Update:

We have continued using the big tupperware bin, but just in the house.  I'll shake them around a little in the beginning and then set it somewhere.  Arduina has stopped nipping at Leo!  Leo on the other hand looks like he is gaining the upper hand.  He'll ask for grooms and when he doesn't get them nip at her and she doesn't fight back (good sign!).  I've tried to stay out of the picture, but ready with the squirt bottle or a shake to the bin, if they get out of hand.  

We tried the banana trick, and it worked!  Arduina started grooming Leo's head and ears when he asked for grooms.  He hasn't groomed her, but if he is becoming the top bun he might not for a while.  We're going to try more banana tonight!  

Here is a video from earlier in the week.. back when Arduina was still nipping at Leo.  They aren't doing a whole lot, but if you turn the volume up you can hear my S.O say "Are you going to post this to binkybunny?... Thats all she does all day is read binkybunny".  *teehee* 

haha @ your SO's commentary. I'm glad I heard you say Arduina too as I've always wondered how it is pronounced. You are very polite to them!

They are doing well in this box. The dominance thing will likely switch alot yet. It's too soon to tell where it'll be after they are bonded. They're still learning how to relate to each other etc.

Oh sorry I should have said how to pronounce Arduina. It is like Ard-ween-a (ina as in Nina).

I let my S.O. name her and I guess arduino is some sort of computer thing, but Arduina is a girl, so we had to make the name female. Thats what happens when you let guys pick names. Now if you ask him (after consulting google) he'll say Arduina was Goddess of the Forests (Ardenne Forest in France). Goddess fits with her. 

Oh yeah we had some grooming last night!!  (no banana needed)

Leo groomed Arduina! Like several times and not just on the head and ears!  Shortly after he put his nose down and demanded grooms from her.  She turned her nose up at him though.  While in the bin for a while they both just munched on hay.

I wish I had my camera... I put them in the bath tub for a couple minutes at the end of their session and they both flopped nose to nose for a second!  Arduina was binkying and they both kept flopping.  Leo kept demanding grooms and I think Arduina doesn't get it yet.  I think she tired to but ended up biting his ears/nose, which he didn't like.   

 Things are starting to pick up and going well!!

Saturday we took them for a short car ride (recycling center and back ) in the travel carrier.  Afterwards I just had them sitting by my desk still in the carrier and they did extremely well.  So well (just lying down hangin out, munching on hay), I didn't want to put them back in separate cages.  Since it was mid morning and I figured they would just sleep all day anyway, I decided to take them into work with me! (I had to go in for a couple of hours).  

While at work, I caught them grooming each other!  Both of them groomed the other one.  They ate lots of hay and drank from the same water bottle.  In total they were probably in the carrier together for 5hr with no mishaps whatsoever.  

Last night we did another bath tub session.  This time I had my ipod/video ready to go:

In this video, Arduina is flopped and Leo comes up to sniff under her tail and tries to mount.  Literally, this is the extent of their 'fighting' now.

Here they both flop at different times, Ardiuna does take out some of Leo's fur.. they are still working out who grooms who.

Dinner time!  I gave them a piece of lettuce to eat (I tore it into smaller bits)

And the finale!!  Bath time!!  Arduina grooms Leo for several minutes (it goes on longer than the video).  (I think he had some dried banana stuck on his ear from the other day ).

One thing that I'll need to figure out when they start sharing a pen is food.  Arduina is very food crazy and will eat everything she gets in a couple of minutes, Leo on the other hand will munch a little throughout the day.  I've already seen Arduina try to get his food through the pen bars!  I worry that she will try to eat all of his food... she is already over weight and on a diet.  How do I resolve this issue?  They get fed 2x a day, due to work and all, I can only feed them max 3x per day.  

 I've been letting them run around the whole bathroom and they are still doing good . Granted I get tired for sitting in the bathroom every evening.

