Update: I did another short session yesterday (5 min) and a long one today (45 min). The second date yesterday I didn’t let them touch much. My goal was just to have another introduction because they seem confused by the other buns presence — which is so funny to me considering they’ve been living next to each other and have used the other’s litter. weirdos!

Today was accidentally 45 minutes with mostly neutral (one nip, mounting, and a small chase) and positive behaviors (self-grooming, loafing, eating, hoppin around the space and playing) but they did get into a minor tussle or two. They both want to be head honcho.

Tina constantly shoves her head under Wolfie to be groomed. Wolfie just looks at her head for a bit almost debating if he should give in, but mostly turns and hops away. He did mount her/attempt to mount her a few times. He has a tendency to mount her head when she’s trying to get groomed, which is fun for me! He did give in at one point and groomed her but it was pretty hard so I stupidly I broke it up (I really wish I didn’t). At another point they went after each other a bit and I was going to end the date but decided to keep going. They calmed down for the most part and just shared the space.  I was able to get them in a position to perform some “bunny magic.” They both were purring and happy and I called it once they were done getting pet.

I’m not sure anyone is reading these, but if someone is:

1) how long should I wait between dates?

2) what should I have in my bonding space? I don’t want them to be bored but also don’t want them to be territorial.

3) how do you not intervene?! I’m too reactive and I need to stop so they can work it out.

Great thank you! It’s so tough not to get involved or project our own opinions. I intervene a lot but sometimes think my movement sets them off when they’re both in a tense face-to-face. it’s a learning experience for the three of us but we’re doing the best we can!

Thank you also for answering my questions! theres a plethora of bonding info out there, but it all reiterates x minute sessions in a neutral territory and look out for these behaviors before moving to the next step. But nothing I’ve found recommends how often dates should be, the cool off time between them, or basic things like how to set up the neutral territory! I didn’t end up doing a second date because 45 minutes seemed on the long end for us and I didn’t want to push them over the edge. In the scheme of things it’s probs a short session but better safe than sorry! I’m sure I’ll have more questions as time goes on 😅

I honestly didn’t know there was a blog, so thank you! I will look into that 🙂

Ok my friends, I have another question for you!

as background, Wolfie and Tina are doing well overall. For two days in a row we were together for 2 hr dates with no mounting or nips, though I’m still pretty involved. They’re displaying neutral and positive behavior: they eat together, will self groom, play and explore. Yesterday they started mirroring each other more, in that they both sprawled out, groomed and age at the same time. Tina even flopped and did a few binkies. All very cute, National Geographic moments.

now to my question! Despite the fact they are clearly starting to trust each other and speak  the same language, they do something that terrifies me and I’m not sure how to handle it. They will go over to each other and push their noses/mouths together, I imagine it’s an attempt to establish dominance and get the other to groom them. It’s not immediately aggressive, but they have tense bodies and are pushing into each other a bit. A few times Wolfie tilted his head (like he was going in for a kiss) and it looked like he was nipping/going to nip tinas face though she didn’t react. So what I’ve been doing when they approach each other is petting them both so they both feel groomed and I can control their heads should I need to (which they sometimes get frustrated with). Sometimes if they’re moving towards each other I’ll move to get in a better position. When they see me moving they will either stop what they’re doing, or will touch noses and hop away.  I’m not sure if I’m handling this properly by getting involved, or if intervening prevents them from sorting things out?  I see so many videos of people letting their rabbits duke it out to some extent, but that seems scary here since they’re literally pressing their faces. I don’t want them to get hurt or develop animosity towards on another, but also don’t want to cause bonding issues. What’s the right thing to do?

Never mind! I sat back (well hovered) and tried to let them sort it out. And guess what? Wolfie fricken groomed her! It was a hard groom at first but then was soft. So happy! Issue now is that she keeps torpedoing him for grooms. He will alternate between hard grooms where she occasionally flinches and soft grooms. also does this thing where he’ll hard groom bear her eye which is also terrifying. But the grooming was progress!

