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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BONDING Bunnies strugging to work out dominance. Video included

  • This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by Kiki.
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    • Lindor
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        I’ve made a new thread with a different username as I couldn’t remember the password for the other one and my password manager remembered the password for this account. Old thread here: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/155668/Default.aspx

        So about 6 or 7 weeks of bonding in. Stress bonding worked Wonders and when I have them in a small box there is absolutely no aggression and they groom each other constantly.

        Moved into the cage and it is all about dominance but unfortunately over the last week it has gotten worse.
        My boy is still occasionally trying to hump her but not as much. However, he does still demand grooms occasionaly (assume this is normal even for a submissive bun? Everyone wants a groom!) and my girl Misty the grey one constantly demands grooms and unfortunately has begun nipping him on the face if he does not begin grooming her within seconds. It used to be she would wait for at least a minute and would just push her face against his until he started grooming which he usually did but now she nips him within a few seconds. Sometimes he is sleeping or eating and she rushes up and demands grooms and bites him before he can swallow or wake up. In this video it took a lot longer because she does not like it when the phone is pointed at her. She seems to get a bit worried about it 🙂 but she still did nip him and would have missed him a second time if I did not spray her at 2;08. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af7_mGuD5Qg 
        What is the best and safest way to proceed? It just really surprises me that there is no signs of aggression in the box but as soon as they are on the ground there can be aggression. I mean they do both groom each other and yesterday they actually slept next to each other sometimes touching but no more than 10 centimetres away from each other for about 4 hours which was fantastic to see. But the nipping is extremely distressing to both my partner and I as we do not want to see our boy getting his face attacked constantly. Any advice on how to safely proceed appreciated.


      • Limit
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          This is difficult, because they look to be quite content in each others presence but your doe seems frustrated and quite demanding! When they’re on the ground is it neutral space? It could be that the space is too big too soon, maybe take a step back into a smaller space where they interact better x


        • Vienna Blue in France
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            It really is a face off in the video isn’t it. Like a staring contest.

            I would say don’t water-squirt the simple chasing that they were doing after the nip. They’ve got to sort it out themselves and it was just chasing around your legs, which is what they have to do to ‘sort it out’.
            My bunny bonder also said try and keep (you) out of the equation. Remain close by to stop any real aggression but don’t make it about you, which is what it may be at the minute with you so close by.

            In the small box where they groom constantly, they won’t have the space to run and chase and sort out the topbun that way.

            They are very cute btw.


          • Lindor
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              I had thought of trying somewhere new but space is not really available for the 12 – 16 hr sessions we are doing daily.Will try something for a couple hrs.

              How small? I tried maybe 80cm x 80cm in the begining but not for weeks. Might try that too.

              Current area was my boys but has been washed with vinegar and rearranged and hasnt been “his” for 6 weeks now. Has been shared for 3 weeks. The constant biting has only been going for 1 week. Nothing else changed.

              They both groom each other. Yesterday my girl groomed my boy just as much as he groomed her which was a first! But bunnies are going head to head 50 – 100 times a day with my girl nipping with 5 – 10 seconds on his face or feet so we are rushing into the cage to interrupt every time they are head to head…Which gets old!


            • Vienna Blue in France
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                Gosh 12hr sessions for 5 weeks…. hmmm, some dynamic needs to change.
                Mine bonded in an area probably 4 x 4m but they needed to run and chase and get away from each other as they are big buns and a (relatively) small area was working AGAINST them.

                I know they are grooming, but have you tried mutual banana splodges to make each other more attractive


              • Kiki
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                  Hi,

                  Banana tried in the beginning. No one licked it off and it dried hard with the hair standing up and my girl looking like a punk rocker! Took 2 days to brush it all out…

                  Yes 12hrs most days now. From 10am. Morning they usually groom each other a bit and sleep at opposite sides of the cage. They will go head to head many times with both pushing their heads against each other hard and like in the video my girl nips my boy if not groomed or she may start grooming him about a quarter of the time (but we usually interrupt any head to head to avoid nipping by patting them both as watching our boy get bitten 50+ times a day is horrible).

                  But they both groom each other a fair amount.

                  By 12pm by boy is sleepy and my girl still demands grooms from him and sometimes nips him while he is asleep! He can barely keep his eyes open and grooms her for 5 secs and goes back to sleep…She comes to bite again so we just pat her to keep her distracted.

                  Late afternoon say 2pm-3pm. My girl gets sleepy and they snuggle up next to each other and sleep till around 5pm (next to each other ~5cm apart or touching).

                  ~5pm-6pm they separate and lay down in different areas and come together for head to head for the rest of the night regularly.

                  My boy still occasionally trying to hump my girl (2 or 3 times a week) and my girl nipping…..***SIGH***

                  Havent tried a smaller area yet.

                  A larger area wont help as they are comfortable around each other? Nips ONLY occur when head to head or being mounted. They can eat together/sleep together fine. My boy VERY rarely bites back if ever. He is a Gentlebun

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              Forum BONDING Bunnies strugging to work out dominance. Video included