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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 16sd replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 2 months ago by mrmac.

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- 08/30/2009 at 11:23 AM
  dlscanne
  Participant
  149 posts
  Hi guys, I’ve been gone awhile. Not sure if people remember me, but my two buns had a “break up” after being together for a couple months. I tried bonding them with no success for, well, about 10 months now. I did everything, car rides, bath tubs, neutral territory, etc.. They have been separated since. For a time they couldn’t be within a few feet of each other for even a moment before locking into battle. A little while ago I forgot to lock Winston’s pen at night, and he got out and gave Frank (female) a bite over the eye. Nothing serious but I felt horrible.
  
  This was only a month or so ago, but since they have really turned a new leaf. I’ve moved since the incident, and they seem to get along very well in my new house. I’m a teacher, so I’ve had some time off. While I’ve been unpacking and getting settled, they’ve been out together while I’m home with no incident. This has been the case for about a month now. The fact that I can leave the room while they are together is a miracle in itself. I’ve seen Franklin grooming Winston several times, and I (think) I saw Winston grooming Frank too. They even share a bed sometimes.
  
  Winston is still very territorial over his pen (Frank doesn’t have/need one), so I don’t let them have access when they are together (my entire house is bunny-proofed, but they generally stay in my office most of the time). He still gets aggressive if Frank tries to go in. I also feed them separately and keep them apart during the night.
  
  So basically I am entirely satisfied with their relationship now. Being able to play with them at the same time and give them treats together makes me so happy. But at some point should I let them stay together at night? And should I worry that they still can’t share the pen? I’m also about to start work again. I want to keep them together during they days still, but I wont be home. Thoughts?
- 08/30/2009 at 5:47 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  I found your post very interesting. I am having a similar situation right now between two rabbits that won’t stop seeking to get into a fight. i have been thinking of taking time off the bonding because no scenarios I have put them in seemed to make a difference. Mine, too, did get along in the very beginning.
  i think, the relationship you are describing is very positive. These are signs that they will bond. The territorial attitude over the pen is not at all uncommon. Is there a way you can set up a different enclosure in place of Winston’s pen? I was at that point with bonding a trio once, where building a new condo did the trick.
- 08/30/2009 at 7:04 PM
  MooBunnay
  Participant
  3087 posts
  If you are happy with the way that things are right now, I wouldn’t rush it, because that would be stressful for you and the bunnies as well. I would recommend when you are ready to put them together, you will need to disassemble and clean and re-assemble a brand new pen for the two of them to start living in. A bunny will probably always be territorial of “their” pen, so if they are going to live in a pen it has to be one that doesn’t “belong” to one or the other at first. If you can, I’d recommend using all new materials but depending on what kind of pen you have, you might just have to do a really good cleaning of what you have. What kind of pen is it? A good way to make it neutral again is to replace the flooring with new linoleum or rugs or whatever flooring you use.
  
  If they are grooming each other, that is a really great sign that they area good bond, and so I think the next ste is just finding them a “neutral” place to live in at night. Of course, those first couple nights that they stay in the same pen you might want to camp out in the room just in case a fight breaks out.
- 08/31/2009 at 6:42 AM
  RachelB
  Participant
  237 posts
  Moving seems to really help when bonding. My two bunnies were kept in seperate houses (for about 3 weeks) prior to my move so that they could start their bond off in major neutral territory. I had one of the easiest bonding experiences (please dont throw shoes at my head) and I think that the new space was the reason for this!!
  
  Anyways if they are getting along pretty well I might try to set up two “new spaces/cages” that you can rotate at night. This should help with the cage agression that you are seeing.
  
  If they are getting along really well maybe even try and take the plunge and stay up with them one whole night to see how they do. If you can set up a weekend that you will be home the entire time you could try the “wear them down” method that I did with my two bunnies.
  
  Pretty much you just put them together for 24/7 (the key being that YOU need to be there 24/7 until they are trustworthy enough to get along). I did this with my two guys starting on a Thursday night at 7pm. By Sunday morning they were trustworthy and bonded. They’ve been best buddies since (you can read their story in the bonding forum under Samson and Ivy). Anyways I know this isnt for everyone but if you have the time and they are not showing agression towards eachother… this might be a good time to try it!!
  
  Good luck!!!! keep us updated!
- 08/31/2009 at 8:56 AM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  you will need to disassemble and clean and re-assemble a brand new pen for the two of them to start living in. A bunny will probably always be territorial of “their” pen, so if they are going to live in a pen it has to be one that doesn’t “belong” to one or the other at first.
  
