Pen Positioning + Free Roaming

[jmdb]

Hi everyone,

I have two bunnies, Monkey (8 months old, spayed since 2 months ago) and Tokki (3.5 months, getting neutered on Tuesday). I am going to attempt bonding for the first time once Tokki is ready – I know that’s still a while away but I want to start preparing now so I can have a plan and feel a little more confident moving forward.

I’ve done lots of reading and research, but just have a couple of things that I’m confused about about.

Question 1: I know it will be 4-8 weeks before we can begin bonding, but when is it okay to begin pre-bonding?

Monkey currently has free roam of the entire house except the master bedroom, and Tokki is living in the master bedroom (and hasn’t yet discovered the rest of the house). Monkey has one bedroom that is “hers” and she has free roam of that room when we are not home/at night. When we are home, we leave her door open and she usually hangs out on the sofa or balcony with us.

We’ve been keeping them as far from each other as possible because somebody on here informed me that it’s not worth starting the pre-bonding until Tokki has been neutered since his scent will change. Do I need to allow some time for his scent to change post-surgery before I can think about pre-bonding? Or can I begin the pre-bonding as soon as he has recovered from surgery? I’d like to begin pre-bonding as soon as possible because Monkey is very territorial, especially in the bedroom that is “hers”.

Question 2: During pre-bonding, should they be living side by side? 

I understand that the buns should be living side by side (with a gap to stop them biting each other!) while bonding, but is this the best way to go about pre-bonding too? Or should I keep them in separate rooms until I’m ready to begin the bonding process and only swap their bowls etc?

And that leads me on to the final question…

Question 3: I don’t have any neutral space left in the apartment!

If/when I house them side by side, I don’t have anywhere that is neutral. Therefore, am I right in thinking I need to create a neutral space? I read that this is possible by blocking access and doing a deep clean with white vinegar, then leaving it for at least a week. If that’s the case, I can do this on one side of the living room. However, Monkey currently has access and I don’t want to stop her going in the living room altogether – can she still free roam the rest of the living room (except for the blocked off space) or is this too close and will still pick up her scent?

 

Sorry if these are silly questions. I’ve been reading lots but I want to be 100% sure I’m doing the right thing since this is my first time.

 

[DanaNM]

Not silly questions at all! And also don’t worry too much, because all of this stuff is really guidelines, and it is very possible to bond bunnies in a range of circumstances. Some things just seem to make things go a bit easier.

You can start pre-bonding once he is healed from his surgery. Hormones in males will drop a long during the recovery time (about 2-3 weeks), and then continue to drop after that. You might see lots of pee and poop wars, but that should all get better over time. If he is still acting crazy hormonal 3 weeks after, you might decide to wait a little just to have less pee clean up to do, but it’s your call. And during bonding there can be lots of marking anyway, so no guarantee that waiting longer will be that much better.

They should def live side-by-side during pre-bonding if possible. So if I understand correctly, do all rooms in the house currently have a bunny in them?

If possible, once you start pre-bonding, I think it would be best to set up Tokki and Monkey in side-by-side pens in the bedroom that Monkey currently has all her “stuff” in. Then, every day or every other day, swap who is in what pen. In terms of exercise time, I have found it easiest to alternate who is free-roaming (so one bun gets all day, other bun gets all night), assuming they are both OK to be roaming unsupervised. Alternatively you can divide the space with fencing, but this can be annoying to deal with. You will want to make sure the pens are very secure, so they can’t jump in or out, and can’t nip each other through the fencing. I like using NIC cube grids for temporary bunny housing during bonding, and I found these “nose guards” that you can use to prevent nipping: https://binkybunny.com/forums/topic/nose-guards/

Now, Monkey will NOT be pleased about this, but part of the process is getting the original bun used to the idea that they are going to be sharing their territory. I think it will be easier down the line if you do the pre-bonding in the area that she views most strongly as her territory.

In terms of neutral space, I would choose an area that has had the least bunny activity and is farthest away from where you set up their pens. Bathrooms and kitchens can work well, because they are easier to clean and most buns don’t like spending too much time in them. Rabbits are very smell oriented, so the more unfamiliar you can make it smell, the better. I probably wouldn’t do anywhere the living room, even if you don’t allow her in, because it likely smells very familiar with the couch etc. But, I also wouldn’t feel bad about limiting Monkey’s space to just 1 room for a bit during bonding. The living room might be a good “semi-neutral” area, so it might be good to reserve it for that purpose. Remember it’s only temporary!

There may be some trial and error with the space. Worst case, start asking around for some friends that might let you do some sessions at their place. I used to live in a studio apartment, and I had a lot more success when I bonded away from home (vs. in my bathroom).

. . . 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.  

[jmdb]

Thank you so much for this!!

We’d actually been thinking of using the living room and my plan was the keep Monkey out of it this week and do a full clean. She’s only ever in there when supervised, so it’s the most communal room in the apartment. I was thinking to put two pens in there, then let them out onto the balcony in turns for exercise.

My thinking was that this would give me a month or so to totally clean Monkey’s room (which is also my office – I used to work there every day but it’s 2-3 days per week at the moment and likely to stay that way) and attempt to make it as neutral as possible before moving them both in.

Monkey has been a little bit territorial when I go into the office this week and I’ve been working with my feet up to stop her spontaneous circling! Would this affect the decision? She was very territorial when Tokki came home at first, but then over time accepted his scent and we could even hang out on the floor of her room without her seeming to care. Then, this week, she suddenly seems to care again (albeit not so much) but I’m guessing it might be because Tokki’s hormones have kicked in a little.

We won’t be moving them in for a week or so, but it’s really great to have this input so we can (hopefully!) make the best decision, so thank you once again.

[DanaNM]

That sounds like a good plan!

im guessing his hormones are making her circle. All should be better after he gets the snip!

. . . 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.  

[jmdb]

Thank you! Once again, that’s really reassuring. He’s getting the snip tomorrow, so wish me luck 😀

[DanaNM]

Good luck! I’m sure you’ve heard not to fast him before hand, and have them send you home with some pain meds. Males usually recover much more easily from neuters than females from spays, so I’m sure it will be smooth sailing.

I would prob wait a full two weeks to move them, just so he’s totally healed and his hormones aren’t raging anymore (mostly so you have less pee cleanup to deal with). There will still be some fluctuations for a few more weeks but they will be a lot lower.

. . . 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.  

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