Standstill

[ldoerr]

I have been trying to get Beauty and Shiny Things rebonded for a while now (over 1 month, maybe 2 or more months even). I let them out to run at the same time each day under supervission. They get along great for about 1-2hrs then start getting grumpy with eachother. The way that the first big goes is that Shiny Things will come down from her cage, hop around for awhile and then Beauty will come out (Beauty is more shy). Beauty will groom Shiny Things when Shiny Things asks for it. Beauty never gets groomed in return. They will both go into Beautys cage and hang out for a while, often both in the same 16qt litter box that Beauty uses as a bed. Shiny Things will find some of the hay that Beauty did not eat the night before and eat it, often carrying it out of te cage to munch. They hop around a bit often together. Then after about 1-2 hrs they decide that they do not like eachother. They will get in a little scuffle (enough to get me off the computer and look around). I am going brain dead on what happens after that. I think that I normally put them up at that point. That or Shiny Things will go up the ramp to her cage and just hang there and Beauty will be in her cage.

Note- They were both spayed a few moths ago and were bonded within 3 weeks of the spays. After they were bonded they lived together for at least 3 months very happily. It was just all of a sudden that they were not bonded. I travel with them 3hrs each week round trip in the car. While they were bonded they rode in a cat carrier together and were fine. They now make that same trip in a devided carrier.

Any help would be really appreciated. I am at a loss for what to do with them.

 

[ladysown]

what is your goal...to have them together 24/7?

Is there a reason why you can't just let them hang out together for 2 hours a day?

Sometimes, bunnies, just like people...like each other but simply don't want to hang out together all the time. it's just part of their natures. My guess (not really knowing your bunnies or being able to observe their body language) is one of the bunnies says "hey, this is cool...get to say hi to my friend and visit but okay GO AWAY I want to be alone now." Is there a reason you can't respect that decision?

It's just something for you to mull over.

 

[agnesthelion]

I know you have limited space, but one option for a re-bond is to completely seperate them for a couple weeks and then restart bonding sessions again. Basically go back to square one.

Or, if it's not an option to completely seperate, start back with bonding dates on neutral territory again. And then instead of waiting for something bad to happen and THEN separating them, keep dates brief and ONLY end on a positive note.

So sorry this has happened. I didn't know they weren't rebonded yet!! I know f/f bonds are more prone to fallings out, but I bet with some commitment you can get them back. I also do wonder if even though they are used to traveling, the change of environment puts too much stress on their bond. I don't get it, but rabbits are awfully "weird" about location......

I sure hope you get this figured out. Best of luck!

 

[ldoerr]

Lisa- I actually did completely seporate them for a few weeks (1 in my bedroom, the other in a dog crate in the living room). Unfortunatly I have no neutral spaces that they can go into. I live in a small 1bdrm apt. The only area that they have not been in my living room and that place is IMPOSIBLE to bunny proof with all the cords, furniture, junk etc...

 

[ldoerr]

They are being sooo sweet together right now. They are laying all streached out next to eachother with full contact. I have never seen them do this before. I am starting to wonder if their most recent fights are just they playing a game of tag? I do know that when they were at my parents it was a full out fight. Looking at them now it is hard to believe that they do not love eachother. O and Shiny Things is grooming Beauty. I have only seen her do that on 1 other occasion.

 

[ldoerr]

The rabbits are still getting along SOOOO well. I am tempted to take out the devidor in the cage and let them have the whole cage to share. Do you think that this is a good idea or am I rushing it. The girls are getting along better than I have ever seen them get along even from when they were bonded. School starts on Monday so I would not be able to watch them for a period of about 5-6hrs each day in the mornings (I have all morning classes). Should I move them in together?

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

It's probably best not to leave them together while you're away at this time, since they've been having occasional troubles. Could you cage them separately during the day and let them out together in the evening while you are home to supervise?

 

[agnesthelion]

Well you know me and my personality and I'm kind of cautious you were always braver than me and always gave me the push to move forward with my two!

So with that being said if it were me I wouldn't be quite comfortable yet. I think I'd wait a little longer to make sure. I believe I read somewhere that they need to be together for 5-6 hours at a time for a few times with not even ONE incident before putting them together overnight (which your message to me mentioned overnight)

So anyway, that's my opinion. But of course you know your buns the best and gut feeling can be stronger than what we know. Just giving you my thoughts on what I would do

Best of luck and let us know how things go!

 

[JBun]

I agree. I wouldn't rush things or you may have another setback with them. I would just continue to do what you have been doing. Keep them separate when you aren't around, then let them spend a little more time together when you are around. When they can be together more than 5-6 hours with no scuffles, then you could try letting them stay together through the night while you are there to break them up if anything were to happen. But I wouldn't leave them together unsupervised for the time being.

 

[ldoerr]

That is what I have been doing. I was going to take it slow with them but they have just been in love today like never before. They have not left eachothers sides. They are both grooming eachother. They are not cage agressive with eachother at all (and never have been). If they get in a fight or make any kind of noise I would hear it since my bed is 3 inches from their cage (no joke, I can pet the rabbits while sleeping). If they decide that they do not want to get along I can put the devidor up again. The reason I was hoping to do it tonight was so that I can have a full day and 2 nights to test their bond out which I will not have again for months. They actually have not had a fight in well over a week or more.

 

[missyscove]

When they're out together and getting along, do they also have access to eachother's cages? If they've already been going in and out of the cages, it sounds to me like you could probably remove the divider (or just cage them in one of the cages). If not, I wouldn't do it yet. My two that I'm bonding get along fairly well outside of their cages (with a few scuffles; they're still working out who is in charge) but I haven't let her into his cage at all yet as I'm sure he's still pretty territorial of it.

 

[ldoerr]

I did end up taking the devidor out of the cage last night and stayed up for a while to observe them. My gut was telling me it would work out. There was a couple of thumps in the begining (I think that they were just saying "Im here"). After that they got along WONDERFULLY. Whenever I woke up, they were close to eachother. There were no fights last night. When I woke up today they were still together. So I *think* that it is going to work out. They stayed in Shiny Things cage most of the time. I do not know if Beauty has figured out how to go between the cages, even though Shiny Things tried to show her. As I type this Shiny Things is doing more binkies than I have ever seen her do.

 

[agnesthelion]

Yay Lauren that is great news. I sure hope that they are rebonded officially

 

[ldoerr]

I am still working with Beauty on getting up and down from shelves. It seems that she can get up to the self in her cage, but can not get down. I realized this afternoon that Beauty had probably not gotten down from the self in Shiny Things cage all night. The reason I think that is because there was pee and lots of poop on the shelf. She is normally 100% with pee and 95% with poop (besides the poop that gets flung out from when she jumps out of the box). Also as soon as I set her down, she ate a lot and drank a lot. (She did have hay on the shelf, just not the kind that she likes). I just got done putting a box in the cage so that she can get down from Shiny Things shelf. I also instaled a NIC grid so that she could get between the 2 cages. (I have officially run out of boxes for the bunnies.) She also JUST figured out the ramp that allows them to come out to play when they are in the top cage. She is learning.