Ready to start bonding?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 12 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 11/26/2018 at 3:45 PM
  tannr
  Participant
  27 posts
  Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to include all information that seems relevant
  
  I have had Foucault for 3 years and Frances for about 3 months. Even though Fou was the first bunny, Frances is way more territorial and engages in more marking behaviors as well as aggression. Since Frances came home, the two have had side-by-side x pens in my living room, as well as sharing the living room as a play/exercise area. Frances is a bit of an escape artist, and she has gotten after Fou a few times, which mostly consists of her chasing him around the living room and then stopping when she sees me approach. The two of them do interact through the bars of their pens, usually if Fou is out he will approach her and she’ll lunge/grunt and then allow him to groom her, and if Frances is out she’ll just hop up and flop next to Fou’s pen. I tried to start bonding about a month or so ago, with the two of them and me in an x pen in a semi-neutral area (don’t have any true neutral spaces atm, working on clearing and cleaning my kitchen so that I can try in there instead) and they would chill next to each other for as long as I was petting both of them. If I stopped petting Fou, he would hop away, and if I stopped petting Frances she would lunge/grunt/nip at Fou. I had them next to each other, petting both of them, for I think up to an hour. I halted this because Frances started getting out of her x pen and attacked Fou again and I wanted to ensure that I could keep her in her pen and start from the beginning so there wouldn’t be bad blood between them.
  
  For the past two weeks I have been switching them between pens every day. Everything I have read about pre-bonding says that when they stop being bothered by being in the other rabbit’s space they are ready for bonding, and I have seen a decrease in poop outside the litterbox, but I am not sure if they are both really ready. Frances will still lunge and grunt at Fou if he hops up to her–is there anything I can do to decrease this behavior? Would more pre-bonding help with this, or should I try stress bonding?
  
  When I start bonding them again I think I’ll try in the kitchen because they don’t go in there regularly. I’ve seen conflicting information on how much space to give when starting to bond, would it be better to set up an xpen in the kitchen, or should I give them the whole room (approx. 13×6 ft)? To ensure that the kitchen is neutral do I just need to clean the floor with a vinegar solution or do I need to do something more?
  
  Any additional tips would be very, very welcome!
- 11/26/2018 at 8:20 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  Hi there,
  
  Ideally the grunting and lunging would stop, so a bit more pre-bonding is a good idea. What do you mean by them interacting through the bars of the pens? You should adjust the spacing of the cages so they can’t touch each other. If they nip each other through the bars that can hurt the progress. It sounds like you are aware of this, but do make extra certain they cannot access each other. Everytime they fight, it sets things back.
  
  I am actually more worried about the lack of neutral space. I would make sure to get that sorted out before starting again. The kitchen could work, but you would want to disguise it as much as possible. In my experience, even being with smelling range of home turf can create tension. I have always had better luck with larger spaces, but if adding a pen could help you disguise it (maybe add some blankets or tarp to the sides so they can’t see where they are?), then the pen might be good.
  
  Is there anywhere else you can try them? You could try starting with some stress sessions in the car (if you have a helper to drive while you supervise them), to get things off on the right foot. Or maybe a friend’s house? Or the pen set up in a garage?
  
  I think especially given how territorial Frances is being, you will want to use the most neutral area you can, and stressing might be a useful tool for you.
  
  The amount of space varies per pair, which is why you see conflicting info. There is a lot of trial and error that people go through with their individual pair. Some people have better luck with small spaces, but personally I’ve had better luck with large, and quite a few people on this forum have also had the best luck with large.
  
  . . . 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.
- 11/27/2018 at 2:55 PM
  tannr
  Participant
  27 posts
  Hi, thanks for your response!
  
  Their pens are about 4 inches apart, but they do have their play/exercise time in the living room where their pens are, so when one of them is out they will sometimes approach the other and interact through the pen. Usually this is flopping next to each other or grooming, sometimes Frances gets vocal or lunges, but no nipping or cage fighting has occurred so I haven’t felt like it is something that I need to remedy. Frances will also grunt and lunge when they are both in their pens sometimes so it’s not just when Fou approaches her pen up close.
  
  Would outside work as a neutral space, or would there be too much external stimulation? I have a few spare x pens so I could set up a fairly large space, definitely larger than my kitchen or bathroom and way more neutral, but I haven’t seen outside spaces recommended anywhere so I have been reluctant to consider that. The kitchen would be difficult to fully mask as it is only separated from the living room where they both play by a baby gate, so if smelling “home” can cause problems I think that could definitely come up.
  
  I do appreciate the help you given me so far, I have a lot to think about and will continue with the pre bonding until I have a better plan.
- 11/27/2018 at 5:15 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  You’re welcome!
  
  Outside has worked great for me, and I know of a few others who’ve had great sessions outside as well.
  
  I think a bit of external stimulation and a bit of stress is good actually, especially if one bun is territorial or aggressive.
  
  The main thing is just to make sure it’s in a safe area (watch for hawks… dogs, etc.), and that the pens are tall enough that no bun can jump out. Ideally you’d be in a yard with it’s own fence, just in case something crazy happens. For first sessions I like to have nothing in the pen at all, but when sessions start getting longer I like to have some hiding spots and obstacles (at least 2 hiding spots, each with at least 2 exits so no one gets cornered) to keep them from getting bored and let them take a break from each other if they need on.
  
  And of course it’s getting to be colder out in the Northern Hemisphere… so depending on where you are in the world outside might be too cold (I’m in S CA and it’s been lovely here though!).
  
  . . . 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.
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