I wouldn’t clean the cages before swapping because you’ll be removing the scent. What sort of cleaning do the cages require? You could swap them say, in the morning and then if you need to clean, do it in the evening. Then swap them the next morning etc. 

I’d do this for a month at least. Occasionally people need to pre bond for longer but as yours are so lovey with each other already , a month is probably all that’s needed.

Posted By Emma on 4/03/2018 4:51 AM

I think a month is going to be a looong time to wait.

I have started pre bonding, but really its not doing much other then depress Finn. Finn is trying to groom her through her pen bars, and he goes to where ever she is. If she’s in her create he sits next to her there — if she’s in her pen he just sits next to her there. When they are both in their accommodations away from one another Finn looks depressed. I can’t move the cages together due to space.

Myrtle dosen’t seem to fussed by him. She’s not overly interested in his scent. When I put her in his cage before I cleaned it she was more nervous that she was in a new surrounding. So i put some of Finns used litter in her litter box and she wasn’t interested. It was if I hadn’t done anything. She sniffs him nose to nose and then carries on her merry way.

So would it be wise to move the bonding process forward? As i don’t think the pre bonding is going to accomplish anything more. I think I have already done the pre bonding with them being in the same room and being able to see and smell one another through the buffer, as well as smelling one another on me.

Aw, Finn  I suppose as Finn is always trying to groom Myrtle, it shows that chances are he’s not going to try and be dominant. In which case, you should have an easy bond so maybe you don’t need to pre bond for as long. Of course if they start getting a bit nasty with each other, you can halt and pre bond a little longer but that’s unlikely I think 

When I was pre bonding, neither of mine were fussed by the other’s scent. I swapped them between living spaces every 3 to 4 days as Peanut got stressed being moved daily. So on the days I didn’t switch them, I did what Eddyw111 suggested – putting a bit of each other’s poop and pee-ed litter in the others and they literally didn’t care at all lol. They even did a great escape so they could be together  (2 weeks after Peanut’s neuter so thank goodness Buttercup was already spayed!)