Bonding can be STRESSFUL and it is a headache having them separate and dealing with the messes. Truly! But it does get better. If your are feeling overwhelmed, maybe do look at bonding them thru one of the services. It might be just the thing – taking Quincey completly out of his environment. I don’t think it’s too late to utilise one of these services.

It’s just sad to see my baby bleeding, and my other baby causing the bleeding!

See, that’s the trouble isn’t it?  We’re too emotionally involved! And our fear projects and can make things even trickier. Not to say you can’t bond them – if the bf is willing to help out, go for it. It just is good to have that option of a bonding service around.

Just a quick note here; I have three bunnies who all live in separate pens but in the same room. I’ve had them all over a year and-due to an illness with one-had to stop bonding two of them and they haven’t been in the same space since. However, they all seem to realize each other is there and I think they are happy with their current living arrangements.
I do hope you can find some assistance in bonding your bunnies, but just on the off chance they don’t bond, do you have space enough to allow them to live together without physically being in the same spot? They will still have each other’s company, but will not be within ‘nipping range’ of each other.

My sincerest bonding and happy ending wishes for you and your furbabies! I agree that sometimes it’s more successful as someone else’s job and local rescues ‘professional’ bonders can be champion at this sort of thing.

hi Battie! I was wondering how things were going for you.

There are bonding situations where literally you can’t take your eyes off for a second without them drawing blood.

Instead of the rabbits stressing YOU out, you should be the one wearing THEM out. Right now, your goal should just be to call a truce.

By wearing them out I mean not letting them get away with a single bad move toward one another. You will need to set up a pen, or sit on your bathroom floor with them (bring a book or something entertaining) and have a spray bottle loaded and ready, and a plastic bag with empty cans to shake at them or touch them with if they act up. No litterboxes in the beginning, just hay will do for munching, preferrably two piles. Whenever they get close and want to fight, squirt them with the water on the forehead. You have to really hit them with it but never in the ear or eye. They will clue in that you’re not going to allow the aggression and likely they will freeze up or pout. End the sessions after like 25 minutes even if nothing dramatic occurred. On the car rides have them beside one another in a box pushing down their heads so they cannot nip. After a number of these sessions, you should notice that they avoid another more than wanting to fight. They may still be hostile and ocassionally try to fight but the more you stop them the less they will do it. The repetitions of the negative consequence for their agression will sink into their little stubborn heads.
You cannot let any more injuries happen becuse they put you on a vicious cycle: each time one gets hurt, there is the urge to retaliate and it goes on and on. Right now your rabbits hold a grudge. A grudge trumps territorial disputes, it is very strong anti-bonding energy. It will take determination and patience to break this but you can do it. When you squirt them because they go for an attack, make a noise that they will associate the being squirted with, like a scream. You can use positive gestures toward them also, box them like for a carride and just keep their heads down talking calmly and stroking lots in a scent transfer session. They might jerk about a couple of times but they will stop if you keep the upper hand (with protective glove btw).
Another thing I always ffelt was imperative for my own sessions — don’t hold a session if you’re on edge, too tired or frustrated. You need to have a positive spirit in the face of the hostilities…. .
Keep posting please. Can you make a video? (you would need an assistant to tape the session as your hands will be busy)

Don’t give up! It took a little longer than 6 months to bond my two rabbits. Car rides are an absolute must. My girl bunny wouldn’t let the boy next to her for anything but in the car they snuggled up and looked like they were madly in love. The real breakthrough came when I went out of the country to study in Mexico for 5 weeks. It seemed that the real problem was me! It took her only 2 weeks to take to the new rabbit and now they’re inseparable. I would try letting your boyfriend supervise them together while you are at work or out shopping.

Also short intervals are key… hold your hand over their eyes and sit them together and pet them for just 5 minutes. Then put them both in their separate cages. This allows you to keep your stress level low and the buns don’t have time to get up the guts to battle. Also they get some loving which eventually they’ll associate with the smell of the other bunny. Hopefully nothing eventful happens and you can stretch it to 10 minutes. Eventually you can separate them but not put them in their cages and just slowly stop petting. I wouldn’t leave them close enough to touch when you stop petting or they’ll get a nasty shock when they open their eyes lol.

I completely understand your frustration! My situation is taking longer then I wanted too and it’s so annoying having to clean up the poop wars and pee wars and worry that they aren’t getting enough run time because you have to keep them separate. I was feeling this way a week ago but am feeling more positive now, just keep working on it!! ((((vibes)))))

Posted By Battie on 01/09/2010 12:59 PM
. 😀 Quincy definitely has an issue with Beulah near his cage. Beulah doesn’t care if he goes near hers, but both of them encroach on each other’s territory by pooping and, sometimes, peeing around it.

I’m really desperate to get them together over the next month or two. My lease is up in May and I want to move out of this shoebox, and I’m worried about convincing a new landlord to let me have them. Bonded bunnies in one cage would be a much easier sell, I think.

Battie, bonding where a bully is involved is really hard in a small space. You may have better success by not putting these two in one cage together until all nipping has ceased.. What I mean is that with a bullying bunny you need to give enough space that the other bun can get out of the bully’s face. They can already move in together but the habitat must allow for get-away space. If you could set them up in a small room in your new place you shouldn’t have much trouble. Over time the bullying will stop during their cementing phase. — When you say “cage” how big are we talking?

That sounds like a good plan/set-up. I will wait for you to post soon “Quincy and Beulah are b o n d e d”! it will be epic.

I’m sorry I can’t advise you on cage swapping, though I would be a bit hesitant since Quincy might not see going into a cramped cage after his big condo as a good thing.

I can advise you on the landlord situation. As an apartment renter for many years now – and 10 of them with a bunny – I can suggest that you let any prospective landlord know that you have two bunnies in two cages. Add that bunnies make no noise at all, and since they are caged they are very clean and make great pets. I have had all my landlords accept a caged bunny readily, and most put the bunny into the lease with no pet fee. It’s the quiet and cage part that sells them. You needn’t mention their exercise Out time. If they ask, you just tell them you let them run around supervised while you are home.

Battie, I wouldn’t swap cages as I do not believe it will make a difference in their relationship at this point. If you can’t do sessions in big neutral territory until you move, you could put them into a small open box together once a day to keep their familiarity strong. They wouldn’t have to stay in the box for very long, 15 minutes is plenty. No need for stressors eiither at this point, just keep them from nipping by stroking them lots.

Quincy! — I did the same thing to Lint during bonding, made him out to be the bad guy… even though he was a sweet bun in reality.

Battie, you will have to post lots of pictures of your pair at some point to make it up to Quincy!

I would imagine rabbits are more receptive to the finer nuances of communication, like subtle scents and vibes from other rabbits, not just ears… My guess is Quincy understands her fine.. I might be wrong….