Ok, we restarted the bonding... with the added support of a Petzy Cube™.

It went AWESOME. We had them on the dryer, figured may as well being as I had laundry going No nipping, no frantic mounting by Monkey... just peaceful bunnies.

This was just after we started, after soem initial scaredy-bun snuggling.

 

Here Monkey contemplated mountign, but changed her mind.

In this one, Monkey was pushing herself into Moosie, her little paw was pushing at the towel to keep her in place with the shaking dryer.

Some enforced snuggles

And Monkey saying "Can I go home now please?"

 

My babies were very well behaved tonite, they both got raisins for being so good with each other Tommorrow, I'll do some more.

Yay! I am so happy for you! I love the photos. Your babies are so so cute! I seriously don't know how you can stop yourself from picking up monkey ...never letting her down and constantly snuggling and kissing her. She's so darn cute. Regardless if she's bratty...I would make her love snuggles lol!! No but really...awwwweesoooome. (I'm trying to be like Crush from Finding Nemo) Tooootally aweesome duuuuuude!! Okay I need to sleep or something I'm losing it! I hope they continue with great progress. Is your knee feeling well to sit on the floor with them and such? *waves magic love potion wand* Taaadaaaaah. Okay tomorrow will be good for you I swear! *cheers*

I love that closeup of their faces. Monkey looks like she's whispering conspiratorially in Moose's ear.
(Of course, who can hear anything with that dryer making all that noise?)

I can sit on the floor, but I am under orders to not kneel for a very very long time. So its hard to do bonding on the floor Or the tub for that matter. Hubby will have to do that part while I watch. For now, the Petzy Cube™ does the trick

Another Petzy Cube™ success today. 40 minutes in it, and only a nip or 2, nothing serious. We tried nanners on heads today... Moose wasn't interested. Monkey couldn't reach Moosie's head So I had to lift her up to see it lol. After she did, she happily groomed it off of him. So yay! for Monkey grooms. Poor Monkey didn't get hers groomed off tho, so I had to help her. We'll do another session tonite before bed too.

Bunnehs with nanners.

Monkey smooshed into Moosie's side. She stayed liek that for a good 5 minutes.

Moosie saying "Mooooom! Get me outta here!!"

Can i have monkey? is monkey a dwarf? can i take it home?

Monkey is a netherland dwarf, only 1.5 pounds She's my itty bitty baby bunneh girl

Mine is supposed to be only 2.5 - 3 pounds (her mama was big and Chacha has longggg ears)
I WANT MONKEY TOO!!!!!!!!!

Hehe Monkey has itty bitty ears. They're so little, its funny watching her wash them... but you cant has her, she mine

If you feed her tons more she will end up fat like Bun. She's a chunky dwarf lol. Poor baby Bun can't groom those ears well. I like Moose with the nanner on his head! Btw - Target has stuffed nanners in the dollar bins ...very cute. I bought one for Indy's cage! Go go go petzy's cube!

I saw your pix on Facebook and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Glad I found this post with more.

they're doing great! I am reminded of Jack and Vivian, once Jack was healed and learned that he could snuggle but not hump. She really seems to be getting the idea. Moosie is obviously tolerant if she controls herself. they are so adorable looking.

Posted By Monkeybun on 02/28/2010 08:22 PM

Another Petzy Cube™ success today. 40 minutes in it, and only a nip or 2, nothing serious.

Monkey smooshed into Moosie's side. She stayed liek that for a good 5 minutes.

 

 

 

"Take Two" will be a charm, the first time around was just for rehearsal .

--Petzy Cube^TM -- LOL! I don't suppose it will be approved by rabbits...? Everybunny who has ever been in it had the gloogliest eyes. Yours no exception. 

The picture above is the one that makes me confident that  your bonding will really take off. Monkey snuggling up to Moose is a promising sign. Rabbits that are going to be really hard to bond don't snuggle like this.  What happened after the five minutes of snuggling, did one get upset?

This was Neigey at the beginning of my cube sessions between Deirdra and him, for comparison. He was terrified.

I say yours are doing very well!

After the 5 minutes, Moose just hopped towards me and put his paws on the bars, he wasn't upset at all.

...I forgot to mention...

...Moose licked her side once

That box is such a good idea! Monkey's neck makes her head look a little dislocated in that picture..haha. And it looks like Moose may be caving to the affection

Petzy- I literally had to giggle at that picture of Neigey. So cute.

