Seriously considering bonding Fujoe..

[Lucy]

Hello everyone!
I’m seriously considering bonding Fujoe, but I’m not too sure. I want to do it eventually, but I don’t know if now is a good time..

Pros:
1. He spends about 1 hour (that I see) grooming his stuffed bunny friend that lives in his cage. I recently put in a stuffed cookie monster in there and he started grooming that too.. so it seems like he likes company.

2. We are gone during the day- so it would be nice for him to have a buddy

Cons:
1. This is my (and my bf’s) last semester of school- and we are preparing for a large thesis art show in april.. so really busy, we don’t know if we could spend time properly bonding two bunnies

2. Since we are so stressed, what if we have all of the same disctruction issues.. or more with the new bunny?

3. We MIGHT end up leaving to move to LA in may or sept… lease on the apartment till sept, we don’t know if we’ll sublet or if we’ll end up staying in chicago.. Would it be really stressfull to transport TWO rabbits instead of one??

I just need some comments… remember, Fujoe is really aggresive… so ya… I know I want to give him a friend, I just don’t know if it’s better to wait till school is over and I know where my life is leading me- LA or Chicago..

thanks everyone

[osprey]

It is really great that you love your bun enough to consider getting him a friend.  In many ways a bonded pair is easier to take care of than a single bun, particularly if you are out of the house alot.  I cannot comment on the destructiveness issue; we’re lucky our guys are all fairly good about not destrying our stuff.  One thing to consider though if you are going to move.  If you plan on moving by plane, most airlines only allow one animal in the cabin per trip.  So this would mean multiple trips, different trips, or putting the buns in cargo.  I will also say that while bonding is not a lot of work, it does take time and persistence, and someone needs to work with the buns and watch them to make sure nothing bad is happening.  If you are going to be busy with school or work, I would suggest waiting until you have more time.

[poopy]

If you are taking the buns by car it would be more comfortable to have 2 because they will have each other for comfort. Also, it wouldn’t hurt introducing Fujoe to some buns to see how it goes. If she finds one you think might be a love at first sight, then you wouldn’t have to worry about having time to watch them and stuff. With Medusa and Hecuba (who have been together for a week). After the first day I didn’t have to worry about watching them at all. I can tell they are both a lot happier, and Medusa looks less bored. She used to groom her stuffed animal too and that’s when I knew it was the right time to get her a husbun. I took her on a few dates with some other male rabbits beforehand and didn’t think they would be a good match. It was worthwhile though because I was able to get an idea of what her social personality is like (not dominant).

[dmh426]

SERIOUSLY Lucy, we need to talk. You and I are thinking pretty much the exact same thing. You are thinking of bonding Fujoe, and I am thinking of bonding Sophie. i am moving in September to a different time zone (by car) and am having a hard time deciding if now is the right time, how do I know when I find the right third for us, and all that jazz….. it’s so hard. it’s like deciding whether to have a second child!!!! (which is funny since I am single, 26 and my “child” has white fur with spots!)

[Lucy]

Well… IF we end up moving to LA… which I think will happen, but who knows. We would rent a U-Haul and drive all the way over. So as of right now, Fujoe would be traveling with us. I might consider having someone fly him over, or possibly using that van type boarding thing to transport him. But I think what would be best is for him to stay with us. But I’ll think about that once it gets closer.

Danielle- thinking about this stuff stinks! I want to do what’s best… I know he would want someone.. but can he wait 6 more months??

[Elena Niznik]

Hey, i bonded my female rabbit Boo almost 6 months ago and it was honestly the best thing I could have done for her. I thought she was a happy enough bunny until i got Rolo. The two bonded almost immediately but they have had their ups and downs.

Rabbits are socail animals and It sounds as if fujoe does like company. But i think you will know yourself if its a convenient for yourself. He is very handsome haha i think he would like a pretty lady to play with.

You may be lucky and bond them straight away or it could take some work. Try bunny dating thats what I did and it worked out well.

I hope it works out whatever you do.

[poopy]

Posted By tallullu on 01/26/2007 9:57 AM
Hey, i bonded my female rabbit Boo almost 6 months ago and it was honestly the best thing I could have done for her. I thought she was a happy enough bunny until i got Rolo. The two bonded almost immediately but they have had their ups and downs.

Rabbits are socail animals and It sounds as if fujoe does like company. But i think you will know yourself if its a convenient for yourself. He is very handsome haha i think he would like a pretty lady to play with.

