Are my bunnies bonded?

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This topic has 11sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 5 months ago by Deleted User.

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- 06/14/2017 at 8:41 AM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  Hi everyone!
  
  I got my little boys at 7.5 weeks old. They were for different litters, but the same breeder. They were all in the same hutch, so they knew each other already when we brought them home. My husband and I had been keeping them in the same large enclosure indoors, and they were getting along great. They were always grooming each other, following each other everywhere, and always laying down with each other. You could never separate them.
  
  Bombur has always been hormonally charged. Sometimes he would hump Asriel, and Asriel would just sit there and not really care, or sometimes he’d run away. A week ago, Bombur was doing the same humping routine, but Asriel flipped out and they started fighting. I put them in separate cages after that.
  
  Asriel seems happier with his new space, and Bombur seems depressed. They still lay up next to each other in their cages, and groom/nosey through the bars. We take turns letting them out because whenever they’re out together, Bombur starts humping Asriel, and we don’t want another incident to occur. Whatever bunny is out will go up to the other one’s cage and they start pawing at each other. It breaks my heart, I want to let them be together, but I know I can’t until they’re fixed. They are currently 11 weeks old.
  
  Are they still bonded?
- 06/14/2017 at 9:20 AM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  No, they never were bonded. Babies cannot bond because once hormones kick in, they behave instinctively which means sometimes fighting. Your bunnies have already fought. You need to make sure they are separated and cannot touch one another through bars,
- 06/14/2017 at 9:28 AM
  Mikey
  Participant
  3186 posts
  I too have a Bombur!
  
  As Sarah said, baby bunnies cannot bond. You can only bond adult buns, and really only after theyve both been fixed and drained their hormones (a month or two after neutering). Because they fought, thats also a huge sign they are not bonded. Pawing at the cage is not “give me my friend!” but rather “let me attack this intruder!”. Make sure neither can reach through the bars, even when you believe they are being cute, because chances are, theyre just trying to hurt one another
- 06/14/2017 at 2:58 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  They don’t paw aggressively at each other. They’re gentle paws while they’re sniffing at each other. Isn’t it a good sign that they still groom/nosey/lay together through the bars?
- 06/14/2017 at 7:33 PM
  Mikey
  Participant
  3186 posts
  Rabbits dont paw to play or “pet”. Rabbits claw or “paw” in order to box.
- 06/14/2017 at 8:49 PM
  vanessa
  Participant
  2212 posts
  It’s not good. They knew eachother as babies, then their hormones kicked in, now they are confused, and mostly want to box, but are still ok with lying next to eachother with a barrier in between. They aren’t bonded.
- 06/15/2017 at 3:04 AM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  Posted By Asriel and Bombur on 6/14/2017 2:58 PM
  
  They don’t paw aggressively at each other. They’re gentle paws while they’re sniffing at each other. Isn’t it a good sign that they still groom/nosey/lay together through the bars?
  
  They need to be unable to touch one another. If they can groom through the bars they can also hurt each other through the bars.
- 06/16/2017 at 12:29 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  My husband and I are going to move their cages apart tonight when home from work, but we were wondering how far apart. Should we put their cages in separate rooms? Or can they be in the same room, with a play pen they go into during their separate free roam times?
  We just want to make the process of bonding them in a few months go as smoothly as possible.
  I feel with any separation, Asriel will get better (as he did when we went to separate cages) and Bombur will get sad, again.
  What would be best?
- 06/16/2017 at 12:42 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Usually during “pre-bonding”, you would place the cages 4-6 inches apart, so they can see and smell each other, but not touch.
  
  But, if buns have a serious fight (where one is injured), sometime it’s better to separate them completely (in separate rooms if possible) for a while to let them forget each other, and start over.
  
  It doesn’t sound like either was injured, correct? So I would prob opt for the 4-6 inches method, but observe if one seems agitated by the other rabbit’s presence. If so, move them further apart.
  
  Same thing with play time. Make sure they cannot touch each other through the fence during play time. If that is not possible with your set up, you’ll have to exercise them separately. I have used an x-pen folded back on itself to divide my apartment in two, so that there is a buffer zone in the middle.
  
  . . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 06/16/2017 at 1:04 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  That’s a good idea to divide our living room in half and let each bunny get half. Bombur absolutely detests having a cage. It’s a struggle getting him to go back in ever, so we want to transition him to free roam at some point. Asriel, seems to enjoy the cage for the most part, almost like it’s his private room (he’s a very smart bunny and more reserved). Asriel just likes to be out for an hour, and then he’s content to go back to his cage till the next night. So I might divide the room in half. Thanks for the tip!
- 06/16/2017 at 1:27 PM
  sarahthegemini
  Participant
  5584 posts
  My buns are free roam and so when they were separated I had to partition the living room so they had one side each. I swapped them every week (but swapped their toys/litter/bowls daily)
- 06/16/2017 at 10:05 PM
  Deleted User
  Participant
  22064 posts
  So tonight we separated the cages about 3 inches apart. They were both immediately displeased. Scratching at the spot where the cages used to lay side by side. They still follow each other through the cages when the other one is out. And they even lay against the bars together with inches apart.
  Could this theoretically lead to a positive bond experience in 3 months after neuter?
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