Nugget went speed dating and found love

[NuggetBuns]

Some of you may know that we recently adopted a hunny bunny for Nugget, but I’ve been so busy lately that I never made a post about it. We took Nugget bunny speed dating two weeks ago and he was super friendly with everyone! Here’s a video of all his dates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWzAVakP4lk

He got along really well with the Emilee and Petal… but Emilee came out a second time and flopped next to him.  And then she licked his ears!!! How could we not adopt her?

We are starting to bond them and so far so good. We’ve only started in the bathtub and bathroom so I’m sure things might get a bit more stressful once we move closer to his space and her temp area. I love reading other members’ bonding threads as it has prepared me well and answered a lot of my questions, but I’m sure I’ll have more questions as we get deeper into the bonding process. 

 

[Muffinluv]

So cute! Congrats and good luck Nugget!

[MoveDiagonally]

Awww… They are an adorable couple!

My original pair, Dexter and Penny, bonded very easily. Hoping it’s the same for you! 

[hannaroo]

Congratulations!!! She looks like a real sweetheart! Nugget is SO big now!!! I’m so happy for you all!
Bonding isn’t always as scary as it seems! I hope it all goes very smoothly for you!

[NuggetBuns]

Thanks everyone! She’s now been with us for over 2 weeks now and is trusting us more especially when we have to pick her up to go in/out of the bathroom for bonding sessions. We had very good bonding sessions over the weekend… 

– Emilee is still humping but Nugget accepts it

– they both stick their heads down for grooming, but neither is willing to groom

– they snuggle up while I pet both of them at the same time

– I tried smearing some strawberry behind Emilee’s ear for Nugget to lick, but Nugget didn’t seem to notice (fail!)

 

 

After 10 minutes in the tub, we let them on the bathroom floor for a bit and things still stayed calm. We did this over the past 3 nights, when do you guys think I should advance into the hallway? How long did you guys bond your buns in the bathtub/bathroom for before moving to a bigger space?

[hannaroo]

It’s sounds like things are going great so far! Try putting banana on their foreheads that’s what got me to get Suri to groom buttons back! After doing this a few times in one session I found they began grooming each other independently in the next session.
I personally would wait until they groom before increasing the space but it sounds like your not too far off that stage
Good luck! Xx

[hannaroo]

I forgot to add that a good way to tell if they’re ready to go to the next stage is that you can leave them together while you do other things in the next room (listening in of course).

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I would go ahead and make a bigger move if things seem stagnant the last 3 days. I would either do longer bonding sessions, or move them to the hall and see how things go!
It took Sally and Harley 3 lr 4 days to move in together but they have seen and smelt each other through the bars for 2 months while getting spaying and neutering done!

Basically go with what you’re comfortable with. If you trust them enough make the next step. If you’re still uncomfortable take it slow but some buns need that extra push of a really long bond session to really start sorting things out. On day 2 or 3 of my bonding I did a 12 hour session (they basically got free run together in my house for the day but Harley went back to his cage at bedtime. Day 3 or 4 they were let out in the morning and Harley made himself at home in Sally’s pen before bedtime so I just kind of let them stay that way and its been golden since! I don’t remember if they bonded in 3 or 4 days because it was so fast.

Keep us updated and I’m so excited for Nugget! They look so cute together!!!

[Baxter n Boos Mom]

Emilee is super cute – and they seem so sweet together already! Congratulations – and best wishes for a speedy and uneventful bonding process.

[NuggetBuns]

NBO- Your lovely couple definitely influenced my decision to look for a bff for Nugget! I hope their bonding progresses as fast as Harley and Sally’s. I remember you saying that Harley has turned Sally into a more social bun… well I hope we get the same results. She’s not scared of us anymore, but I would like to see her be more affectionate with us =) Poor thing has been a shelter bun for over a year (she’s 2.5 years old), so she doesn’t know how to love people. I’ll take your advice and play it by ear, depending on how much progress we make this week, before moving on to the next step.

hannaroo- Thanks for the tip! I keep trying to push them to groom each other, but hasn’t happened yet. I’ll be patient and wait for some sign that they’re ready to move out of the bathroom.

Baxter n Boo- Thank you, uneventful it is… at least it’s not stressful. YET.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Congrats!!! They make such a lovely couple!!!!

[NuggetBuns]

Thanks LPT!

Last night’s bonding session was the same, Emilee humping, they snuggled, explored the bathroom, and pressed their heads into one another for grooming. Neither groomed though. I tried smearing banana on Emilee’s head, but Nugget either couldn’t smell it or didn’t want to lick her. When we showed him the banana, he happily ate it from our fingers… but didn’t understand it when it was on her head. Guess I can’t force a grooming from him. The session probably lasted for about 25 minutes before Emilee started thumping, which is our signal to end the session.