You may be lucky and bond them straight away or it could take some work. Try bunny dating thats what I did and it worked out well.

I hope it works out whatever you do.

what do you mean they have had their ups & downs?

i say get fujoe a companion now. chances are, you really wouldn’t regret it unless it was a horrible match (fighting). though i’m sure you wouldn’t choose a bunny who would be a horrible match.

[Lucy]

Posted By poopy on 01/26/2007 12:02 PM

Posted By tallullu on 01/26/2007 9:57 AM
Hey, i bonded my female rabbit Boo almost 6 months ago and it was honestly the best thing I could have done for her. I thought she was a happy enough bunny until i got Rolo. The two bonded almost immediately but they have had their ups and downs.

Rabbits are socail animals and It sounds as if fujoe does like company. But i think you will know yourself if its a convenient for yourself. He is very handsome haha i think he would like a pretty lady to play with.

You may be lucky and bond them straight away or it could take some work. Try bunny dating thats what I did and it worked out well.

I hope it works out whatever you do.

what do you mean they have had their ups & downs?

i say get fujoe a companion now. chances are, you really wouldn’t regret it unless it was a horrible match (fighting). though i’m sure you wouldn’t choose a bunny who would be a horrible match.

I’m not asking for advice about IF  I should get Fujoe a companion… I know I want to.. But I’m asking if I should get one right now… As you can read from my first post, I have a lot of things coming up in the next few months… things I have been preparing for in the past four years.

I need people to let me know how much stress was it for them when they started to bond two rabbits- two rabbits whom got along in the beginning..

Osprey- thank you for the honest advice. How often do you hear of bonding going smoothly with the rabbits you adopt out?

Tallullu- I’m gald you told me that it was the best thing you could have done- yet, they have their ups and down. Could you explain those to me? Did they bond and you were able to put them together in the same cage right away? Were there fights that you had to break up?

Danielle- still with you, do we wait till after we move? (I might be going TWO time zones away)

Poopy- It’s the stress that will be put upon me and potentially my artwork that I am worried about. I can’t just get a rabbit and hope they get along, and if they do.. I don’t want to have to worry about Fujoe’s friend bitting me everytime I bend down… I don’t want this to be an impulse purchase

[Theresa Moan]

DMH, Where are you moving to?

[dmh426]

I’ll be moving in the fall to Nashville if all goes well. I can transfer through work (which is a Fortune 100 company) and I have a small apartment here so it will most likely be a ryder truck and towing the car behind. Sophie can sit in the front on my lap with me for at least part of the ride. BUT, if there is another baby, who do I hold? I know they will probably have each other to keep company on the ride to Nashville but part of me thinks I should wait until I’m settled in down there to adopt another bunny. I’ve taken Sophie to meet other bunnies that need adopting and she wasn’t interested. I am now reading that "disintrest" is good but I don’t really want to rock the boat by changing so much in her routine.  I work a second job and another bunny would be nice to keep her company, but what if she is the 1 in 1000 that likes being alone? You have to remember she was seperated from her litter young and really only knows me as "the mom".  (sigh) I am exhausted just writing all that.  

I’M DRIVING MYSELF CRAZY! I keep saying it will happen when it happens, but…..

She is always binkying and zooming and is a really happy bunny. I don’t want to see that change. She is my number one concern here. I want to improve her quality of life, not deter from it.  So the  "ups and downs" of bunny bonding scares me!

[osprey]

Posted By fujoethebunny on 01/26/2007 12:17 PM

Osprey- thank you for the honest advice. How often do you hear of bonding going smoothly with the rabbits you adopt out?

I do not mean to discourage you, Fujoe, I just want to let you know what you are facing.  At least for me, bonding my guys was stressful, it feels like it takes forever, and if you have other important things going on in your life at that time, it just compounds YOUR stress, which stresses the animals.

Our record of bonding is pretty good, but there are always failures.  When that happens the new bun generally comes back to us, and then we try again with a different bun.  If you find someone who is familiar with bonding to work with, they can usually tell pretty quickly if it will work or not.  I am just now learning some of the more subtle things to look for, we have people who have been doing this for years whose experience is very helpful.

Do you have any shelters and/or rescues near you where you could take Fujoe and have the initial introductions observed by someone who really knows bonding?  Maybe just taking Fujoe on some dates might give you some feel for the process and let you know if you have the time to do it now.

