Bonding Bunnies Part Deux

To begin.  Don't buy animals from a pet store.  You have NO IDEA where these poor animals have come from.  Employees at a pet store are there to SELL.  Pet stores are there for PROFIT.  That's it, plain and simple.  Please, I implore you....there are many, many, wonderful animals that live in local shelters that need forever homes.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU MUST DO BEFORE YOU BRING ANOTHER RABBIT TO YOUR HOME---You must go on a couple of bunny dates.  And yes, it is as it sounds.  I called up my local shelter and arranged for Tiny to go and visit having decided which boys she was going to meet.  Most shelters have online pics which makes things very easy.  The easiest bonds to form are the male/female relationships.    Personality is key.  And the rabbit does all the picking.  It's not up to you.  THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NEUTERED/SPAYED.  With raging hormones in the mix, I couldn't imagine the horrors.....

A few things I learned and indeed needed to help with the process.  These worked for me:  

1.  Safety 1st Lift & Lock Security Gate.  

Sounds ridiculous, but it works.  You need a barrier of some sort that isn't made of wood and doesn't have bars too far apart.  They will bite if given the opportunity.  It's important that they see and smell each other without direct contact.  I kept this gate up for two months.  

   

I started off the process by switching litter boxes on them for a day.  This would give them time to sniff out the newbie/oldie and get familiar with the scent.  I would do that every few days.  A couple of weeks later, it progressed further by physically putting them in the other's area.  Get familiar with the newbie/oldie's scent up close and personal.  This I would only do for a few hours at a time and every four or five days to prevent them from getting too anxious.  You've removed them from familiar surroundings and stress is something you don't want to give them.

Every time I would go over and see the other rabbit, (didn't matter which one) I would make sure I had one leg over on each side and pet the rabbits.  They were always smack up against the baby gate walls to check the other out.  This way I would wipe the other's rabbit's scent all over the other rabbit to associate this with an enjoyable activity. i.e. petting their faces.  Also, feeding them on either side of the gate was important.  This way they see each other and associate feeding as a close activity.     

2.  Wire Cube Shelving units.  

I don't believe in keeping rabbits in cages.  Industry standards are much too small for keeping any rabbit locked up.  They need ample room to stretch, stand and hop--exercising in general.  With these pieces, you're able to make up any size and shape you wish.  A lot of bunny owners have made these type of fencing and even bunny condos.  This helped me during the next phase by replacing the baby gate with this new, improved shelving gate.  They were able to physically touch each other through the 2in.x2in. squares but not enough to attack.  Thank God they never bit each other.  Mostly sniffing and even some licking.  

**The wire shelving is also good for bunny-proofing your home.**

3.  Bunny dates in a neutral area in the house.  I chose my kitchen.  It has a slippery floor.  I didn't take them to meet initially until around 3 weeks after getting Mr. Noodles.  Again, trying to make the process as easy and stress free as possible.   

 This worked wonders!!  Before I put the towel down, I put them on the slippery floor and they were freaked.  It was good, because they weren't focused on attacking each other, they were focused on not slipping around.  I did that to them for 5min. and then put a huge beach towel in the centre and they scooted over and sat on it.  I also brought their own litter boxes at each end of the towel.  The first time lasted about 10min before Tiny started to get tense and anxious.  You don't want the rabbits to associate this newbie/oldie with bad feelings.  It was also good as they jumped in each other's litter boxes to investigate and to mark them with their own pee and poop.  I did this everyday adding an extra few minutes every time for about a week, then I had some family stuff to deal with and I had to start the process all over again.  But a very good start.  I always sat on the floor with them as a referee and as a friendly face to both.

4.  Treats, treats, treats    Positive reinforcement works wonders.  I used craisins and dried apples to make them do my bidding.....ha, not even close.   Anything that was accomplished received a reward.  Anytime they were put back in their rooms.  Anytime they came back from the vet.  Sometimes when they would hang out at the baby gate.

5.   Beginning the co-habitation.  This is the step I worried the most.  I used the shelving pieces and zip ties/cable ties to make an enclosure for Mr. Noodles.  I also used copper pipe straps to secure the enclosure onto the wall and the floor.  Found the pieces in my basement.  I'm sure there's better things to secure them down, but whatever.  Tiny was still free range.  Again, having ample room, his corner was 5x7.  Now I read a lot about this step.  Most advise to wash down and remove all scent from the other rabbit.  I didn't do this.  I wanted Mr. Noodles and Tiny to get used to each other's scents.  

So, with that I kept Mr. Noodles in the enclosure for a week.  He got his exercise when I would take him downstairs.  Plus, 5x7 is still a pretty good area to run about.   After the week I switched and put Tiny in the enclosure and Mr. Noodles outside free range.  Again, it wouldn't have been fair to just keep one in and one out.  So, Tiny was in there the second week.  Third week back to Mr. Noodles.  

Throughout those few weeks I would physically sit inside the enclosures with each rabbit and hang out and pet them.  I didn't want them to feel isolated.  It's funny because the rabbit who was free range would mash their bodies up against the gate also wanting to be petted.  So I would do that..shove my fingers through the squares while petting the other. 

**The downside of living in the same room as your rabbits is that you can hear everything going on.  Most of the time, you don't hear anything.  But at this stage of the game, Tiny and Mr. Noodles would take their turns trying to bite apart and shake the enclosure.  This happened daily, mostly at night of course.....so much so that I invested in ear plugs.  

