How do you tell if they're bonded?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 14sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 2 months ago by Stickerbunny.

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- 09/18/2011 at 5:36 PM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  There is no mutual grooming (Powder has never groomed anything) - but there is no fighting. They will eat together and they flop out sorta together (about a heads length between them). But where most buns would cuddle together and groom each other, they both go into their OWN rooms and groom themselves. Poop wars have ended though. So, erm, are they or aren’t they? Do they just not have a PDA type of relationship? lol How do I tell? They tolerate each other, but don’t seem to be madly in love don’t want to leave each other like I have read about. I can leave them both out about the house all day with no issues at all, except they tried to raid my bookshelf. They’ve had about three days of free-roam during the day together when I am home.
  
  Powder has given up the “I want to hump you, let me!” obsession, I think he just got exhausted chasing the little mini-rex since she’s so much faster.
  
  But, when is it OK to leave them over night together? She can’t be free-roam at night like he is because she still has chewing habits, but he could stay in her rooms once I know they’re bonded. I don’t think he’d mind if he got to be with her.
- 09/19/2011 at 8:27 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  I would move on to the over night step. My two were still a bit unsure of each other when I moved them in together – they were friends, but still seemed awkward together – eventually their relationship settled and they became more snuggly. Since they’re not fighting and are ok all day together, I think living together full time is your next logical step.
- 09/19/2011 at 11:01 AM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  Ok, thanks Wasn’t sure if I should wait for cuddliness to appear or not, but will give Powder something to do at night other than annoy mommy anyway (the lets see how loud I can be to make her get out of bed game is his favorite)
- 09/19/2011 at 11:04 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  Just wait until they team up in the wake-mommy-up game 😉
- 09/19/2011 at 11:14 AM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  Hehe her rooms are far enough away they can make all the noise they want, I won’t hear it – I will start their overnight sessions in a closer room though (Powders “room” is right by our bedroom) so I can hear if there are any problems. They can’t free roam as a bonded pair when I am not there to supervise until Stickers gets over her less-than-a-year chew obsession, she acts like a baby teething… lets nibble on that, no this, no that, oooh that looks tasty. Can’t leave her alone more than a minute or she’s destroying something. But she’s only 8 months, so kind of expected.
- 09/19/2011 at 11:45 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  After a month of living together mine had a scuffle at 5:30am – after that they had to sleep in our bedroom in a tiny cage (started with Hannah’s 3.5’x1.5′ cage that came with her and moved up to a 4’x2′). They were not pleased and made so much noise every night, especially in the early hours of the morning. But it kept her from chasing him and starting fights! I’m so glad to be past those nights.
- 09/19/2011 at 7:59 PM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  s882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/Milakala/ aww
- 09/20/2011 at 3:38 PM
  TriBun
  Participant
  314 posts
  Lol, Stickerbunny. I was gonna post that exact question today. I guess you beat me. Mine are actually IN the same cage. They’ve never fought, never humped, very little grooming. Rosy is constantly trying to get grooms from Kevin (the head-shoving-under-head thing). They’re just kind of like, “huh… alright.” They’re definitely not in love, but they don’t mind each other either.
  
  I’m pretty sure you’ll be OK with housing them together. At least try it.
- 09/20/2011 at 3:44 PM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  I let them stay together last night and there wasn’t any fighting – though Powder apparently didn’t understand the change because he didn’t use his litter box lol
- 09/20/2011 at 6:33 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  Yay! Sounds like you’re there. Thanks for the video. Beautiful Bunnies!
- 09/20/2011 at 7:14 PM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  Thanks, they are pretty cute I love watching them when they’re being calm.
  
  I do seem to be having an issue though – since I let him stay with her over night he has STOPPED using his litter box for droppings at all. He is still using it for urine, but now he’s using the floor for droppings and he’s never had any issues with his litter habits. It’s not marking either, it’s in one spot in his room and one spot in her room. o.O Guess i’ll be buying a couple more litter boxes and seeing if that helps
- 09/21/2011 at 5:30 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  It could be Stickers is retreating the the litterbox as her safe base and so he uses elsewhere. Creating a second spot since the other is occupied. Extra boxes does sound wise. Just keep an eye on a new box not becoming a trigger for some territorial spats. You’re probably past that stage now with them anyway.
  
  If they’re compatible overnight together, you can probably put them into the space you want to be their permanent habitat now. Keeping them enclosed in it more then the norm over the next week should help cement their bond.
- 09/21/2011 at 6:08 PM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  They each have two boxes, so four in total – Powder won’t use any of them for droppings since I let them stay over night. One is in the living room, I leave two in their sleep room, one is in his room. I think I am going to buy two more and use three in their sleep/when i’m out room and two in his room and see if that helps.
- 09/22/2011 at 6:47 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  Hannah had a lot of problems with peeing outside the litter box since she and Otto moved in together – I think she wanted to mark the new space all over again now that her bunny warren included two bunnies. Haha. It took her a couple of weeks, but she did settle down and stop doing that.
  
  What kind of surface is their pen on? I kept them on a wipe-able surface for this time so that no smells could become permanent and encourage the marking even more.
- 09/22/2011 at 7:33 AM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  He’s using it for urine, so clean up is pretty easy. They aren’t in a pen – if Powder gets locked into a cage or pen he has panic attacks. When I tried them in a pen together to see if her being there would calm him down, them being locked in a pen together caused him to panic and his panic resulted in him biting her in his fear. He is very, very cage-phobic and no amount of settling him into a cage or size of a cage helps. He is a rescue and was cage bound for a long time. So they share a bedroom, it’s on carpet (Stickers hates the tiled rooms). But since it’s just droppings I pick them up, put them in the box and spritz it down with vinegar. It is all in one little spot so really easy to clean, I tried moving the litter box but he just went where the litter box was supposed to be anyway lol brat I can get to the store for litter boxes Friday so see if that helps, nearest place that sells them is an hour away lol
  
  Edit: Boyfriend gets these HUGE pieces of cardboard from where he works for the buns,so I put one of those down in the area he is using to try to confuse him and maybe send him back to his litter box. He doesn’t like going potty on cardboard.
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