One thing in your favor is that taking a girl into an existing boy’s home is the second easiest bond to make (the easiest is two bunnies that are strangers to their house and to each other).  If you decide to go ahead with it, BinkyBunny has some excellent bonding tips, and the board is always here to offer advice.  Good Luck!  Let us know what you decide.

[skunklionshow]

As you know, our therapy program currently has 3-4 bunnies.  Our 2 females where thick as thieves, until Jessica unexpectedly gave birth.  Actually even after that (they were in the same cage when it happened), they were ok.  However, less than 4 days later Cookie visciously attacked Jessica.

After nearly $400, several weeks of cage rest, and major damage….the vet says that its highly unlikely they will ever be cagemates again.  So, after buying the girls a huge 5 level cage extravaganza….my hubby and I are taking Jess on as our house bunny and our program is down to 3 bunnies.

Here’s my advice…wait until after you move.  I moved my 3 cats from Chgo to Philly several years ago.  It was a pain in the heiny, but worth it.  Animals need more breaks than people and we had a tire blow out at one point.  So it was a drama!  Not to mention we had to acclimate the kitties to their new home.

Also, during the Jessica and Cookie saga I have been working on my dissertation.  That’s stress enough, but dealing w/ an injured bunny has made it even more stressful.

Let things settle!  I remember how stressful my undergrad music project and my roommate’s art show, so keep yourself afloat first.

Best of Luck from a former Chgo Gal (Columbia College grad and resided in BeverlyMorgan Pk, Rogers Pk., and Ravenswood). 

[BinkyBunny]

I also think you should wait until you move and until life is maybe not so stressful.  (If that ever happens).

I think that when we are stressed, that can really hinder the bonding process too.   

Regarding traveling, it can actually be easier for the bunnies to have their companion with them.  But obviously that wouldn’t be reason enough to bond right now.

You are very smart to really consider how bringing in another rabbit right now will affect things.  Sometimes bonding can go smoothly, but there is no way for you to know if it will be for sure, and it sounds like right now, if the bonding process needs alot of time and patience, then it would be much too stressful. 

You’re a great bunny mommy.

FYI:  Rucy is a more aggressive type of bunny, and she loves Jack, and is very affectionate with him.   He actually helped her become more friendly with humans.

[Lucy]

Thank you for all of the advice. This is what we have decided…

We are going to bunny date Fujoe. See how he does with other rabbits, and we aren’t going to force anything. If there is a bunny that he totally falls in love with, then we will adopt her. If it’s like ok feelings, then no.

There is deffinatly a shift in his attitude.. I think he bonded, or got used to the cat that was at the house we took him to when we went out of town for the holidays. He stays in his cage a lot more, and doesn’t run up to greet me when I get home. I don’t want to worry about another rabbit, but I don’t want to worry about his well being either.

we’ll see what happens.. if I am even eligable for adoption.. the form is sooooooo long.. i need 3 references, our landlord’s info, BOTH of our employeers… is it like this everywhere??

[wendyzski]

Where are you dating him?  I did the online app at Red Door and I don;t remember it being all that awful – mostly they want to make sure that you 1) have a lease that allows pets 2) can afford to feed and care for the pet and 3) aren’t gonna just foist it off on a kid.

[Lucy]

I’m doing it at Red Door… I’m a little freaked out, cause with our lease, we’re not supposed to have a pet… we were supposed to put in a deposit while signing the lease, so you are able to have pets here. The woman who we signed our lease in front of said it’s cause of how loud dogs are, and if we were to get a pet cat or something, it would be fine. The maintainence guy knows we have a rabbit and has asked how old Fujoe is and everything. But he hasn’t said anything to anyone, and I doubt he will.. I have a property manager, not a landlord. but I don’t want red door to be calling my property manager. They aren’t too fond of us anymore cause we had to call the city on them (the ceiling of our bathroom collapsed, and they didn’t do anything about it). So I don’t want them to find a reason to kick us out- even if I end up paying the deposit late. It’s one of those crazy situations.

Wendy- do they call the landlord and check? I mean, if they do.. then there will be no bunny dating at all. It would be good reason not to attempt to get another rabbit till we move. That alone would be too much stress. We’re both students.. would they give us a rabbit? I mean, we both have part time jobs…

They told me I had to wait till they called me before I could go in too.. oh well.. I’ll figure it out. But I’ll wait to send them the app till I know the whole landlord situation.

