im introducing the buns again today eepp!!!

had a friend visit the other day, not seen each other in ages. Turns out she has had bunnies in the past and knows more than a thing or two being experienced in the bonding process! Result!

she spent a while with my wee guys and how they behaved with each other through the pens and watching their general behaviour each when given floor time

she feels the signs are encouraging for starting the process so we have arranged this later today

wish me luck as there is nothing I want more than my wee guys being buddies again

i'll keep you posted in how the 1st session went

xxxxx

Hope it al goes well and you have a two rascals causing double trouble again.

Everything crossed here hunni and thank you for keeping us posted.

Hugs
JO xx

Fingers crossed
I'm sure you'll have the two wee fellas running about together in no time

Xxx

Hi all!

well a very mixed bag of behaviours in the first bonding session yesterday.

We put the buns into the tub as it is THE only place they have not roamed in my home

Immediately they were grooming n snuggling with each other. Couldn't believe it! Constant attention to each other equally. There was flopping and at one point they napped practically on top of each other.

My friend who was guiding me had never seen anything like this so I was really encouraged

After maybe 30 mins of utter blissful signs we moved them to a hutch which I had neuteralised of scents

Same in there! constant snuggling n grooming each other. Was so sweet to watch. After an hour of this I began to relax a bit, and my friend then left with instruction to keep oven mitt and divider board handy just in case.

3 hours after the initial meet Zuko ( slightly younger one) awakes from a nap in what I can only describe as a frantic mood. He was eating his hay at 100mph then started to toss some of the bedding around. This awakes Kenickie who presents his head for grooming but Zuko is having none of it!

so for the next 2 hrs there was a dance of mutual grooming and snuggling, to then each in turn trying to mount the other, which I know is normal. I only intervened when it was face humping.

They ate their dinner together cheek to cheek no problems, then there was more snuggling and grooming and huddling together for naps

then the dance repeated, with each out of nowhere trying to mount the other.

So initially when all this started Zuko accepted the humping and afterwards would groom Kenickie. Several times he flopped out immediately afterwards. So I was feeling hopeful.

But after a while Zuko started circling Kenickie cooing and that's when HE would try mounting Kenickie. Of course Kenickie wasn't having it so a chase ensued in which I would intervene to calm them down with a time out.

However, quite late on , perhaps 6 hours after initial introduction, Kenickie had had enough of Zuko's mounting and went for him. Luckily I was hovering right above them and managed to remove Zuko before he got hurt. However, it took a good few seconds of them scuffling before I could grab Zuko.

Separate pens close together overnight last night

This morning came I find them nose-bumping and sniffing happily through the bars again as if nothing had happened.

I should mention whilst this was happening yesterday Zuko's pee was pungent (it hadn't been for a week before)

So my conclusion is, unless anyone has advice otherwise, that I think Zuko still has some hormones raging (hence the cooing, circling and smelly pee) but Kenickie's have settled.

so ill try reintroducing them again in a week

until then, separate pens pushed together and individual floor time

phew!

one fraught bunny mummy here, but it's a process and I feel all their snuggling etc early yesterday and being interested in each other without any aggression this morning are good signs. Just gotta let those hormones disappear completely!

Isobel xx

Am I right that Zuko was last to nuetered?
If yes then I think he still needs some time for his hormones to settle. It can take from 6 to 8 weeks. It sounds like he is still more hormonally charged than Kenickie.
I'd keep putting them together but not for long, maybe an hour max.
Sounds like you will win though.

He will calm down don't worry your making excellent progress
😀😀😀
Xxx

thank you, defo feel progress is being made but also can see that Zuko is still a bit hormonal. As soon as he starts his cooing and circling Kenickie I get him out of there as it's at this point he tries to mount Kenickie who is having none of that. At least these times are becoming less frequent

It took ages for soundwave to stop humping Miranda, then tables turned and it took ages for Miranda to stop humping Soundwave

Xxx

feel like my buns have reached stalemate in their bonding!
so they are equally grooming each other. As soon as one puts his head under the others chin mega head licking goes on so they seem to be sending each other mixed signals. Everything I've read indicates the bunny who presents his head and is groomed is the dominant one. So what do you make of this situation?
the buns also have stand offs where they are both presenting their heads for grooming at the same time so end up with a very low, still, nose bump
I'm thinking tomorrow I may take them in their shared travel carrier for a walk around the block them let them into a slightly larger area of the room to see how that goes.

any advice anyone on what's going on with them? There is absolutely no aggression shown, they eat, snuggle, flop, lay together happily.

But one of them needs to be dominant right?

I know very little about bonding love but I must say I am pleased to hear that they are behaving like a bonded pair in every other way than establishing a dominant one.  Maybe it just just takes time but I am sure some four other friends on here will have some good suggestions.

Hugs
Jo xx

I still think it's hormones settling down. They are both giving out mixed signals. I'm sure time will sort things out. And they may be happy as equals. They are young, recovering from neutering,
I wouldn't worry.

They may be just a it confused at the moment love, give it time.

Hugs
Jo xx

They may be just a it confused at the moment love, give it time.

Hugs
Jo xx

great news! think I see light at the end of the tunnel at last!

My 2 wee guys were pretty unsettled in the kitchen yesterday. gave them a good couple of hours. This is a totally neutral area which has never interested either of them to enter into.

Then when things got a wee bit fraught I gave them some time out in their pens.
Later on I let them both out at the same time into the living room, where they are both very familiar and comfortable. Am happy to report peace reigned form 830pm until after 11pm.

A wee scuffle very late on made me uneasy to leave them out for the night ( I was all set on sleep on sofa with one eye open). but at one point they were sprawled out fully so close to each other and were napping.

This morning I let them out into living room again expecting peace n harmony but nope, Kenickie was full of energy and decided he didn't want to give Zuko any peace and so set about humping him over breakfast. a scuffle ensued where poor wee Zuko lost a tuft of fur.

Back into pens for time out for 20 mins.
Let them back out again and all is now peaceful again.
currently they are both napping next to each other in the kitchen! The very place yesterday they were clearly unsettled in!

aarrgghh Buns!!!

overall am really happy we are at this stage. If rest of today is fairly peaceful I think I'll spend night on sofa to listen out for scuffles, but feel the overnight separation last night wasn't good for them.

getting there!!

I am so pleased for you hunni and for them too. It must be a wonderful feeling for them when they first discover that they are in love and wonderful for you too.   Thanks for the updates.

Hugs
Jo xx