Officially starting to bond~Journal

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 16sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 5 months ago by hiskatey93.

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- 09/06/2015 at 7:20 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  Our Official Bonding Journal
  
  Here we will try to have our human keep a daily journal of our bonding. Try being the keyword. Our humans sometimes think they can put things before us. Like work. Silly humans.
  
  So to make note of this ~ WE HAD NO INTENTION TO START BONDING THIS SOON AFTER SPECKLES SPAY ~
  
  ~ Day 1 ~
  
  The vet saw her yesterday and approved that she had healed enough to leave her small temporary cage to go and be back in her condo cage we made her. Which during her healing time, when Chom was not glued beside her small healing cage, he was napping within her condo.
  
  So she was in her condo, when I heard rattling, and turned and Chom had yanked the door open, ripping the clips holding the door off. Terribly sneaky man! I went to go and grab him to separate them, BUT Speckles stopped me in my tracks. Chom laid down, and she flopped beside him! I think they were trying to tell us something!
  
  So we humans discussed what to do, and decided that they would be started bonding. I have yet to break them up actually, and it has been easily 5 hours since he broke into her cage, with no problems really. There were two attempts at him mounting her face, but she wriggled away and he stopped trying. There has been a TON of snuggles, and lots of Speckles flopping beside him. There were about 3 moments where I got confused. Speckles started to groom him, and Chom got up, thumped, and moved to a different part of the cage. Speckles followed him, and laid down beside him, stuck her head underneath his chin, and they laid there like that for ages. Wondering whats up with that?
  
  They have mainly snuggled, but I have noticed they will lay at different parts of the cage and just relax. Speckles was fully stretched out, but Chom was not. Although since moving back home he has yet to fully stretch out. ((I think he has some problems with my slippery floor, and getting back up from that position is hard on him with no traction.))
  
  So anyway I did take a few pictures of them. Sorry for the bad resolution. Horrible camera on my phone, and also I was half in the cage, propped up on one arm while attempting to take these. I really would appreciate any advice with bonding them, and tell me if I’m doing things wrong!
  
  I know most people say to keep the bonding sessions short in the beginning but these two have just been so snuggly, and look so comfy that I would feel horrible for breaking it up. Oh and to note, the entire time he has been in the cage, the door has been wide open, so they could leave at any time. Neither has even paid attention to it. Both ignored the rustling of the treat bag, something they normally would come running for.
- 09/06/2015 at 8:47 PM
  Dalielah
  Participant
  48 posts
  Coolness. I would see how they do for feeding time together. You may a rare love and first sight.
- 09/06/2015 at 11:08 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  Well They ate together. Speckles downed her portion partially, and then wen to nibble on Chom’s. He didn’t mind. They are both grazers normally.
- 09/07/2015 at 3:44 AM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17027 posts
  It sounds so great! And it looks great too. Bunny love!
- 09/07/2015 at 8:03 AM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  ~ Day 2 ~
  
  So I’m aware it’s early. I made a booboo last night. They were playing in my bedroom and I fell asleep.
  
  Woke up this morning freaking out, checked them over. They were snuggled together, and after checking over their bodies, no damage whatsoever. No bites, no missing fur, and no aggression.
  
  I think I got lucky! So for now I’m not going to separate them, but for the rest of the day I’ll be keeping a hawks eye on them! I’ll be updating this post later today.
- 09/07/2015 at 5:28 PM
  Dalielah
  Participant
  48 posts
  Wow. So cool!
- 09/07/2015 at 11:18 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  ~ DAY 2 ~
  
  UPDATE
  
  We did great today. LOTS of snuggles, and even a trip to our local park! ((It is pet friendly, no treatments on the grass and plants, and we scoped out and made sure there were no other pets around. Plus having 4 humans for security made it way safer for them.)) They were inseparable. And grooming from both of them! Chom decided Speckles needed to have her ears cleaned. Productive day, and we have not separated them at all today. Just tons of love. I think I got lucky with two babies that get along perfectly.
  