[BinkyBunny]

OYE!  I didn’t see your latest post, and responded to the earlier one with questions about your landlord.  Those have been answered here!  SO I deleted my post (just in case you read it), and here’ s a new response.

Well the landlord  permission is normal, but I have never heard of the three references and employers for both.  EGADS.   At least I don’t remember filling all that out when I adopted my bunnies from HRS and Animal Care & Control. 

I know that many places actually do call and check, so you definitely don’t want to take the chance.

EEK, what a sticky situation.   Can you tell the property management that you are going to get two bunnies, one of which you are going to get a red door shelter?  I know you said you don’t have a good relationship with the management, but would they refuse your pet deposit?     I guess, even if they were fine with you having two rabbits, you ‘d have to be careful that RDS didn’t spill the beans that you already had one.   Maybe you say Fujoe was staying at families,  until you could afford to take him in,  and now you can. ….. lie, lie, lie and lie some more.   I don’t encourage everyone to be deceptive, but I know that after what you’ve been through, there is no way, you are the type of person to give your bunny up!

I did create a pet agreement (for rabbits!). It includes a brief education about what having a house rabbit means.  I do plan on posting it somewhere on BinkyBunny at some point, just haven’t had the time.   But it has really helped landlords warm up to the idea.  That way, i don’t have to hide my bunnies or worry about something breaking that the landlord has to fix, etc.

[Lucy]

well… after the whole calling the city thing on our property manager, I would feel like they would do anything to get us out.. I ended up filling out the app for red door and where it said are you allowed to have pets, I put no. but then explained the situation that we were in.. that there is a pet deposit for our building and if we were bringing in something small and quiet that no one could hear then it would be ok. If red door refuses me on that (I was honest), then that’s fine. It means we don’t have to worry about the whole bonding issue at all.

Binky- I put you down as one of my references so, I hope that’s okay with you… you out of all people know that I would NEVER give Fujoe away, if I was that type of person it would have happened over summer.

It would be a shame if they didn’t think I was a good canidate though. It would make me sad… the other thing is last night I was looking at the available rabbits in LA and there are sooooo many more, and soo many more at kill shelters (Red door is a no kill shelter) and it would be good to get a bunny at a kill shelter..

The only reason I would be upset at red door is that I fell in love with a bunny, and I would want to know if Fujoe would love her too… here she is:
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=6646334

I really want to give her a home.. that would be the only reason I would be upset if they won’t let me bunny date…

BUT… for those who volunteer at shelters…is it unusual for it to take a while to get somebody INTO the shelter? I can’t even go in to visit the bunnies.. I have to wait till they call me back and they wouldn’t make an appt. over the phone. Even if I can’t adopt, I would like it if Fujoe had some exposure with other rabbits. But is that out of the question??

In the end… we figured out we just need to give Fujoe a lot more attention- just pet him for at least 2 hours a day.. which if we divide isn’t that bad. Also we have a new rule in the house.. no more laptop in the dining room.. we have to be either on the couch or floor of the llving room so Fujoe can interact with us. I think we’ll be ok for now if we don’t get a friend for fujoe

[osprey]

The shelters that we work with (all kill shelters, BTW) just have posted adoption hours where you come in and someone lets you see the animals that they have. Two of the shelters have advocate volunteers who know a lot about bunnies and can help with bonding and such. The other shelters have volunteers and staff that don’t know much about rabbits, so you’d be on your own bonding there.

It seems to me that Red Door is run more like a rescue, and is very selective about the adopters and which animals they can show you. Rescues often have sepecific days that adoption appointments can be made, because the bunnies actually live at foster sites.

[poopy]

This is what I have been suggesting from the beginning…..from all the time spent on this thread, Fujoe could’ve had several dates already!

[wendyzski]

I can’t be much help on the landlord issue but some more info:

You can always just go over to the shelter to meet the bunnies that are there but most of the rabbits don’t actually LIVE there – they are in foster homes.  I’m pretty sure the fire-buns are in foster care.   Also, you don’t just bring in your bun and wander around.  They set up an empty pen for you and you sit there with Fujoe while an experienced volunteer brings the other bunnies to you.  The volunteer stays there in case they REALLY hate each other and start fighting, so that you can quickly get them separated and no one gets hurt.  That’s why they need a bit more prep time for a dating session.

