Bonding – take #3

[Katscarpena]

Pretty sure I must be a crazy person, but going to try and give it a 3rd try here with Bonding Licorice and Chipper.

Brief back-story for anyone who missed the previous stuff: Licorice is a Jersey Wooly we found stray, Vet said he was neutered. We adopted Chipper from the SPCA – neutered male. Very sweet bunny, but was rescued from poor outdoor conditions and had come in wounded. He is very wary of everyone/ everything. Bond attempts in the beginning just were NOT going well.

Then we found out – Licorice was NOT actually neutered, just hadn’t actually reached maturity yet. Had him neutered, waited the 8 weeks, and tried again. 3 days into it – Licorice got into Chipper restricted area and there was a HUGE fight – they both had wounds (skin broken, fur everywhere.)

It’s now been another 8 weeks. They lay on either side of the “divide” and are fine with each other – as soon as you get them together – Licorice IMMEDIATELY begins chasing Chipper and Chipper freaks trying to nip/bite. I cannot put them in the car in a laundry basket or a box – they bite HARD at each other. The bathtub I can’t use – can’t risk them scratching a very expensive custom tub. I want to scrub down the upstairs hall (hard wood) and shut all the bed room doors to see how they do there. I even thought about the basement.

So here’s the follow up – IF we do have any success, how could I ever trust them alone? I see all these posts about people’s bunnies becoming unbonded. Is it really even worth all this crazy effort?

[MoveDiagonally]

Some quick questions.

Where do you introduce them? Is it a neutral area? A completely neutral area is necessary for introductions/early bonding. When you say you cannot stress bond them in a car or basket because they bite. Do they fight during the actual stressing or just when you put them in there?

[LBJ10]

Those are good questions MD asked. That will help us determine what would be worth trying.

BTW MD, from my understand, Licorice was pretty much free-range so it was difficult to find a totally neutral area. I think the basement might actually be a good idea.

[MoveDiagonally]

Thanks LBJ! During bonding I would restrict the space of any free range rabbits. My reason for suggesting this is that if you get them all bonded together it’s recommended to slowly introduce more and more space to avoid disrupting the new bond so they won’t be able to be free range immediately. You will also need to deep clean any area either bunny has been to avoid territorial issues. This can be quite the task with free range rabbits. Limiting space now will give you more time to clean and “neutralize” areas they will eventually share.

The good news is that issues you’ve been having with bonding aren’t because your rabbits are incompatible. The first time you bonded you were dealing with an intact rabbit and hormones. The second time involved a bunny getting into another bunny’s territory and fighting is what usually happens in that situation. In your most recent attempts issues might be more prominent because of the lack of neutral space.

 I wouldn’t re-introduce them until you have a neutral space. 

[Katscarpena]

Ok – this is all very helpful. On those questions: Licorice is almost completely free range and has no restrictions. But, Chipper… lol, ah nope. So I’m going to have to find ways to restrict better eventually if this works.

Neutral territory, if any is that upstairs hall. I can restrict Licorice’s access with a baby gate to that hall while trying to bond. The basement – neither of them have ever been down there.

The basket – they start up the second you place them side by side – Licorice tries to get all over Chipper, Chipper tries to jump right out – then before you can even blink – they are pulling fur. (Tiny jerks!)

Follow up thought here – once “bonded, I think I might need to get a new cage (bigger and nothing they think is their territory.) Am I right on that one? And do I need to move where the cages are? They are both pretty defensive about “their” areas.

[Katscarpena]

Ok – so we tried that upstairs “hall” there is a 4.5 x 6 ft area we can baby gate off. I wiped it all down with strong smelling oil soap 1st and now will keep Licorice gated out of there. I had my 7 yr old with me because he’s Chipper’s “person.”

We did 15 min. Sniffing – some circling by Licorice. But he was mostly just wondering why he was gated off I think. Spent a lot of time sniffing that gate more than anything. Chipper – refused to leave anyone’s lap. He walked (yes walked – not hopped) between mine and my son’s. We’d put him on the floor – he’d go for the closet lap.

Result – some sniffing (most on the part of Licorice), some licking (all Licorice – tried to lick Chipper back end. lol), and the final result…. Chipper hunkered (like what he does when scared) in 7yr old’s lap, and Licorice flopped out 1/2 sleeping in the corner.

I suppose at least there was no biting! Also, neither my son or I would let Licorice up on our laps with Chipper. And yes – I have over mits near by just in case. LOL

[MoveDiagonally]

That’s great improvement over your previous sessions.

Next session I wouldn’t let either bunny into a human lap. You want to be there to facilitate and mediate the bonding sessions but lap hunkering is a way for them to avoid having to figure out how to deal with the other bunny (which is what bonding is all about ).

I never thought of using oven mits! What a good idea. My husband and I used mechanic’s gloves but the few times they fought and we didn’t have them on resulted in us getting some pretty nasty bites. Oven mits are easier to slip into.

For after bonding housing, the minimum recommended cage size is 4’X4′ for two bunnies. If you already have something suitable then you don’t have to buy anything new if you can clean it. I use X-Pens so I would just wipe them down and re-use them without any issues when I bonded mine (I have 5 bonded together). Anything you can do to make thier living situation different can be good. If you can house them somewhere else in the house that may be helpful. Re-arranging their habitat stuff. Ect…

[Katscarpena]

Ok, 4×4… is that for dwarf varieties too?

I wonder, will they keep the bond if we just leave the two cages side by side with an xpen around? I actually don’t think I can fit quite a 4×4 cage anywhere here at all… hmmmm….

[Katscarpena]

PS – I truly love all the info and advice on here. I love these little guys and never anticipated how complex they could be – or how complex their care would be!

[MoveDiagonally]

If you have an X-Pen can you house them in that without the cages? Most X-Pens when fully extended are big enough for two bunnies. X-Pen bases are pretty simple to put together if you’re worried about them being on the floor.

Is the goal for them to both be free range eventually?

I love these little guys and never anticipated how complex they could be – or how complex their care would be!

I think most of us went through the same thing when we brought our bunnies home. It sounds like you’re doing a great job!

[Katscarpena]

Ok, so we are seriously thinking of taking the entire wall of my office up to have something longer, and a little narrower? Possibly even building “stacking” hutches into a bookcase type set-up So all my books will be in shelves over/next to the buns. My office is over run by then anyway! LOL

Ok, so this wall here I would Take those storage cubes out and move them to the living room. (That is Licorice’s cage and supplies there. I need to change his cage and hauled them all up today from the basement. That’s an issue too.) Then slide the book case over, and make stacked hutches of some kind with ramps, etc – then put more book shelves/storage over that area. Like bunnies in a book case!

Then this other area here, I can get Chipper out of here (below) – and make that area more for supplies in bins.

And pardon the mess. I had a different set up – but then the buns took over! LOL I seriously love having the boys as my office mates. Cutest view ever.

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[Katscarpena]

Left out this part – I can fence them off here in my office, and gradually expand them into the living room, dining room, etc from there. Is this enough of a huge shake-up though? I mean I can’t move them far. I don’t have any other rooms I can leave them in except in the basement and I like them up here!

[MoveDiagonally]

I think your idea sounds great housing wise. It looks like you have a good amount of space in that corner/wall.

[Katscarpena]

We do! It just can’t come out quite 4 feet. It wouldn’t look very good and could impede traffic a bit. I really kind of need Chipper out of that one area anyway though. He is blocking the front door from opening. LOL

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