  I know many people dislike harnesses and taking them outside, but as a once in a while treat we do. Anyway here is bunches of pictures of today’s adventures! I’ll include a link to my photobucket, because my pics are HUGE, and I took TONs with a friends phone.
  
  http://s288.photobucket.com/user/Ve…amp;page=1
- 09/10/2015 at 10:57 AM
  vanessa
  Participant
  2212 posts
  That is fantastic. It sounds like they fell in love before you started bonding them. I remember earlier you wrote that they had some interactions, and a couple of us wrote back and said that we thought it sounded good, and that the interactions would probably not hurt their future bonding. They may have fallen in love then already. I recall you saying that they chose to lie next to each other through the wire. I would not separate them if I were you. It sounds lovely. I think all of us would like our bonding attempts to be as smooth as yours 🙂
- 09/10/2015 at 11:06 AM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  I’m glad, although a bit sad. They have been inseparable the past few days. And it’s a great thing, but I’m sad because now they snuggle and are with each other, and just ignore us, when they once used to come to us for attention. Us humans are completely ignored. I offered Chom a banana piece the other day, and normally he will stalk and chase and tackle you for it, and he ignored me and the banana to snuggle with Speckles. =(
- 09/10/2015 at 11:20 AM
  vanessa
  Participant
  2212 posts
  Give them some time. My first 2 bonded pairs were also like that in the beginning. After a few months and the novelty wears off, although the bond keeps growing, they all came up to greet me when I would get home from work, or see them in the mornings, etc. My current pair are in that phase like yours – very snuggly, and somewhat ignoring me. It does feel sad from that perspective. And I look forward to a few months from now when I expect they will once again come up to me for greetings and food. I had the same experience last night with Lancelot. I offered him shredded carrots and cilantro. He would normally have ran circles around my feet, buzzed at me, and nudged me to get at it. Instead, he did act mildly interested and tried to stretch to get it, but he wouldn’t hop up to me, and when I didn’t bring it over to him, he started grooming Guin. So I put it where he could reach it, and he ate it. But she tried to get him to groom her instead. It’s as though they are jealous of each other’s attention – and don’t want me to get in the way of their budding relationship. That’s fine – they will relax with time and come up to greet me again.
- 09/10/2015 at 1:32 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  Yeah I’ve been a bit sad and jealous of them admittedly. I’m just so used to my Chommers hopping up his little stairs into bed with me at night, and snuggling in my arms before I fall asleep. Now I’m chopped liver lol. Speckles overall now seems to hate us humans entirely, but then again she still may be mad because of us having her spayed…
  
  I’ll just have to deal with it, and hope that soon enough my babies go back to being my babies.
- 09/11/2015 at 6:36 AM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  ~Day6~
  
  Well we has a scuffle today.A fw minutes ago, I heard a thump, unidentified,and then a small fight broke out,which ended with them being soaked by a water bottle.It ended, but Speckles,ever the grudge holder, lunged for Chom again, and she was sorely punished with the water bottle. I have no idea what this scuffle started over. No blood was drawn thankfully,and now they are abouts foot away from eachother, grooming themselves. Gonna be keeping a close eye on them today. Tensions were high because I did block off their access beneath my bed, a favoured spot by them both, so that could be it?
  
  Nope. Has to be Speckles hormones. All morning she kept switching between snuggling and grooming Chom,and then attacking him randomly. Probably from the recent spay,her hormones are going bonkers. So for today she will be in her cage, and Chom free roam. To avoid the fights, Chom kept jumping onto my bed to hide under the blankets with me and the boyfriend.
- 09/11/2015 at 10:21 AM
  vanessa
  Participant
  2212 posts
  Sounds like a good idea. A break won’t hurt them – it will help while her hormones calm down. A break helped my 2.
- 09/11/2015 at 12:05 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  It seems like a break is needed. She was going at him badly. She stopped every time the water bottle shot water at them, and so did he, but you could tell he didn’t wanna fight. Chom cuddled up to me, and just looked so sad afterwards. I don’t think he understands whats up with her.
  
  They would then go and snuggle, and she would groom him and try to snuggle, and he did at first, but after it kept happening over and over he soon refused her snuggles, and it set her off. No injuries, just some hurt feelings really. Poor Chommers is laying on the couch with me now, looking oh so sad. And she is giving me the evil eye from her cage.
- 09/11/2015 at 8:20 PM
  vanessa
  Participant
  2212 posts
  Bummer. My little male was completely relaxed on his first date, but on the 3rd & 4th date she attacked him. He was very wary after that. . And it is still taking some work to get him to trust her. The break helped. Bummer about that. I’d wait till she is completely over her spay hormones. And then go slow. Who knows what might be lingering in their tiny little rabbit brains.
- 09/11/2015 at 8:25 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  Yeah I wonder. I’ll go a bit slower, but the only reason I started so soon was because Chom broke into her cage for snuggles. And since I separated them, he hasn’t left a foot from her cage, and he is laying up against it. He misses her.
- 09/12/2015 at 2:45 PM
  hiskatey93
  Participant
  272 posts
  So we are taking a break for about a month for the two of them to bond. Chom broke into her cage again today, and attempted to hump her, and Speckles got a bit violent with him, not that I blame her. Now her cage reeks of musk, probably from her. We are going to wait for her hormones to die down a bit.
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