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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BONDING Roger and Frost

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    • Ness
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        I’ve found the bonding journals so very useful for my two boys that I thought I’d start one in case it helps others.

        Roger was my first guy and I decided to get him a friend as I thought he was bored. He wasn’t altered and so to avoid lots more rabbits I got another male. I hadn’t done my research properly and quickly realized they both needed a trip to the vet before bonding could start.

        Once they were altered and had lived in cages next to each other for the following 2 months to allow their hormones to subside I started bonding them. Again I didn’t research it properly and just let them both out together in the back yard. With so much space they basically did their own thing and when encountered each other fought. Not good. I started researching.

        Next I tried a cardboard box. That worked ok and it was easy to stop fights beginning by shaking the box. However both were more intent on getting out of the box rather than focusing on each other and bonding. I also tried smushing and that worked well. So I decided to use a small area of a dog pen instead of the box. I smushed them first and then let them into the small area. They immediately fought and poor Roger put his foot through the cage bars and then must have jumped as he broke his foot. I felt terrible. So so guilty. We went straight to the vet and a lot of money and time later Roger is fixed and back to normal.

        Part of me thought maybe I should just leave them be as I have enough space to accommodate them separately but I still felt they would enjoy each others company if we could just get past the fighting.

        So after countless hours of research I started again. I tried the cardboard box in the car. Hopeless. Frost Just bit Roger constantly and Roger would try and climb out of the box with a desperate ‘please help me mum’ look in his eyes. So every evening I brought them inside and put them in the dog pen with part of the cage dividing them. No litter box, no food and not much room so they were forced to site next to each other through the bars. First few days they were up on hind legs trying to fight through the bars. Once the initial aggression subsided they would flop out with their noses touching. Surely this was progress!

        Next I increased the pen size (still paranoid from the broken foot incident) and allowed them access to each other. I discovered that I needed to have the cage between them first to allow them to settle from being brought inside and then as long as I was supervising they would be calm around each other. Frost will approach Roger and then lie down with his nose under Roger and if I’m lucky Roger will groom. Very happy with the progress.

        However this good behavior only exists when I supervise. The minute I move away Frost over exerts his dominance by chasing or nipping and Roger starts thumping. So I did more research and wondered if I was hindering the process by being too involved. So last night I tried the cardboard box again. No good. Same as before Frost nipping, Roger desperately trying to get out. I put them in the pen but Roger was too worked up and every time Frost approached would run away and thump. I feel we have taken a step backwards.

        My plan for tonight is back to the pen. Then once they are calm (often with me starting the process with a smusch) I plan to slowly over the upcoming days move my supervising chair away from the pen an inch at a time. If I can keep Roger calm and to begin grooming again there may be hope. I have also started a rabbit diary to keep count of length of time in the pen together without nips so I can judge if we are making progress.

        I will try and keep this journal updated and if anyone has any advice to move from this ok when supervised stage to ok unsupervised I’d be very grateful


      • Ness
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          Update. Great progress last night. I took the bonding pen outside onto the lawn last night – thought a change of scenery might help. I started smushing them and also tried just stroking one in the attempt the other would come for strokes which they did but still when I stopped Frost wanted more and when approached Roger, Roger would run away. Eventually I decided to remove myself and just let them get on with it. I reasoned that Frost would go in for a nip or demand grooming and instead of fighting back Roger would run to the other side of the pen. Eventually they would get bored of this dance. So I left them too it. Initially I stayed near the pen but eventually moved a fair distance away. As predicted Roger calmed down and Frost approached him and they sat nose to nose for a while and then Roger groomed. Success!!
          This had taken an hour and I had other things to do so I ended on the good note and put them back into their separate runs. I will continue this for the next week and gradually introduce feed and a large litter box and report back.


        • vanessa
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            Wow! What a quick turn around. I keep reading – stick with what works for your bunnies. If they like the outdoor bonding pen setup, keep doing it. Perhaps when you try the bonding pen inside, put some fresh grass clippings down?


          • Ness
            Participant
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              Good news! The rabbits are bonded!! I can’t believe how quickly it happened after all this time. Unhelpfully I can’t put my finger on what caused the change. I think maybe me just taking a step back and not being so protective over Roger when Frost tries to nip him.

              Following the successful cage outdoors I had the cage inside (so I could watch tv rather than just sit watching them watching each other) and introduced a large litter box. Same thing as before Frost tried to nip Roger and Roger runs away. I considered this to be ok as long as Roger didn’t fight back.

              We went to our camper at the lake at the weekend and my bf has built the bunnies a grassed enclosure within the decking area. They travelled up there in their separate carriers but went into the enclosure together. Its neutral territory for them both but as its a large area I put the pen in too to make it smaller. Several hours of good behavior I gave them the whole run. No change. They had their big litterbox that only one would be in at a time but by the time evening came both were in there together. I separated them that evening and the next day as we went fishing and I didn’t trust them fully. But when they are separated they are either side of cage bars so still in close proximity.
              Finally I just went for it. They were in their run all afternoon and evening together fine. SO that night they came in the camper in a small area next to the bed and were together all night with no problems. I always made sure there was enough room for Roger to move away from Frost if necessary and during the night there were some thumps but I think that was more because it was a strange place with 2 humans and the dog asleep on the bed more than problems between the buns. Next day back into the run together and all was good. We cam home that evening so as everything had been so successful I didn’t want to separate them so brought them home together in the pet carrier. It took a while for them to settle and a bit of jostling but nothing major and they then settled down side by side facing out the door.
              When we got home I completely cleaned they home that has previously been divided with a vinegar and water solution to remove their smells, removed the dividers but made sure there were no dead ends so Roger can always evade Frost if he wants and put them in.
              I checked on them regularly but nothing to report.
              This morning I went out to feed them and both of them were waiting expectantly for carrot tops. Bonding complete! I am so relieved and happy. It has been a very long process which has been incredibly frustrating. There is a lot of advice out there but I think the most important is that every rabbit is different and what works for some may not work for others. Go at your own pace and try and read your rabbits and predict their actions. I hope this journal has been helpful, I found others to be helpful and also the act of keeping a journal is useless as you can track what is working and what is not and how far the buns have come. Good luck!


            • vanessa
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                Fantastic 🙂

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            Forum BONDING Roger and Frost