Switching bonding locations

[attemptedquad]

Is it bad to move bunnies to different locations when bonding? I feel like I see the best results when I switch rooms every few days. For example, I bonded the bunnies for a few days in the kitchen, couple days in the bathroom, and I’m thinking about trying the living room next. I think it helps with territorialness. I know when “cementing”, the idea is you don’t want to reintroduce them into their original territory because that could trigger a fight, but is there any harm in switching up neutral areas?

[Wick & Fable]

While it can be a good tactic if the “new location” vibe allows for those initial dates to go well, if you continue to do it whenever tension arise, you will not be providing the rabbits the opportunity to communicate and begin figuring out their dynamic in a space they are both familiar with. The benefit of maintaining the same “neutral” space is that the relationship ideally progresses positively as their familiarity with the area increases, so the big transition from neutral to semi-neutral perhaps will not be as jarring.

You can find more information on bonding here: https://binkybunny.com/infocategory/bonding/

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.

[DanaNM]

I have often seen a benefit of switching locations, as long as they are similarly neutral. Sometimes if a neutral space gets stale and less neutral before they really work out their relationship, things can stagnate. I wouldn’t expect that to happen over a couple sessions though, usually that’s over multiple weeks. I also think that buns that bond over multiple spaces have a more stable bond, and are less likely to have issues if you move, or go to the vet, for example. I don’t really have any data on that, but it’s an observation based on people’s experiences on the forum and with my own buns.

I used to live in a tiny apartment and often took my buns to other places for bonding. I think especially if your spaces are not as neutral as you’d like, moving around might be helpful.

I think with bonding the best rule of thumb is that if things are working, stick with it!

. . . 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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