What’s my next step?

[angoralvr]

Henri and Acorn were together almost all weekend. I have figured out that I just have to chill out when I first put them together. Everytime they meet eachother again, there is a lot of mounting at first and I used to worry about that. I have come to realize though that this is just going to happen for the first twenty minutes or so that they are together. 

Acorn jumped up into Henri’s cage yesterday and I was worried about what would happen at first. Henri didn’t seem to care at all really though and hopped up to join him. He even took him on a tour!! I swear, it was the cutest thing ever. Henri jumped up to his higher levels and each time he would look down at Acorn like "you coming or what?" and then Acorn would join him. Acorn reciprocated and tried to take Henri on the grand tour of the basement but Henri is kind of scared of the stairs I think and only got about half the way down them before coming back up.

So what do I do from here? Would this be the time to move Acorn’s cage upstairs by Henri’s so that they can always see eachother. Then their out of cage time would be completely shared (which it pretty much was this weekend anyway). I almost let Acorn sleep in Henri’s cage last night but I didn’t want to push it and I didn’t feel like sleeping on the couch. Is it really even possible that I am having this much luck with two UNneutered boys?

[MooBunnay]

It sounds like a really great start, and the fact that they are mounting without it turning into serious aggression is a good sign. Still, since its more of dates than actually living together, there may be more agression that comes out once Acorn and Henri become very familiar with each other and their surroundings (think, its kind of like the difference between spending a weekend with your significant other and actually LIVING with your significant other )

Also – when do you plan on getting them neutered? Its something to keep in mind that if you make all this good progress on bonding, then have to separate them for the neuter, it may undo some of your progress. Some ways to help mitigate that is to get them neutered at the same time, and let them recover in side by side cages where they can still see and groom each other.

[angoralvr]

Posted By MooBunnay on 01/08/2008 7:14 AM
It sounds like a really great start, and the fact that they are mounting without it turning into serious aggression is a good sign. Still, since its more of dates than actually living together, there may be more agression that comes out once Acorn and Henri become very familiar with each other and their surroundings (think, its kind of like the difference between spending a weekend with your significant other and actually LIVING with your significant other )

Also – when do you plan on getting them neutered? Its something to keep in mind that if you make all this good progress on bonding, then have to separate them for the neuter, it may undo some of your progress. Some ways to help mitigate that is to get them neutered at the same time, and let them recover in side by side cages where they can still see and groom each other.

I plan on getting them neutered really soon. I have been a bad bunny mommy lately though because I have been really busy with everything and I keep forgetting to call and make their appointments. I was planning on getting them done at the same time and everything already because I know I have been told that their smells will change after the neuter. If they are done at the same time and brought home together and recover together, there should be less chance of it hurting the bond right?

[MarkBun]

Yes, there is less chance if you take them both to the vets at the same time. I would say keep on going with the way you are until about 2-4 weeks after the neutering (let the hormones settle). Then, you can try to move them into the same room. There will probably be some ‘setback’ as Acorn is ‘intruding’ upon Henri’s domain but from what you said, it should be relatively small.

[angoralvr]

Posted By markusdark on 01/08/2008 9:20 AM
Yes, there is less chance if you take them both to the vets at the same time. I would say keep on going with the way you are until about 2-4 weeks after the neutering (let the hormones settle). Then, you can try to move them into the same room. There will probably be some ‘setback’ as Acorn is ‘intruding’ upon Henri’s domain but from what you said, it should be relatively small.

They really have not had any sort of nuetral bonding zone at all. Henri’s territory is my entire upstairs except for the bedroom and the bathroom. All of their bonding sessions have been in the living room which is the biggest part of Henri’s zone and is where his cage is. If I was going to have problems wtih Acorn "intruding" on Henri’s space, wouldn’t most of those have already happened?

Currently I am to the point that if one of them is out of the cage, the other is too. I let Acorn come up the stairs on his own just so Henri doesn’t see me bringing him up. This weekend the only time I put Acorn back in his cage was when I went to bed.

If I am thinking about putting them both downstairs if I can get them living together, when would you move Henri downstairs? I know that I have not had any problems with Henri getting mad at Acorn intruding on his space but isn’t it just as likely that Acorn will get upset if I move Henri downstairs? Maybe I should just leave them upstairs.

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