Bonding again!

I am continuing to bond Jamie and Sadie using the slow dating method.

The sessions (2-4) hours in the neutering pen follow the same pattern - Jamie is anxious at first and likely to nip and chase if Sadie is in close proximity but then fairly quickly relaxes and starts doing roly polys and flopping out towards her and eating and grooming himself. Sadie is a bit weary of him but is good at working out his mood and also relaxes and flops. Jamie can go back to a bit of chasing and nipping but no more than this. They are very happy living side by side with wire in between - sitting very close to each other.

A few queries
For longer sessions, I have put in a neutral litter tray as Jamie is very fussy where he goes to the toilet - only on megazorb! but am worried he is claiming it.
Is it possible that a bunny who is very anxious when out of his home enclosure be less anxious on his territory than in the neutral space?
Is it worth trying short sessions in part of his area if it is completely neutralised with vinegar first?
I worry that very long periods in a 3x3 pen could be frustrating?
I am a teacher and will be able to build up to longer periods in the school holiday.

Sorry for the potentially daft questions
Angelinabun

Don't worry about what you think are daft questions. Bonding is really stressful and we all know that here.

Long periods in the 3x3 pen is what is required. With time your anxious bun is likely to take strength from the other rabbit, putting another bun on his territory will only make him more anxious. You need to put them in the small pen and leave them there until they start to show the real positive signs such as mutual grooming then slowly increase the space. Don't feel guilty about the small space, it is only really for a short period of time in their life. They need to learn to share space and litter trays etc adn you cannot speed up this process. They will get there.

Hi Angelinabun

Can I ask if the wire is inbetween them during the bonding sessions and may I ask why you have chosen to do a slow dating? (the last question isn't a criticism at all, I just wonedered if maybe one of your buns had a bad experience before hand?)

Maybe a longer session to see how they get along in a neutral space with two litter trays, two drinking bowls/bottles and then leave them together would be better for them and you?

I have bonded my trios and used different approaches. The first trio, the two girls knew each other but had been seperated for a week or so, so they were introduced first and observed, then put together. They were spayed then introduced to the male, they got along fine and were put together in the males territory (after scubbing it) and they are still happy almost 3 years later.

My second bond was a male and female, a rather dominant female and submissive male. She ran rings around him but he tolerated her well. They were bonded at a rescue, then after an hour I bought them home and kept them in a neutral pen for a few days before putting them in her home. They were fine.

My third bond was a male to two sisters. They spent 4 weeks playing in the garden, seperated by a run, next to each other, they seemed relaxed together. (male had been neutered so was waiting for him to become infertile) Then I removed the devider on the rn and they were great with each other. They moved into the play house togeter which was neutral to them all.

These are my experiences of rabbit bonding, don't know if they are any help to you. I will check back later for your response to my questions

Hi - thanks for the advice - it is hard because a lot of views are contradictory.
No, the wire is not in between them during dating sessions only in the shed where they are living side by side and seem relaxed. I have been using the slow bonding method because I have not had a completely clear few days due to work/family commitments but I will have more time in the school holidays and can increase the time in the bonding pen then.

They have definitely made progress in the neutral space - 3x3 - at the moment. There wouldn't be space for 2 litter trays etc in there. It would be difficult to increase it as there is not much more space on the bathroom floor. I could change location to a small spare room in the holiday but would need to do something about the flooring.

As I have said, Jamie is showing positive signs, flopping out towards her, grooming and eating together but still has the inclination to nip in close proximity and she is a bit weary of him as a result.

If you're not making much progress with the slow bonding method, but simply repeating the same behaviour over and over again, I'd wait until you can put them together without splitting them up again.

Humum has only ever used intensive bonding and has normally managed to get buns to be tolerant within a day and been happy to leave them together (within hearing range) the first night. There was one bond where the rabbits were obviously never going to accept each other, but she had another pairing to try instead and that worked.

My bond with Gizmo was the exception. As I am 'delicate' and apparently 'spoiled rotten' we were in side-by-side pens for a week then both allowed out into the rest of the room the pens were in. We were kept apart for a few more nights but allowed together for a few hours a day, and eventually Humum had the confidence to put us together overnight. All was fine until a couple of weeks later, when she had put us out for a play then brought us back in as she had not realised how chilly it was. She had inadvertently disrupted our territory and that resulted in an almighty fight. Every time she tried to get us back together for the next couple of days we flew at each other so we ended up back in the side-by-side pens, at one point with a solid barrier as we kept trying to attack each other through the mesh. We gradually calmed down, and on a sunny day she put us in a small pen outside and built the bond back up - video here: https://happyhoppers.forumotion.co.uk/t17319-humum-is-quite-pleased