Next step in bonding

[LKelly]

The boys are doing well after the initial humpfest and resulting separation. They are now 5 months old and have been neutered since the 5th of April. They have always been in sight of one another and traded pens on a regular basis. They have been grooming each other through the bars the last few days. I have had them in the bathroom together twice and mostly they just ignore each other. I tried the bath tub but one is just more concerned about getting out of the tub. They did eat side by side in the tub. No fighting or humping mostly just ignoring. Do I keep doing the same thing till they start acknowledging or?? TIA

[Sirius&Luna]

You can try a different space if the bathtub isn’t working. One of my bunnies absolutely hates the bathtub, so it never worked for them. What about the bathroom floor instead? It still needs to be a neutral space.

If they keep ignoring each other, just increase the time they’re spending together.

[LKelly]

Ok thank you.

[LKelly]

So we have done longer sessions on the bathroom floor. So far no fighting or any sort of aggression. They are happy to munch hay and veggies beside each other. Lots of butt sniffing but no humping. Flapjack is often asking for grooming but so far has not gotten any. Buckwheat is always more interested in food. He’s rather a pig. Today we have them in the living room which they have only been once. They are in an xpen. Mostly they just ate wondering around eating hay being bossy. They did lie beside each other in a tunnel for a few minutes. Tried some banana on their heads but so far that’s only resulted in two sticky bunnies ?. Are we making any progress? Do we keep going with the same?

[LKelly]

Buckwheat just flopped over. That’s a good thing right?

[LKelly]

Flapjack is now earnestly licking banana off buckwheats head.

[LKelly]

Now buckwheat is licking the banana off Flapjack. Seems like good progress today!! ?

[Cookie and Me]

Yay!!

[Sirius&Luna]

It sounds like it’s all going well. I don’t know what you’re expecting, but bonding is normally a process that takes about a month, so it’s absolutely fine if nothing dramatic happens immediately.

It’s good that they’re licking banana off each other. Just keep increasing the time they spend together, and see if they’ll groom each other without banana intervention.

[LKelly]

These our are first bunnies so I don’t really know what to expect ?. Just looking for some reassurance we are headed in the right direction and where do we go next? Yesterday they were together in the bathroom for about an hour and half and Buckwheat tried to jump Flapjack twice but I didn’t let it go on and it hasn’t happened again.
To I set up an xpen in the living room with some tunnels and a litter box. We are going on 4 and half hours now. They have been peaceful. Lots of mutual grooming, cuddling, snoozing together and snoozing apart. Sharing hay sharing grape vines shared a small salad and generally being buds.
So do we now try in a semi neutral territory or keep on in neutral?

[Sirius&Luna]

Keep going with neutral until you can do an extended time in it, so at least 8 hours, a few days in a row. Having them together for the longer periods helps see how they behave together as they start to settle down. Then you can try and overnight in neutral, before moving to semi neutral.

[LKelly]

Ok thanks?

[LKelly]

They have been together all day the past 2 days. All seems well. Going to do an overnight tonight ?

[LKelly]

Happy to say they are cohabiting quite happily in there pen together since Sunday afternoon ?

[Author]

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