Need advice on when to move to permanent home

[hanandlav]

I am bonding two rabbits (Nigel and Lavender). Both are altered and Lavender has been with me a for 1 year and a half and Nigel has lived with me for 6 months. Right now, they are living together in a neutral territory. I started marathon bonding 3 days ago. (This was after a failed bonding attempt about 3 months ago) The first day, they were together in a very small space for 5 hours and then again for 6 hours. The next day they returned to that space and they have been together now for 48 hours. I have given them more and more space and now they have the whole room (though it’s pretty small). They haven’t fought at all. While they are not fighting, I am also not sure they have their hierarchy worked out. When they are awake, Nigel chases her around to try to mount her, but she just runs away from him. The first day, she let him mount her over and over and then after that she started running. Now sometimes she will even mount him when she gets the chance. They are both grooming each other. However, it is unclear if one grooms more than the other.

I want to move them into their forever home soon. It is in an enclosure my bedroom, which is where they were living separately. I rearranged the whole room. Put down baking soda and cleaning everything with vinegar and water. I am also getting them new flooring for their enclosure. I am so worried that when I move them into my room, they will start to fight. When they were in here before, Lavender was very aggressive whenever their spaces were close to one another. However, in the neutral space, she hasn’t been aggressive at all. When do you think I can move them from the neutral space? Thanks!

 

[DanaNM]

I’m happy for you that marathoning is going well!

Honestly there is no harm in giving them more time in neutral, in my opinion. I feel like if you are still questioning things, then give it a bit more time just to be on the safe side. I feel like when they are ready you will know! I usually wait till I feel like “OK, they seem bonded!” and then wait another 24-48 hours just to be extra sure things are cemented. I think this is especially a good idea if you don’t have an in-between “semi-neutral” type space as an intermediate.

. . . 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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