It is funny, Leo follows Arduina around asking for grooms. She has just been trying to ignore him or she'll as him to groom her. Sometimes Arduina will flop right beside Leo when he comes asking for grooms. The other day they both flopped within inches of each other, for like 10 minutes! I also started feeding them their veggies together. That is going well, no problems except Arduina eats super fast (her nick name among my friends is "the lettuce vacuum"). They still get pellets separate (in the morning), Leo is still on the same kind he had at the rescue center (they gave me like 10lbs of pellets!).

After a while Leo will get annoyed and chase her around trying to mount her. She doesn't like it and will nip him back. This situation can easily escalate so I can't leave them alone for even a second. I do keep a spray bottle around too.

Last night I tried them both in the bigger of their two pens (4ftx4ft). They did ok, but not as good as in the bathroom. I've been switching them in the pens every day and thats not too much of a problem (except when the sun comes up at 4:30am and they start getting antsy about breakfast. S.O. has been feeding them their pellets .

When can I start cementing??!  I'd love to do it this weekend (since I have to be home for 48hrs?).  If I can't do it this weekend it will have to wait until mid-july. I've got some weekend things coming up and also I'll be out of town at the end of June for a week (Banff, AB!).

I just got a big tarp to use as a floor covering for one of the pens, (should I use the 4x4ft or the 2x4ft pen?).  I'm going to do it back in 'the bunny room', since they haven't been in there for weeks, and I'll still cover the sides for a few days.

They seem fine in the bathroom (neutral), but I still don't trust them in none-neutral area (the current 4x4ft pen they 'hot swap'). Is this ok? I think as long as I 'break down' all of the neutral ground (ie hose down pen outside and spray with vinegar and use brand new floor covering).  The only issues they still have is Leo likes to follow Arduina around asking for grooms.  She sometimes will groom him, usually she'll ignore him, sometimes she'll get annoyed and nip.  He'll get annoyed he's not getting groomed and nip her, she'll nip back. If we are in the bathroom, I do not need to interfere.  Leo will groom Arduina when she flops in front of him, as if to say "this is how you do it".

So yes, they still have some issues to work out, but at this rate I feel they need more time together (more than the 2 hours I spend a night with them in the bathroom).  So what do you guys think?  Try it this weekend?

Arduina says Hi! -----> ki6l888fgrt7

(she jumped on the key board)

Posted By lwayne on 06/08/2010 07:25 AM

they still have some issues to work out, but at this rate I feel they need more time together (more than the 2 hours I spend a night with them in the bathroom).  So what do you guys think?  Try it this weekend?

 

 

Yes, it's time to cement. Those issues won't go away until they are cemented. Basically, when they interact in any ways, other than fighting, you can move them in together into a neutral habitat for setting their new bond.

Maybe Arduina is trying to post something in the Bun Chat thread....

Posted By lwayne on 06/08/2010 07:25 AM

 I'll be out of town at the end of June for a week (Banff, AB!).

Lucky you!

Banff is my favorite place, however this is not me in the canoe, I'm just dreaming...

 So Arduina and Leo spent the night together.. and did awesome!!   They were together for 13 hours before I had to separate them and leave for work (can't wait until this weekend!).  No problems whatsoever during the night.

I had them in the bathroom, where I've been doing the bonding sessions.  I barricaded the door with some cardboard so I could still leave it open and hear/see if anything were to go wrong.   

I'm a very light sleeper and usually get up several times during the night anyway.  Around 2:30a Leo was thumping, I went in and they were sitting side by side and he was asking for grooms, I did see her groom him and he stopped for the rest of the night.  They woke up around 5a when it was getting light out and started playing around (knocking over the toilet brush and making noise).  I gave them the rest of their salad from last night to keep them quiet a little longer.  Around 6a Arduina clears the cardboard barricade and comes running into our bedroom!  Hah, I knew she had been planning her escape all night.  

