Bonding Pen

[BunnyLiz]

Well I set up the pen for the bonding time! Which is aimed for next Sunday, the rescue still havent gotten answers from all the fosters yet. The pen is in my room however, which is the room Hammer is currently housed in and uses for playtime. Their are several reasons its in my room 1. My mom isnt to keen on the idea of having them anywhere in the house except my room   2. If im home.. im in my room lol and  3. This is the only room i can close off to the cats and dogs. Our house is small and is very limiting to other options. So literally 1/5 of my room is this bonding pen now lol. Which would make my whole room over half not mine lol. (huge rat cage, huge bun cage, storage for bun, nic blocks off rat stuff, diggy boxs and tunnels, my bed and my dresser lol) But anyways… this is not a nuetral space for them. Ive vacumed and closed it so Hammer can not have that corner of the room for a little over a week, until the new one comes home. Hopefully this week of having it blocked off will deter him from thinking it is his space later. But is there some magically something im not think about that could help make this less of Hammers space? I know this isnt ideal but its what i can do. I will have dates else where in the house, where Hammer hasnt been but they cant live there. Thanks!

[BunnyLiz]

Boy it was hard to get this pic resized and formated to allow me to post it!

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[Beka27]

that looks good. two suggestions. they will need to be at least a couple inches separated to start. or else they can bite thru the bars and cause injury to each other. so if you can duplicate that barrier design and attach it a couple inches away (or better yet just have it go straight across (so each side is 2 x 4 squares). you may want to make one area where they cannot see each other, so use cardboard, or have a hidey box on each side.

do you have a piece of scrap carpet or linoleum or a rug that you can put down to make the floor neutral (and new to Hammer)?

[BunnyLiz]

Oops! I meant to ask about the not seeing each other. Thats why i made the little nook like things that are 2×1. I have two cubes at the bottom on the barrier. I used one of the good ones and one from my target box thats the wrong size so they are less likely to get hurt since the cubes dont match up. I really really dont wanna take it apart lol! Ive shed way to much blood over this thing already, those zip ties are tricky and hard to cut lol. Lets just say my finger tips are raw and i have a few band aids where the exacto knife and i didnt agree. Do you think it would work if i put another layer of yet a different sized cube, and cardboard in between that on the cubes by the 2×1 spots? 

Im working on hunting down an old area rug. If that fails i was thinking some of that stuff that goes under rolling chairs in offices. Some more traction then linolium, and im pretty sure you can buy it withuot it already being cut into that shape for desk and chairs.

Do you think this will work? Im mean there is nothing else I can do really about the neuteral space issue, but id like to know what im looking at and getting into. Even though it wont change anything, do you think it will work out okay this way?

[Beka27]

another set of grids might work, as long as they can’t bite thru it. that’s the danger: that one or the other can get bitten.

tell me about zipties! ugh. this is a major reason i have XPENS!!! i can deal with a few zipties, but i hate the ziptie burn you get on your thumbs. i know exactly what you mean!

i think it might work. you won’t know for sure til you try…

[BunnyLiz]

Ok well I have three different sized grid cube, so ill slap the other on there. Ill try and brainstorm a way to set those and inch or two away from the others, so they have no chance to hurt the other.

Goodness i hope this works! If not i could arrange it to be in the living room probably, but it would take many fights and weeks to get my mom to see the light. She thought thats where they had the actual bonding lol. When i said i was calling family to dig up a old area rug, she said why? I could just watch them so they didnt pull carpet. Boy was she disgruntled when i told her that was their home for a few months maybe. She is worried they will get out and destroy the house lol.

[KatnipCrzy]

I would recommed covering the carpet with something Hammer is not familiar with.

For covering the carpet- I have had good luck with heavy duty plastic sheeting that is sold by the yard (on a big roll) from Joann Fabrics- I think other people use this on tables, etc- but anyway it protects that carpet from urine soaking thru and I keep the plastic covered with fleece and rugs so it is not slippery.  And the plastic will wipe clean with a vinegar/water cleaning solution.  If you lay a piece under the NIC set up with the outside edges of the plastic beyond the cubes- the bunnies will most likely not be able to get a grip to chew on it, my buns have only been able to take nibbles out if the plastic has a wrinkle.

Are you using this pen for introductions only?  Or are you using it to house your new bunny in?   If you have a bunny on each side of then pen- the NIC cubes that create the barrier will need to be further apart.  If there is enough room for one bunny to stick a nose thru- and the other bunny could bite or claw/box it- it is too close.

I had to use a piece of 2 x4 to put between my cage set ups- one NIC cage/run and the other is a dog crate.  But because the NIC cubes will move when pushed (at least on my set up since they are not set into a base)- I had to make sure I was preventing the cubes from being pushed against the dog crate.  Because between bonding sessions they will show interest in each other and try to get closer- but at this point with them nose-to-nose will only result in an injury to the face.

You could use the space to house the new bunny- and then do the recommended cage swaps to get them used to each others scent- before they meet face to face.  And as far as a neutral meeting space- that can be something temporary from my understanding- the bathroom, or another room that is not typically bunny area.  It does not always have to have bunnys allowed there- just use the area for bonding sessions- and neither of the bunnies will feel territorial of the area.

 

[KatnipCrzy]

One thing to keep in mind too- is that with an open top- you have to be careful what you put in there for the buns to play with.  I have a NIC run for one of my cages and I can not put a Cottontail Cottage in there and I have to be careful where I place other things too- otherwise the bunny will be able to hop over the run.  And some bunnies can jump a run that is 2 NIC cubes high.  Mine never have or have never tried- but at first I was really careful to make sure they would not try when I was not home. 

My buns are able to play in their Cottontail Cottage when they have free run of the room- otherwise it might be a ticket to freedom- when I don’t want them out.

[Beka27]

a lot of people do runs or full enclosures with 2 high NIC grids, and not all buns can or will jump out. if it’s an issue, you could easily make a 4×4 grid top and just clip it on… be prepared that you might have to rearrange that inside barrier so it goes straight across and you have two barriers (a couple inches apart). you will be switching sides each night as well?

like Katnip said… for the initial at home introductions you can try the bathtub, or another room Hammer has never been in. you are fortunate in that your whole house is neutral to him besides your bedroom. also, it’s typically easier to bring a girl home to a boy, than a boy home to a girl…

it’s not unusual for non-bun people to be confused by the process. everything that society shows is that bunnies can frolic together freely with no consequences or preparation.

[BunnyLiz]

O my there is still so much to do. Thanks for the advice guys! The initial introductions will be no problem, there are tons of spaces for that since i can take down that pen, or set up the tub. Ill make it go straight across if they seem to have problems, but im going to wait and see lol yes i can be lazy sometimes. Thanks again! ill reread this before She comes home and make sure ive taken everything into consideration.

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