Neutral territory??

[katiep]

So we are slowly trying to bond our 4 rabbits into pairs before we try for all 4.  If we can get them in pairs that would even be enough.  My question with neutral territory is that in my small apartment there really isn’t much!  We tried in the kitchen recently because it is the most neutral even though a few times the rabbits have ventured in there.  I’m not sure if it went well or just ok.  The rabbits were so concerned with where they were they barely even acknowledge the other.  And if one was interested the other was busy exploring or trying to get past me.  Any tips on finding neutral territory or any other tips?  I also tried smearing some banana on heads and they notice but don’t care.  Well, I guess thats it for now, I have a bunny tugging at my pant leg for attention.  Thanks for any posts and tips on beginning bonding!!

[jerseygirl]

You can create neutral space by washing area over with vinegar and water. I did this by putting a pen in the kitchen and covering the sides with sheets after mopping floor with vinegar+water. So it was like a new unfamiliar area to them. Other areas you could try are bath tub if you have one, shower stall or laundy.

[MooBunnay]

It is actually a great start if the bunnies are ignoring each other – it is rare for bunnies to groom one another on the first date. Ignoring each other is a sign that they don’t intend to hurt one another, and are trying not to pose a threat to one another. It sounds like the kitchen worked well for a neutral area, if it wasn’t neutral then I think one would have tried to show dominance over the other.

[RabbitPam]

Two more neutral places could be a bathroom, especially supervised in a dry tub, and a hallway. You could block off the ends of a hall with baby gates.

Also, read up on the Bonding section for more tips. It’s in the green banner above under Bunny Info.

I have also heard of beginning the bonding with car rides together in a carrier. They bunnies are both in it, you drive them around, and for some reason the motion and neutral place makes them stay calmly together.

Beka had great success with a series of sessions by putting two bunnies in a laundry basket sitting on top of a running dryer. The motion had the same effect as a car. If you look at her thread in the bonding section, it makes a great story full of tips!

[Sarita]

It’s just natural for rabbits to want to explore when they get in a different space so I say that you should let them explore the space and once they get past this then they can start working on bonding with the other rabbit – ignoring is fine too.

[bunnymama]

It is much easier if you can take them out of your own space, like maybe the hallway where neither of them have been. Or to a neighbors bathroom for maybe the first few sessions. I think taking my male and female to a shelter to bond played a huge role in my success. Also they were both aware of the other in my house – they had access to a family poop dish that had each others urine and poop in it. So it was familiar.

If the bunnies like each other (this happens often because most bunnies just like to be around other bunnies) then you shouldn’t need to stress them. I would try just putting them with each other in a somewhat confined area 4 x 6 feet or whatever will work and have a grease spatter screen (it’s metal and flat and has a long handle on it) with heavy gloves on in case you have to separate them. I researched for weeks reading everything I could and then got a video on bonding and still wasn’t prepared for the chasing, circling and nipping with my 2 females that hate each other. But the second male – female bond was a breeze for me…..good luck and keep posting here – these people really know what they are talking about…

[MarkBun]

You may actually want to try and bond all four at the same time. If you have pairs, jealousy issues could erupt when boy from group A goes to check out girl from pair B. It requires a bit more time watching but can work a bit better. If the foursome seems too much to handle though, pair bonding first is better.

[katiep]

So right now I think our strategy is to try to introduce them to each other in pairs without the bars between them and then when everyone figures out the heirarchy we will try 3 then 4.  Each pair seems to have their own issues to get over but I have to say our best night was tonight!  We had our two males out together for the very first time which I thought would end in fighting or circling or endless humping.  It started that way and we had one small tiff where Rupert got a little scared and they started circling and a little chasing but we separated them and calmed them down and then resumed.  And then Benny decided Rupert seemd like a trustworthy and good friend and just flopped right next to him….twice!  Fully laid out with his eyes almost closed and Rupert sat there for a minute and then decided it was safe enough to groom himself and they just sat like that for 3 minues until Benny saw Rupert grooming and decided he should be groomed.  We ended their session on a good note when they just laid together head to head and we pet them both.  I hope bonding keeps going as smooth as this!!  Keep your fingers crossed!!!

[katiep]

ok, so on a whim we decided to put Benny and Flo together tonight too. Not sure how it went, they pretty much ignored each other the entire time but did get twitchy and played around near each other. They also had their favorite treats right next to each other. They love raisins! So i put two raisins about an inch apart and they both ate with no fighting or anything! It seemed good! There was grooming themselves but not to each other. Was this a good one?

[MooBunnay]

All of those bonding session sound like really great starts. The only bad start to a bonding session really is an all out fight where someone gets nipped or injured. A few tiffs here and there are normal, so don’t worry too much about those, but monitor them very closely so it doesn’t get out of hand. Are you still using the kitchen or did you change locations?

[katiep]

Well, we did give up on the kitchen and switched to a carpeted area by our front door so there was less concern about slipping and “new” territory. The front hallways is a place where they have been a few times but it’s not a usual hang out and i feel it’s pretty neutral. Living in a small apartment doesn’t make it easy to find neutral territory. i think since both of the session went well we will try all three together. All four would be a bad idea, my two females just DONT get along!  But maybe it will take some of the dominance and mounting out of the picture since there is another bunny to watch. We shall see! We usually only interrupt the session when a rabbit gets really freaked out, out of arms reach, or tails up ears back and circling. Should we just continue 1 on 1 sessions or is bringing in the 3rd bunny (Rupert, Benny, and Flo) a good idea? Thanks for any tips!

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