Can’t tell if bonded or not. Living together continuously but no mutual grooming?

[zerofighter]

Hi All

I’m not quite sure if my pair are bonded quite yet as I have yet to see any mutual grooming but the signs are positive. 

It was a slow start (4 months) but we eventually got there…I think. They (Coffee 2 year old female and Buttersctoch 7 year old male) have been living with each other in a neutral place for the past 4 days continuously with maybe an 1-2 hours apart occasionally when I have to go out to run some errands. Coffee used to mount Butterscotch and groom him a while back but then they had a pretty bad fight so we took a break. Now it seems everything has been smoothed over as Butterscotch is quite comfortable with Coffee now. That being said there are times when Coffee would surprise Butterscotch and he makes the motion of nipping but doesn’t or just runs away.

It’s my understanding that mutual grooming is the sign of them being bonded, but I have only seen Coffee groom Butterscotch, no reciprocation from Butterscotch. Coffee is always the one to go up and cuddle next to Butterscotch but he never goes to her and some times hops away. They are fine eating in the same litter bin at the same time as well as drinking out of the same water dish at the same time.

Still a little nervous of leaving them along for a long period of time, thankfully I am working from home for the next week.

Thanks

-Pearson

[DarthVadar]

As I have recently learned, in some bonded pairs only one bun grooms the other, with no reciprocation. My pair would have been sharing a hutch days sooner if i had known this earlier. They have been living together for a few weeks now with no incident, and i still have yet to see mutual grooming, although they are always cuddling and share food and water well.
It sounds like your pair is bonded. Keep in mind that even after they begin living together full time, the bonding process continues. The part of bonding that people are involved in is to ensure that the rabbits do not harm each other, and the rest is up to them.
The “nipping” thing is also fairly normal. Rabbits exist in a hierarchy. There is a top bun and a bottom bun. Since bunnies are not very vocal, they communicate mostly through body language, such as moving their heads to nip but not actually biting.

[Asriel and Bombur]

Like DV says, not every pair mutually grooms. But I do think it’s a good idea to wait and officially say they’re bonded and leave them alone until you are able to monitor them for a full 24-48 hours without interruption. Just for safety measures.

[DanaNM]

My first pair had mostly 1 way grooming, and they were really close. The cuddled A LOT, and were just very relaxed around each other. With my current pair, I didn’t get mutual grooming until about 48 hours into their marathon. So it might still happen for your two.

If Coffee requests grooms from Butterscotch (CUTE NAMES btw!), what does she do? It sounds like since she is cuddling up to him (if I have it straight), then she likes him, whether he’s grooming her or not, so I think you are probably in good shape.

Another thing I’ve noticed with my pairs is that when they are bonded, they can basically clamber all over each other (like if I come over with a treat, or they gare in a tight space together) and not be fussed about it. Neither bun is tense at all around the other.

Above all, trust your gut! If you feel they just aren’t quite 100%, try marathoning, try a new bonding area, or add a bit of stressing to see if you can push them that last bit.

. . . 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.  

[zerofighter]

Just a quick update on the two, they have been living together full time for a week now and no issues to report.

It seems like Coffee rarely requests grooming from Butterscotch now but if she does she’ll stick her head under his.

Appreciate all the help everyone has given!

[Author]

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