They don’t seem to really relax in the bathroom (tub or floor) and sometimes they will try to crawl into our laps as if they are seeking comfort from me or the bf. I have a feeling it may be because the bathroom fan (connected to the light) scares/stresses them. Should I be worried about this or is it normal?

[hannaroo]

If the fan is what’s scaring her that could be what’s delaying the grooming. If you can set up a neutral space similar to the size of your bath elsewhere that may help. You can always move them back if there’s any negative body language
If they then start grooming you can just increase the space and then move onto a semi neutral space when they are ready xx

[NuggetBuns]

We bonded them in the bathroom again last night without the fan on. We used a little lamp for lighting instead. Nugget seemed more stressed than Emilee actually. She would just sit in a spot as he hesitantly explored his surroundings, while breathing rapidly that it almost sounds like he’s squeaking. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, but it puzzles me that he’s still scared of being in the bathroom. He always tries to crawl into our laps or looks for an exit, so distracted instead of paying attention to Emilee. It was another boring 30 minute session and towards the end, she was cleaning her face while he ate his cecotropes next to her. That’s a little bit of progress, I guess… I tried pushing their faces together but both are too stubborn to give in to grooming. On several occasions, one would shove their head under the other’s butt or stomach, but nothing ever happens.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

I would seriously think about taking the next step

[hannaroo]

I agree, it’s probably the stress of the bathroom that’s holding them up. If it doesn’t work in the next step you can always go back to the bathroom.
As much as boring is well… Boring it’s a good sign as they’re not being aggressive towards one another x

[NuggetBuns]

Thanks NBO and hannaroo! I really appreciate the advice. I just finished an hour session in the hallway, giving them a small section the size of half the bathtub to bond in. It was around dinner time for them so I gave them their pellets hoping they would eat together. It took them a while to calm down and stop trying to look for an exit. They mostly cuddled, sticking their heads into each other for attention, but were always ignored! They both want kisses, but are too stubborn to groom one another, is this common? Nugget was so desperate, he shoved his face in the middle of her cleaning her hind legs AND in the middle of her scratching her head! She was basically kicking his face, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

 

Highlights: 

-They ate together with no issues, besides Nugget stealing Emilee’s pellets every now and then

-Nugget was very relaxed and stretched his hinds legs out for a long time 

-Emilee cleaned her face for a while and then FLOPPED right next to him 

-They fell asleep while snuggling

 

 

 

[MoveDiagonally]

Oh dear, so cute!

Grooming while encouraging to see is not necessary. Penny and Monty groom each other very rarely but they get along great. Dexter grooms both of them but rarely gets groomed himself.

[NewBunnyOwner123]

It took Sally awhile to groom Harley and she still rarely kisses him but Harley doesn’t seem to mind and even though he is the groomer, he’s also the more dominate bun. These two remind me a lot on Sally and Harley’s bonding. I say take the leap and go for an extended bonding session!

[hannaroo]

They seem very relaxed with one another which is a very very good sign!
If you want to move to the next stage it probably won’t hurt as they are getting on great but f you feel you want to wait that’s also fine as you know your bunnies best!
I think being away from the bath will defiantly benefit them as they have much more natural behaviour and obviously they have started to enjoy one another’s company!
Xxx

[Hazel]

You’re doing a great job, NuggetBuns!

Sadly I don’t have any advice on bonding, back when I got my pair I was completely clueless and just put them together. Fortunately it worked out. I’m so happy for Nugget and for Emilee too, of course! They make such a cute couple.

[jerseygirl]

Ah! I’m dyinggg. Lol. So beautiful, what a pair together.
I’m late but just want to say congrats on the new bunny NuggetBuns. She’s very pretty!

[NuggetBuns]

So this is what happened on Friday afternoon:

Thank you for all the encouraging words! I really appreciate everyone’s feedback and help with my first bonding experience.  

Friday: Got home after work and just wanted to bond them and decided to set up their session where they always hang out… next to the makeshift fence dividing up the apartment, like literally their shared space. It was the best bonding session they’ve ever had and they had no problems sharing a litterbox or a water bowl. We did a long hour and a half session, then took a break and that night I went for a 3 hour session, they were great with no fighting.

Saturday night: We tried a 5 hour bonding session and Nugget started grooming Emilee! Emilee still grooms Nugget more and didn’t hump him at all this weekend.

Sunday morning: Nugget got into Emilee’s area (dining room) and instead of freaking out, I let them run around and they seemed just fine. I was so happy to see that they were getting along in such a big space and I didn’t have to watch them as closely. Nugget hopped into Emilee’s cage a couple times and Emilee didn’t even care. At one point they were both in her cage, which shocked us b/c Emilee is usually territorial. They spent most of the day together, following each other, snuggling, and binkying! I was so happy, but didn’t know what would happen if Emilee went into Nugget’s area. Well, it happened last night and to my surprise, they were perfectly fine! Emilee even laid down in the middle of Nugget’s rug like she owned the place! As far as she was concerned, she was already living with him. 

