Bonding the girls

[Nibbler&Georgie]

Last week I began switching Nibbler and Georgie’s litter boxes and beds. Georgie lives in the top cage and Nibbler on the bottom, so after a week of just switching litter boxes and beds, Friday I started alternating rabbits with one outside of the cage in the x-pen and one inside the bottom. All seemed to be going well, they would lay up against the cage next to each other. Neither of them have seemed aggressive towards each other. I was planning on doing this alternation for the next couple weeks. 

Last night I stayed over at a friends house to watch their dogs, so I put Georgie back in the top cage cause I didn’t want her out when I wasn’t home overnight. Since she hasn’t been in the top cage since Friday, I guess between Friday and now, she and Nibbler ate a hole in the floor of the ramp (I cover her floor in fleece, so I missed it). So when I got home this morning, I found both bunnies in the bottom of the cage. Neither of them have any bites, or missing, they don’t seem stressed at all, but I’m a mess. I took them out as immediately, and I moved the x pen to a neutral area. Then I decided to see how they’d do. There was a little chasing, no biting, no humping. Both girls would ask for grooms, but didn’t really groom each other, that was about it. I’ve separated them now, and I’m not really sure how to proceed from here. I do know that no buns will be going into that top cage. I’ve been planning on making them a new cage, so I guess that’s the plan for this weekend.

Any advice on what to do next, I would greatly appreciate.

[Asriel and Bombur]

How long have that been near each other? I have a boy that gets very stressed out in new situations, and that includes switching up their items. So I never really did that type of prebonding. My boys have lived next to each other and shared the same play space since we brought them home at 8 weeks, and now they’re a year and a half. So I think as long as you’re doing something similar that they’ve been used to each others’ scents for a while, either by item/cage swapping or just having them share space and live near each other, then you should be just fine to start short sessions in neutral territory.

It sounds like they’re ready. Remember to be patient with them and that things can be touch and go for a while. They’ll give you cues on whether you can keep a session going and when you should wrap it up. My first night I had the boys out for an hour because they did so well. And remember to always end on a positive or neutral tone, never a negative.

[Nibbler&Georgie]

Well bonding the girls has been what I think was the smoothest transition I could have ever imagined.
After that initial accident where Georgie fell into the bottom cage with Nibbler, I separated the 2 for about a week. Just because I didn’t have the time to devote on bonding. Once that week was over, I started putting them together for short periods in a neutral space with a bit of hay and lettuce. There was a bit of chasing and Nibbler humping Georgie, but never any biting or fighting. After about 5 days of lengthening the time they spent with one another, all the chasing and humping had ended and the girls were snuggling with each other and Nibbler would groom Georgie. I decided it was time to let them have overnight together, so I slept on the couch and tried it. They did beautifully, and they’ve been living together ever since.
The one thing Ive noticed is that Nibbler grooms Georgie constantly, but Georgie doesn’t ever groom Nibbler. Is this a sign that I think they’re bonded, but they’re really not? Georgie will go and flop down next to Nibbler, and cuddle with her for naps, but she never returns grooms. I don’t know, I think because the transition was so easy, I’m second guessing that it actually tool.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Honestly, it sounds like you moved really fast, which could cause issues in the future. Did you do any bonding in semi-neutral space? Did you thoroughly clean their permanent living space?

Not all bonded bunnies groom each other. Some groom constantly and others it does take a while.

[Author]

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