This is my first bonding that hasn’t gone smooth from the start, and it is kind of exciting. Haha, although, ask me again after a month when things are still not going great!

The bunnies are: Molly and Karl, both neutered, and Freddie, who was neutered 4 weeks ago. His hormones have settled down a lot, but I refer to him as partly intact in this bonding journal, as his scent and behavior is the one that has caused the problems between him and Karl.

All the bonding sessions between them have been unauthorized and due to my lack of securing their areas.Once I noticed that Freddy and Molly was sorting things out on their own, I have not interfered, but skipped bonding sessions and let them work it out themselves.

Molly and Freddy: The first few times, Molly seemed scared of Freddy who was chasing and humping her incessantly. However, I noticed that if he stopped, she would come back to him and shove her butt right up in his face, so he would begin again. She would even go over to him and lift her butt and tail and invite him to hump her – so much for being a spayed lady, apparently! This means that for the past 4 weeks, Molly has had urine stains all over her fur. Nice one, Molly. Now that his hormones have settled and he isn’t so interested in humping her, I have even noticed him groom her (although it seems to be a trick, because once she lays down, he will try to hump her)

Karl and Freddy: The tricky part and what this thread will be about. Freddy was not aggressive towards Karl in the beginning and Karl was okay as well. But Freddy’s hormonal behavior (need to sniff private parts) annoyed Karl, and these two were fighting a few times, when I had not secured their areas alright. It got worse and worse, and they would even try to bite each other through the bars.

Sunday morning Freddy managed to escape my new setup and we woke up by the noise of these two fighting again. Freddy had to see a vet, and both have permanent scars now as a memory. Although they have been sharing the bunny room for the past two weeks, this fight is the one that has started the Poop War (only Freddy, Karl does not bother fighting like a wuss with poop)!

I have not wanted to begin bonding sessions, before I was sure, Freddy’s hormones were down to a normal level. He isn’t that interested in humping Molly anymore, and it’s been a while, I think, since he last sprayed her, so now it is time for some stress bonding. The first few unauthorised meetings, both Karl and Freddy seemed friendly (though hormonal - Freddy - and annoyed - Karl) at first, so I am sure they will be friends eventually.

(unlike us worry-warts who only make things worse).

haha... thats me!

#5 Doing great. Karl began grooming Freddy within seconds. Freddy is still incredibly scared and is completely paralysed. That kitchen sink got to be the worst place in the whole wide world to bunnies

As long as there is no actual biting, then I prefer letting the bunnies work it out themselves as I believe their social nature and the big space, they have here, is the key to a bond. I've done that every time, except this time though. I have let Karl and Freddy roam around the bunny room at the same time, but then I sit in the middle of the room ready to stop them, if eg. Karl's body stiffens and he comes closer (when he stiffens, he is not being friendly, but getting ready for some mean action...).

Once we get to session #10, I will try to let them meet in the bunny room without interference (starting with the cage, which always is the place where my bunnies get along the best with new additions). I do 2 sessions a day, so the test is coming up soon. Oh, and the poop war is decreasing drastically! Hooorah - I don't like poop wars!

Posted By Karla on 06/19/2010 07:42 AM

Any ideas? Somehow I need Freddy to warm up, so I cannot do anything more stressful because then he doesn't move at all. It would be easier if I could divide the cage in two, so they hardly hard any space to move and they would have to spend hours close to each other.

If Freddie is starting to freeze up on you during the sessions I recommend snuggle sessions with you and Karl free-moving around you guys. I did this with Neigey and Deirdra because Neigey was very scared.

I can't recommend dividers in bonding sessions. I find they charge up the buns' territorialism.

This was how I set up the sessions with Neigey and Deirdra Deirdra would come up on my lap on her own and investigate which sometimes made Neigey climb all the way into my sleeve.

It doesn't work fast enough for me, but it creates a relaxed atmosphere for both of them, and they behave while they are in the container, so that is how we will proceed for the next 20 (!) sessions. Gah, this type of bonding is boring, if you are impatient like I am!

Lol, well you've had it good so far. Time to experience a "traditional" bonding.
 

Anyhow #9 : Freddy is moving around more in the container and they seem to relax more now. Karl groomed Freddy. It's going in the right direction.

It's does sound like it's progressing normally, just not your kind of normal. The bunnies are just preparing you for a more intense style for when you come to dog/bunny bonding.

Okay, so pictures of bonding session #11

I changed the routine and put a towel in the container, so they could move around a bit and do some interaction. Well, Karl began digging the towel - Freddy reacted to his movements. He made a grumpy noise and went straight for Karl, so I decided to go back to the bunny room with them and get the camera, so you could see.

But first...

 Freddy wishing he had bonded with Karl, so that he didn't have to be caged...

I just had to show this picture, because Freddy looks so cute and sad at the same time.

 EDIT: for anyone reading this thread and not knowing it; the bunnies don't live in cages at all. The cages are their toilets. However, now that we have a dog as well, I cannot keep Freddy in the bedroom until they are bonded. So he and Karl unfortunately have sleeping shifts in the cage. It's their own fault...they could just bond a bit quicker  Some days I just keep Molly and Karl in the living room, and Freddy gets the bunny room.

Bonding session #11

Part 1: Ignoring

There is a lot of ignoring if I don't put them face to face.

They start out like this and as you can tell from the video below, nothing happens at all apart from some tense moves!

 And don't worry! Karl is only moulting

Video of nothing happening
(you don't have to see it to the end...really, nothing happens)

 Part 2: I interfere and grooming begins

Next...I moved them around so they were side by side. Karl starts grooming.

Video of grooming

A video of Karl initiating the groom - look how tense he looks in the beginning. Don't mind the noise I make in the middle when Karl grooms Freddy's eyelid, so it is exposed

Part 3: The not so friendly way of demanding grooms!

Now this is the interesting video clip. Look how quickly Freddy goes at Karl. I think this very quick movement is often the one that sets off the fights, although Freddy seems to only be demanding a groom. I think perhaps Freddy gets nervous because Karl moves around, and I'm not sure if it is the beginning of an attack and then he realises Karl is not attacking him and he changes it into a groom demand - or if he just is very aggressive when it comes to demanding grooms. Had Karl had any room to move, I'm sure he would have run off, and the fight would have begun.

 But that is exactly what happened earlier at the session as I mentioned. At that time though, there was a grumpy noise coming from Freddy as well.

 Look how tense Karl looks after this incident when Freddy is demanding the groom!

He is clearly not grooming because he enjoys it.

And that's it. The session went on for about 15 minutes. I decided to finish it off here so they left each other on a good note - or as good as could be.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

War brothers

Just have to show you: This is what happens when two bunnies don't get on that well

Freddy has a bite mark on the back as well, and Karl has one on the ear.

At least no new scars have appeared since the fight this Sunday...AND I should add, that Karl at least cleans Freddy's scar near the eye. Although he does it with such eagerness that Freddy would prefer if he didn't clean it.  

Freddy even came with a big scar right on his nose, so he looks like a real veteran. I have a feeling that the scar might tell the story why he ended up at the shelter.

Karl's eyes want to pop out of his head... Did Freddy rip out the hair from Karl's back too?

I didn't realize Karl was a mops, too. So I will post here how mean my Mops was during bonding...

how much does Karl weigh? His ears seem to stand off to the sides more than Mops' do. But they are similar enough.

I think the grooming attempts are still a good sign even though they lead to tension. They just need more time/sessions like you said.