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Forum BONDING Human bonding with a bonded pair?

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    • puffs-of-fluff
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        Hi everyone,

         It is my first post on here so I appreciate all of your advice.

         I bought 2 house bunnies a month ago and have fallen in love with them. I did a lot of research before I bought them on how to care for them and allow them to get to know me. However, I can’t seem to find much information on getting affection from a bonded pair and am looking for your help.

        Gus and Ethel are not brother and sister but I have bonded them from the day they came home. They are not neutered yet as they are too young (11 weeks) but they are registered with a vet and will be booked in asap.

        I have done all of the sitting with them, giving them treats, letting them come to me etc. and now they are very comfortable around humans (they jump all over me and my partner, give kisses for treats etc.). Ethel is 10 times more confident than Gus (she is not scared of anything!!!) but both are very happy and binky all the time.

         When I first got them, Gus would lie on my lap for 2 hours at a time and get massaged but Ethel prefered to sit on my shoulder. Both would lick me to death. They would both bunny purr. My issue is, now that they have bonded to each other, neither of them want any petting off me at all. They both still like interaction and to play with me, but they will not be petted (even on the floor) as they are too busy running around after each other (if that makes sense?)

        It started when they both began gnawing at my clothes when they were on my lap, but now that they are confident enough to jump from my lap, they just gnaw me, hop off and snuggle with each other. I canot make them sit still long enough to even get 3 strokes in, they hop off my lap just as quick as they hop on (and i think that they only hop on looking for treats!). I’m feeling a little used! lol

        Why is this? Will they always be like this now that they have each other or were they not really bonded that closely to me in the first place and just a bit nervous to move? Does anyone else have any experience bonding with a bonded pair? What kind of timescales/milestones should I expect?

         Thank you!!!!


      • Tessie
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          Hi, welcome to the forum 

          The most important thing is that you separate them ASAP. 

          If they are indeed a boy and a girl, then the chances of you having a litter of babies soon is very high!  
          At 11 weeks they are very capable or reproducing and doing so will put a lot of stress on you and them, not to mention the amount of bunnies out there who already need homes. 

          It’s really important that you keep them completely separate (No chance at all of any interaction) until they are both neutered, and for a month after, as males still have viable sperm for a month after neutering. 

          It’s not really possible to achieve a stable bond with two un-neutered rabbits anyway as the hormones going wild can cause them to fight without any warning. 

          As for getting some affection from them, I think it’s quite normal for buns to show less affection to their humans when they have a buddy, so this is sort of to be expected.

          Please please separate those bunnies asap! 


        • longhairmike
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            try putting them both under a huge folded in half blanket or comforter snuggling with you.

            make SURE you get the boy neutered at the earliest possible date


          • puffs-of-fluff
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              Thank you for your replies,

              @Tessie. I took them to the vet last week (I registered with an exotic specialist) and asked if I should separate and she told me not to separate them as they were so well bonded. She told me that the girl is very unlikely to get pregnant before 5 months but said she would see them again before that to keep an eye on them. They definately do not fight, they are obsessed with each other. The vet said that I would have more problems separating them as they may fight when I join them again……??? They are mini lops (I forgot to say). Is this wrong information then?

              @longhairmike. I would love that, but they are so into everything that i can’t get them to sit still. I will try that though and see if it calms them down. I promise I will get the boy done asap.Thanks

              They do follow me about the house and everything, so I think they like me (or at least are not scared of me) but I wonder if this is because they see me as the ‘treat giver’. They are affectionate in their own ways, I would just like to sit with them and give them nose rubs, but I feel that they would prefer to get love from each other. @Tessie: are you saying that it will always be this way or will neutering make them more willing to get affection from me?


            • Zombie-Sue
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                Where did you get them?

                I’d separate them anyway, seriously .____.


              • MoveDiagonally
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                  Welcome to BB!

                  It’s generally recommended that males/females be separated at about 12 weeks to avoid any possible breeding.

