Bonding Progress: Help! First time bonding

[Beatrices mum]

Hi all, so it’s been a few weeks since I started bonding my rabbits Beatrice (2yr old Holland lop female) and Bernard (6mo old Holland lop male). We started off in the kitchen as that was neutral territory, things went well they were indifferent there was only one mounting episode. We went to a friends cottage over the weekend and they were in the car together in their carrier for 5 hours with no issues. I tried last night to put a cage in the kitchen area to prevent them from running away and that mad Beatrice so angry she just kept trying to escape and showing aggression towards Bernard because she wanted out. Today I decided to just try and have them lose in the living room (where Beatrice free roams and Bernard’s pen is) while removing anything territorial (ie. litter boxes, toys, beds, hidey houses). They have been doing extremely well even flopping together, I noticed Beatrice was hungry so I brought in both their litter boxes and water bowls and they have been in and out of each other’s munching and lounging. Bernard even had zoomies. But there has been no grooming of each other, minimal chasing and no mounting. I’m unsure what my next steps should be as theyre not showing any signs of hierarchy or a cemented bond! Im unsure if these are good signs or not as it is my first time bonding rabbits.

[DanaNM]

That all sounds very positive!

How long have they spent together in the living room? I think I would try to do an overnight or “marathon” in that space. It could just be that they need to spend a little longer together for you to see grooming.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Beatrices mum]

They have been in the living room area since 7pm last night! I slept on the couch and gave them full reign of the living room last night and there was no issues! I woke up around 3am and they were nothing sleeping loafed together at my feet! This morning they had their breakfast salad and good morning treats and then I cleaned the bedroom to try and neutralize it as it’s Beatrice main domain, she usually sleeps under the bed. When I opened the door for them to explore Beatrice was a little hesitant but allowed Bernard to explore. They explored the bedroom for an hour and I noticed a bit of a tiff but it didn’t get physical so I decided to just put them back in the living room and try giving them access to the bedroom later. After I closed them back in the living room I gave them a small piece of banana and followed the bunny lady’s advice of mashing a little banana in their fur on their foreheads to encourage grooming. As I’m writing this response I looked up to see Beatrice flopped and Bernard licking her head! Hopefully this will prompt more groping between the two!

[Beatrices mum]

Grooming* lol (not groping) 😂

[DanaNM]

Sounds great!

I think you prob just moved to the bedroom a bit too quickly. I’d keep them in the living room for at least 48 hours. If that goes well then you can move them to the next spot, or if you need a break from supervising you keep them in the living room but don’t need to supervise 24/7 after they’ve been doing well for that 48 hours.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Author]

Messages