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.

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

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….

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!

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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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!

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