How long did it take your buns to bond?

[Rio and Buns]

Or about how many sessions? I’m trying to hold out hope of bonding Quincy and Nora, but Quin is once again exhibiting the same problematic behavior with Nora that prevented me from bonding her with Desmond and it’s super discouraging. I’m just wondering how many times y’all had to repeat the same process over and over before your buns could actually be in the same area that wasn’t a neutral space/their bonding area. 

I’m currently using a bathtub because it’s the only place Quin won’t start an all-out fur-flying-everywhere fight. However, I feel like the bathtub doesn’t allow for much progression to happen because Quin is just a scared statue and Nora is too focused on finding a way to get out. If I try ANY other neutral space, Quincy will chase, bite, and fight, and not the kind of fight that I can just let them work out themselves… at least I don’t think so. She looks pretty malicious. I tried to bond her and Desmond for months but she never stopped picking fights, so eventually I just gave up because Desmond was an older guy and I don’t think he wanted to put up with her shenanigans. I’m not prepared to give up on Quin and Nora, but I’m just not sure what to do. And when I say bite… it’s always the butt. She’s always focused on biting the butt. WHY is this?

[Rio and Buns]

They’re in separate cages but as I type this they’re laying pressed up against each other through the bars all peacefully and nice… yet if those bars suddenly became invisible they’d start fighting. Bunnies are so weird sometimes.

[Sirius&Luna]

Luna and Atlas I prebonded for 3 months, then it took about a month of actual bonding sessions to bond them. There was also a failed attempt by a professional during the first 3 months.

Now I’m trying to bond all 3, my focus is on letting them be together for very short periods where they can be nice. So the first day I scattered pellets and left them together for a minute, and yesterday I scattered kale and left them for 5. While that doesn’t seem like ‘proper’ bonding, it teaches them that they can be in the same area and not fight.

[Rio and Buns]

When you bonded Atlas and Luna, did you usually just do one bonding session a day, or multiple sessions? I saw your trio bonding thread, it almost inspired me to get a third! Buuut I’m starting to realize bonding Quincy to even one bunny is difficult and stressful enough lol. It looks like everything is going really well for your three though which is so awesome! We can all only hope our current and future bonding goes as easy as Atlas and Nimbus’s.

[Sirius&Luna]

I did multiple sessions at first when it was short sessions, but once we were on an hour plus, I would just do one session.

The trio is going ok, but Luna sounds like Quincy – she’s a difficult bunny and it takes a lot of management to get her to play nice in bonding sessions.

I stay really really involved, so I tend to stroke Luna and let the boys sniff her, then she doesn’t get antsy. If I wasn’t stroking her I think she’d lash out, so I’m trying to teach her that being around them is fine, until I can slowly back away and leave her to it, which is what I did when I was bonding her and Atlas. Some people advocate staying out of it, but I really don’t think that would work for Luna, and you have to find what works for them. I’ve also been feeding them their veg together, so other bunnies = good things.

Can you keep stroking their heads to create a calm environment for them?

[Rio and Buns]

Yeah I’ve actually been taking the general advice of staying out of it as much as possible, but for today’s session I’ll definitely try stroking them because clearly keeping my distance doesn’t work for Quincy either. Incorporating veggies into the mix is a great idea too. I’m not sure she will be comfortable enough to eat yet but it’s worth a shot. Thanks for the advice! Maybe stroking them will result in the breakthrough I’ve been waiting for.

[Sirius&Luna]

Yeah, Dana said the professional bonder she’s been working with suggested it too, so i think it’s definitely worth it for more stubborn bunnies

Let me know how it goes!

[Author]

Messages