Bonding space for 24/7 bonding

[jmdb]

Hi everyone, I’m about to start 24/7 bonding with my two bunnies.

Bunny 1: Monkey – female netherland dwarf, spayed in March.

Bunny 2: Tokki – male angora mini lop mix, neutered in April.

They have been doing dates for a couple of weeks. We are up to 2 hours per day (the most I could commit to until this point) and there’s lots of mutual grooming, flopping together, sharing toys and sharing a litter tray. There is the odd scuffle but it lasts 2-3 seconds at most and they resolve it on their own.

I’ve set aside the next few weeks to move to 24/7 bonding because they will be living in Monkey’s old bedroom (free roam) eventually. She was super territorial when she first sensed Tokki in the house and would attack us if we’d been near him and then went into her room. So, I’ve already vinegar washed 3 times!

We’re bonding them in the bathroom, which is about 1.5m x 1.9m but includes a toilet and bidet in that space. I want to use an enclosure for the marathon dates coming up because it means there are no corners between the toilet and wall, for example. It fits a rectangular enclosure of 1.2m x 1.9m. I can extend beyond the bathroom to make it 1.2m x 3.3m (4m squared). I’m just a little confused.

I’ve read lots of conflicting advice – 50% says to go down to 1m x 1m or less to start the 24/7 bonding and 50% says to use the largest area possible! We’ve only ever had them in that bathroom space (without enclosure) for dates, so I’m nervous to restrict the space more. But I’m not sure if I should be making it bigger or smaller given that I’m starting 24/7! I’ve also been advised to remove all toys and the litter tray going forward.

I really want to do the right thing and take steps forward, but I don’t know which advice to follow. Any help would be appreciated!

[pinkiemarie]

Unfortunately I don’t think there is any good one size fits all advice. I know a lot of people swear by larger areas but my girl gets aggressive in larger areas and I have a much easier time when I have them in a small area. You’ll need to monitor the situation and make adjustments to fit your own bunnies. Start with your gut on what to do based on previous bonding though!

I do agree with removing litter boxes temporarily and toys as they can get territorial over those items. Will someone be able to watch them all the time? A fight can break out in the blink of the eye. My girl behaves beautifully until she thinks I’m not paying attention and then she gets mean!

 

 

 

 

[DanaNM]

The advice is all over the place because dif things work for dif buns (and bonders)!

I would just pick the version that works best for you and give it a shot. If it doesn’t go well, then reassess and try a bigger or smaller space. If they’ve been doing well in the bathroom, I would just keep using that space and extend the session length.

Personally I’ve had the best luck with big spaces, but they have to be really big! 1 x-pen isn’t big enough, it has to be like 2 or 3 linked up. For me this has given enough space for them to run around and chase without it escalating to fighting. But, lots of people bond in smaller spaces! I think on avg most people just use an x-pen sized area for the whole process.

I don’t add litter trays till I feel they are basically bonded. I just put down layers of puppy pee pads instead with a big pile of hay in the middle (and refresh it often). I usually try to have some brand new things to chew (like apple sticks or baskets) that I give them once we are deep into the marathon and I think they might be getting bored (like 12 hrs in or so), but not essential.

To me it’s sounds like you are ready, good luck! Keep us posted 🙂

 

. . . 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.  

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