As for the kill/no-kill angle, remember that if you get a bun from Red Door they will turn right around and take in another rabbit from a kill shelter.  Pepper was originally picked up by Chicago Animal Care & Control, but it was Red Door that took her in, got her spayed, and then got her adopted out.

[BinkyBunny]

AH good, honesty!  well that  really  is the best route  – better than my evil lie lie lie route –  then you never have to worry.

 I do know that one of the top excuses people use to give up their animals is because the landlord was going to kick them out.  SO, depending on the shelter, they may feel obligated to deny you a bunny right now.     Plus,   I don’t know if they could get into legal issues if they knowingly allowed one of their animals to be adopted out to a place where they knew the landlord was not aware.  

So if they do refuse, don’t take it personally.  Even if you have great references. and  you made a wonderful impression, being on the other end of this whole shelter/ rescue part, and seeing so many animals surrendered, (many by people moving or from landlord issues) I know they would be just doing what they feel is in the long term best interest of the animal companion. 

I know how disappointing that would be to you, and I am sorry for that.   I can just imagine how sad I would feel.

Just try not to expect anything either way, and see what happens.

As far as it taking a while to get into the shelter, it depends on if it’s a big open to the public type of place, like the humane society or SPCA,  OR if it’s a private shelter that only a few people run.   Usually the smaller, private run shelters are understaffed, and it takes time for them to get through everyone.   But if it’s the type of shelter that anyone can just walk off the street and check out animals, then I am not used to responses taking more than 24 hours.

[Lucy]

So here’s the deal…

Red Door called me back- even though I was thruthfull and said NO on the app if I’m able to have pets in the apartment. I got two calls. The first one saying I was ok to adopt- though my vet is aparently NOT a good bunny vet and told me to go to one which is really far away. I like my vet, she really helped me with Fujoe’s aggression and other things and I trust her, so I’m not leaving her. Besides, this vet is a few blocks away from my house. So if something is wrong I can walk Fujoe or take a cab there. But the vet the shelter reccomended is like 40 mins to an hour away.. that’s very difficult if you don’t have a car and you’re relying on someone else..

Also I got the whole talk about pellets are bad and they shouldn’t be fed at all… I’m not too sure I believe that.

Then the next day I got another call from Toni the bonding person at Red Door and she wanted to know a little about Fujoe and his personality. She warned me that he might go for one of the “larger” ladies at the shelter. She aslo was very shocked that I was so happy with a dwarf and all of his attitude problems. She told me they have a hard time adopting out dwarfs because they growl and ar aggressive. I think it’s great. I couldn’t imagine having a docile bunny.. anyone who has a dwarf have the same experience? I thought it was just Fujoe’s personality, not cause of his breed..

Anyway, I told her if it wasn’t a perfect bond, I didn’t want to take home the bunny. Or if it was a potential bond, I would come back and re-date him. And if there is no bond- then that’s fine too. I don’t need to take anyone home. They were also shocked I said that- but happy- cause they now know this is for Fujoe NOT for me.

So there it is.. if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. That way I know I try and I don’t feel bad when I leave Fujoe alone trying to get all of my stuff done (damn that Catholic guilt of mine).

Thanks everyone for their imput. I’ve been thinking long and hard.. and I hope I make the right decision.

Oh- binky- I’m going to try to do that stunt double thing. I asked if I could bring a stuffed animal of Fujoe’s and leave it there for his girlfriend if it’s an instant bond or a semi- bond. I wouldn’t take anyone home that day, I would wait just a few days. That way she can get used to his sent and hopefully there won’t be as many poop wars here. I’m going to try to take some of her fur..I sound sick.. and stick it in a nuetrual stuffed animal and give it to fujoe. we’ll see if I can bond them before they get home.

So I go to the shelter next saturday. – it stinks when you are relying on someone for a ride. and we’ll see what happens then.

[LillyBear]

ooh you are lucky!!! I fell in love with Hayward from Red Door… but I can’t take him home. Right now I am living in a condo with my bf that his parents own 😮 eep. And while they don’t live here they said if we get another bunny we will have to leave. And honestly our situation is too nice to just up and leave! When we save up and get our own place in a few years (after I graduate med school) then we will get another bun… I was pretty upset about not being able to get another bun for a while… but I think Ive mostly dealt with it now.. anyway… have fun!!

[wendyzski]

Yay for Fujoe!  Yay for you!

