time to give up?

[ashley495]

 have been rebonding my 2 neutered males for 6 weeks now. They played nicely all day yesterday and spent the night together last night with me camping next to them. Today has seen more playing and grooming so thats about 36 lovely hours. And then 20mins before bedtime, a fight has just happened. So ive divided their pen back in half – as they have been for the last month. So i feel like my weekends work is wasted and maybe i should jyst give up????

[MoveDiagonally]

I think I’ve read from other members, tanlover or NewBunnyOwner123 I think, that you should NOT separate them at that point in bonding if they fight. It can cause more fights because they learn that they can just fight and get the other out of their way.

Have you tried stress bonding them? A lot of people take them for car rides but here is a good thread with tips on stress bonding without a car:
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/124529/Default.aspx

[LittlePuffyTail]

I wouldn’t give up. It can take many weeks or even months for some bunnies. If fighting is a frequent occurrence, I agree some stress bonding might be in order.

[tanlover14]

MD is correct. Separating will only make them believe they can get the other “horrible” bunny out of the way by fighting with him because he will catch on that you remove him when this behavior occurs.

Being together for 36 hours is EXTREMELY good and your rabbits are very close to being bonding. When they can remain together this long – instead of separating you should stress bond them immediately and then put them back together in their area.

Your weekend work is definitely not wasted. Your buns are VERY close. 36 hours is a very long time without fighting. The normal is about 24-48 before you can consider them completely bonded. Keep going! And don’t give up.

[ashley495]

Thanks for the advice. My only trouble now is that they will have to wait until the weekend before they can spend such a long session together again. So at night and when I’m at work they are still in their pen but divided by a piece of chicken wire (they can’t get to each other but can still see and smell each other). Is that going to slow their bonding down?

I love my bunnies, just want them to love each other!!!!

[tanlover14]

It should be fine. Once they are fully bonded, it’s VERY important not to separate like this as one can go into severe depression without their bunny companion. SO be aware if fighting happens in the future, stress bond! =)

I usually saved my “ending bonding” session for the weekend also. And would go from Friday-Monday morning under supervision. I usually just slept next to them and listened for any fighting. If they can last the weekend, they are bonded.

[tanlover14]

And i know the feeling of just wanting them to love each other! Hahahah, it’s very frustrating but you have to remember – you didn’t learn to trust and care for your friends/relationships/whatever over night and neither can they! They are learning to trust each other. So it’s a process =P And you are all doing great.

[ashley495]

 So all week and weekend the bunnies have been getting on fine when they are tgether but I have continued to seperate at night.  Friday night they stayed together over night as I was able to stay in the living room with them, but went away last night so didnt want to risk leaving them together so I divided the pen as I have been doing.  this afternoon they have had a couple of fights which has lead to Bluebell being injured. I followed them all up with stress bonding (running the hoover in the pen) like you suggested but after this one making Bluebell bleed I just think I should stop?  they are so random, sometimes they can do a whole day and night without a fight and other times there will be two or three in one afternoon. You think you’ve made progress and then you go backwards!

I don’t know what to do next really?? go back a stage? and if so to which stage? Or perhaps these are one of those pairs that will never fully bond.

So stressed out!!

[Author]

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