Bonding Journal, Sprinkles and Mila

[Laragc]

1/5/2019 Day one at home.

We have had Sprinkles for about 8 months and it seems time for her to I have a friend. We took her to the San Diego House rabbit society for several speed dates and she clearly preferred another girl rabbit named Mila. Mila was a little more natural so we had five dates, but yesterday’s date was amazing and we brought Mila home last night. Unfortunately, we found out our second x-pen had a problem, so Mila had to sleep in the xpen while sprinkles stayed in her normal space of my son’s room.

Because they had had so many dates, we tried a bonding session today. Unfortunately, the space was not neutral enough and Sprinkles was entirely unamused. She got in a pretty good lungh at Mila but since I was in the space with them, no damage was done. We put them in the bonding stroller, which went well, and now they are in Pen’s next to each other. They seemed fine sniffing across the space and there’s a pool noodle between them.

I need to decide if I’m going to try to make a fake neutral space with blankets and towels around the neutral pen, or put the pen in the garage, which makes me more nervous as it would be hard to catch an escaped bunny out there.

[DarthVadar]

With how they have progressed so far, you should have a fairly easy and painless bond ahead of you.
Is there any room in the house that Sprinkles does not go in much? Anywhere she does not think of as hers would do.

[Laragc]

No. She has free run of pretty much anywhere there space to do bonding. And she’s been in absolutely every room in the house. The only place she hasn’t been as the garage but I am worried about that.it’s also harder if I have to quick remove a rabbit, but I suppose I could put a laundry basket right next to the cage.

[DarthVadar]

Depending on the size of your bunny, laundry basket would not be an obstacle to escaping. Do you have a pet carrier? That would work pretty well.

[sarahthegemini]

If you only bought Mila home yesterday, you’re moving too fast. You need to let her settle for a month before you begin pre bonding.

[Laragc]

Day 2 – no bonding or meetings. Sprinkles got a good run time in the living room this morning and then Mila a bit later with views blocked off for the caged bun. After a discussion with our bonding expert (our former bunny sitter who owned what we called “bunny camp” – an amazing rabbit daycare and sitter facility and who has been bonding rabbits for over 30 years), Sprinkles got run time in my son’s room while Mila got more living room time. Upon being returned to the side by side pens, both exhausted bunnies started syncing behavior. Admittedly, part of it was a hay eating contest and a “who is the most relaxed bun” contest, but they still are mirroring each other significantly, including sitting at the same part of their cages in the same positions and grooming at the same times. The only issue I’m seeing for when they are bonded is that Mila is an “eat everything in front of me all at once” kinda girl with her salad and kibble, while Sprinkles is a “nibble and savor” bun, eating small amounts over a longer time. That may be an issue once they are eating together, but I’m pretty sure we can figure it out.

Mila seems to be settling in well. She’s not thrilled being approached when out of her pen and will run to her litter box, but she will come over for pets when we come over to the pens. She spent very little time in her hiding space today, preferring to watch what these crazy humans were doing. As their cages face the living room and I had to work, I spent the day on my laptop on the sofa where she could hear and smell me the entire time, and I could keep an eye on her. She did come out of her pen and watch me intently as well. Sprinkles of course has begged for pats incessantly. Both are eating well and pooping just fine, although Sprinkles has made sure to scatter a few marking poops around. This is to be expected and NBD.

Tomorrow will begin exchanges of litter boxes and run spaces. We will give them a week before we do any true bonding, but may start some mild stress bonding (stroller rides, which they have done well with during their many dates) to encourage relaxing with each other first. Also, we’ve decided the neutral space will be in the garage, after getting good tips on keeping it safe from our bonding guy.

[Laragc]

Days 3-4-5
Day 3 – we went for a short stroller ride. Sprinkles gave a little nip when first put in but more a “get out of my way” nip than a lunge. I just moved her head away and she was fine after that. We did not switch litter boxes or pens.

Day 4 – no stroller ride as today was all about getting Mila acclimated to her new home. Sprinkles is getting run time in my son’s room while Mila is out in the living space and that was the set up yesterday. I brushed her and she sat on my lap for 1/2 an hour. She has been otherwise reluctant to leave her pen, so putting her on my lap on the far side of the living room was good for her. She was very relaxed and cuddly.

Day 5- Sprinkles and Mila had another stroller ride. Sprinkles again gave an introductory nip but then stopped. The nip was not even enough to pull hair. She also, for the first time, pushed against Mila for some comfort. The other ride, Mila pushed on her but she’d just move. This ride – if Mila pushed or sat on her, she dealt with it fine and managed to put her head down near Mila for a bit. They are being rewarded for stroller rides with run time separately but will be returned opposite pens when run time is over. We continue to see mirroring behavior of litter box, lounge and eating. Sprinkles continues to poop both in and out of the litter box – Mila is not marking even with box changes so I will see if that changes with a cage change.