  I agree-clean the pen and make it a ‘new’ pen that is now shared That’s pretty neat that moving has that affect!
- 08/31/2009 at 10:23 AM
  dlscanne
  Participant
  149 posts
  Here are some new pics of the bunny zone. The only real purpose for the pen now is to keep Winston in there at night. I also think he likes having some time/space to himself. Maybe thats just me imposing human emotions on him, but I really do almost think that with his personality he needs time on his own. After he finishes his breakfast in the morning, I open the door and he hops right out, then i lock it behind him. Then he and Frank are together all day. When I jangle the door clip at night he runs right over and hops in. I dont have to pick him up or give him treats or anything. He just really likes it in there.
  
  Frank has the room to herself at night. She has some special bunny nooks. If i leave her in the pen she chews on the bars to get out all night. They are both perfectly litter trained and don’t destroy the room (its bunny proofed anyway though) so its really just to keep them apart at night.
  
  I also let them have access to the rest of the house when I’m home in the evenings. Frank likes to watch movies with us, but Winston never crosses the threshold of the bunny room. Another reason I think he likes his pen. I think its comforting to him.
  
  I’m seriously considering keeping this routine, especially because of their rocky past. It seems to help them having space from each other. Do people know of other rabbit couples like that?
  
  I might buy some new carpeting and scrub down the cage anyway. I think I’ll wait at least a month to do that though. I want to give them plenty of time to figure things out.
- 08/31/2009 at 12:35 PM
  mrmac
  Participant
  2156 posts
  Have you tried keeping them together for a night and sleeping near them? But they get along fine during the day together? By the way, I love that room! It looks like my old ‘art room’ I had at my old house, so jealous!
- 08/31/2009 at 12:49 PM
  dlscanne
  Participant
  149 posts
  i’m still paranoid leaving them out at night together, because that is when they broke out fighting before…i think its just me being nervous and silly. you are right mrmac i should try that. i have a nice little cot that would work perfectly. i’ve been looking for an excuse to have a sleepover with the bunnies anyway
  
  thanks i like that room too, its the best room in the house if you ask me. the bunnies are my little muses while i work..
- 08/31/2009 at 1:38 PM
  mrmac
  Participant
  2156 posts
  I would just sleep near them, maybe even for a few nights if you’re still nervous, that way if anything should break out then you are there to separate them. Now there’s no excuse for not having a bunny sleepover!
- 08/31/2009 at 11:09 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  What a nice place you have.
- 09/01/2009 at 5:03 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  I have to comment too – lol. I love the green walls. I love green. And the work in progress too! You’ll have to post some more of your art sometime.
  I noticed you have just wood floors leading out from the bunny room. Does Winston have trouble on wood floors or do you think he just feels most secure in the bunny room? I had to look hard to see him in that 1st pic!
- 09/01/2009 at 7:11 AM
  dlscanne
  Participant
  149 posts
  thanks everyone! we really love our new place too. jerseygirl i think the wood floors were an issue for them (that hallway runner in the kitchen isn’t even there anymore) so at first I put down a bunch of old sheets as “bridges” to the area carpets, which worked well for Frank. Now she’ll come out without them. Winston always stops in the threshold, leans out as far as he can, his little nose going a million miles a minute, and never goes anywhere
  
  a little update, they were getting a little testy with each other yesterday, a little chasing and such, so I think i’m going to take things slow with them. I could tell they were really getting annoyed with each other.
- 09/01/2009 at 10:06 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  It helps that you know how to read them. You must know their tricks well after all this time trying to bond them!
  
  Your rabbit condo rocks, too, I am a big fan of incorporating cages into condos, it illustrates to visitors how ridiculous it would be to house a rabbit in one of those only!
- 09/01/2009 at 7:35 PM
  MooBunnay
  Participant
  3087 posts
  If you find that the current routine is working out for everyone well, I don’t see any reason you would need to change it. If Winston is happy to go into his own cage at night, and it is less stressful for everyone, I think that it sounds like a good solution if it isn’t inconveniencing you. You definitely understand your bunnies the best, and I’m sure you can tell what is working well for them. It doesn’t seem to me that there would be any need to force them into a “conventional” bond just because that is what all their friends are doing
- 09/09/2009 at 6:08 AM
  dlscanne
  Participant
  149 posts
  well, things had been going so well the past few days that i just couldn’t help pushing their friendship further! i had a second piece of (new) carpet already cut to fit the cage, so i threw out the old one and replaced it. i also scrubbed down what could be scrubbed down, and removed all the furniture, toys, etc for a little while. it worked like a charm!
  
  they sleep in the cage all day together now (i leave the door open though), eat together, and last night….i took the plunge and left them out all night together. I didn’t want Winston claiming the pen as his own again. this morning they were all stretched out happy as can be. this picture is from when i checked in on them before I went to bed last night….
  
  I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN! YAY!
- 09/09/2009 at 7:38 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Congratulations! The photo is precious — lounging together inside the pen and touching?!! A bunny-bonder’s dream…
- 09/09/2009 at 11:40 AM
  mrmac
  Participant
  2156 posts
  Congrats! They look so cute together! It always seems neverending, but once you see that first flop together it is all worth it! Yay!!!
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