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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.

BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

Forum BONDING Are they bonded? Bonding behaviour…

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    • FloppyBunny
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        Hi everyone,

        My rabbits just met 2 days ago and there was no trouble at all. No fighting or anything. They sniffed each other for a while, then just sat with about one foot of space in between them in their large dog cage. Each day, I would put them in a box (those office supplies boxes), and yesterday they would sniff around for a while and only one at a time would relax, but today they both lay next to each other, snuggling. I’m with them right now (they’ve been in the box for maybe an hour), and I’m hearing little purring sounds. They’ve never licked each other, but have been trying to get the other to lick them by putting their head down the way they ask me to be pet. My boy nipped her lightly (he does it to me when he wants me to pet him and thinks I’m taking too long), but that’s it. They share their food, snuggle in the box, etc. Sometimes she’ll put her paws on his head or back to look above him (she’s 1/3 of his size) and he doesn’t care. She’s a lot more curious than him. However once in the dog cage, they sit one foot apart. Since they aren’t grooming each other and sitting a bit apart with more space I think they aren’t bonded fully yet, but how exactly do bonded rabbits act? Do they spend all day together and do they always snuggle when laying down? In the box they have room to be a little bit away from each other, but choose to stay close. My boy will lick her bed/cushion, but not her. When they are out of their cages, they do their own thing with an occasional sniff. Basically they seem relatively indifferent except when in the box. My boy is neuteured but my girl hasn’t been spayed yet, she will be in 3 days.

        I will post pictures later. The site isn’t letting me with my phone.


      • Mikey
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          I would wait to say they are officially bonded, yet. The main reason, some bunnies change personality a little bit after being spayed/neutered and you mentioned your girl isnt spayed yet. I would give it until a month after shes spayed to have an official “yes” or “needs more bonding sessions”. Laying together, cleaning eachother, sharing food with one another, ect without any signs of aggression are signs of a cemented or near cemented bond


        • FloppyBunny
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            Oh ok, good to know. Do they usually always rest side by side once bonded?

            After spending two whole days together (supervised), I let them spend the night together. Everything went well and this morning they were still resting a foot apart. After another hour in “the bonding box”, Daisy (my girl) licked Popot’s (my boy) leg, and once I put them back in the cage, they are now sleeping side by side on the same cushion! In a bit I will bring them out to run around and will see how they act. Last time they went their seperate ways, maybe this time they will stay together. Daisy has a lot more energy that Popot, so I hope she’ll motivate him to move more.


          • FloppyBunny
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              Now they rest together most of the time in their cage, but when out they go their seperate ways. Daisy gives Popot a few licks before going to bed at night, but he’s never groomed her. He does nudge her with his head to be groomed though. It took 3 years for my rabbit to groom me, so I think it’s part of his personality. I hope they will soon stay together when out of the cage. Daisy was spayed 3 days ago, but now she’s pooping EVERYWHERE. There is so much poop. She does 99% of her pees in the litter box, but she did a few on her cushion so I removed it. Now Popot is starting to poop a bit where she is so I’m not liking this. I’m hoping it’s just a phase of territorial poops, as I’ve read this happens a lot when bonding rabbits. My rabbits are now in the same cage permanently.

              This was them last night:


            • LittlePuffyTail
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                If Daisy was spayed only 3 days ago, that’s exactly why shes’ pooping everywhere. Girls have a huge hormone surge after a spay and it can take about a month until the hormones calm down. Keep a very close eye on your buns as these crazy hormones can lead to territorial behaviors and fighting.

                Your buns are beautiful, btw


              • FloppyBunny
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                  Thank you, LittlePuffyTail . I’m not too worried about Daisy pooping everywhere, but I don’t like how Popot is now starting to aswell. Tonight he even peed on the floor. Before she started doing this, his litter habits were perfect. I’m just hoping it’s not permanent. Tonight he pooped maybe 50 times on the pet cushion. Do you think it’s just a phase?