That’s good to know! We moved to a new neutral area so it would be comfortable spending hours there. I can let them interact largely on their own and trust that it’ll be ok 99%  of the time. So they’re feeling very close to being bonded, but we’re not there yet. the other 1% of the time is little miss needy getting upset when he stops grooming her, chasing after him and either forcing her head under him or nipping his tush. Usually if I intervene if stops and all is right in the world. We’re going on hour 4. I’m not sure I when I  should call it quits.

update: this weekend we did 5 hrs on Saturday and 6 hrs on Sunday in a new space (usually ended around 7pm both days). Pretty much everything still the same: sharing food, water, litter box, and toys, as well as binkying, sleeping, and sprawling out. Wolfie will groom her without issue but Little miss is still a brat and gets upset when he stops grooming. She will run after him and nip his tush or run and jump in front of him so she can shove her head under him. I’m *hoping* this will calm down once she gets more secure in the relationship.

question to DanaNM or whoever wants to respond. How do I proceed? This week can’t use the space I was using this weekend. Would it be a mistake to try letting them out in the room they share? Or should I go to another neutral room?  it’s probs not time to move to a pen together yet because of the small dominance issue.

im sorry for all the questions! Despite all the bonding info out there, the process is still so foreign.

Current update in case people read this bonding saga in the future:

The bunnies are doing really well. The past few days I’ve had some AC issues where I couldn’t use neutral area as much, but we made due. Still some chases from Little miss (I think I’ve almost decided on a forever name) when wolfie stops grooming. She tries to groom him sometimes but he’s not a fan. Im also pretty sure he groomed her eyelashes off 😅

This weekend I’m hoping to start overnight bonding. They share things well, so do I only have one litter and water or do I still put In two? Do I break of chases still or at this point to I have to let them sort it out? Ive found chases occur from grooming disputed or when he overreacts when she’s doing something like binkying or zooming near him. Anyway, any tips and tricks or general advice for an overnight would be  greatly appreciated!

That’s really great advice! I’m always in the area with them so I’m glad you mentioned to stay out of the pen. It’s funny you mentioned the water bowl because little mama just knocked it over for the millionth time. I will probably start tonight or tomorrow once I get everything set up. I’m going to do it where there’s a microwave and mini fridge, so I should be all set With snacks and drinks. I’m a bit nervous for this but I think they’re ready. I’ll keep updating! Thanks again DanaNM (I’m not sure if Dana is your name or your buns!)

Bun Jovi never fails to make me chuckle! We’re set to have our first overnight tonight. We’ve been together all day without issue. Of course my energizer bunny was recharged and ready to go around 8 and has been binkying up a storm, which kind of freaks Wolfie out. hopefully we get through the witching hour soon and every bun settles down. Fingers crossed I actually get some sleep tonight!

Ah thank you! We survived our first night! I did wake up a few times to the pitter patter of bunny feet. I’m not sure if they were chases or zooms (cant see much without contacts) but I tried to shut it down just in case.

I’m delighted to report that this morning Wolfie jumped right into the litter box with little missy. She’s tried to jump in with him before, but he always would jump out like “woah we just met…what are you doing!” After one night together he was comfortable enough to go in with her, which is huge!

so question: do we do this for another 24 hours? I always see 48 hours quoted, I think as a marker of bonding.  So if they don’t fight in the next 24 hrs then that indicates we can move to a semi-neutral territory? Or I guess more generally, what is the process moving forward.

thanks so much everyone! Feeling very relieved and grateful to have this amazing community!

Another 24 hrs in the books! Their relationship seems much stronger and there hasn’t been any chasing from Pixie, which was really our only issue before. They share the space well, respect with the other doesn’t want to groom/be groomed, and seek each other when there’s a scary noise.  Yesterday I moved with them to the kitchen (was feeling trapped in the basement) until 10pm, and then we moved into another room to sleep (also moved back to the kitchen this morning). Despite the movement from room to room, the buns really haven’t had any issues. Pixie was thrilled to be in a new space and zoomed a lot last night. at one point Wolfie had enough and jumped on the high bed where I was sleeping, which was shocking considering his fluffiness! I ended up sleeping on the hard floor and blocked the bed because last thing we need is for somebun to fall and get hurt.

the only issue — which isn’t really an issue — is that one of them (*cough* Wolfie *cough*) is peeing outside the litter. Honestly he did this before bonding so that’s par for the course.

This is the same question as I asked in the last post, but what’s the next step after 48 hrs marathon bonding? Do I move them in together in a semi-neutral territory yet or do I hold off? I imagine I can’t move them into wolfie’s room yet, but I can move them to their bonding room.

Thank you, Dana! In an hour it will be 48 hrs! They sleep together and cuddle and there hasn’t been any aggression or chasing. I feel they just needed that 24 hr exposure to firm up relationship, instead of separating them at night (but obviously necessary during the bonding process).