**The cage in this photo I used when I first got Tiny for about a month.  Again, blame ignorance.   It's now used as rabbit storage.**

During the third week of Mr. Noodles being in the corner, I split up two parts of the cage so I could make a gate and allow them to roam freely.  I did this by purchasing some carabiners and some natural jute.  --This photo is before I did this and where I put my 'door' is right at Tiny's tail.  

The first time I opened their areas up, fully supervised lasted about 15min.  When they started to nip one another and Tiny lunging at Mr. Noodles I would yell "HEY!" which would startle them and were quickly separated.  Next day, same thing and more and more time with the gate open.  Whenever I would shut the gate parting the two, I would immediately give them a treat.  Correlating separation as an ok activity.  At this time, I would still separate them when feeding. Give them their space without one of them stealing the other's food. 

Pic 1)  First day of opened gate, Feb.12, 2014.  Tiny wanted to hang out in his area all day.  They hung out across the way from the each other.  Just watching and sniffing around.  Mr. Noodles would explore Tiny's free range area.  Lasted about 15min, then I separate them.  Left them in the room and came back in a couple of hours.  Opened the enclosure again--no more than 15min- half hour.  Again, close it back up, always giving them treats when shut.  I did this about 6 or 7 times in a day.  

Pic 2)  Second day, Feb. 13th, finally relaxing but far, far away from each other.  Still checking the other out.  Still nipping, still chasing, still lunging, still yelling...and I'm quick to separate.  Give both treats.  Come back in an hour or two.  Repeat process.  I put Mr. Noodles back in his corner around 7pm for the rest of the night.  

Pic 3 & 4)  Third day, Feb. 14th, lover's day.  I could not believe my eyes!  Still wandering around, still sniffing and re-shuffling blankets and towels.  Then this happened.  I knew it was going to be ok.  Only lasted a minute, but what a breakthrough!   Same process as above except extending the time opened for longer and longer.  Fully supervised still.   They even sat beside each other, though the wire.  Good news.

Pic 5-7)  Feb. 16th.  I was sitting in the enclosure with Mr. Noodles and Tiny came in, sat down beside him and I pet them both.  It was adorable.  So I know everything is mos' def' going to be ok.  But again, same process, more and more time being open.  But still nipping, still lunging, still yelling--not a 100% perfect, but getting there.
It certainly helps when I'm petting them both at the same time.  Getting more intimate, more relaxed and snuggling together.   Later on that same day, Tiny started licking Mr. Noodles.  Another breakthrough!

 Pic 8-10)   Again, same process.....the only difference being is that I began leaving them in the room by themselves for short time frames.  Most blogs and websites say to never leave them alone together.  But I know my rabbits as do you.  You'll know when the time is right.  The first time I left them for only 5min.  Came back.....later on, same thing.  You get the idea.  I'm doing this because I want them to get used to being by themselves.  I'm returning to work soon so they'll be alone together for 10hrs a day.  Any time I hear a lot of running around.  I go right back and check to make sure things are ok.  The system is working for me.  
**I would be lying if when coming back upstairs, or myself still in the same room, I didn't see some hairs hanging off a rabbit--nipping most often occurred.  But it never got worse than that.  Never any biting, no blood, no screaming.  This is the natural order for rabbits.  Dominance must be decided.  Submissiveness must be decided.**
**This was also a very stressful time.  You don't want them to fight.  You want them to flop down together and live in perfect harmony.   As other sites/blogs have stated, you must let them sort it out themselves.  Just be the referee if it gets too much.  You don't want to traumatize the rabbits so they never want to be around one another.** 

As of today, being February 21st, 2014 there is a power struggle between the two.  Tiny is upset with Mr. Noodles as she has been licking him every time they've snuggled.  He is not reciprocating she's upset about it.  In turn Tiny starts to nip and lunge after him.  He just takes it in stride and leaves.  Poor thing.  But I think he'll come round.  Going to take some more time!   

One issue that is on the way out is the territorial poops and Tiny's territory peeing.  Thanks goodness.

Also, last night was the first night I allowed them to both become free range.  Didn't hear a thing.  That was my ultimate goal.  I still think there's going to be some growing pains so I think I won't take the enclosure down for another 3 months to be sure. 

I understand that not everyone has all of this free time to lend to this bonding process.  I did and I do at the moment.  Not every idea is going to work.  You need to pick and choose what works best for you and your bunnies.  

In closing, my advice to you would be patience, patience, patience.  Don't give up.   

  

**I want to tell you in all honesty I was pretty stressed out the first month or so.  I felt guilty how Tiny was alone and she wasn't used to me sharing her time with Mr. Noodles and vice versa.  Tiny became very jealous and possessive of me.  She took to nipping at my ankles anytime I would come over to her side from the gate.  She also starting making this low pitch whimper, like she was telling me "You've abandoned me you selfish human scum!"  Also, she took a notion to circling my legs whenever I would step over from Mr. Noodles' room and I can't tell you how many times I nearly tripped.

I felt bad for Mr. Noodles because he was in the next room while Tiny and I inhabited across the hallway, so right away he's alone.  He listened to a lot of classical music and the Christmas music channel.  So I was hopping over to his room once every 15min or so.

Since having them in the same room and free range for both, these behavioural issues have dissipated.**

Bonding is a wonderful gift you can give your rabbit companion.  Everyone benefits.  Good luck.