Is this normal?

[Ciara]

Hello,

We decided to marathon bond our two males because the stopping and starting wasnt working for them at all. We are now 27 hours in and the fights have stopped, they’re both in the same pen and I havent had to intervene for the last 14 hours.

Herbert, netherland dwarf, is very nervous. He was the aggressor, but I think it was from nerves, so if Percy moves too fast he is still a bit reactive and thinks Percy is chasing him (even though Percy has been very friendly). My question is, how do I allow Herbert to become more comfortable or should I just let it happen?

Percy has been grooming Herbert quite a bit, and will flop near him to encourage him to calm down. Herbert has groomed Percy once. I’m not sure if Herbert likes Percy as much as Percy likes him. Is this ok? Percy wants to be near him but Herbert will still occassionally thump.

Thank you

[Deleted User]

Personally, I wouldn’t call them bonded just yet. I wouldn’t leave them totally unsupervised. It sounds like they haven’t totally sorted things out yet.
  
I say this because if one is still “reactive” and seems to be “on guard” at the other ones movements, chances are that could lead to a spat between the two. I had a very nervous bun that I tried to bond with my female, and everything went great at first, but as he got more comfortable he would just start these nipping wars that would escalate to circling and chasing if I didn’t stop. You want to make sure that they are both absolutely comfortable before proceeding to communal living.

It’s like if you move in with a friend that you are secretly pissed off at, but you haven’t made that known yet. Eventually, when they do something else to tick you off it’s just all going to blow up. So perhaps a marathon is moving too fast for them. I would keep them together as long as you are around to supervise, but I personally wouldn’t risk leaving them alone yet.

[Sirius&Luna]

I agree, 27 hours in is not enough time to call them bonded, but hopefully with more time together, Herbert will learn that Percy isn’t being aggressive towards him.

I would just keep supervising them. If Percy truly isn’t being mean to Herbert at all, then Herbert will learn that, it just might take him a bit of time

[DanaNM]

It sounds like you are making good progress! No fights + grooming and flopping means you are on the right track. But, I agree with others that more time is needed.

The more time they spend together without aggression, the more Herbert will trust Percy.

Wait until Herbert is relaxed around Percy. When bunnies are finally bonded, it’s like something “clicks” and they can climb all over each other without fear. So if you notice Herbert “flinches” or is tense when Percy comes near, they aren’t ready to move to the next step yet and just need more time.

Once they do reach that point, don’t immediately move to less neutral territory. You’ll want to let that dynamic “cement” for 24 – 48 hours. If it took a long time to get to that point, I would cement for longer… So, if it takes 48 hrs for them to be relaxed around each other, then wait another 48 to cement that behavior before taking the next step.

We’ll be cheering you from the sidelines! I’m prob going to start marathoning mine next week…. gotta stock up on snacks and get comfy sleeping on the floor!

. . . 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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