Quick bonding question!

[Maria]

Hey guys I was on this forum last year trying to bond my three girls, after seeking bonding help I gave up on the bond as it was getting too stressful for the buns.

Now I have a boy bun (Yusa) for my single girl (Koori). I’ve had him neutered and done everything by the book. One month on and they have been having playdates in my car. It was love at first sight for him and he was a little amorous for her, sticking his heas under hers and mounting her. She did nip him a few times and he chased her if she ran away but nothing serious. He grooms her and flops next to her.

I put them in the kitchen yesterday for an hour (neutral territory). She was a little scared and huddled in a corner and he was happy. I ended it when he kept mounting her and she was getting annoyed.

Today they have been in the kitchen for two hours, no humping yet, he is grooming her and flopping and she is huddled in the corner. She doesn’t seem as scared and it’s more meatloaf position then scared and she has hopped around a bit and groomed herself. I’m happy to walk away for a bit now.

My question is: Shall I end the meeting now and do again tomorrow or leave them together. There is conflicting advice that I’ve read when it comes to this point in the bond. Some say that leaving them together could make them fight as they get more confident in the surroundings and others say that breaking them apart means that they have to redo the same ground tomorrow. I would appreciate your advice. Thanks.

[Stickerbunny]

I would keep doing meets, but lengthen them as they go well – mine were together for first 10 minutes, then 30 minutes, then an hour, then 2 hours, 4 hours, then 8 hours. After about 3-4 days of the all day play dates and no issues, I let them spend their first night together and after that, they lived together permanently.

[Monkeybun]

If they are doing well, I would say extend the session. Don’t let it get to the point where they are annoyed at each other, but it definitely helps to give them more time together if it is going great.

[Elrohwen]

I would make the sessions as long as you feel comfortable and so that you’re ending on a good note. Some pairs can immediately be together for fairly long periods of time and there’s no reason not to.

[Maria]

I ended it when I went to bed last night. I started again 10mins ago and will go as long as I can again. She is still not 100% happy with him and they spent a long time yesterday laying next to each other. He did hump her a bit but she started thumping him and he got the idea.

I was thinking that instead of reintroducing them to either of their terrioties (bedroom and bathroom) that instead I would shake up the bunnies living arrangements and move my bonded pair into the bedroom and have these two stay in the kitchen (where I am bonding them) and open it up to the living room at a later point. The living room is where my bonded pair are at the moment.

Has anyone else done this before? Any repercussions? It’s already poop city at the moment. My bonded pair used to have free reign to the whole flat so they will be happy enough in the bedroom. I wouldn’t do anything until at least the weekend and carry on the bonding sessions every evening.

[Maria]

As a thank you for the advice you guys have given me, here is a photo of the two buns in question, taken just now. Koori is the light brown bun and Yusa is the black bun. They are both Lion Lops.

[Author]

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