[Laragc]

Days 6-7
Day 6 – no bonding time – we did switch pens and that was fine. Poop out of the boxes in the pens but my god – they seem to be having who can out-eat the other bunny contests and are going through hay at an alarming rate so I think it’s to be expected. Mila went for her well-bunny checkup and got a very positive report from the vet. We continue to see mirroring behavior.

Day 7 – bunnies got respective run time for an hour then I put them in the stroller and we had our first bonding session. Stupid me put them in the garage but put a blanket down that’s been in with Sprinkles. Sprink went in for a nip, I removed the blanket and sat and petted heads and suddenly we had lovely sweet bunnies. They sat for a good five minutes with heads together and Sprinkles actually groomed Mila for about 15 seconds on the ruff and ears! This is huge as she has NEVER groomed her before. Total bonding time 15 minutes. I’m pleased. We may try a session again later today but so far so good.

[Laragc]

1/13/19 – day 8 – buns were mixed today. Mila was in her cage and Sprinkles was in her room and my son let her out by accident. She ran to Mila’s cage and they both gave some nips. I decided to stress bond and then do a little immediate bonding since they were both ok. Stress bonding was good. I used my hip-bath shower/tub (think a very small bathtub) with carpet squares down. They were good for pets and each got a treat but then both went in for nips. It was enough that I separated with a dustpan and then gave more headpats. After headpats, they were quiet together but I decided to end on a good note without more nips after 15 minutes. So not as good as day 7, but not bad. I think the garage is better as Sprinkles has been in the room with the tub, if not the tub itself. I’ll go back to the garage for our next session.

In other good news, Mila did her first bunny flop in our home today and Sprinkles was all about the binkies and flops while in her space so both seem to be happy buns.

[Laragc]

We did stroller rides and xpen in garage today. Stupid mistake on my part was letting it go too long until we had nips but we had a very good first 20 minutes. Sigh. I think we will take a couple of days and go back to prebonding for a bit.

[Laragc]

We did stroller rides and xpen in garage today. Stupid mistake on my part was letting it go too long until we had nips but we had a very good first 20 minutes. Sigh. I think we will take a couple of days and go back to prebonding for a bit.

[Bunny House]

You need to let the new bun acclimate to the house for a month before any bonding

[Laragc]

And we’re back! Health, pre-bonding and weather kept us from much bonding for awhile. We’re on session four of operation BOND THOSE BUNNIES after several small dates last week And – I’m not sure what to think.

Session one – 20 minutes: Couple of minutes stress bonding in a clothes basket. Mila could have cared less. It was WAY too much stress for Sprinkles who was terrified. NOT ever doing that again as she’s not a scaredy bunny. Put them in an Xpen in the kitchen, which has become neutral territory after denial of entry for three months, much cleaning, and some sheets around the cage. 10 minutes of head pats and done. Good bunnies.

Session two – 40 minutes in the kitchen. Five minutes of stroller stress bonding. Lots of mutual pats. Mostly spent with Mila in a bunny ball and Sprinkles trying to figure out the weird sheets over the cage. No aggression, no real interaction.

Session three – 30 minutes – had to stop when Mila figured out I’d tricked her into grooming Sprinkles, who has been asking for grooms. See my other post but basically Mila was mad at both of us – presented tail and thumped.

Session four – today 2/25. Two hours in an expanded pen in the kitchen with hay and two water dishes. Only stress bonding was the ride to the pen in the stroller (the pen is in a different room and as I’m on my own, I’m trying to make sure no one is really in it first, so they ride over together and then get lifted in one right after another.) I sat on a beach chair in the enclosure with them. Both bunnies thought it was fun to smoosh under my butt and see what was behind me, although not at the same time. We had some good happy nose sniffs in the beginning. Mila was much more curious in the space today but claimed a little bit of a corner as her own. If Sprinkles came over to that corner, Mila would put her ears back. She gave one hair pull nip but stopped immediately with a “NO!” Sprinkles was much more curious about Mila than Mila was about Sprinkles. Sprink would come over for nice bunny nose sniffs and Mila would give a quick sniff then hop away unless it was in “her” area. Mila was good about eating hay and checked out the dishes. Sprinkles mostly wanted to flop on the edges of the pen. We had quite a bit of mirroring with regards to grooming as well, although not anywhere near eachother. Sprinkles clearly wanted to get closer to Mila than Mila was comfortable with.

Right at two hours, they both started giving signals I can’t even really explain – more movement, some “side eye” kind of looks, that made me feel like we might get a fight. I tried to get them to do side by side pets and neither of them would do it, although no fights, so we ended the session. They are now flopped next to each other in their side by side pens. So, progress, I think. Now somebun has to decide she’s not dominant. Not sure how that will happen.  I’m not sure Mila wants to bond at all though. I think we will give it more time, but I’m starting to be concerned we’re never going to get past this point, which is basically where they were when we brought Mila home.

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