Question about bonding…Added PICTURES!

[Alicia]

So Drue and Tucker have been side by side in their condos for the last year.  They have always gotten along great between the bars but when put together Tucker always growled at him.  Well, today I was redoing their condos and Mike decided he wanted to let them try again being together in a pen while we remodeled a bit….and they did pretty well I think!

 

There was a lot of humping..by both of them..but the bun that was being humped was usually pretty submissive about it.  Like Drue would hump Tucker and she’d just lay down like “ok go at it” and then she would get on him and he’d lay down like “ok your turn go ahead”.  A few times they went around in circles and a few times the one being humped ran away and there was a little chase.  There was NO growling, no biting as like fight biting..there was a few um..mis grooms and a few times that some fur got pulled during the humping but never any fight about it and no growling what so ever.  A few times Drue would get on top of her side and just like lounge with her underneath him halfway..didn’t seem to be in a humping way and Tucker didn’t seem to mind.  They lounged next to each other quite a bit and there was even some grooming!!  They’ve now been together for about 4 hours..I hate to separate them because they’re loving the time together, but I know I probably should….how will I know when they’re completely bonded..the only “issue” we’ve seen today was the humping..but like I said..neither of them really seemed to mind it that much!  Is humping always a bad thing? 

 

Oh and they’ve been in their shared space the whole time too, after they were doing well in the pen we opened the pen up to the condo area and they’ve been sharing each other’s condos and litter boxes all day…it’s been an amazing day for them..don’t know what caused the turn around..maybe it was just that Mike was there and was calm and it wasn’t just me going “oh! oh! oh!” every time they chased? LOL

[Alicia]

I went in there again to do some observing and take some photos so that maybe I can try to disect what is happening lol…They seem to really be getting along well, when I was in just now there wasn’t even any humping!  I changed their litter boxes and freshened up their hay and water and they both came over to say hello and then went back to paying attention to each other.  Here is the pics..sorry I know it’s a lot of them!

 

Oh and I know the place is a mess lol…I missed vacuuming time because they were playing and now it’s too late to vacuum because my husband is working in the next room and my kids are asleep!  And WOW two buns playing together make MUCH more of a mess then two buns each playing by themselves!

 

  This is how they were when I came into the room, just kind of sitting there.  Not sure what to make of Tucker’s ear language, but that’s her normal bun loaf position, she rarely flops..and Drue’s ears are both down which is not the norm so this means he is really relaxed.  For him flopping is a normal thing.

 

  After the disturbance of me being there Drue went into his condo more and laid down and of course Tucker followed lol

  Here she is adding a new door to his basket, she did the same thing in hers, Mike says that it’s just like a typical woman..moving in and changing everything lol

  Tucker eating some of Drue’s hay in his litter box after it was changed…Drue loafing as usual…

  She came up behind him and he thought she was going to hump I think..because he hopped off..

 He didn’t stay away for long though and went back to where she was..

  And she groomed him, I think she’s grooming his eye a bit too much though…

 Instead of returning the groom he went back to lay down again….is it just me or does she look ticked??

 She forgives him though because his bunny butt makes a comfy pillow…

 I wish I could have gotten a better shot of her face, but through the cage on the other side you can see that her eyes are almost shut, she was so comfy there on his butt LOL

  He doesn’t look so sure about it haha..he’s like um that’s my butt..you’re not going to hump me are you?  But he didn’t move and either did she and that’s how I left them

 

 

 

 

[Monkeybun]

Aww they are adorable. Would be great if they decided they could live with each other And I must say, Drue does look like he’d make a good pillow LOL

[Deleted User]

Your rabbits have already bonded. if there is no fighting, and sharing of litter boxes etc. you can leave them together to let their bond cement now. Tolerated humping can be part of a rabbit bond. — congrats!

[Alicia]

Can it really be that easy though??? LOL  Today was the first day we ever really let them together for more then a few minutes.  They’ve been doing exceptionally well though..and you know..Tucker is even being nicer to me now that she is playing with Drue, normally she’ll growl at me if I pet her but now she’s just sitting there letting me pet her!  

 

So far I haven’t seen Drue groom Tucker, but Tucker has been grooming him a lot, I guess she’s accepted that he’s going to be the dominated one, and since she’s grooomed him he hasn’t really seemed to hump her, I guess grooming is better then humping LOL..but she keeps grooming his eye, he’s going bald there!  Maybe it’s like when you first learn to kiss and it doesn’t go so well at first lol. 

 

And yes, I agree..he DOES look like he’d be a good pillow!  I personally think Tucker lets Drue get away with murder because he’s so darn cute LOL

[mrmac]

Yes I’d say they are bonded! I would leave them together and let them settle into being together! Congrats!

[Alicia]

I’m contemplating sleeping in there just to make sure there’s no fights during the night, they’re in my daughter’s room and she’s away visiting her step mom for a few weeks anyway so there is a bed I could sleep in..but being in there all night might really upset my allergies..so maybe I’ll just keep my door open and their door open, we’re right next door.  They’ve been alone (with my husband nearby) all day and they’ve been ok so I think they’ll be alright, they look too sweet and happy together that I’d hate to separate them overnight.  I’m working on uploading a video of them but it’s taking forever!

[mrmac]

The first night I had two of mine together, I slept in the bedroom but with the door open.

[Alicia]

Not sure if this will work but I’ll give it a shot..here’s a quick video I got..not the greatest but just trying to try out videos basically!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROMQ5h4sB6k

[MarkBun]

I’d also say let them be together 24/7 and don’t pull them apart unless there’s some serious fighting issues. Humping is fine.

[Deleted User]

Cute video, and cute pictures I love the butt pillow ones

Have they been together since you last posted? I’d love an update, I do agree with everyone else that you should keep them together 24/7 now

[Deleted User]

Nevermind lol, I just saw your other post… sorry

[Alicia]

LOL yep their full time now  They’ve actually been full time  since that day..it was the first day that Tucker didn’t growl right off the bat..and I guess then after she got used to him she didn’t feel the need t be crabby anymore??  But whatever it was she now reserves her growls only for me..Drue is fine, my husband is fine..but occasionally I get a growl if I try to pet her..other times she’s fine…  But..she doesn’t seem to ever get snippy with Drue so that’s what’s important!

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