Please HELP! Any advice much appreciated :)

[GottaLoveTheAngora]

Hello there,

I have some questions for those of you who have gone through the bonding process before. After many hours of research over the years, I still feel the need for confirmation and feel it would be best to simply ask some of you who have “been there and done that” and have had more experience.

First off I will give you some background: We’ve had our two rabbits, Thumper and Alfie for around 2-3 years now, and yes they are both neutered males. Alfie weighing in at 8lb. and Thumper at 4lb. Prior to being neutered, when just youngings, they enjoyed eachothers company- would binky while in eachothers presence, snuggle, and play around as content as any rabbit could be. Then as they grew into the adolescent stages of their lives they began to become obviously more hormonal, showing signs of dominance… primarily Thumper.  Now yes, I have read that not in all cases will the bigger rabbit be the alpha male- but still is quite a sight seeing such a small rabbit nearly half Alf’s size trying to claim the “top dog” rank. After being neutered and having adequate healing time, we placed them together again- Thumper still chasing and mounting him like crazy, which is supposedly fine as long as the other is willing- which Alfie has always been submissive, placing his head under his chin and showing other signs of further submissing- but in one session Alfie began to thump and got a little stressed and upset with all the nonsense. 

Then life began to take over and after around a year or so later we thought we would give it another try …. the difference? night and day I tell you!

 

So without further ado, shall I finally begin the questions?

– Does their have to be mounting/humping involved in the process of giving bonding another try? Or perhaps Thumper already claimed “top dog” position a while ago? Alfie is definitely submissive- that has not changed at all, still laying his head before him as flat as a pancake, yet Thumper seems to follow him around the room during our sessions, almost as if he is the leader? Idk It seems that they have avoided humping altogether this go around though, is that normal? However no fighting whatsoever- just cuddles, grooming, binkying, laying by each other, and all good signs! 

Are they offically bonded? Any advice, personal experience stories, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Much thanks

 

[Taylor]

Sorry, I got lucky in that I bought a male and female rabbit that were very young and bonded with no issue, but I thought I’d point out that bowing the head underneath the other is thought to be a gesture of dominance, not submission. This is the rabbit saying, “I am your superior, groom me.” With my rabbits, I’ve seen my girl rabbit do this to my boy rabbit and he pretty much ignored her, my theory is because he didn’t want to acknowledge her as his superior. They get along wonderfully, but she grooms him way more often than he grooms her which suggests he is the top dog. Mine are still months away from sexual maturity, so we haven’t experienced the humping or anything yet.

Also, those are all beautiful signs of bonded rabbits but I would keep an eye on them for a little longer to be safe. I think fighting and humping behavior is always significantly reduced once those hormones are out of the system.

[Kittensmew]

Chances are, if Thumper had claimed the “top dog” position in the bond, they both would have forgotten within a years time. If they have had no sight of each other for a solid year, they probably both forgot. It’s good that they aren’t humping each other, though. Humping doesn’t have to be involved in the process. I think it mostly depends on if you bunnies want to be aggressive and get the message across or if they want to be non-aggressive about it, like Alfie. Also no fights is great. As Taylor said, the bowing the head isn’t a gesture of submission. Alfie is asking to be groomed by Thumper. Although it’s a more non-aggressive way to ask to be dominant, Alfie is still asking to be groomed and dominant. My trio isn’t perfectly bonded yet, and my two adults both clearly want to be dominant. One of my bunnies, Oliver, will always push his head into Domino and Pip, the other two. But Domino will always react to Oliver’s grooming demands by rubbing his chin all over him. How long have you been bonding for? Also how long do they spend together each day? Usually you can call a pair bonded when they can get along for 24 hours without causing a single fight. But if they only spend a few hours together a day now, I wouldn’t push it and spring for the 24 hours right away. I thought my boys were getting close to bonding because they were together for 2 hours without fighting, but then the next day during a 3 hour session, they started a fight. Which is why it’s a good thing to build up to the 24 hours. For example, I increase sessions by 1 to 2 hours a day. I’m actually having a session as I type this. XD Today they’ll be together in the bonding pen for 6 to 7 hours. Do you have them bonding in the area where you’re going to keep them? If so then just building up will be easier. But if you plan on putting them both somewhere else, the place where one of them already lives in particular, then you’ll eventually have to move them in there for sessions there.

[GottaLoveTheAngora]

First off I want to thank both of you for your advice and helpful suggestions. Yes, they both have seen each other throughout the year, so they most certainly have not forgotten each other. We have a room in our home dedicated to the rabbits, each rabbit currently having their own enclosure. Whenever they each (individually) get allowed free roaming time, they have always run up to each others cage and greet each other eagerly.

I cannot believe I thought that bowing the head is a sign of submission, I don’t know where I have read that- but it must have stuck with me. Very glad to know that this in fact is not true, however. Thank you for pointing this out Also didn’t know that mounting did not have to be included in the process, I had looked on the internet for an answer to this question alone and could not find one- but I am glad to hear your experience with bonding your buns, and how this is not always the case … has helped greatly!

These past few days I have been trying fervently to give them time together- because they really do enjoy each others company. I feel that I truly had a breakthrough in the bonding process last night after writing my previous post- the rabbits did not like the fact that I separated them and put them back in their cages for the night, you could tell that they missed each other.

I like your suggestion and feel that building up the amount of time they spend together slowly is a great idea! And I have not left them unsupervised at all throughout the process.

Thank you both again for your help!!!

[Kittensmew]

Having a whole room that they’re both in, but in separate pens is great. Because of this you can just build up on the time. Also about the mounting- one of my boys, Domino, would always mount Oliver continuously when I first introduced them. Then Oliver would get annoyed and start a fight. I did a few days of car rides with them for some stress bonding, and then when I put them back together in the bonding pen, Domino didn’t mount Oliver once, and still hasn’t. Although most bunnies do it, I’m pretty sure there has to be at least one person who was bonding a pair where no mounting was involved. It’s great that you aren’t leaving them unsupervised. Most people sleep out where the bunnies are when doing a 24 hour session, just in case something happens. I also remember seeing someone that had cameras on the bunnies, so they could watch them from their room and go and intervene if needed. Anyways, I wish you luck with your bonding!

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