Separation while pre-bonding?

[buntastic]

I’m bonding two rabbits, and progress has been really slow so far. They’re able to interact calmly through a barrier, but not face-to-face yet.  Their home pens are currently in separate rooms. I’d like to move them into the same room (separate pens) 24 hours a day to get more used to one another.

In about five weeks I’m going out of town. I don’t think they’ll be bonded in that time, based on their interactions so far, and the bunnysitter that was lined up doesn’t think they’ll be able to keep two rabbits that aren’t bonded, so I may have to separate them during that week to be bunnysat by two different places. Does anyone know if it would cause them stress to separate after getting used to living side-by-side if they are not fully bonded yet? If so, I want to make sure I continue keeping them separate until after the trip.

[DanaNM]

If they aren’t bonded then it likely won’t stress them out, even if they have been living side by side. So I think it would be safe to proceed with the plan to move them next to each other as neighbors.

The only thing that could be a little tough to judge would be what to do if they are very newly bonded, or almost bonded. In that case you wouldn’t want to separate them completely, but you may not feel comfortable leaving them with a pet sitter together. So maybe the best plan would be just focus on pre-bonding until your trip, and then after you get back you can start with full sessions?

. . . 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.  

[buntastic]

Thanks! I think that’s what I’m going to do. They can still enjoy their time side-by-side for now and we’ll resume full bonding after the trip.

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