Bonding Charlie and Ruby

[AbigailBW]

Hello all,

I introduced myself and our bun Charlie just after Christmas and, boy, did we get bit by the rabbit bug.  Charlie has fit in beautifully in our home and with our lifestyle.  We are in a great routine.  Charlie is great with the litterbox and is only mildly destructive. 

Back before Christmas, my husband and I first started to seriously consider (I’ve wanted to for a long time, he was a harder sell) getting a rabbit after seeing a bunny at our local petstore.  The bun, Ruby, is a 3-year old spayed female who was available for adoption by the NHSPCA.  The shelter has a display at the petstore with the rabbit and a couple of cats plus info on adopting dogs.  We said we’d go to the shelter and talk to the people and see what was involved in adoption a rabbit.  While we were there, we fell hard for Charlie.  I wrote about him here: 

https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/5…spx#148702

We were out to supper last night and stopped into the petstore to see if she was still there, and she was!  I have no idea why this bun hasn’t been scooped up.  She’s pretty doesn’t seem to biteor grunt (unlike Charlie did when we first met him!) and is very good with her litter box. 

Today we went back to the NHSPCA and asked if we could arrange to introduce Ruby and Charlie on neutral territory.  The woman who volunteers to care of the rabbits was WONDERFUL and offered to meet us there on her way home to help us with the bun date.  Charlie was much more relaxed in the car than I expected.  We got there and let them out together.  The store has a lineloeum floor, so we put down a towel and they stayed pretty close to one another.  Charlie mounted her within the first minute or so and she let him.  He tried twice more and on the third try Ruby scampered away.  But, there was no biting, lunging, growling, or anything!  In fact, they spent most of the time laying down nose to nose/cheek to cheek.  Ruby rubbed her nose on his head and ears (no licking).

We took it as a pretty successful first meeting.  We are going to bring her home on Tuesday (Monday the shelter has short hours).  We set upa second temporary cage for her, its made of NIC cubes– 2×3 and 2 tall.  We put it a few inche’s from Charlies cage and hope to switch the buns between the cages each night.  I put the jacket I was wearing to meet Ruby on the floor and Charlie gave it lots of stiffs and now he’s sitting next to it like a bunny puddle. 

I was wondering if you, more experienced, bonders could suggest the best FIRST steps.  I’ve read about all the different bonding options, the tub, the table, the car, the laundry basket, the cube…. and I realize the first encounter at the petstore could be very different from at home, but if they don’t fight??? Do I still need to stress them?  How should I go about this? 

[jerseygirl]

This is great! You now have the ‘original’ bunny settled in your home.

If you haven’t read this bonding guide, do so. It’s was recommended to me and it really does outlay the process.

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

Having them near one another and cage swapping is a good start. Since they did so well on first meeting, I think just a normal session in neutral area would be adequate. The stress techniques are good to do when things are not progressing.

Congratulations on your new rabbit.  A lot of people can be put off by the ruby eyes so that could be why she wasn’t taken. It’s their loss – she sounds like an angel!

[Author]

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