So here’s another pickle I’m in. I’ve been bonding at my family home and will have to travel with them this week on Wednesday. I’m not sure if I should move them in together prior to travel, or if I should hold off? I plan on having them in a carrier together during the move to help solidify any remaining issues (which I don’t see evidence of). I’m not sure if I should get 3 days of xpen sharing under my belt or if I should just continue in neutral space? It’s an odd situation but unfortunately unavoidable.

Alright I followed my gut and moved forward so I can really solidify the bond before moving. After nearly 2 hours of cleaning I moved them into a shared xpen in semi-neutral space. They seem fine together and are cuddling as I write this, though they both tried to find some way to escape. The real test will be when the zoomies hit.

Hopefully all goes well! Neighbors are having a party so we have some music to vibe to. Nothing says happy 4th of July like bonding bunnies 😂

Thank you both so much for being so helpful and responsive! They’ve been together for four hours so far and no issues. Wolfie just flopped over and is getting groomed. In this stage do I have to keep them largely confined, or can I let them run around?
thanks again!

Thanks again, Dana! im happy to report that they’re doing really well! They shared the pen last night without issues. Though we may have to re-establish our litter box habits. I have them out with me because they are both the types of bun that will freak out if contained. Better for their relationship to have to have they be happy and calm. The only thing I underestimated was how difficult it would be to wrangle two bunnies back into their pen!

They feel pretty solid to me and the bond seems to only grow stronger. I always thought that Wolfie would prefer being a solo bun because he was spoiled and i thought he would be territorial, but boy was I wrong. Watching these two cuddle is truly the cutest thing ever!

im moving with them on Wednesday and am praying the bond doesn’t break. They’ll be in a shared carrier during the car ride so *hopefully* it’ll be fine.

Just another update! We’ve been pen sharing since Sunday — so almost a full 4 days with no issues apart from the weird under the bed confusion we had (which I posted about in a different thread). Long story short, Wolfie didn’t recognize Pixie when she was under the bed and was utterly freaked out. Bed is more securely blocked now so we don’t have to deal with that until they’ve spent more time bonded.  but they are always following each other around, cuddling, and mirroring each other’s behavior. Truly the cutest thing to witness. the impending storm permitted us to continue bonding instead of moving, but we’ll still be moving in a few days.

Question: what is everyone’s litter box situation? In addition to an XL litter box, I have a large cardboard box with fabric I thought would a cozy place for them in their pen (didn’t want to risk a hidey house yet). however, they seem to have turned the “bed” into a second litter. Should I have two litters? Or would a large bin across the length of the pen be better (like 101 rabbits)?

Thank you both! I’m very lucky that the bonding has been fairly smooth and quick. They use the same litter but they are also…buttheads, for lack of a better word! If I take it away they will likely protest by peeing on the rug, so I may change up my litter and start fresh after we move. Hopefully one litter will suffice so we can maximize their room for activities!  Thanks again to you both for being so supportive and helpful!

Hi guys! Ok so we might be having trouble in paradise (sorry for the length). This morning I woke up and everything was fine. Typically pixie gets hangry and a bit agitated in the morning, possible because of her previous neglect. I typically scatter a few pellets to keep her calm while I go get them breakfast. well I went to the bathroom before giving them their pellets, and came back to what looked like a chase but may have been a tussle? it wasn’t until I got in the pen with them that I noticed the water and fur everywhere. the fur was largely wolfie’s butt fur tufts that he was blowing from his undercoat (lionhead life), which honestly doesn’t take much effort to pull them with my fingers. But my poor, chubby boy seemed out of breath/scared. I sat with them for a bit and calmed him down. Pixie even came back over and cuddled with him. No apparent injuries and they ate their scattered pellets. They seemed be back to normal behavior and I was able to run out to get them food and eat myself (while watching on the pet cam).

a few things to note:

– I changed their cage setup yesterday. Took the second “litter” away and added a hidey house. They share the litter no problem, so I just removed the hidey house in case that’s the issue.
– she does like to chase his butt for some reason, though it definitely occurs more at certain hours. Never escalated into anything beyond that, it’s mostly her wanting to get groomed and him wanting a break because she’s a bit clingy. That said, he also did have a poppy butt because of dreadlocks under his tail/by his butt. While I cut those out the other day (again, lionhead life), I wonder if she’s smelling that and trying to “help?”

Should I do something different or is this just a normal part of the process? I remember seeing somewhere that even bonded buns fight, just like married humans may argue. They’re literally cuddling together right now, so there’s no animosity. Such a confusing and concerning experience this morning!