When we got up around 6:30a, I gave them 1/2 of their normal pellets (they are still on two different kinds since the shelter gave me like a 10lbs bag).  Arduina ate her's 2x as fast and tried to go in on Leo's.. I'll have to figure out what to do about this for when I go out of town in  a couple weeks.   This morning there also was a little bit of mounting from the both of them, I guess they are still sorting this out.  Arduina also leaves territorial poos, not many though (luckily no more pee).  

Friday evening I'll put them in their cementing pen in the room they haven't been into in weeks.  I figure I'll get everything all washed out and set up, then take them for a car ride (to confuse them a little on where they are) and then put them in the cementing pen together (sides will be covered too).

 Wahoo!  We are approaching 24 hours with no problems .  

This morning during their active time, there were some mounting arguments (both of them trying to mount the other).  Arduina did loose a tuft of fur when Leo mounted her.  I did catch them flopped next to each other early this morning, but for their daytime napping, they have been mostly ignoring each other.  That's the extent of their 'issues'.   

They act more like roommates than lovers (ie tolerating the other one's presence and not playing together).  Hopefully this will change and they'll become good friends?

So assuming they'll make it through this 48 h watch period, it is safe to say they'll be ok Monday morning when I have to go to work?  We started cementing Friday evening when I got home from work.  

Currently they are in this pen (4x4ft), but eventually I'd like to give them play time in this room (bedroom sized).  How long do I have to wait to let them out of the 4x4 pen?

These pictures were taken last night shortly after they moved in together.  Eating a yummy salad together!

As for pellets, it seems Arduina is more interested in what Leo is eating than what is in her bowl (I've been giving them their pellets in separate bowls).  I just started switching Leo over to Arduina's pellets, but maybe I'll just mix the two so I don't have to worry about who's eating who's pellets?  Other wise I have to keep shoeing Arduina away from Leo's bowl, even though she's got plenty in her bowl.  Both pellets are Timothy based and they only get a little each day (3 T each per day).  Is that ok?  

The main issue with pellets and food in general is that Leo likes to snack all day, while Arduina gorges on what's in front of her.  I can feed them 3x a day to split it up a bit. However, the pet sitter will probably only be coming by once a day (for 3 days, while we are both gone).  I really need to keep Arduina on a diet and monitor how much she eats (vet will be mad if she hasn't lost any weight by the fall!).  

 Awesome!  No more 5am waking me up either. I've been letting them out in the bunny room while we are home for some exercise. They are both adorable together! Leo follows Arduina around the room (like when we come in or walk around Arduina follows us around like she always does, and then Leo follows her around) but I haven't seem him chase her, he just likes being next to her, totally in love.

Arduina still doesn't care much for him (when we are around, I've caught her smoochin' him!), but will groom him if he asks politely (he'll groom her too). I still have been seeing the 'locked horns' (no you groom me!) but it ends after a couple of seconds either with Arduina getting bored and wandering off or her grooming Leo. I took some pictures of a grooming session during exercise play time. I will try to post them soon. They were both flopped next to each other, but Arduina got up when I got up to get the camera, but then went back to Leo to groom him. When she was done, he groomed her back a little, while she did her feet.

I would pretty much say they are *BONDED*.   It has been a full 5 days, plus two nights they were together too.   I haven't seen mounting in about 3 days.  I think the exercise has helped with that because it was only in the morning (5am) when they were also hungry for breakfast.  

Soon I would like to let them both have free range of the bunny room (bed room sized).  The room is already Arduina proofed and Leo is much better behaved then Arduina anyway (except for digging, he's a digger).  I might try it this weekend and see how it goes.  Before we brought Leo home, Arduina had full run of the room 24/7.  (I was surprised how well they are doing during play time since the room was Arduina's territory, I think they have worked out their issues.)

 Here are the pictures from last night and tonight during their out of pen play time!

Both almost flopped (they were before I got the camera)

Arduina is grooming Leo!!!

Leo helping Arduina groom

This was from tonight, both watching me, wanting me to play with them!

Can I say **officially bonded** yet???

Can I say **officially bonded** yet???