They have a LOT of lady-bunz over there now I noticed.  Fujoe is so fiesty that it is very likely it would take a larger and more laid-back bun to cope with him.  I wish you both the best of luck.  I have an extra carrier if you need to borrow it if/when you bring somebun home, and I live about 10 blocks from Red Door, though I will be out of town next weekend.

Lily, I’ve not met Hayward, but Elliott is the sweetest little bunny-boy you have ever met.  I petted him thru the top of his cage and he just melted!

[Lucy]

well everyone I ended up going to Red Door yesterday.. but came home with no bunny…. BUT I learned some very important things about Fujoe that I wasn’t aware of.

First of all– Wendy, Elliott isn’t there anymore, they’ve adopted him out amanda- we tried to bond hayward to Fujoe… long story and I’ll get to that…
so. I went to Red Door and we started to bunny date. The first bunny we put in was the bunny I fell in love with. Her name is Dana and here she is:

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=6646321

She is sooo cute and so tiny! She’s smaller than Fujoe and she has a bigger attitude! I fell in love with her little grunts and growls. As soon as I started petting her she melted. There was also some tooth purring! But with Fujoe it was a different story. He went straight for her and tryed to mount her- again and again. She’s really quick and was able to run away, but he was CRAZY!! I had never seen Fujoe mount ANYTHING!! I don’t know what got into him. He was insane! He finally calmed down a little and there was some ignoring and off to the next bunny…

We got another bunny a silver fox mix.. but as we were swaping bunnies I had brought one of Fujoe’s stuffed animals and asked if I could put it in Dana’s cage. It was okay, and once Dana was alone with Fujo’s stunt bunny she started growling at it and then preceeded to mount it. It was really great. She was soo aggresive to this stuffed bunny, and we thought she had enough, we tried to take and it away and then she started protect it and wouldn’t let it go!

Anyway, we ended up trying two other females (larger than Fujoe) and he was humping like crazy. Mounting from the back and on the head. The girls were getting angry and were fighting back. There was fur everywhere… I had no idea how he had all of this in him! My bf suggested we just try two males… just for bonding sake’s since Fujoe hasn’t really been around other bunnies.

He mounted both bunnies…a lot. Hayward was one of the bunnies. What a sweetheart. He just took Fujoe’s humping. The boys took it better than the girls. We put in this huge lop… like 10 pounds or so in with Fujoe (who is 4 lbs) and he was just munching on hay as Fujoe was humping away.

I was soooo shocked. at the end we put Dana back in and there was a lot of ignoring, but in the end I decided to go back this Sat and re-date them. I’m 99% sure that she’s coming home with me this weekend. She’s really perfect, and she’s the best date Fujoe had. But this is why also.. We ended up talking with Sue (the woman who took Fujoe when we went out of town for the holidays) about Fujoe and Squid the cat. She told us that he would try to mount her quite frequently. Not only that, but they would divert Fujoe’s attention off of chewing wires by throwing his stuffed rabbit toy into the middle of the room. Fujoe would run to it and start to mount it. I’m still shocked because I have NEVER seen him mount anything at my apartment before. So I have a theory… that when NOT in his territory he becomes overly territorial and will go after anything. I’m thinking that’s why he was mounting everysingle bunny we put into the cage with him.. and his stuffed rabbit toy. I have a feeling if I take a bunny home and try to bond here that it would be a TOTALLY different experience.

I hav ean idea, and I don’t know if this sounds okay or not.. but has anyone ever tried to bond in a non nuetral place? If I take home Dana and have her run around the living room while Fujoe is in his cage and then set up the x-pen in the middle of the floor… if he would be accepting and not mount so qucikly since everything smells like him? It’s just an idea. I also think if they are side by side for a few days that they’ll get used to each other’s scent.

Anyway.. that was long but the update. I can’t stop thinking about little Dana…

[osprey]

Wow, it sounds like you had quite a day on Saturday!  Some boys are hump-monsters, particularly if they were raised as only buns.  It will pass as he gets used to not being the only bunny in the universe.

In terms of bonding in his space, that is usually the second step to the bonding process that we recommend at The Haven (bond in neutral space, then housing in the existing buns space near each other but seperated, then play in the existing buns’ space, then finally house together.)  It might work, but please be ready with your trusty towel or gardening gloves to break them up if they start biting.

