Bonding Max and Penny

[katie, max & penny]

Hey everyone! I wanted to document my first bonding adventure for anyone who may need it.

So just so everyone knows, I have had Max, my netherland dwarf, for almost two months (!) and he’s been neutered for about a month. I rescued him from a family who was selling him on Craigslist for snake food. He’s a year old.

Today I got Penny, another netherland. She’s a little under 8 weeks (apparently her mother stopped nursing the kits a week ago and started kicking them away),

DAY ONE: I put Penny and Max’s cages near each other (about five or six inches apart). Max was super excited and was climbing up his cage and gnawing on the bars! I let Penny out while Max was caged to explore a little. Then I let Max out. At first they ignored each other then Max made a beeline for her and humped her like crazy!! She just laid flat and eventually ran away. They started chasing each other, but neither were aggressive. Now Max is out, with Penny caged, and won’t leave the side of her cage. They smell each other through the bars- its very cute. Then I took Penny out to go downstairs for a while and after I put her back, Max came over to me, honking and smelling my hands (from Penny) and circling me!! I’d say he’s in bunny love

 

[BinkyBunny]

Awe, very cute bunnies! I think even for neutered bunnies, and especially since he was not neutered that long ago, that honking definitely is his mating call. The one thing though to watch for is when the female isn’t spayed (and of course, she can’t be right now), but later on when she reaches sexual maturity, and if he mounts her before she is spayed she may go into a false pregnancy. Her hormones will be telling her she’s pregnant, so she may start nesting, and get aggressive towards him and you. This normally last for a few weeks.

I always recommend to wait to bond until they are both altered, but if they seem to be getting along, and benefit from each other’s company, then this is just something you will have to keep in mind and watch carefully in a couple of months -as the aggression later on from the false pregnancy and/or just even her hormone burst can challenge the bond.

Keep us updated.

[Beka27]

They are adorable! I agree, they may be able to get along a little bit for now, but it’s unlikely they will actually bond until after she is older and spayed. I can’t believe how teeny tiny she is!

[katie, max & penny]

thanks for the tips guys!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

Yup, I find that boy bunnies are always very horny when it comes to females. I am waiting till Thistle’s hormones are depleted a bit to bond them.

[katie, max & penny]

DAY TWO: Today, I let Max out of his cage during the day but left Penny in hers. She’s still so small that my 40×25 cage is huge to her! Anyways, once again he was totally attached to her cage. He didn’t bug her or anything, just laid next to it. Then I did a bathtub bonding session with them. It went soo well!! They were too preoccupied with the new surroundings to pay attention to each other at first, then Penny kept presenting to Max, but he was still curious about the tub. Finally, they started sniffing each other and Max was sniffing her butt like a dog!! Crazy boy. They smelled each other a lot, then he tried to hump her. But she ran away and he never did it again. Then, best part ever, he groomed her!! For like 5 seconds! Progress!! I ended on that note Good day!!

I know I might be prematurely bonding them since she’s not fixed yet, but I’m hoping for them to be in the same cage in August, so until she gets hormonal, I’m going to work with bonding them. So far so good, and I think it is possible to bond them now- I know that it just means that I will have to rebond them after her surgery.

Anyways, today was a success! Pics!!

Grooming:

[Crayon]

they are so cute together!! And both their names fit them so well and sound nice as a pair.

[katie, max & penny]

aw thanks!!

[Beka27]

Is that her poop on the blanket? It’s like a speck! So small!

[mrmac]

That is one of the teeniest tiniest poops I have ever seen! They are so cute together!

[katie, max & penny]

That is her poop!! They are really tiny, like the size of a small stud earring!

DAY THREE: Ah the wonderfulness of a bonding session gone well. There was smelling, mutual grooming, binkying (!), a little humping, and a lot of playing. AND I got my package from BB in the mail, one of the busy bunny baskets, and they love it. Max loves the pinecones and Penny loooooves the timothy cubes. And both of them are loving the monthly surprise gift.

Good day!! Pics:

 

 

[Isabelle88]

I love looking at pics of max, he is just like my Julie, even the tan fur behind the ears, they are twins.

I hope to bond Julie one day with Briskey, my other female, hopefully it’ll go smooth but i’m waiting until they are fixed, Julie has some attitude to her but strangely when I let her get close to Briskey’s cage Briskey tried to bit her hand so I wont try bonding now as they are both un fixed.

[Author]

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