I thought we had to clean Nugget’s space thoroughly before housing them together but no fights broke out when she was sniffing his cage, toys, litterbox. They haven’t fought at all, the most that happens is Nugget chasing her but I spray him before it turns into anything. I wanted to move them in together last night, but they haven’t spent 24-48 hours together, so I had to split them up again. 

Monday morning: They got to hang out for over 2 hours together before I went to work and all of a sudden, Nugget was honking and trying to hump Emilee!  I knew she wouldn’t like it because 1. He weighs twice as much as her, 2. She was always the humper/boss lady. He tried a few times so I sprayed him and I could tell he was frustrated. They ended up snuggling a lot after breakfast, but I’m still confused. Has the dominance role shifted to Nugget? She does groom him a lot now and he rarely grooms back. He’s also lazy about it, only grooming her ears and for a couple minutes. To me, it’s not fair and seems very selfish of him (I thought I raised him better) as she gives him long, thorough grooming sessions. What do you guys think? Do you think he’s dominant now?

[hannaroo]

It sounds like your bonding has been a success! It’s totally normal for them to figure out their higher arcey now and both of them will hump on another until they figure out who is dominant. I would clean their permanent home and keep them together from now on but stay vigilant and aware of any aggression! I’m glad they’re so compatable! Congratulations!!!!!

[jerseygirl]

Monday morning: They got to hang out for over 2 hours together before I went to work and all of a sudden, Nugget was honking and trying to hump Emilee! I knew she wouldn’t like it because 1. He weighs twice as much as her, 2. She was always the humper/boss lady. He tried a few times so I sprayed him and I could tell he was frustrated. They ended up snuggling a lot after breakfast, but I’m still confused. Has the dominance role shifted to Nugget? She does groom him a lot now and he rarely grooms back. He’s also lazy about it, only grooming her ears and for a couple minutes. To me, it’s not fair and seems very selfish of him (I thought I raised him better) as she gives him long, thorough grooming sessions. What do you guys think? Do you think he’s dominant now?

Grooming isn’t always about dominance. An interesting thing my vet mentioned is that anything done using the mouth releases endorphins. It made me think that the groomer gets something out of it just as much as the bunny being groomed. Some bunnies you’ll see are always eager to groom the other.

Regarding dominance, I believe it’s a changing thing. What you see initially in bonding can be different to what exists over the long term. Often things are more equal.

Maybe Nugget honking and humping was more excitement and being able to be with her again.

They look to be doing super.
I love the pic of Emilee holding down Nuggets head while she groomed his ear. Lol

[MoveDiagonally]

O.O The pic of her eating his ear is my favorite.

I agree with Jersey about the humping incident. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I think you could put them in their permanent home but you would want to watch them for 24-48 hours to make sure no issues crop up.

[NuggetBuns]

Yeah that’s my favorite too, even if it’s blurry. Accidental action shots are always the best.

He doesn’t try too hard to hump her, the bf says he’s quite gentle, maybe because he’s twice her size and knows he could hurt her… she usually runs away but he doesn’t always pursue. He’s smart to get the hint and stop unlike most human men. This week, I’ll just be letting them hang out together in the morning and when we come home after work. I am aware that they have to be together for 24-48 hours, and even though I feel very confident that they are bonded, I’m not ready to trust them by themselves for an entire night or day when I’m not there. I’ll be sure to thoroughly clean Nugget’s bachelor pad before moving Emilee in. I must say, I’m very proud of Nugget for letting Emilee hang out at his place, chew on his toys, lay on his rug… I’m lucky to have such an easygoing furbaby and I don’t take that for granted. I was expecting the worst after reading so many bonding threads on here.

Again, thank you all for the feedback and I will keep you posted when I do the full day (last) bonding session.

[NuggetBuns]

Over the weekend, we finally let the two lovebuns sleep together in Nugget’s area, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. So far, I have not seen them fight and the humping has decreased significantly. The only thing that worries me is that Nugget loves to eat more than Emilee. They have separate food bowls and portions, Nugget gets junior Oxbow and Emilee gets Adult Oxbow pellets. But Nugget loves to eat from hers and sometimes they will switch pellets, maybe for variety? Most of the time Nugget steals her food and she doesn’t care. It’s worse with veggies because Nugget eats all the good stuff and leaves Emilee the scraps. I read that most bonded pairs have one fast eater and eventually will slow down to match their other half’s eating speed or vice versa. This hasn’t happened yet to my pair =(

[LittlePuffyTail]

Can you separate them for meals?

Great to hear they are getting on so well together!

[NuggetBuns]

I tried putting Nugget’s bowl on one side of the room and Emilee’s on the other side, but they both end up eating out of each other’s bowls. I’m sure it’s not that big of a deal, but Nugget eats more than Emilee because he is bigger in size and he’s not an adult yet. I never know how much she’s really eating. I’ll start a new thread for this later.

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