Another night, another session. Started out just on the living room floor with the cube, moved to the dryer when moosie got nippy. It wasn't big nips, just little "I'm in charge" nips. Monkey didn't appreciate that much, she mounted him tonite. Its still hilarious. Moose DID lick Monkey's head a couple times, not sure if he meant to or not, as he then yawned and stretched, he always gets licky when he's sleepy. his blankie gets a good grooming every time he naps. So maybe I should do some sessions when its afternoon nap time for the buns... hmms. I'll post a couple pics int eh morning.. tis 2 am and I am sleepy.

how does Moose tolerate her mounting him?

Moose sits there and takes it, he doesn't do anything to make her stop. He doesn't look scared or anything, just sits there.

Good. Bonding is easier when one rabbit tolerates being mounted.
Does he ever try to mount Monkey?

Nope, he's never tried. Never demands grooming from her either.

edit: all he ever does to express dominance is nipping her.

Monkey, they should bond soon... like now.

Good to know I'll get on them tonite, I got tons of time after my doc appointment this afternoon

I forgot to add another thing.. we gave them raisins in the cube last night, and neither tried to steal the others raisins. Usually Moose doesn't go for the treats when in sessions, but he was a happy boy with his raisin last night. Monkey pretty much climbed over him to get hers, and he didn't bat an eye at that. It wasn't really til late in the session that he got really nippy, I'm thinking maybe he was just getting irritated at there being no hay or his potty. He dove for his potty when we let them back into their pens.

Held another session this afternoon after I got home. This time, we did the Cube in the living room, no dryer today. They did pretty good in the cube, only a couple little nips from moose. No humping from monkey. Sooooo... we set up our extra pen, and dropped the 2 into it. I sat in it with them tho At first we had a litter box in it. Monkey was quite happy to sit in it and eat hay. Moose say in it with her briefly, then got all nippy... so out goes the litter box. Just them and me in the pen now.

Monkey is totally into the bonding, she adores Moosie even though she won't groom him yet without the assistance of nanners. Moose didn't lick her at all today, every time he turned towards her, he'd nip. Not having any of that, so they go back into the cube. Everything is fine again once in the cube... Moose even loafed in it for a few minutes.

...so now what? Should I keep up the cube? Should I go to the tub? Set up the pen elsewhere? Its Moose we gotta wear down, Monkey will cave easily once he does.

Edit: We switched cages and pens for them, Moosie is in Monkey's, Monkey is in moosie's. Monkey loves moosie's cage, Moose not as thrilled lol. We can't keep them in each toehrs over night, as Monkey's pen is less sturdy,a dn Moose can easily lift it. So we need to watch them. We'll keep them in there until we go to bed however. Gonna do another session before bed too.

Another update. Did another session, lasted an hour-ish. Moose groomed Monkey a ton, but nipped her every time afterwards. Sometimes it wasn't a little nip, either. Still no grooming from miss Monkey. Moose did demand a groom from her, shoving his face under hers, but Monkey didn't go for it. Monkey humped him some more again... randy little girl.

Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment, so I'll likely only get a session in before bed.

You need to expand. Use the cube to start and end on a good note every time. If you have a new spot to set up the pen -- go for it. Don't make it too big in the beginning. No litterboxes, like you said, or anything that either may claim. A pile of hay, water and a few scattered pellets/treats are OK. You could add a random stunt double as well as yourself to the pen to distract them from each other and to give something to run around. Since you know it's Moose who needs to mellow out, you will watch his every move and stop him in his tracks by clapping your hands or squirting water or stomping your foot, whatever, when he wants to nip Monkey.

Thats what I figured. The cube doesn't do much for em now. They're fine in it, its outside it they need to learn to deal with each other.

Moose did great in Monkey's pen too. After about an hour, he ran to Monkey's bed and flopped in it and just snoozed.

Only did a cube session last night. Just didn't have the energy for anything more exciting. They did fine once again. Moose licked, Monkey didn't. She gave herself quite a few baths, moose loafed, a fairly quiet session. Will do a pen session later.

that's mainly why I made the cube. It gives you a session even if you're too beat.

Yeah, with me having a dentist appointment yesterday, and hubby not feeling well, the cube was definitely a good thing I'm just happy I'm finally done with all the dental work that needed to be done. Yay!

Did a session over lunch today with the cube. Little bit more nipping, nothing too serious. Monkey did alot of grooming of herself again. The big part this session was Monkey flopping in the cube next to Moose