to know yours to decide the course to go.

As an example, my Conan nips. I was keeping him from nipping Xena and wondering why he was doing it so much, especially when all the other bunny body language was indicating nothing hostile. I read up on it further a d that's where I got all the info on what a nip could be. Thinking back Conan always nipped, not often, but to tell me be wanted me out of the way, or he wanted food, or sometimes just to pay attention to him. When I realized Xena was barely reacting to it (other then out of shock) or that she herself would come and nip me I fully realized that's his form of communication while her's is to thump.

Now again, be careful. Even thinking this I'm very hesitant on letting nips happen and when I do I make absolutely sure it's not progressing further or multiple ones. Just thought it was something to share. Good luck with the bonding, several of us here are in the midst of it ourselves and I have no reason to think your will go bad just cause they're both males. Things sound good so far.
 
Thanks guys! They are like this most of the time when I am there to keep the peace. It's funny, Gidget knows when he can get away with a little humping, he only does it when I turn my back! Cheeky boy.

In regards to the nipping, my boys nip sometimes, not each other just me. If Rocky nips it is because he wants something like a pat or food, if it is Gidget it will be because he just woke up and he doesn't want my hand in his cage.

When I first had them together to start bonding when Gidget was very little, Rocky would nip him a lot so I had to separate them until Gidget got the snip and they both got used to each other being in the house. I think after a few months Rocky got used to another bunny being in the house and settled down. I guess just keep an eye on them and if they dont seem tense or scared when they are nipping it might mean that they want something like food or a pat.

Thanks for the encouragement with my boys guys, I'm so happy they are getting along also! :)
 
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