New bond advice

[Lemski]

Spay/Neuter
Are your bunnies spayed/neutered?

yes
If so, for how long (for each)?

Female 4 weeks

male 2 1-2 to 3 weeks
Are you aware of reproductive cancer risk in females? If not, please read about it here.

Housing
Please describe your bunnies’ current housing set-up (living together, as neighbors, etc.).

they are house side by side in pens with a board between them in a neutral room. This is their second day

Bonding background
Did you allow the bunnies to “settle-in”?

female has been with us for about 3 months and male 3 days
How would you describe your bunnies reactions towards each other (answer for each bunny): shy, scared, curious, calm, aggressive, excited, affectionate, etc.?

During their first date (at the rescue) the female was asking to be groomed and the male was interested in her and would have tried to hump her without intervention
Have you done any “pre-bonding” (cage or litter box swaps, etc.)?

just side by side
If so, for how long? 2 days
Have you started sessions yet? Yes and no. First session at the rescue went well, no fighting or chasing. I attempted on session and there was some chasing (I think) or possibly fighting I’m not sure I separated them
How long have you been working on bonding your bunnies? Less then a week
How frequently do you have bonding sessions, and how long are they? I was planning daily or twice a day
Have you tried any stressing techniques? No

 

I know it has not been that long but how long do I keep them side by side? 1 or 2 weeks before I do another introduction? My bun seemed very into him at the date, she was asking to be groomed, but then the date at my house didn’t go like that. I wasn’t sure if maybe there was something I did wrong or what. Any advice is welcomed. She seems to be mad, always flicking her legs and stuff. I know bonding can take a lot of time and work and hoping I didn’t start it off on the wrong foot

[DanaNM]

Hi there, thanks for filling out the template!

I wouldn’t start sessions just yet, since you have only had the male about 3 days. I would give him at least a week to settle in with no bonding sessions at all, or more if he seems very timid still. Then you can start doing official pre-bonding, which is usually cage or litter box swaps. I usually swap which bun is in which pen every day or two. The timing for that is variable, but usually somewhere between 1-3 weeks is good, depending on the bunnies. Basically you are waiting until they seem really chill with each other through the fencing, and they don’t seem all flustered by the cage swap. The idea with this is they get really use to each other’s scents, and may even start to mirror behaviors, lay near each other, etc.

Both buns are also relatively recently castrated, so the settling in and pre-bonding will also allow some more time to make sure their hormones are really settled.

Once you are ready to start actual sessions, feel free to post again to get help planning out how you want to do your first sessions. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[Louiethebunny]

I would have them living by each other side by side with the enclosures mirroring each other, so they can see each other while they do whatever they’re doing, then start pre bonding (cage swaps, toy swaps, etc) after at least a week. After some pre bonding, you can start regular bonding sessions. This way, they can slowly get used to being around each other and the dates go smoothly.

[Lemski]

Thank you!!!

[Author]

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