Blind bunny bonding

[Deleted User]

Ok, so now Connor is healthy and eating and just back to normal, I want to try to bond him with Coney. Connor is blind and startles very easy. When I would put them together before Coney would Spring across the rabbit run and fur would start flying. Coney would jump on him and attack him. He would get a squirt of water and I would use my flip flop to seperate them. (made the mistake once of using my hand, ouch!!) I really feel bad for connor because the poor guy is blind and can’t see anything comming. I haven’t tried any bonding in about two weeks. There pens are next to each other and they will often go to the sides and try to sniff each other. Coney is very curious about Connor but doesn’t want to be with him. He is very agressive, but the funny thing Coney has never once been agressive to us.

So does anyone have any ideas on bonding the two? Should I wait longer still, Connor has been well for about a week now. Coney is fixed but connor still has his boys. (When I was in the vet’s office I was looking at his underbelly and I asked what the heck is that? She laughed at me. Coney didn’t have any and our cats, before he got the snip, blended in with his fur. I didn’t realize that is what they looked like)

[luvmybuns]

First I would definately get Connor neutered.  That will help some.  Other than that I’m not sure.  I am going to a "Bonding without Bloodshed" meeting next Wednesday.  I will bring that question up and see what type of answers I get.  I’m sure the first thing will be to make sure they are both fixed. 

[Deleted User]

I plan on it, but with all the issues he has had since we got him, it makes me scared. I am afraid he will refuse to eat again. He is not agressive and he has not been fixed and Coney who is agressive has been fixed. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

[luvmybuns]

When I was/am bonding my trio, I found that the smallest bunny was the most aggressive for the 1st day or two, then things seemed to calm down as the other bunnies decided they had had enough.  I would have thought the bigger bunnies would have scared him. 

All I can say is to take it very, very slow.  I put a "fence" in the middle of my kitchen.  I would then put a bowl of lettuce on each side, so the bunnies were side by side while eating their greens.  I also took a hand towel and put one in each cage.  Then, every day I would switch the towels from cage to cage.   The other thing that I do, is I can get one bunny being petted and they lay down, then I get the other to lay by the 1st bunny and pet them both side by side.  This keeps them from getting irritated, but yet they are side by side.  It is also helpful to have someone there with you who could help you.  I’m sure some of the community leaders will have much better ideas.

I’m not sure what I would do with a blind bunny.  That will have to take some serious thought.  Does he get play time outside of his cage?  How does he react?  Does he know where the boundaries are?  I don’t know that I would want to change too much for him. 

I will keep thinking about it and next Wednesday I will bring it up at the "bonding" session I am going to.

[Deleted User]

Yes he does get outside time. He walks around smelling and bobbing and then finds a nice corner or wall to snuggle up to. He is not very playful at all. He is my larger of the two and my smaller one is definatly more agressive.

[Deleted User]

Okay we have a update.
Well today I put them together for the first time since connor was sick. They immediatly had three little fights and they got squirted and then they ignored each other. Connor was getting more brave and ventured out to eat. (I put them both in the rabbit run with some goodies) So coney would go up to connor from behind, connor would turn and move away. I kept thinking that he was smelling his butt like dogs do, but then I realized that he was trying to mount him.

So I turned the rabbit run sideways, so that they were sitting on the bottom, and I carried it across the lawn. Connor did his usual thing where he would lay on top of coney. When I set them down Coney approached connor from the front and did what I call bowing, his ears were flat and he was shoving his head under connors. I couldn’t figure out what he was doing. Was he trying to get connor to groom him? He did this a lot as the meeting progressed. So after about 10 minutes I picked them up and walked again, this time coney went to connor and layed right next to him and put his face under connors belly. So then again rest time. Connor just sat there and groomed himself, coney went into bowing position. Connor then gave coney one little lick and ignored him. Coney just sat there waiting. Finally coney gave up and moved away pouting. Connor immediatly moved right next to coney (sides touching but facing opposite directions) and started to groom himself again. Coney seemed happy but still kind of weary. So I moved them one final time to go and put them back in the pens and when I put them both down they fought just one quick spat. They got the squirt and back home they went.

So connor immediatly went to eat, and coney went and stood on his house so he could see connor. Both are now napping.
Does this sound like everything is going okay, and they are on their way to being bff? Gosh I hope so, they were adorable when they were snuggled up. I forgot my camera in the house and didn’t dare leave them alone to go and get it. But I will remember it for next time.

[MooBunnay]

Hello That actually sounds like a pretty good start! I just introduced my blind bunny to Raymond and things went about the same. Raymond kept shoving his head under her chin (yep, trying to get grooms!) and startling her which would make her jump and grunt, but rather then fight back he just flattened himself on the ground. He got his butt kicked by my other boy a couple months ago and I think he’s still slightly traumatized. The best sign is when they both start grooming themselves, which hopefully will soon turn into them grooming each other. It does sound like a good start though!

[Deleted User]

I didn’t know that grooming themselves is a good thing. They will sit there (in seperate corners) and groom themselves. Connor did give coney just one little lick and just went about ignoring him. I did notice that Connor gets really startled when coney comes up to him, for a smell and he does jump really bad when coney shoves his head down.

[BinkyBunny]

I am glad to hear the fights didn’t turn nasty. Just be sure to look for any possible bites as they can get infected. It sounds like it has progressed okay, but just don’t move to fast with it. Are you doing bonding in a neutral territory.

Neutering your other bunny can make it easier if they end up having difficulties as well as the spraying and smelly territorial urine and pills won’t be so pungent. Those things can set even an neutered bunny off and cause territorial aggression.

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