When to go to next step after bonding sessions?

[vdemske]

Hi all,

So I went through 3 months of pre-bonding and almost at 2 months of bonding. They are very comfortable around each other; a lot of laying down near each other, a lot of eating together, and Jay (male) has been grooming Lola (female). They are both fixed and we have gone through all the necessary steps to ensure this will be a good bond. 

Lola is still a bit apprehensive sometimes but there is no aggression whatsoever from either of them; however, Lola refuses to groom Jay – he will put his head down and wait and she won’t do anything.

I feel that they should both be grooming each other and showing mutual signs of affection in order to move on to the “next step”; Lola is still a bit nervous when Jay goes up to her face; however, Jay can groom her face for a few moments before she tries to get away.

I’m curious as to when to go to the next step of having them in a semi-neutral space together long term and supervising them; do you wait until both parties are showing affection before moving to the next step? Or should I wait for Lola to groom Jay and be 100% comfortable?

Thanks!

[Sirius&Luna]

Have you tried banana or apple juice on Jay’s head?

Some bunnies really don’t groom very much, but it would be good to see at least a tiny bit of grooming from Lola before you move on. Do they do other positive things like flop together? And how long have your bonding sessions been? Sometimes it takes a 12 hour push to really progress the relationship.

[vdemske]

Hi Sirius&Luna,

Thanks for the reply!

We haven’t tried the banana or apple juice yet – that is our next attempt.

Yeah, that’s how we feel too. I want Lola to groom him (even if it’s brief) before going to the next step.

Right now they currently eat together and lay down around the same area – Lola still gets a little jumpy when Jay gets too close though.

Our bonding sessions range from 45 minutes to 2 hours – depending on how much time we have after the work day.

I was thinking of doing a super long session this weekend…. I just don’t know what to do in regards to litter boxes – I would imagine just one would be fine? Or should we put both of their litter boxes in there? What are your thoughts on that?

[DanaNM]

So, my first pair was very one sided grooming and was a very strong bond. But, they were very very comfortable around each other, no hints of nervousness from either rabbit, even if one moved suddenly or got very close.

So, I would want to see Lola not be nervous around Jay before moving on. Even if Jay does all the grooming, they should both be very very relaxed around each other. And you should see snuggling. It’s hard to describe, but if you aren’t sure, don’t move on yet. When they are ready, you will know! It’s like something clicks.

It does sound like they are close, but not ready to move to semi-neutral yet. I think a long session sounds like a good plan.

For a long session I would but both boxes in, side by side. Clean them as well as possible with vinegar. Ideally you would use new ones, but if you clean them well it should be ok. Litter boxes can cause some disputes, so be prepared once you put them in!

. . . 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.  

[vdemske]

Thank you DanaNM! That is very helpful – I’ll wait for some snuggling and not one sided like-ness.

Okay – I think this weekend is going to be a long session, so I’ll keep you updated!!!

Thanks again!

[Author]

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