New to Bonding – How should I approach this?

[LuluRabbit]

I have two buns – Alfredo (4 years, male – little skittish and likes to mount other buns) and Theo (7 months, male – affectionate but no experience with other buns) – and I’m thinking about starting their bonding process soon! I feel like I’ve read SO many articles about bonding, and my head is spinning from all the different ways and conflicting ideas. I was wondering if y’all have any advice or opinions if I’ve been going about this correctly? Specifically, I’m wondering – is it too early to start face to face sessions? Should I do more time pre bonding or start short dates soon? I’ve heard conflicting things about stress bonding – some people say to stress bond ASAP and before bathtub dates, and some suggest using a large room – what has worked for you? I’m so nervous about the first session!

Spay/Neuter
Are your bunnies spayed/neutered? Yes
If so, for how long (for each)? Alfredo – for 2 years, Theo – for 1 month

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

They both live in a split small room that is attached to my bedroom. One half of the room is connected to it by a door. Theo moved into this room from an X-pen in the living room after he was neutered, so they’ve been side-by side for a month.

Bonding background
Did you allow the bunnies to “settle-in”? I’ve had Theo for 5 months, and Alfredo has been living in this apartment for 2 years.
How would you describe your bunnies reactions towards each other (answer for each bunny): shy, scared, curious, calm, aggressive, excited, affectionate, etc.? They haven’t met face to face without bars in between yet – but they have occasionally loafed or lay down 1-2 feet from each other. Sometimes Alfredo looks at Theo’s butt while he loafs. Once they were facing each other and trying to dig through. Mostly just ignoring.

Have you done any “pre-bonding” (cage or litter box swaps, etc.)? Yes, a few days ago I started switching their sides (and therefore litter boxes), and every other day one of them has access to my bedroom.

Have you started sessions yet? No.

[DanaNM]

It can definitely be overwhelming when beginning bonding, but it sounds like you are off to a great start!

I would probably pre-bond (do side swaps) for at least a week or two. The fact that they are ignoring each other for the most part is a great sign, and having lived side by side for a month already is great too. Then you would continue side swaps once you start actual sessions.

When trying to process alllllll that info out there, just remember that there is no single way to bond bunnies, and not one single way that will lead to your rabbits being bonded! There is a bit of trial and error process involved, because some things just work better for some bunnies and humans (depending on the space you have available and your experience with bonding).

I like to do first introductions in a neutral space that’s most convenient (LOL). If it’s small, I tend to pet a lot because they have less space to get away from each other. I will usually do car rides if there is a lot of tension or fighting in the first introductions, or often times I’ve had to drive my buns to a space to bond them so they get a car ride whether it was needed or not (I used to live in a studio apartment and would have to go elsewhere for neutral space). Personally I usually like big spaces (I’ve never found the “rabbits won’t fight in a small space” statement to be true for my rabbits). If rabbits have more space to get away from each other, they are able to interact a bit more naturally and seem less likely to fight. That said, if the only neutral space you’ve got is the bathtub, try that first! If that doesn’t go well, try a car ride, or a different space.

I also like to start with short sessions for the first few dates, just so I get a sense of how it’s going to go. So I maybe aim for 5 -10 minutes for the first few dates (shorter if the space is small). Then if it’s going well I increase the time (maybe aim for 20-30 min, then bump up to an hour or two). Then once I feel like things are progressing and they aren’t just trying to fight every 15 min, I’ll start doing long sessions (4-6 hrs) or even go straight to marathoning them if I have time to supervise. So it is a combo of where the buns are at and what I have time to do!

 

 

. . . 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.  

[LuluRabbit]

Thanks for the advice! I’ll try that, and give them some more pre-bonding time.

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