[Lucy]

ya… I just got the same advice from Toni- the bonding woman from Red Door.. she sent me to this site which had some really good info:

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml

I hope he snaps out of it quickly… he was so tired at the end of the day.. he was barely hanging on and moving- my little boy had some will!

oh, by the way… i left Fujoe’s stuffed rabbit friend with Dana at the shelter. I’m hoping she’ll get used to his scent so he’s not overwhelmed by him when she gets here.

[BinkyBunny]

You might even consider getting a second stunt double so that he can get used to her too.   Or by this time her scent might be strong enough on it that you could see how he reacts with it at home.   Plus this will both allow them to hump to their hearts content without the other getting all bent about it. : )

I still recommend starting in the most neutral territory you have at your own home.  In his own territory, he may be even worse, since he would be reinforcing that not only is he boss of any place, this is actually HIS place.  So  you’ll need to really be careful.

OOPs.  I had to edit this!!  I misunderstood something about Dana. For some reason I thought she was humping him.   EESH it’s, late.   Anyway.  Ignoring on the second try is a good sign.

. I  have learned a long time ago with bonding that though there are ways to help guide success, there is never really any one and only method that works for everyone everytime.   Most of the time successful bonding is combining what you’ve researched with your own twist.  

It sounds like you are being smart about it and not forcing the little cute gal to make it work, as I know it must have been hard for you to leave her cute self behind – for now.  

I know with my first bunny’s bonding experience,he did not fall in love with MY favorite  I was bummed,  and the bunny that actually worked was not even my second or third choice, but they really liked each other, and I fell in love with his choice soon after I brought her home.

I can’t tell you what a nightmare it is when they don’t bond.  It is really stressful, and I’d hate to see you back dealing with that kind of stressful situation now that Fujoe had finally gotten his act together.

Check out my links page too – there is a section of great articles about bonding that may be further help to you.  https://binkybunny.com/LINKS/tabid/67/Default.aspx  (the rabbitnetwork one is included)

I soo hope your favorite works out!! She sounds adorable, but I just advise you to continue to be open.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you and sending out happy easy bonding vibes your way! The fact that they started ignoring each other was a very positive sign!   Ignoring usually means they don’t consider the other a threat.

OH, and also, if you do bring her home and put their cages near each other, just be sure to keep them about an inch away so they can’t bite each other’s nose and face.   It’ has also been recommended to switch litterboxes. 

Since she seems to be a feisty gal too, you may have some poop wars to deal with, but once they become bonded, that usually stops. 

[Lucy]

Thanks Binky- I’m sure there will be poop wars, but I think I can deal with that. i couldn’t believe how big larger bunnies poops are! They kind of creeped me out! LoL! at least it’ll be tiny little poops.

We got another set of organizer cube things so we’re going to build her own fortess of solitude and but them by eachother. I’ll make sure to leave some space so they can’t bite eachother. She’s so tiny though that we might need to put some extra levels or something. I can’t imagine her jumping that high.. I mean, sometimes if Fujoe isn’t paying attention he’ll get clotheslined by the level he’s trying to jump to. It’s really sad, but really funny.

A lot of their rabbits are in foster homes… it’s odd, so there is one more girl we can try to bond him with- her name is Bambi and she’s a rex. She just got fixed some time last week. The bonding person said she didn’t know how well that would go because she keeps to herself and is really gentle- Fujoe might hurt her. But if she’s feeling ok, then we’ll try to bond her too. But it seemed that Dana was the only one who wouldn’t let Fujoe act up. There was a lot of ignoring at the end and a lot of flopping.

The volenteers also said they had never seen Dana act so well before. I guess she’s really a crazy little one and calmed down a lot. I don’t know if it was cause of me or cause of Fujoe.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed, but not too tightly. I know this sounds weird… but it’s kind of nice to focus on something else besides my BFA show piece. It’s like giving me a breather and something to look foward to… also, we might be spending once extra year in Chicago.. once again, who knows, so we don’t have to worry about moving so quickly.

[Gravehearted]

wow – what a Saturday! It sounds like your little boy is hellbent on being in charge.

It will be interesting to see if Fujoe’s less territorial home. Hareiette is the opposite, she’s pretty mellow when bonding out of the house, but turns into a grunting she-bunny beast at home!

The volunteer mentioned that Dana acting differently around you and Fujoe, it doesn’t surprise me I really think that pets pick US, and my guess is she already knows that you and Fujoe are going to be her family. I’ve seen some bunnies personalities change dynamically when the right family / bunny comes in to the adoption show! Also, in regards to what binky said – it’s true, we pick the first rabbit and they pick all the rest!

