Honestly, I think that’s the best idea, that and doing all the litter box and food dish switching. You could do the stuffed animals and switch those up too, my buns don’t like them though xD When you’re going to actually bond them, do you intend to do stress bonding in a car?

I hadn’t planned on doing stress bonding in the car. I’m honestly just dead afraid of what I would do if they started fighting in a car!!

I have been switching out a stuffed animal. Before I put up the baby gates, she got in the room and they got in a fight. No one was injured besides some fur being pulled out, and it started under the bed so it was about 10 seconds before one of them ran out, my husband threw a laundry bin over him and I threw a blanket over her to stop the chasing. For about a week after the fight, she would lunge and grunt at me if I smelled like him at all. I had to wash my arms off before she would let me touch her. She was very mad at the stuffy, constantly lunging at it so I just took it away for a week to allow her to “reset”. I gave it back a week later and she is fine now. No more lunging or grunting at it.

Honestly, I planned on going really slow with their bonding and I’m not sure if that’s a good idea or a bad idea. I have had him for almost a month, and he is super super sweet. Within the first week we were cuddling on the floor and he just loves to lick our noses. I’m afraid that she’s more aggressive than him and I just honestly do not a fight to break out on my watch. She doesn’t react well to change. I was going to do pre bonding for a solid month before a face to face. So I would just let them see each other through the bars and switch out trays and such for a month. Unless I find that they are laying against the barrier together and obviously want to meet, I had planned on a month of seeing through the gate.

I would say the gap is about 1 1/2 inch. I have these gates up now and she hasn’t tried to squeeze through, but she also hasn’t been able to see him. They aren’t “bars”, this gate has “diamond” shape, grid-like appearance. Wow do you think she could get through it? I was going to first only try it out on the weekends when I was home all day. I have bad anxiety and I am super paranoid that somehow they would get to one another, so I was going to have that set up for at least two weekends while I was home to see if they try any funny business. Honestly though, I don’t really trust her enough to be alone because she’s very curious, so I would only allow this when I am home. So, basically I’d let them see each other from 5pm-9pm every day, and all day on weekends, otherwise keep the gates up and door closed when I am not home.

https://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Position-Lock-Wood-Gate/dp/B00GUN3Z1W/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1501528715&sr=8-3&keywords=baby+gate

I just don’t trust Ophelia enough to section off rooms lol. She is quite the jumper! And if she is curious about something- she will find a way to get to it! So whenever we are ready I’m going to start with the weekends and see how that goes, and if it’s fine I’ll allow a few hours after work too. The only issue I have about switching them is that he eats everything lol and she isn’t a chewer at all. I suppose I could just put her in my room and section off the dining room and kitchen for him like I did for her when she first came home. He’s so tiny I don’t think he can jump the gate.

Is there any point to doing any “pre bonding” before his neuter? I already switch out their stuffed bears, and they each have a blanket of their own. When I go to clean his litter box I set it down for a few minutes and she goes over and chins it then will jump in and eat his leftovers lol. I’ve read that male urine scent changes after a neuter, is that true? As far as letting them see each other, I see that some have said it’s not necessary but I’m just really afraid that if she doesn’t see him before hand she will get spooked and fight him on first encounter. She is very sweet with us, but she is intense lol she’s definitely got herself a wild side. When should I start with the letting them see each other? After the neuter or wait a month for him recover before starting even that?

When I brought them home, neither one liked the car. They wouldn’t eat or move in the carrier- just sat completely still facing the back of it lol so maybe stress bonding in the car would be a good first meeting. I have an SUV with a huge trunk so maybe just sit with them in the back or is it better to have them up on the seat?

Posted By Q8bunny on 7/31/2017 11:14 PM

Honestly, your plan sounds spot on considering the variables you’re working with. As for pre and actual bonding, go as slow as you feel comfortable. Buns pick up on our tension which can affect their stance toward other buns. If your husbun joins you in tne car with the buns, you could totally do stress bonding at some point in the future, since it’s less likely they’ll fight in such a scary environment, and even if they get antsy, you’ll be there to intervene. Another good option is on top of the washer/dryer, or even water in the tub with a towel desert island, but that’s more extreme.

 Towel desert island  You are so imaginative Q8!! I planned on starting in the tub, since she isn’t allowed in the bathroom and has never been in the tub. I’ve also been told that slippery surfaces can help with them wanting to fight because they may fell less secure if they are slipping and sliding all over. I may start with a car ride and then switch to tub. I can’t try the washer method because I don’t have a washer unit in my apartment, there’s an on site laundry mat… I would probably turn some heads if dealing with some fighting bunnies in the wash room

Sorry, I wasn’t very clear on my plan! I would be sitting in the trunk with them in a laundry bin, not just sitting in the trunk and letting them around. I know it’s important to start with smaller spaces so they don’t just observe from a distance.

I don’t want to have to confine their space, that would make me so sad. I have been working with him on the chewing and it is getting better, when I am home on the weekends all day I don’t find him chewing. I have been rubbing lime slices on the baseboards all around the room and I think that has been deterring him. He hasn’t chewed any of my bedroom furniture (thank God, it’s all brand new!) but I am not sure if that’s just because of how it’s treated or what. I gave him an old college test prep book that he is enjoying ripping to shreds. I also bought him several wood chews and straw toys. And the carpet in my room doesn’t get nearly as much traffic as other areas of the apartment, so it’s fluffy and not “matted down”. He finds the fluffy spots and will start to rip it up, but he doesn’t seem to take out much before he stops and he’s leaving the pieces he pulls out. Really the only thing that he can chew outside of my bedroom is the baseboards and the desk. We are going to continue working on the chewing!!

It’s a little hard for me to tell if he’s really not chewing though. I have insomnia and I am a very, very light sleeper, so if he did so much as jump into his litter pan it would wake me up. At night is when he was chewing the most, and it woke me up CONSTANTLY. but my medication was just switched and I am on ambien now for sleep, so I am actually sleeping throughout the night and not waking up. It doesn’t LOOK like he has chewed the boards any more, but it’s really hard to tell if he’s just not chewing or if I am not hearing him on this medication.

I couldn’t get the first picture to rotate no matter how I tried to save it… so sorry about your cervical spine XD

I set this up just so I could show you what I meant. I have time and if it is better to get a second cage and put them bear each other that can be done. This is what I came up with so that he has access to the whole bedroom still and she has the rest of the apartment. The cage door will stay open for him so he can go away if he pleases.

His cage is against a wall on the other side of the door (R) so he cant get between the gate and the cage bars. It’s about 4-5 inches from the gate. They can’t reach each other, as the cage bottom is 6 inches high all around.

I would start using this set up only when I am home as a way to let them get accustomed to seeing and smelling each other. and offer food at the barrier as I’ve done here.

….what do you think? Can this work?

The top wires on the cage fold open, and they are detachable so I can take them off completely then there won’t be anything to jump on top of! And yes, I could get some hardware cloth and use the staple gun to put it on both sides of the gate. Good idea! It is plastic so I know only a matter of time before someone decides to chew!

LOL Q8 my sister said it looks like prison visitation XD