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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.

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Forum BONDING Bringing home new bunny/bonding questions

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    • lily2521
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        Hi!  I’ve been on these boards a lot lately, as we’re planning to add a second bunny to our home.  We currently have a 2 year old female (spayed) Holland Lop names Gizmo. 

        We went on a round of speed dates, and had a successful first date with a lionhead that we absolutely love.  She groomed Gizmo, and also presented herself to Gizmo for grooming…Gizmo just sat there and allowed this to happen, didn’t show any signs of aggression, but didn’t really groom back either.

        We have a second date scheduled for next weekend and if that goes well we’ll bring the lionhead home.  This is where I have some questions…

        *Do we bring them home in the same carrier, or should I plan on having a second one with me?  I will have someone with me for the ride home.

        I’ve been reading lots about bonding but am a bit confused about the way to do things and timing

        *Do you suggest ‘pre-bonding’ for a week or two, where they’re in cages, close together (but not too close) and swap out items from each others cages for a week or so before starting neutral territory sessions?  Or can we start the neutral territory sessions sooner?

        *When we do start neutral territory bonding sessions, do they still live in the same room with separate cages (I know not to put them into the same cage together), where they can still see each other outside of bonding sessions, and have separate free range time until bonded?

        I’m sure I’ll have more questions as we go, but these are the questions I have before we start.  Thanks!


      • MrBun&Daisy
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          Congrats on finding Gizmo a friend! I would bring them home in separate carriers just to avoid an incident in the car. But as for starting the bonding since they’ve already had a date and it went well you can continue with bonding in neutral territory. Obviously if there’s a bad reaction stop the session immediately. You can do the swap out too- it just helps overall with getting used to each other’s scent. As for keeping them in the same room- just see how gizmo reacts to the new bun being in their area. if you see signs of aggression keep the new bun in a separate room for a few nights but continue the neutral bonding. once they become truly comfortable in a neutral space together you can go back to trying to combine their spaces. When you do that try to cleanse the area as best you can of Gizmo’s scent. this will help neutralize that space as well so they can make it their own as a pair. the fact that gizmo doesn’t really seem to care is a great sign that the bond will ultimately be successful. over time that develops into a friendship.

          Just take things slow- try to end the sessions on a good note. just because they aren’t fighting doesn’t mean you should let them be together constantly. You don’t want to overwhelm gizmo. If you can sit with them for an hour or two and after that time is up and they’re still doing okay, separate them to their respective spaces. give them a few more hours to chill out then repeat. You may see some humping, sniffing, grooming and following. As long as they aren’t humping face to tail (we don’t want any bits to the genitals) and the following doesn’t turn into chasing they you’re doing well.

          it can be hard to bond rabbits ( I got extremely lucky with mine, it was love at first site!) but it is also the best thing in the world to see them finally snuggle up together. I know we give our buns so much love but seeing your bun have a partner and someone to play with while you’re not their is awesome. MrBun and daisy are such a cute couple. Be ready to sit and stare at them snuggling and grooming each other with a big smile on your face!


        • lily2521
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            Posted By MrBun&Daisy on 10/21/2016 2:47 PM

            Congrats on finding Gizmo a friend! I would bring them home in separate carriers just to avoid an incident in the car. But as for starting the bonding since they’ve already had a date and it went well you can continue with bonding in neutral territory. Obviously if there’s a bad reaction stop the session immediately. You can do the swap out too- it just helps overall with getting used to each other’s scent. As for keeping them in the same room- just see how gizmo reacts to the new bun being in their area. if you see signs of aggression keep the new bun in a separate room for a few nights but continue the neutral bonding. once they become truly comfortable in a neutral space together you can go back to trying to combine their spaces. When you do that try to cleanse the area as best you can of Gizmo’s scent. this will help neutralize that space as well so they can make it their own as a pair. the fact that gizmo doesn’t really seem to care is a great sign that the bond will ultimately be successful. over time that develops into a friendship.

            Just take things slow- try to end the sessions on a good note. just because they aren’t fighting doesn’t mean you should let them be together constantly. You don’t want to overwhelm gizmo. If you can sit with them for an hour or two and after that time is up and they’re still doing okay, separate them to their respective spaces. give them a few more hours to chill out then repeat. You may see some humping, sniffing, grooming and following. As long as they aren’t humping face to tail (we don’t want any bits to the genitals) and the following doesn’t turn into chasing they you’re doing well.  

            Thanks – this is very helpful!  From what I’m reading I definitely don’t want to rush things with them.  I was getting so confused as to the differences (and timing) between the cages near each other, and the bonding sessions…or if we should keep cages separate while bonding.  I’ll see how it goes once we start too and see how the rabbits react towards being around each other.  I’m sure I’ll be posting more questions once we start the process


          • MrBun&Daisy
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              Honestly- a lot of the stuff you will read is really only necessary for difficult bonds. it sounds like your two will go fairly easy. For some pairs that don’t get along at first it can take a lot of smaller steps to create the bond. Since the date has already gone well, and you’ll be having a second date, your biggest step will be introducing the new bun to gizmo’s space. When we bonded ours we kept daisy in a large dog kennel directly in front of Buns house but far enough apart that they couldn’t touch each other. He fell in love with her the second they met but I knew throwing them in together the first night would still be too fast. So they could see each other at all times and got used to being together. Now if either had seemed distressed or if he started acting aggressive we would have moved her kennel out of the room. Gizmo will let you know if something isn’t working. Of course the first night they spent together I was up staring at them all night to make sure they got along. Most of us have been through the bonding process so we’re all here to lend our ears and brains!


            • lily2521
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                Posted By MrBun&Daisy on 10/21/2016 3:17 PM

                Most of us have been through the bonding process so we’re all here to lend our ears and brains!

                Which is so great…these boards are so helpful!  And they were when we first adopted Gizmo a year and a half ago as well. 

                I think my best plan right now is just to have the two spaces ready to go if we bring bunny home after the second date, pay close attention to both bunnies and how they seem to be feeling about things, and go from there! 


              • MrBun&Daisy
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                  You got it! That’s all there is to it!

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              Forum BONDING Bringing home new bunny/bonding questions