                  Anyways, I’m really happy that he now has a friend. Right now I’m staying with family so he has to spend most of his time in an XL dog cage, and he doesn’t seem depressed. Before, he got depressed if I kept him inside the house where he has a living room to himself since he’s used to being outside all day. We had fenced our yard for him, and for the past 2 years he spent at least 6 hours a day outside, but he got bit by a rat recently so I don’t want to let him back out. Also, Daisy fits into extremely tiny spaces, so I would be too scared to let her out. At least now he has a friend.


                • LittlePuffyTail
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                    My guess is that he’s leaving all his poops and pees around because she is doing the same. If he lets her pee and poop all over, she is marking all the territory as hers.


                  • FloppyBunny
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                      It’s decreased a bit now, but still happening. Yesterday they were together for a 10 hour road trip back home, but it didn’t seem to change anything with their bonding. Popot is still kinda indifferent to her, but Daisy likes him. She’ll often snuggle up to him. Yesterday was her first day in my actual home, and she started binkying and zooming around (her previous owner only let her out 10 mins a day, and 1 hour at my family member’s who kept her until I could get her. Now she has a whole room for her and Popot).

                      I’m not quite sure what to do to bond them more. When they have a lot of space they stay apart more, but I can’t keep them caged. Stress bonding doesn’t work either because both rarely get stressed. Popot is used to lots of sounds and him and Daisy are calm rabbits. If I bang a pot he’ll just look at me strange. If they just stay like this will they eventually bond on their own?


                    • LittlePuffyTail
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                        What is your bun housing arrangement right now?


                      • FloppyBunny
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                          Right now they both have a living room to themselves (1 room for 2 rabbits, not a room each). They have a cage that’s always open for their food, water, and litter box.


                        • FloppyBunny
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                            So they definitely are not bonded right now. It’s been 2 days since they are in a non-neutral area, and Popot isn’t super happy. At first he seemed surprised that she wasn’t just a temporary visitor, and yestersay and today he thumped a bit (he was annoyed, not scared). He pretty much stays somewhere she’s not, but she occasionally visits him. They will put their heads together and lay there if I pet them, but then they leave. I’m not sure what to do to bond them. Right now they are just roomates, not friends.

                            Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since they’ve met. Daisy had almost a month extra of smelling him since she found a poop that wasn’t cleaned from his last visit. Do they just need more time or…? It’s really just Popot that is the issue since Daisy would love to cuddle with him.


                          • LittlePuffyTail
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                              So they are living together 100% of the time now? Sounds like they are bonded but have not “fallen in love” yet. It will probably come. Some bunnies take longer.


                            • FloppyBunny
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                                I hope so! I can’t wait to have two snuggly bunnies. Today they spent a few hours resting together, with Popot spread out like a banana and Daisy sitting like a loaf with her ears back. At her last home it took her more than two weeks for her to start sleeping stretched out, so that’s probably why. The rest of the time they did their own thing. They’ve been living together 100% of the time since about 3 days after they met. Since they never fought, I supervised the whole time at first, then overnight, then left them. They’ve been fine with each other from the start, but like you said it’s not love yet.


                              • FloppyBunny
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                                  Today Popot groomed Daisy for the first time! He did it twice in a row for a few minutes. She didn’t groom him back, even though he asked for it. So far, they’ve each groomed each other twice. Daisy followed Popot around again for maybe two hours, then they went their own way, and then at night went back together.


                                • LittlePuffyTail
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                                    That sounds great!!!! Hurray for groomies!!!


                                  • FloppyBunny
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                                      I haven’t seen any grooming since then, but now they spend most of the day together. They are apart for maybe 4 hours a day, the other 20 are together

                                      Daisy finally started “banana-ing” for the first time since she’s here (took her a week). Poor bun, she’s moved twice in a bit over a month, and in maybe 6 months she’s moving again because we are building a house. Anyways, I’ve noticed that she ALWAYS sits head to butt with my boy. He lays whichever way and she’ll turn around to be that way. Is it to make sure both ends are watched? She does the same thing with me. If I go sit beside her, she’ll come for pets, then sit with her butt to me.

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                                  Forum BONDING Are they bonded? Bonding behaviour…