Both Mounting

[DeeDee]

I have had my female (Linda) since May and recently brought home Rufus.  They are both spayed/ neutered.  After they met two different times through the adoption agency I brought Rufus home.

First bonding session (30 minutes)  Linda groomed Rufus

Second bonding session (30 minutes) With the help of some banana, Rufus groomed Linda and Linda groomed Rufus

Third bonding session (30 minutes) They laid down next to each other and groomed each other.

I spent the first two nights swapping litter/ hay boxes and on the third night I swapped living spaces.  All swaps seemed to be okay and Linda didn’t do any marking.

The first four days I traded off who got the kitchen and who got the living room for free roam time.  They were separated by the x-pen.

Since the bonding sessions were going so well, I left the x-pen half in the kitchen and half in the living room thinking the area was still neutral enough for a bonding session…

Linda immediately groomed Rufus and then started to mount him.  It was so much more abrasive than I expected that I impulsively without thinking scooted her off.  He then immediately tried mounting her, but kept doing it over her face.  I didn’t want her to bite him so I kept scooting him off.  This kept turning into circling/chasing with me having to separate them each time because I was afraid they would get aggressive.  I finally got them moved back into the neutral room hoping to end their bonding session on a happier note.  They kept “cuddling”…taking turns shoving their head under the other one trying to get groomed. Linda groomed Rufus.  Rufus groomed himself.  Linda mounted him again, this time from behind so I pet his nose and she stopped after a short while.  Then Rufus mounted her from behind and she stayed submissive while I pet her nose.  At that point everyone one was so worked up, myself included, I ended their little date. 

What is the next step?

Will this bond work if they are both trying to establish dominance??!!  

Thank you for any answers/ advice!

[JackRabbit]

They have to work out who is “top bunny” on their own before they will be bonded. It actually sounds like its going well. You did the right thing by stopping the face mounting. I’d keep it up with the neutral bonding space and swapping.

[ChesnutKC]

My bunnies are currently doing that too. Which is strange because they have been bonded for a while. But I believe the younger one is trying to take over the dominant seat. Your bunnies are still just figuring it out. If one humps the other the right way, don’t stop them. But if one is humping the other the wrong way, this could lead to some nasty bites to do stop that. All in all, I wish you luck

[Author]

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