Let us know how date two goes this weekend 🙂

[Deleted User]

wow! It seems like a fun time =) Very eventful. Hope everything on Saturday works out!

[Lucy]

Hey everyone! so we ended up getting another bunny.. her name is Patina! She’s a dwarf of some sort.. not really sure what type. So the bonding session went really well at the shelter, but when we tried to bond them here, Fujoe went crazy with the mounting again. This time Patina is taking it very well. There’s little struggle on her part. BUT HE WON”T STOP MOUNTING HER!! He’s going crazy, I don’t know what to do to crub his behavior. It seems like she wants to be friends, but he only wants to mount, till he gets too tired to do it anymore…

It’s not too stressfull as they both have plenty of room to play with. Patina has the living room and Fujoe has the dining room. The are okay when they are next to eachother in the cage… we’ll see what happens. I hope this humping thing gets out of fujoe’s system

[Lucy]

oh ya… the ONLY aggression is the mounting. No biting, lunging, grunting or anything on both parties. There’s a bit of thumping. When we don’t allow Fujoe to mount he’ll thump in frustration… and when Patina has had enough she’ll thump. Is this a good sign?

[poopy]

One thing that I found is really positive is when they are both side by side (you can kinda push them or place them there- making sure their heads are close together) pet them both. They usually relax and they can enjoy the petting as equals.

[Gravehearted]

aww, Patina is such a sweet name! happy new bunny! She’s spayed, right?

Mounting is a form of communication and a way of establishing dominance, not a sign of sexual activity. It will likely stop or lessen over time as the rabbits’ relationship solidifies. Hopefully within a week, there will be much less humping!! Figuring out who is boss isn’t always easy!

If that’s the only sign of aggression is humping that’s a good sign! But don’t be surprised if she suddenly decides to hump him, sometimes that happens during this negotiation period. It’s not surprising Fujoe’s been on a hump fest at home, since that’s his territory, so he has bigger stakes on proving he’s the boss. If she starts to become really stressed over the humping, you might want to pet her and whisper nice things while he’s humping – but also limit Fujoe’s humping to about 15 seconds before lifting him off her.

One important thing is making sure he doesn’t hump her face, since she could potential bite his boy bunny parts, which would be very bad. If he humps her face, pick him up and turn him the other direction right away.

keep us updated!

[wendyzski]

Awwwwww!

Maybe once Patina gets more comfy in her new home she will put Fujoe in his place.  Girl-bunz can be very bossy.  I hope they work things out – it sounds pretty positive.  I can imagine the games of chase-the-ping-pong-ball they will get into….

[Lucy]

gravehearted- she is spayed since I got her at a shelter.. So, the mounting isn’t sexual at all? He does become errect (if that is the correct bunny term- the little pink/red thing comes out) and I’m pretty sure he ejaculated last night to some degree.. he had what looked like an orgasm and when I picked him up he had a little drop of liquid where his penis is.. I feel a little perverted, sorry about this. I don’t know if I should call the vet and ask if this is normal… if rabbits are cabable of doing this or not. or if anyone knows of this being normal, that would be great.

she hasn’t tried to mount him- she did hump his stunt double the first time I put it in with her at the shelter, but that was it. Now she grooms it.. as does he with her stunt double..

if anyone is curious about my bonding I’m going to try to keep everything on this forum under behaviors:
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/forumid/3/postid/4445/view/topic/Default.aspx

[Gravehearted]

well I’ve always heard humping generally isn’t sexual during bonding… but I certainly have seen neutered males perk up signifigantly around unspayed females. I wonder how long ago she was spayed at the shelter, maybe she still has some horomones running around that are making Fujoe crazy? It sounds like in his case it may be partly sexual though.
Some neutered bunnies do enjoy humping, Viktor likes to hump Dori sometimes. I know neutered boys can still become erect, it’s just there’s no viable sperm. Wish I had better advice to give you…

[BinkyBunny]

That reminds me, Jack does his little love buzz and honk and want so to mate with Rucy, and they’ve been neutered/spayed for years.  She’ll give in every once in awhile.

[Lucy]

it’s odd because he just won’t stop. She even licked his face, he thumped and tried to mount her again. I know she was at the shelter at a very young age- they had her parents. And she’s over a year old, so she had to be spayed a while back.

[Author]

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