How Much Prebonding to do?

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This topic has 1sd reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by DanaNM.

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- 07/31/2021 at 7:01 AM
  Sagicory
  Participant
  28 posts
  Hi everyone! My rabbits have been pre bonding about 4 days now (changing their toys and litter boxes daily, as well as occasionally switching which enclosure they live in) and I’m thinking about putting them in their carriers facing each other to get a better sniff soon. Is 4 days not long enough? They wouldn’t be able to touch each other. Thanks!
  
  Spay/Neuter
  Are your bunnies spayed/neutered? Yes
  If so, for how long (for each)? Around 5 months
  If not, why not? NA
  Are you aware of reproductive cancer risk in females? If not, please read about it here. NA
  
  Housing
  Please describe your bunnies’ current housing set-up (living together, as neighbors, etc.). They have identical enclosures side by side with about a foot in between. It is made of plastic panels.
  
  Bonding background
  Did you allow the bunnies to “settle-in”? Yes it’s been a few months
  How would you describe your bunnies reactions towards each other (answer for each bunny): shy, scared, curious, calm, aggressive, excited, affectionate, etc.? Curious, excited, and then aggressive (in the past where one broke into the other enclosure)
  Have you done any “pre-bonding” (cage or litter box swaps, etc.)? Cage and litter box swaps.
  If so, for how long? 4 days.
  Have you started sessions yet? No
  How long have you been working on bonding your bunnies? We’ve been trying to start for a while but we keep pushing it back.
  How frequently do you have bonding sessions, and how long are they? NA
  Have you tried any stressing techniques? NA
- 07/31/2021 at 5:26 PM
  DanaNM
  Moderator
  9054 posts
  There is no hard and fast rule for how long to pre-bond, but on avg people seem to do about 1-2 weeks minimum.
  
  The main thing is to see how their behaviors are towards each other and after you do the swaps. I like to pre-bond until both bunnies seem really relaxed towards each other (through the fence) and don’t seem phased by the swaps (you might notice at first they run around chinning and marking everything, or start running the fence, etc.). Ideally they may start mirroring behaviors (eating at the same time, grooming themselves at the same time, etc.), and you should wait till any aggression through the fence calms down.
  
  . . . 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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