I don’t see any harm in doing some more prebonding, esp since you’re a bit unsure as to if their ready. In my experience they are ready to start sessions when they don’t react a lot to each other, or react positively (such as laying near each other). They usually are frustrated at first and then they start to accept things. They also usually start to mirror behaviors after a while (so they will eat at the same time, groom, etc.).

As far as knowing when to intervene in sessions, don’t worry about intervening too much in the each sessions. I think it’s most important to prevent fights early on, even if you might be intervening a little too often. I like to pet a lot during bonding sessions, so when they come towards each other or go nose to nose, I will pet them both a lot and swap scents. This makes them think the other bun is grooming them and helps keep everyone calm. As you get more confident and know a bit more about how they are towards each other, you can ease off the petting and let them interact a little more freely.

It’s very normal to be stressed in bonding! And yes I think that’s a good plan, you definitely want to make sure both buns are healthy before starting the process.

It can be especially hard not to be protective or play favorites. I find it helps to try to be as impartial as possible, and try not to project who you think should be dominant or submissive, or get mad if one bun nips etc. Try to think of yourself as a peaceful life guard. They are going to do most of the communicating with each other (in ways we don’t always pick up on), you are just there to make sure no one gets hurt.

A glass of wine before bonding sessions also doesn’t hurt. LOL

A quick cheat sheet of what to allow and what not to allow:

things that are OK (assuming they don’t tend to escalate):

• mounting (if they mount the face, just spin the bun around so they are oriented correctly, to avoid bites to the genitals!)
• nipping
• lunging
• grunting, thumping
• short chases of 1-3 seconds, provided you have a large enough space for them to move around in. if you are in a small space, don’t allow chasing.

things to stop right away:

• boxing
• hard biting
• circling
• face mounting (spin the bun around, as I mentioned above)
• chasing for more than a couple seconds
• Fighting: bunny tornados, kicking, fur flying, etc.

Gray area:

• fur pulling: bonders vary in how much fur pulling they allow. it depends a lot on the comfort of the bonder and the buns in question. I don’t tend to allow much in early stages when there is risk of it escalating to a fight quickly. but once things are calmer you might see one bun just yank a tuft of fur and then that’s all that happens.

You’re very welcome! Keep us posted once you start sessions!