                  Males are fertile for 30 days after they are neutered so if you get him neutered EXACTLY at 12 weeks (3 months) he won’t be sterile until 4 months which is about when females can become fertile. His testicles may not drop for a couple more weeks which is generally when neutering happens. So unless you have an appointment for next week he’ll be fertile well into her possible fertile time. I wouldn’t risk two rabbits breeding so young and would separate them. A female having babies before 6 months is especially risky for her and the babies.

                  Your vet is right about not being able to put them back together without fighting, ect… You will likely have to wait until both bunnies have been spayed/neutered for 30 days before re-introducing them. At which point you’d have to go through the bonding process with them.
                  https://binkybunny.com/BUNNYINFO/tabid/53/CategoryID/9/PID/940/Default.aspx

                  Even if they don’t breed there is a chance you will have to separate them anyway. More often than not puberty breaks baby bonds even in same sex bunnies.

                  On bonding with your bunnies, you could try doing some clicker training with them. I’ve heard great things about that improving bunny/human relations.


                • puffs-of-fluff
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                    @Zombie-Sue. I got them from a breeder in Hampshire, England.

                    @Movediagnoally. Wow, Thanks for all that detailed information. Okay, they have a two tiered cage (as well as a huge x-pen). I could split the cage and give them exercise time out separately. Lol, they will not be happy about not being out all the time though. Ethel is already starting chemical warfare where she is peeing next to the doors to rooms she wants to go into but isn’t allowed yet! Little imp! If they are separated and their bond breaks, should that improve the chance of them bonding well to me? Or will they be annoyed at me for taking away their friend? I will look into clicker training! That is a great suggestion. I think maybe they just need to calm down a little bit and stop being so excitable, I am sure that neutering will do that.

                    My vet says that you should not neuter bunnies until 5 months due to increased risk but she felt that it would be okay to operate on Gus a week or so before that. What experience do others have of this? Thank you for your time.


                  • Beka27
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                      Different vets have different preferences regarding spay/neuter ages. Generally, males can be fixed when the testicles descend between 3-4 months old, but if she prefers to wait, then that’s okay too.

                      As stated, they will need to be separated, especially if he’s not getting neutered until 5 months! The pregnancy risk is only eliminated with a female spay (obviously no ovaries = no eggs, no uterus = no implantation). Males are still considered to have viable sperm for a full 4 weeks (although some studies even say 6 weeks!)


                    • Zombie-Sue
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                        Actually, rabbits can even breed through cages! X_X


                      • puffs-of-fluff
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                          Oh Gee!!!! @Zombie-Sue

                          Okay, Thank you for all of your help. I tried some clicker training tonight and taught them to give kisses. They are both really good at it (although I must say it is a little confusing to train 2 of them). I am going to look up some more info about clicker training but I think that in terms of answering my question, that was probably the answer which will help me to bond with them the most.

                          Thank you all for your expert advice on neutering though. It was really helpful and taught me a lot. I will be sure to follow your advice. Thanks again for your input.


                        • Beka27
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                            When you clicker train, you have to only do one at a time. The click-behavior-treat needs to be in quick succession. It’s just not possible with two because one will get frustrated/confused.


                          • BunnyRabbitMania
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                              You must remember, rabbits are never “bonded” until they are fixed. Separate them no matter what anyone says so they cannot breed. Let them be together at floor time as long as you keep a close eye on them. (This is just so they will still know each other) Since they did come from a breeder, there most likely related somewhat. Cousins, or some kind of distant relatives. this is just so if a accident did happen, and your Ethel gets pregnant, there is a chance of in-breeding and birth defects. Bunnies do breed like crazy and can have up to 20 babies! Not to mention the fact you’d have to find all those homes for those babies. Separate them NOW before anything happens! Please!


                            • MoveDiagonally
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                                Let them be together at floor time as long as you keep a close eye on them. (This is just so they will still know each other)

                                After separation they should not be together AT ALL until one of them is sterile. It takes 2 seconds for a male to impregnate a female. You can’t prevent it by keeping a close eye on them.

                                puffs-of-fluff – It sounds like you’ve already gotten lots of answers and have a great plan


                              • puffs-of-fluff
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                                  Thanks everyone!

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                              Forum BONDING Human bonding with a bonded pair?