Ah oh thank you! this happened a few days ago, so I went with my gut and took out the hidey house and put in a second litter. We moved yesterday, which involved a 2 hr ride in shared carrier. They’re currently staying in a neutral area, but I will have to move them to Wolfies territory in a day or so. The two litters seems to help, as does staying on top of food. So far no other fighting whatsoever. Honestly, that’s why the situation was so weird. They were completely fine for a week and then I came in to fur everywhere. I guess they’re trying to keep me on my toes!

We moved into Wolfie’s room last night in the new house where we’ll be for a month or so. Everyone seems so much happier in this room which is great! My bed is also right next to their pen, so at 6am when I heard what sounded like chasing, I was able to roll over and see what was going on. Basically two things I saw: 1) Pixie following after wolfie demanding morning grooms; 2) confusion surrounding each other’s zoomies 😂. It was actually really good to see because I thought the morning ruckus was all Pixie. I was worried poor  Wolfie was being terrorized by her (still debatable haha!). he always used to do morning laps around the pen, and this morning I saw him do just that! But if Wolfie zooms, Pixie runs after (not sure if it’s play) and that causes Wolfie react and get out of her way. When Pixie zooms, Wolfie also reacts and jumps out of the way. Basically, watching them this morning it seems they’re having communication issues — largely because he’s an anxious bun — and the “chasing” isn’t Pixie being overtly aggressive. It’s also interesting because they understand the schedule. They know that I leave them while they’re eating so I can go eat breakfast. I watch them on the camera the whole time and can see they lay down and wait for me to come back. No chasing or fighting. I’m wondering if in the morning it’s better to let them out or keep them penned up? I’m not sure if having more space would increase chasing or decrease it?

The buns have been doing well and do so much better when not penned up. The biggest challenge for us is currently the morning when everyone is going nuts and hungry. They understand the routine, snd once theyre fed they settle down waiting for my return. Im at a point where I can leave them out all day together and watch them on a camera when I’m not with them.I even went to dinner for the first time and came back to find them sitting together. It seems they mostly chilling in separate spaces since he likes to lounge on the bed and pixie likes to go under the bed. Is it normal to have them not hang out together? I’m not sure if it’s because they’re out of the “honeymoon” stage of their relationship or if it has to do with the fact that Pixie can still be a bit of a bully.  the little monster literally took a singular piece of hay from Wolfie’s mouth when I was refilling their hay. I feed them on a schedule and have taken to scattering their greens so they’re not competing for the same piece of lettuce. Dana, I know you’ve dealt with food related butt chasing, do you have any other recommendations? I’m fairly confident they won’t fight and I feel comfortable leaving them (since I have a camera) but the relationship isn’t rainbows, cuddling, and grooming bliss. I think he’s comfortable with more a platonic relationship and she’s like CUDDLES! We are still fresh in our bonding so hopefully it solidifies and we all settle down!

The bunnies got into another tussle this morning with fur getting pulled, mostly fur from Wolfie. It was similar to the tussle a few weeks ago in that there were no injuries and no animosity between them. In fact, pixie almost seemed apologetic afterward. It’s so confusing because they spend so much time together and they haven’t had any fighting at all. They’re virtually free roam  (except for when I’m asleep) and I often find them cuddling under the bed. The only consistent thing is that pixie gets bit crazy when she wants food or wants to be groomed, particularly in the morning at like 630. In the 3-4 weeks of sharing a pen they’ve gotten into two fur pulling tussles —apart from those two instances, they seem bonded. But I imagine these fights wouldn’t have happened if they were completely bonded, right? They do SO much better when they’re not penned up, so I’d rather not go back to confining them. so how do I get over that final hump? Is it just a time thing or is there something I’m doing incorrectly?

Great thank you, Dana. Your help has been invaluable throughout this entire process! yesterday and today I started clapping loudly and saying “no” to discourage any issues when I head them start running around. It tends to get her to snap out of whatever crazy is going through her head. This morning I let them out at 530 when they woke up (love the new schedule they decided to follow) and went back to sleep, which worked really well for them. Pixie is very needy and follows him everywhere, so they do end up cuddling and/or sleep by each other. The issue largely stems from the pen, which makes me wonders if she’s mildly territorial over the litter boxes/hay? I know she’s food crazy so it’s possible that’s part of the issue. I’m hoping with time she’ll feel more secure in her home, food, and relationship. For now, I’m going to try to let them out in the morning when they’re most active and see if that helps.