Another try

[Limit]

It’s been two weeks since my two have been completely separated, no bonding, no nothing. They had a fight (wasn’t bad but they did pull fur and die to his snuffles I gave them a break and allowed things to calm down, swapping toys and trays still has happened), they’ve become used to having the other ones toys and things in their areas so today a bonding session is happening. Only two places have worked in the past, the kitchen and the bathroom – distractions/toys or bigger areas only lead to both being territorial and separating themselves to different ends. Today they’re in the bathroom, only hay sprinkled with forage and two water bowls are in there. So far they’ve been very laid back, Monte finally humped Binky again which needed to happen and they’ve been eating, flopping and going nose to nose calmly.

I’m going to do these daily now, for about two weeks, short and long sessions depending on how they seem in the mornings. As long as things end on a good note they usually pick up where they left off each time. Fingers crossed, if these two refuse to get along Monte will have to be returned to the RSPCA as we can’t have two separate pairs

[vanessa]

It sounds as if you have found something that works. Stick with what works. If they can get along ok in the bathroom, keep the bonding sessions there. If larger space causes them to fight, keep the space small for a while – like you said – for the next 2 weeks. After that, try to make the space bigger – but only by really tiny small amounts. What I did – was to use NIC cubes, and I added one NIC cube at a time, to SLOWLY expand the size of the space, because mine also faught with a large space. The large space fights indicate the don’t have complete trust with eachother just yet. It’s an expected part of the process. It sounds like you are doing fine, and reading your post about bonding big buns, I think you are on the right track. Be patient, GO SLOW, stick to what works.

It is hard to tell how long it can take. I had 2 pairs bond in 2 weeks, and a third pair took 8-10 months.

[Luna]

Good to hear the bathroom bonding session went well today – I hope they keep up the progress . They’re an adorable pair.

[Vienna Blue in France]

Sounds as if its going well.
If you want my bunny bonders name, let me know….. she’s in Surrey.
Worth every penny (pound!) I spent. Takes the stress out of it.

[DanaNM]

Yes, sounds like you’ve hit on something that works! Keep it up!

I would keep them in the bathroom until you get some true positive behaviors. If you hit plateau in the bathroom (no fights, but no progress for a while), you might try a completely new location of a similar size (such as a friend’s house). Don’t move to less neutral space until you really cement some good behaviors (snuggles, grooming, etc), but new neutral spaces can be helpful if they get stuck in a rut!

. . . 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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